Part 4

Over the next few days the Jedi masters tested the extent of her training, and interrogated Zekaya at every possible opportunity.

"Who's going to come after you? You said it was something we couldn't handle. Prepare us." Mara said putting her arm around her new 'friend'.

"I told you before, if I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me, and if you did it could only put you in danger," Zekaya said shaking her off.

"I think we can handle danger," Luke said.

"But my conscience can't. He isn't after you," Zekaya said shaking her head in a familiar way.

Luke blinked. And Zekaya could see that she'd unwittingly reminded him of his sister.

All this lying was tiring. She had to remain on guard constantly for a slip up, or a casual mind probe. They had tried bribery in the way of food and machines to tinker with, and they'd applied to her ego.

"So you can handle it by yourself then?" Kam stared at her.

"I didn't say- anything. I was, was disoriented. It doesn't concern you," Zekaya said, feeling like they were trying to annoy the information out of her now.

"Who's 'he'?" Tionne asked swiftly. "Is he the one that gave you those lightsaber wounds."

Zekaya paused and ran her hand through her hair. They were trying to trick her into telling the truth. She had to slow this down before she blurted it out of frustration. Which having been tortured before she knew was probable.

"Which lightsaber inflicted scar would that be?" Zekaya said. "You'll have to be more specific."

"So you're saying your whole distressed damsel a few days ago- was all an act?" Mara said putting her hand on her lightsaber. "For all we know you're really here to kill the Hapan heir."

"Tenel Ka?" Zekaya said, confused. "Why would-"

"There you see, you even know your target's name," Mara turned to Luke. "Didn't we just dismiss her highness's bodyguards? I don't think Hapes would like to know that their next queen mother is studying with a security threat."

Zekaya growled in frustration. She kicked herself for having leaked that knowledge. She even went so far as to bite her lip to keep from spilling out some creative Huttish insults.

"She could even be after the Chief-Of State's children," Mara said to Luke.

Zekaya threw her head back wanting to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

She stared at the ceiling and said clearly. "I mean the Solos no harm what so ever." And she fervently did, if there was a way out of it.

"We need some assurance that you aren't a threat to our students, if you know of another threat we need to know about it," Kam said arms behind his head. "You won't even tell us where you're from. 'Far away' isn't even a region."

"I've moved around a lot," Zekaya said glancing at Mara. "I've lived everywhere from the lower levels of Courasant to the outer rim."

At least she's telling the truth there. Mara glanced at the other teachers.

"I find it odd that if you're so innocent that you destroyed all of your identifying personal affects."

Zekaya was silent. No argument there. She wasn't an innocent.

"And yet you can't give us a single reference. Family, friends, bosses," Kyp enjoyed annoying his competition.

"That's complicated," Zekaya said crossing her arms and keeping her distance from Mr. Manipulative Planet Killer.

"Everything is complicated with you," Mara said, clearly losing patience.

"You think I like keeping this to myself?" Zekaya said before shutting her mouth.

Mara's lip twitched ever so slightly. So that was it, Mara was grilling her for information, waiting for her to break.

"Are you afraid we'll send you home if we knew?" Tionne asked no doubt playing good Jedi, to Mara's Sith.

"Look," Zekaya snorted and spread her hands expressively. "If you were able send me home, I'd tell you everything." She must have done something incriminating in her gesturing. Kriff!

"Corellian?" Luke asked incredulously.

Mara back looked at him, no doubt remembering her greeting about the Corellian hells. Kriff!

"Tell us where it is, and I'll fly you there myself," Kyp interrupted eagerly. Zekaya didn't like being grateful to him.

It's not simply a matter of spatial distance bantha brain. "It's not possible to go back."

"Exile?"

"Not exactly, no." Zekaya said flippantly.

Mara's eyes felt like laser bolts.

"Let's just say I don't want to be forced to serve an Emperor." That certainly made Mara shut up.

Luke stared right through her. Zekaya squirmed. He had a way of figuring people out.
His eyes went to Mara, communicating. What did they know? The room became silent but she knew they were still discussing her. They couldn't know, she comforted herself, she had too much practice raising her shields. That and her new subtle force 'appearance' wouldn't give her away. The first few hours she hadn't had it, but her distress must have marred her features. Or they wouldn't be having this discussion.

"Your Force-signature is resonating. In the Force you look like two people in one space."

He was getting way too close. She couldn't claim to have the remnants of a Siamese twin. Mara would see the lie before she finished that sentence. She needed to distract them from that informative line of thought without revealing that that was what she was trying to do.

Zekaya bit her lip as she felt pressure on her mind. A wave of dizziness momentarily overtook her reason.

"We're already here."