Nothing disturbed the Jedi during the night – perhaps they were still too close to civilization. Nonetheless, they were awake as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon.

"So what's the decision?" asked Phaelon as they bridled the creatures once again. "Where're we headed?"

Kyp shrugged. "I was thinking we ride curve back around and come at the city from another direction. That way we'll give them enough time to think we're dead and gone. We sneak in, commandeer a shuttle, blow up something just because we can, and be gone before they know it."

She nodded. "Sounds like something I should have expected from you."

He chose to ignore the dig, but she could feel him biting back an angry retort and it made her feel good to have made him mad.

"Have you ever considered that if that Hutt tips the Vong off that we're here, we could be in serious trouble?" she continued. When he didn't respond, she grinned. "I didn't think so. A coral skipper won't have any problem spotting us from a long ways off on these plains. And if you haven't noticed, there's no where to run and hide either."

Finally, Kyp rounded on her. "Do you ever stop worrying?" he demanded. "Master Skywalker is always telling us to focus on the here and now. And here and now, the only problem is our staying alive long enough to get off this rock, Vong or no Vong."

Now it was Phaelon's turn to be quite, and she could feel his smug triumph at having shut down her rant. So they rode on in silence, using the sun as a compass to keep them heading in the right direction. It wouldn't do for them to get lost on the prairie; no one would ever find them if they did.

It was near midday when they came to a wide, swift-flowing river. Phaelon raised an eyebrow and allowed her mount to drop its head and graze on the tall grasses. "Now what?"

"We really don't have much of a choice," Kyp returned, surveying the river. "It doesn't look deep."

She eyed it for a moment. "After you."

"Thanks," he returned unenthused. Kicking his mount forward, they descended in single file to the river's edge and started across. Three steps into the river, the sadain dropped until only it's head and ears were above the water and continued swimming.

"Son of the sith!" exclaimed Kyp as he kept himself from falling but ended up completely soaked anyway after flailing about to keep his balance.

Phaelon was laughing at his predicament when the same thing happened to her sadain, and she was tossed upstream into the river. She came up sputtering in the cold water and shoving the hair out of her eyes. Then it was Kyp's turn to laugh.

OO

He was waiting on the far bank with the mounts when Phaelon dragged herself out of the river. She was now cold and wet and very cross.

"Finished?" he asked snidely as she took the reins to her mount.

She glared at him, not trusting herself to answer as she mounted up and they continued. As they rode, She studied her face in the grip of her lightsaber, The dirt had been smeared and partially washed off so the stripes it created looked like additions to the natural dark-blue diamond-shaped Kiffar markings under her eyes. She didn't even want to think how long it had been since she'd bathed.

Their clothes dried in the sun, and the itching of the half-wet flight suit was driving her mad. How Kyp could stand it was beyond her, but if he could deal with it, she could as well.

"Why do you do it?" Phaelon asked as they crossed another stream, this one very shallow and easily forded.

"Do what?" asked Kyp, taken off-guard.

"Argue with Master Luke, when the last thing we need is a Civil War among the Jedi?" Part of her didn't want to ask, knowing the Jedi was like a loose ion cannon, but she asked anyway.

Something flashed – annoyance? – in his eyes, but he thought for a moment before speaking. "Because Master Luke is a pacifist. He doesn't want the Jedi to be involved in the war. It doesn't matter who or what we serve. We're Jedi, and if we're able to protect the galaxy from a threat, we need to take the chance. Luke doesn't think we should, and it holding the Jedi Order back from its full potential."

Phaelon was silent for a moment. She didn't believe what she was hearing, usually Kyp's arguments were just that – loud and argumentative. "You make valid points," she agreed, something else she never thought she'd do.

"Now let me ask you something?" countered.

She nodded, though she was still thinking about his explanation.

"You question me about my motives, why don't you question Master Luke about his?"