Chapter 2

After parting ways with his former Maser and leaving Corellia, Cestus returned to Corsucant. Upon his return he was assigned his first and as it would turn out, only apprentice. A little human girl named Tala Norbri. Raven haired and eyes of steely gray whose first master had been ambushed in space and killed, was assigned to him. Tala had already been with her master for ten years and for the next eight, she traveled and learned at Cestus's side until that day, that mission, when practically everything went wrong.

The mission seemed simple enough, escort an emissary from a non-aligned world to a diplomatic conference on Coruscant to open negotiations to become a member of the Republic. Cestus and his Padawan were sent as a show of good faith as well as protection against any elements that might be opposed to such a petition. Everything went to poodoo almost from the moment the Jedi Master and his Padawan arrived.

A small, yet well organized group was out to assassinate the emissary before she could even get to her ship. Cestus had to cut down two assasins who were pretending to be her bodyguards as they tried to kill the emissary on her way to the spaceport. After that, someone tried to poison both Cestus and Tala but failed to allow for the Force and its curative abilities.

Even after getting off-world, two sabotage attempts were caught by Tala whose Force abilities were especially strong in empathy, the reading of emotional currents. Finally, before planetfall to Coruscant, it was discovered that the emissary herself was a plant to get a bomb into the Galactic Senate chamber itself and kill as many Senators as possible.

When Cestus found out her plan, he was forced to kill her in a viscous hand-to-hand fight on the consular ship inside a corridor too small to draw his sabers without causing significant damage to critical ship's systems. Even with as much caution as he could muster in the given situation, the holo-recorder was destroyed causing Cestus to appear before the Council. Even his word as a Jedi Master was not enough to quell the outrage of the emissary's homeworld, and the Senate.

As a gesture to the Senate and the emissary's world, Cestus was stripped of his rank of Jedi Master, his Padawan taken from him and his being confined to the precincts of the Jedi Temple and its grounds for two standard years. In that time though, Cestus had an epiphany about the Force, and its teachings. When he was allowed on missions again, it was as a Knight and usually in the company of other Masters. Ones that didn't know him or his abilities. Only his reputation of being a trifle unpredictable.

On a mission that would become a significant turning point for him, Cestus met up with Tala, herself now a Jedi Knight in her own right. He exited the transport that had taken him to this world on the rim, far from Coruscant and its politics when Tala saw him walk down the ramp and ran to him to embrace him fiercely. She said: "Master Cestus, it's so good to see you again, even better to work with you once more. Please, come with me, I already have your accommodations arranged. We can begin the briefing as soon as you settle in."

Cestus returned the hug out of politeness but sensed firmness in her grip around his neck, and the way she held onto him but thought nothing of it at first. He said: "It's agreeable to see you too Tala but I am no longer your Master, nor are you my Padawan. We are just two Knights on a mission for the Council." When she answered: "Yes Master", it was altogether too meek sounding when coming from his former Padawan and he made a mental note to ask her about it later.

After settling into his room in the hotel which was set up almost identically to his one back at the Temple, spacious looking without a lot of clutter, when it was actually quite small as rooms went. The briefing was by holonet from the Council Chamber on Coruscant and was fairly straightforward as missions went.

After hearing the particulars, Cestus realized that Tala could've handled it on her own but the Council still wasn't sure of his impartiality and so they decided to test him. After the briefing was complete, Cestus retired to his room for dinner and meditation, something he had been doing a great deal of during his confinement in the Temple. Even Cestus himself was unsure of his total power by this time and so kept it in check so as not to alarm any other Jedi, especially the Council.

A few hours after dinner, a knock came at his door. Cestus was almost done with his meditation and could sense in the Force that it was Tala and knew she would wait patiently while he finished his meditation. Shortly after that, Cestus opened his door to see Tala standing there in a light robe covering a nightgown that was decidedly un-Jedi. She entered when bade to do so and as soon as the door was closed, Cestus felt an immense wave of emotion roll over him emanating from her and had to reinforce his mental shields to withstand the onslaught.

Before his shields were in place, she embraced him fiercely and kissed him soundly on the mouth causing Cestus to lose his focus momentarily and again be bombarded by intense emotions. Cestus was swept up in the moment and returned the kiss before his control could reassert itself. When it did, he broke the kiss and held her at arms length and said: "Tala, be mindful of your feelings."

She laughed lightly and said: "I am being mindful of my feelings, Master, just like you taught me. I have waited for many years to have you and now I can." "What are you saying Tala? Jedi are not allowed emotional attachments, you know that. I know I taught you better than this. Please explain."

"Master, I know you don't believe in that aspect of the Code anymore but since you ask, and because I love you so much, I will answer." Her sudden declaration caught Cestus by surprise and also put into perspective the emotional tidal wave from her he had just ridden. Cestus had always known of her feelings but had written it off to adolescent fantasies or Tala's projecting onto him a father-figure image.

"Barely five years after I was assigned to you as Padawan, I've known I loved you. At first I thought it might be just a crush or the love of a parent-figure but after I was reassigned, that sudden loss of your quiet strength almost sent me to the Dark Side. It took me quite some time to get over that feeling of loss. Shaak-Ti was a wonderful Master and completed my training, but she also let me see you from time to time. I was not allowed to speak to you, only see you, but it was enough."

Cestus said: "I knew of your feelings but I too thought them a crush or feelings towards me in the role of parent. Surely you must know that a union between us is not possible. I must be two or three times your age for Force sakes!" "I don't care about that Master! Like Master Windu, the Force is extending your lifespan. You are only barely showing signs of age in my eyes but I still don't care. I want you. Even if only for a night, I want you. I can feel your eyes on me and I know you see me not as the little girl I was when we met but the woman who is in front of you now. Please don't deny me! Please!"

Cestus thought hard for a moment and remembered a piece of Qui Gon Jinn's oft repeated mantra: "Be mindful of your feelings and listen when the Living Force speaks to you." Looking at Tala again with new eyes, he still saw traces of the girl he trained in the woman standing before him but it was the woman in front of him, not the girl and he knew that he too loved her more now than was truly right, but with his epiphany of the Force while in confinement, he found he didn't really care about the strict interpretation of the Jedi Code anymore. "You're right Tala. I cannot and will not deny my feelings for you or yours for me."

With a smile on her lips, Tala took Cestus in her arms once again and let the Living Force guide them from there.