What's up Force Fans?!

This will be the last chapter on lovely Tython. And then the adventure continues, and perhaps we'll run into a few friends along the way.

Enjoy!


Chapter Twenty-One

The campfire crackled in front of them, and Aedan glanced over at Kyra as she stared into the orange blaze. What did she see in the flames?

He marveled at his padawan. Marveled and how she had grown. How she had changed. He had put her through the most rigorous week of combat training ever, and she had surpassed his every expectation. She was fit, could crank out pushups and pullups, and run for hours. She could sink into the force instantly. And with the lightsaber, she was giving him a run for his credits.

But that incident at the Forge...

That was something else altogether. Something that he himself wouldn't be able to do, in fact he could think of only one Jedi Master that could bring such force to bear, but even that would be a stretch for him. She wasn't even phased after it. He didn't know what to think about such incredible force potential.

She sensed his eyes on her—nothing escaped her awareness now —and returned his gaze. Force, he could drown in those eyes. Quickly he returned his focus back to the campfire and sighed. Now he marveled at how she had changed him. This girl had upended his whole world, and now he was scrambling, desperately figuring out how to survive in this new reality. The tectonic plates of his life had shifted and as self-aware as he was, he had no idea what this newly formed land would look like.

Needing solid ground under his feet, and needing something familiar, he quickly stood up and folded his chair, placing it off to the side and then picked up his training saber. This he knew.

Looking at his surroundings he wondered if Tython, and this sanctuary had always been so beautiful. The fire was casting looming shadows on the temple behind them, and the 'Guile stood off to the side, a constant yet unbiased observer. Aedan's gaze lifted, and he saw the stars shining their delight at the spectacle that would ensue.

Kyra stood up, grabbed her training saber, and then bladed her stance towards Aedan. Tension filled the night. He could sense waves of determination coming from her.

"We're nearing the end here, Apprentice," Aedan said, then ignited his saber. "Surely you don't want to leave without a single victory against me."

Kyra didn't say a word in response. She ignited her saber, and began circling, her blade held down by her side, angled toward the ground. Aedan reciprocated, and moved around the campfire. There was a hum to the air, an electric current running from Kyra to Aedan and back-a constant cycle of energy that continued to build.

Kyra dashed forward, attacking Aedan voraciously, executing a swift series of cuts and strikes that forced him back a step, something that had only started happening a week ago. It was obvious proof that she was improving at astonishing rates. Aedan countered swiftly, and aimed to turn the tide, and put her on the defensive, but she batted his strike away, and then surged forward with another dazzling combination of attacks-striking high, spinning around with a vicious cross cut, which Aedan blocked, and then spinning again, executing a leg sweep, which Aedan narrowly leaped over. But just as he was coming down, Kyra came out of the spinning low kick into a low to high saber swipe. All Aedan could do was lean backward, the blade nearly grazing the point of his chin as it passed by.

His eyes widened, that was the closest she had come to landing a strike. While Aedan was momentarily stunned by the attack, Kyra just poured on the pressure. Aedan had to increase his effort, and sank into the force, deep into the Formless mindset.

Kyra continued with a complex display of swordsmanship, but Aedan was now flowing through the cuts and strikes, his movements silky smooth and precise, meeting all the attacks in such a way that he was already in position to deflect the next one. Kyra appeared to notice that change, and knew she would no longer be able to win with this tactic, and so she switched to mimic Aedan's, sinking into the Force and letting her motions turn to a flow of water.

Aedan wished the rest of the temple could see this—could see her. They would have been witnessing a spectacle of prowess and grace, and likely would ask to pay for an encore of such an astonishing show of skill. Aedan battled on, as they were locked into a dance now. Their movements flowing, bodies coming together then breaking apart, twisting, spinning, and shifting.

They separated for a momentary reprieve, both breathing heavily. Aedan saw sweat glisten on her forehead, and drop down onto her nose. Aedan's own clothes were starting to soak through with perspiration. They circled the campfire once more, no words were spoken, but their eyes remained locked on one another's. Aedan's heart was pounding, but it was also soaring. He hadn't worked this hard in months, perhaps years. She was incredible, however much he wanted to let her have this victory, he knew that wouldn't be right. And he knew she would be more disappointed by the unearned win than losing fairly.

Kyra sent a force push into the campfire, causing it to momentarily flare up, and then snuff out completely, leaving the lightsabers and the moons above as the only sources of light. Aedan had to leapt back from the flash of flames, and then quickly recover as Kyra was on him in half a second.

She sliced downward into Aedan's parallel block, but it was only a feint, as she switched the direction of her blade upward, knocking his lightsaber tip above his head. She followed with a spinning side kick that landed flush to his ribs. Pain replaced the air that had just left Aedan's lungs, and before he could catch his breath, she continued the attack with a leaping downward chop. Aedan brought his blade across, fanning it in front of his torso, hoping to bat Kyra's blade away, but before the blades made contact, Kyra deactivated her lightsaber, so Aedan swung at nothing, sending his momentum to the side, and leaving him wide open. Kyra reignited the lightsaber and stabbed it forward. Aedan twisted his torso to the side, so the blade passed right in front of his chest, singeing his shirt. Kyra, then swept the blade horizontally. Aedan had to fall backward so the blade passed right over his face, and he hit the ground. Kyra altered her blade's path once again and brought it down. Aedan managed to get his own blade up in time to stop the finishing blow, forcing them into a saber lock. Kyra had the positioning and the leverage, her weight bearing down onto Aedan. He kicked out with his right foot, catching Kyra in the shin, causing her to grunt, and sending her crashing down on top of him. Kyra, reflexively, let go of her saber to catch herself. She landed hard on to Aedan's torso, and then both of her hands reached for Aedan's right hand which still held his saber. She was able to wedge both thumbs between his palm and the hilt, forced his hand out to the side, and slammed the back of his hand into the ground, dislodging the weapon.

Where did this Nexu of a padawan come from? While Kyra had disarmed him, she was off balance, her center of gravity was focused on his arm, not his torso, so he shifted his weight, pushed her to the ground, and rolled on top of her. He started to apply a submission hold to her neck, but she got her knees underneath her, and then shot her backside upward into Aedan's hips, while simultaneously grabbing his head, and flipping him over her shoulder.

What. The. Force. Aedan thought as the world turned upside down, and he landed hard on his back once again. Kyra called her lightsaber to her hand, bringing the blade down the moment it hit her palm. Aedan raised both hands and created a force shield in front of the blade, stopping it in midair. Kyra gasped, apparently never seeing this technique before. Aedan capitalized on this surprise, and grabbed the lightsaber hilt, yanking hard on it. Kyra didn't let go and was forced onto the ground next to him. Aedan rolled on top of her, both gripping the lightsaber hilt, the blue blade humming loudly in between them, centimeters away from both of their faces. Aedan would win this battle, as he had superior position and strength now.

Their bodies intwined, both gasping for breath, both so close to one another. Their eyes locked. Aedan gazed down into Kyra's sapphire eyes, and then his eyes went to her lips and back to her eyes. Time stopped. And the air electrified. Aedan watched as the fight left her, and something else took its place. She let her shields down, and Aedan was flooded with the new emotion. Desire.

And there was no doubt he was feeling the same. There was no air between their bodies, only a thin layer of clothing. The closeness of her, the intensity of the moment, was dizzying. Aedan let up on his downward pressure, slowly letting go of the saber, surrendering over to Kyra's spell. Kyra deactivated the lightsaber, and tossed it to the side. Her right hand then moved up to Aedan's cheek, who let out a breath at the intimate contact. Her hand then moved to the back of his head, and she ran her fingers through his hair. If Aedan's heart had been pounding during the fight, it was now about to beat right out of his chest. Her half-lidded eyes had darkened, want and need flowed from her. Kyra pulled him down towards her, eyes now focusing on his lips. All it would take was one slight movement from either of them.

"Kyra," he whispered. It wasn't a protest, nor was it a warning. It was laced with all the emotion he was feeling. But the spoken word shattered the spell that had enraptured them. Time resumed.

Kyra's eyes widened; a gasp escaped her lips. She scooted out from under him, and walked away quickly, her head down, and arms crossed in front of her heart, hugging herself. Aedan watched her enter the 'Guile, her shields wrapped around her even tighter than her own arms.

"What the Force were you thinking, Aedan?" he said to himself. He wasn't thinking that's for sure, but could he really blame himself? Not only was that the most incredible display of fighting skill, but the intimacy and magnetism she was purveying had absolutely arrested him. He had no defense against the onslaught. The line had been crossed, and he did not know if they'd be able to move past this.

So much for solid ground.


The next few days Kyra kept her distance. So much so that she didn't say a word to Aedan for two straight days. She worked out on her own. Practiced her lightsaber techniques for hours on end all by herself. She even activated the remotes and spent hours deflecting blaster bolts. For her meals she just ate ration bars, but Aedan noticed she wasn't eating all of them and that worried him. She avoided Aedan completely, and he gave her all the space she needed. Until the third day after the incident.

She had been spending all her free time in the hammocks high above the ocean vast. And that is where he found her that afternoon. She noticed his approach and immediately stiffened. He stood off to the side, leaning against one of the pillars, as she was still slowly swinging in her hammock.

"We'll leave tomorrow, Kyra."

She avoided his gaze but nodded her head.

"Kyra, what you've done here is nothing short of amazing, and I am so proud of you. You have done everything I've asked to the best of your ability, without complaint, and most of the time with a smile on your face. I am deeply honored to have you as a Padawan, and you will become a great Jedi Knight."

She just angled her head further away from him. What had he done?

"I'm sorry, Kyra, I didn't...this was all my fault."

"Your fault?" she asked, incredulously, finally looking him in the eye.

Aedan nodded, "I shouldn't have let things go that far."

She stared at him sternly, "Why not?"

That was unexpected. "We...can't."

She was up out of her hammock in an instant, now standing in front of him, close enough to touch. Too close. Aedan couldn't handle it, and turned his back on her, walking towards the end of the ledge.

"Why not?" she reiterated, raising her voice.

Aedan didn't answer, just stared out at the tumultuous ocean. Now he was the one avoiding eye contact.

"You don't feel the same," she whispered.

In a heartbeat, Aedan was back standing in front of her, his insides now ablaze. What? I'm insulted because I do feel something now. Is that it? Even aware of how foolish he was being, he couldn't stop the words from coming out. "You know that is not true," he said.

Kyra gulped. And then blinked several times. "How in the Force am I supposed to know that? You're so closed off. Never opening up. Never letting me in. Always keeping your secrets."

Aedan let out a breath. She's unbelievable. Could his feelings be any more obvious? "What in the world do you want me to do? I have to be closed off, Kyra," he shouted. "I'm a Jedi Knight, and a master of a Padawan that is five years younger than me. A Padawan that has the potential to become perhaps the greatest Jedi in history. So much is at stake, and I cannot fail you."

"What if you fail me by not being with me?" Kyra said in an exasperated rush. Her eyes grew wide as she realized her own audacity, and then she recovered. "Aren't we stronger together? Didn't you say that yourself? If two people…" The words hung in the air between them.

He shook his head. His walls had defenses had been breached long ago, and he had been fighting tooth and nail since Taris to keep his feelings at bay and this angel of a padawan a lightsabers length away from him. He couldn't do it anymore. He sat down on the edge of the ledge, so his feet were dangling over the side, swaying in the open air before him. He nodded towards the spot next to him on the ledge. Kyra deliberated for a few seconds and then hesitantly made her way over, and sat down next to him.

"Kyra, I want you to become a Jedi. I want you to fulfill your destiny. Anytime I meditate, I get images of you being this heroic, powerful savior. You are destined for greatness, greatness beyond both of our wildest dreams. And I want that for you, more than anything."

He let out a resigned sigh. "But I don't have the strength to stay away from you. To avoid being with you."

Kyra's breath caught, her eyes widened, and her lips parted. She sat there stunned for a moment. Aedan saw her blink several times as moisture started to gather. She reached over and grabbed his hand, "Then don't." Electricity shot through Aedan. He curled his fingers around her hand in response.

"The mission must come first. Being a Jedi must be the priority. We have to wait."

"How long?" she asked quickly.

He let out a laugh, "As long as we can."

"Aedan-"

He held up a hand, "Please, Kyra. I'm struggling enough as it is. I have my duty as your Master to see you become a Jedi. I'm also deathly afraid that I'm cursed, that everyone I care for dies. Imagine going through that."

She shook her head. "You're not cursed. And I think it's worth the risk."

"You can't mean that," he snapped.

She didn't back down. "I do."

He grunted in anger, "Never forget what I said at the Forge. You are all that matters, and I am irrelevant."

"No."

He groaned, "You are impossible," he said.

"I learned from the best."

He snorted, "What am I going to do with you?"

She ignored the question, and asked her own. "When?" she asked, eyes narrowed expectantly.

He turned his gaze upwards and he groaned again. "Force knows, Kyra. Plus, there's the whole Jedi Order to worry about. They're not going to allow this, and we'll both be expelled."

"What do they know, and they'll never find out anyway," she said flippantly.

He buried his face in his hands. "What have I done?"

She hopped to her feet, "I guess I'll start getting packed," and began walking towards the stairwell.

Aedan looked out once more at the beautiful panoramic view. He closed his eyes, and let the force in. It nudged him. "Wait," he said, standing up. "Come back."

She walked back towards him; a questioning look on her face. He pulled her into a hug, and she let out a breath when his arms were secured tightly around her. She quickly wrapped her arms around him in return, and they held each other. The intensity was apparently too much for Kyra and a sob escaped her throat. Aedan just held on tighter, and that increased the sentiment. Soon tears were spilling from her closed eyelids, and she was crying into his shoulder. They stood there for a few minutes, letting the sensations wash over them. Letting the truth that they were of the same mind, going through the same thing, engulf them. Finally, Aedan let go, and took a step back. Kyra wiped at her eyes, keeping her gaze averted. "Thank you," she whispered.

Aedan, not trusting his voice, just inclined his head, and brought it back up.


The next day they were all packed, and ready to leave. "All set," Aedan asked.

Kyra stared around at the compound that had become her home. "I don't want to leave."

Aedan tossed the last backpack into the 'Guile. "One thing before we go," he said, "Follow me." And started walking towards the exit tunnel.

"One final torture session?" Kyra asked.

Laughing, Aedan responded, "Nope, not exactly." They made their way and stood in front of the big boulder that blocked the passageway. Realization dawned on Kyra's face.

"Ah," she said, "I see."

Aedan merely nodded in response and waited in anticipation as Kyra stepped closer to the huge rock. He watched as she didn't even close her eyes to try and center herself. The Force was already coursing through her. She reached out with one hand and gripped the boulder with the Force, she extended her other hand out and applied more power. Aedan felt the massive flow of force energy, and even though he had seen her do incredible things, it still bewildered him just how strong she was.

The boulder rose high up in the air. Kyra, exuding complete serenity, lifted the boulder straight up in the air, raising it above the high rock wall. She stood there, rooted in the Force, arms outstretched high above her head, holding the giant rock up for all the world to see.

Aedan had no words for what he was seeing. No thoughts even. Right before his eyes, she was becoming something astounding. She lowered the boulder back down, setting it softly on the ground. What amazing control.

She turned around, her eyes had a faint blue shimmer to them, just like he had seen at the Forge. She looked at him with complete gratitude, her eyes singing her thanks. "I'm ready, Master."

"Yes, you are." he said.