Alexis had remained in meditation all night long. Nothing had been revealed to her. She was just as confused as she had been the day before. It was still dark out and she had no intention of waiting for Carth to get up before she left the apartment. She was still too vulnerable where he was concerned to deal with him, especially this early in the morning.

Alexis stood slowly and stretched, all of her muscles screaming in protest. She hadn't moved once during the night and everything hurt. She shook out her limbs carefully, trying to avoid straining anything. She was still weak and shouldn't have knelt on the floor for more than six hours. It simply hadn't been a good idea.

Alexis made her way gingerly to the shower, where she took a very quick and (she hoped) quiet bath. Once she had brushed her teeth and was dressed, she wrote a quick note to Carth explaining that she had things to do and crept out of the apartment.

Her face was hidden beneath a hooded cloak that had accompanied one of the Jedi robes Kalen had given her. It was much too large, but Alexis didn't mind. At least it was thinner than the cloak from Atton. She made her way to the Ebon Hawk as quickly as she was able and went immediately aboard.

Canderous was awake and sitting in the garage, leaning over a large cup of java juice. He was a bit bleary-eyed and mussed, as if he had just gotten up. "Here to cook us breakfast?" He growled at her, watching as she discarded the hooded robe.

"I don't cook things. If I try, I burn them," Alexis responded lightly.

Canderous took a large gulp of his drink. "So why are you here?"

"To try to get some of you all to go shopping with me," Alexis said with a cheesy grin.

"Shopping?" Canderous responded incredulously.

"Yep. You wanna come?" Alexis gave him another disarming grin.

Canderous glared at her for a second but his expression melted into a returning smile rather quickly. "Going to buy another bounty hunter outfit?"

"You saw that, huh?" Alexis asked, blushing slightly.

"Best outfit I've ever seen you wear. Maybe you should consider a career change," Canderous replied.

Alexis cuffed him on the shoulder and started to walk away. "Round up whoever's going with us. I'm tired of this ship anyway," Canderous called to her retreating back.

Alexis turned back. "Gotcha," she said with a wink.

Alexis made her way to the women's dormitory next. Kalen, Mira, and Visas were all still in bed. Kalen was the only one awake. She was staring at the ceiling, frowning.

"Feeling any better?" Alexis asked her quietly.

"Hhhmm? Oh, hey Lexi. Yeah, I feel a little better. Why? Do you have plans for today?" Kalen asked, sitting up.

"I was hoping you guys would go shopping with me. I need to have Jedi robes made before I meet with the Senate. It won't do for me to show up looking like a little girl," Alexis said, motioning towards her leggings.

"But you're so cute," Kalen cooed at her in a mock baby voice.

Alexis sighed. Clearly everyone was going to give her a hard time today. "So, do you want to go? Canderous said he'd go with me."

"Sure he will. You're his hero," Kalen replied.

Alexis shook her head. She couldn't exactly deny that he might think of her in a similar manner. "Get up and get dressed. We have things to do."

"Anyone else going?" Kalen asked as she slid out of the bed.

"I thought I'd see if Atton wanted to go."

"Hhhhmmm," Kalen said noncommittally.

"I'll go wake him. I know he isn't up yet."

"Do you want me to wake Mira?"

"No. Four's enough, don't you think?"

"Sure. I'll find something to wear. Do you want me to bring an extra set of my robes for measuring purposes?"

"That would be great," Alexis said as she turned to leave.

Atton was sleeping in the cockpit, sprawled across delicate equipment and drooling. He looked so innocent when he was asleep.

"Morning, Revan," Atton muttered with a yawn before she had the chance to flick his ear or shout to wake him.

"Damn. You spoiled my fun," Alexis said, feeling a bit of disappointment. She would have loved to have caught Atton off guard.

"I heard you coming. I'm a light sleeper."

"I can see that," Alexis replied, motioning towards the drool.

"Ha, ha."

"I guess someone in a profession like yours has to be a light sleeper if he wants to keep his- ah- well. You know what I mean."

"So, what do you need?"

"I want you to go shopping with me."

"Shopping?" Atton said in almost exactly the way Canderous had. Alexis burst into laughter. "What's so funny?" Atton asked suspiciously.

"Canderous said the same thing."

"Canderous is going shopping?"

"Yep."

"So who else is going?" Atton asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning.

"You and Kalen and I."

"Sounds like a regular party."

"Meet you outside in ten minutes," Alexis said, turning and starting to leave.

Alexis heard Atton grunt in response and moan slightly as he attempted to rise from the chair.

A little over half an hour later, they all stood inside of a small tailor's shop in the middle of the Citadel Station. It had only been open for a few minutes and the tailor was still bustling around, preparing her shop for customers. Alexis was once again wearing the hood that hid her face. Kalen, Atton, and Canderous were all dressed in their average street clothes.

Alexis knew the woman who worked here. She'd known her most of her life. She had worked as a tailor on Coruscant before moving to Telos and she'd made many of Alexis's robes when she was just a girl.

"What can I do for you all?" the small, plump woman asked, rubbing her hands together and making her way towards them, a friendly smile on her face. She wasn't human, although her appearance was very similar to that of a human. Strangely enough, even Alexis didn't know what race she was.

"Can we trust you to be discreet?" Kalen asked her.

"Of course you may, Master Jedi," the little woman responded knowingly.

"Do you know me?" Kalen asked, surprised.

"Yes. She used to work on Coruscant. Don't you remember?" Alexis asked from beneath her robe.

"I trust I am to be discreet about the girl beneath the hood?" the tailor said.

"That'd be nice," Atton muttered.

"Would it help if I lock up the shop? I shouldn't have too much business this early in the morning, but if you really mean for me to be discreet, it would be best if we lock the door. Then you may drop your hood."

Alexis smiled beneath her hood. Nicola Baien was always good to her customers. Especially when they looked as if they had money. "If you would, I'd be very grateful."

Nicola locked the door and pulled the shutter before she came back to them. "Now, if you'd be so kind, I'd like to know who I've got here."

Kalen pulled out her spare Jedi robes as Alexis dropped her hood and tossed the cloak to Canderous. He caught it and draped it over his shoulder.

"Revan?" Nicola said in shock.

"At your service," Alexis said with a bow.

Nicola straightened her face and smiled. "It's been a long time, girl. I should have known when I saw how tiny you were."

"It's a small world, isn't it?" Atton said, giving them a slightly sarcastic smile. One look from Kalen wiped it from his face.

"What can I do for you?" Nicola asked, ignoring Atton completely.

"Well, Kalen and I are looking to have a few sets of Jedi robes made in about a week and a half. I've completely destroyed every pair I own, so you'll have to measure me all over again, but Kalen has a set for you to base hers on," Alexis said.

Kalen smiled faintly. "It looks like we're about to have a lot of public functions to wear dress robes to. I need two sets of dress robes and one pair of regular robes." Kalen held out the spare set of robes she had brought and Nicola took them and looked at them for a second.

"I can do that," Nicola said. "What about you, dear?"

"Ah… I need two sets of dress robes and five sets of regular robes, if you can manage it," Alexis said.

"In a week and a half? I'll be busy, won't I? Alright, let's get you measured and then we'll discuss colors and cuts," Nicola said, grabbing her hand.

After an intense period of barely-dressed measuring, Alexis had finally escaped Nicola's clutches. Kalen was looking at colors and materials in a databank and Atton was staring at a pair of fingerless gloves remarkably similar to his own. Canderous was staring blankly at a wall, holding most of Alexis's clothes.

Alexis made her way to Atton's side, smiling. "Looking for a new set of gloves?" Alexis asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of trying to get you to get a pair. They'd be rather useful. Help you keep those tiny hands around your lightsaber."

"May I see them?" Alexis asked, holding out her hand.

Atton passed her a pair of pitch-black fingerless gloves in a thin, soft material that was remarkably lightweight. Alexis slipped one on. It was much too large, despite the fact that it was a woman's glove.

"Too big," Atton muttered.

"I'll bet I could ask for a couple of sets to go with my robes. I rather like this idea," Alexis said with a grin.

"It's all about style," Atton replied.

They made their way back over to Kalen's side, each grasping one glove in their hand. Kalen and Nicola were staring at a bit of pink fabric, grinning to themselves. "What are you two up to?" Alexis asked.

"Making a set of Jedi robes," Kalen replied.

"In pink?" Atton responded, raising his eyebrows.

"Pink, white, and brown," Nicola answered.

"Why is it," Canderous called from across the room, "that you two can't wear normal Jedi colors? I've never seen any Jedi but you two wear anything other than black and brown."

"Some of them wear blue and red," Atton added, looking quizzically at them.

Alexis gave Canderous a sudden smile. "I hated Jedi robes when I was a kid. I thought that they looked like sacks. I didn't want to wear them at all, but Master Kae kept telling me that I had to. Finally, just to make him angry, I had a set made in bright emerald green. I thought he was going to die of shock. They were practically the same color as the lightsaber I carried then. Master Kae demanded that I change, of course, and I refused. I had all of the rest of my robes thrown away and I bought new ones in the brightest colors I could manage. I admit I kept doing it just to make Kae mad, at least at first. After a while, it just kind of became part of me. I never really stopped."

"Yes you did," Nicola whispered suddenly. "I remember when you left for the Wars. You had me make several sets of robes in black and gray."

Alexis smiled sadly. "I remember now. I didn't want to head off to war wearing all of those cheerful colors. It seemed wrong somehow."

"What about you, Kalen?" Canderous asked.

Kalen was blushing furiously. "Well, I uh-"

"Oh, do tell, Kalen," Alexis said, grinning at her.

"It's embarrassing!" Kalen wailed.

Atton looked very curious. "Why?"

"Oh, fine. I started wearing colorful robes because Alexis did. She was only a couple of years older than me, but she was the best Jedi I'd ever seen. It was hero worship, really. I wanted to be just like her. So did lots of the other Padawans, but none of them took it to quite the extreme I did," Kalen said, looking at the floor.

"Ha! That's hilarious," Canderous said, slapping his knee and smiling.

"So, how did it feel, being the hero of hundreds of baby Jedi?" Atton asked.

Alexis chuckled at the memory. "It was a bit annoying, actually. It was cute at first, but it got old fast. I never really noticed it from Kalen, though. She was pretty good at hiding the fact that I was her hero."

"Oh, shut up," Kalen muttered, blushing even more. Canderous and Atton erupted into raucous laughter.

Several hours later, the four of them sat in Carth's empty apartment. Atton and Canderous were idly playing cards. Not pazaak, for once, but some strange sort of poker that they'd both learned how to play in a local cantina. Kalen and Alexis were standing in the kitchen. Kalen was cooking a rice dinner that they'd purchased the ingredients for on the way back to the apartment. Alexis was attempting to help her.

"Lexi, dear, you're just getting in the way. I'll make lunch. Why don't you go and um- set the table? Or something," Kalen said, shoving past Alexis one more time.

Alexis laughed hopelessly. "I guess I'll leave. Clearly I'm not even capable of assisting some who's cooking."

Kalen gave her a tight smile as she edged past her once again. "Thanks."

"Must be nice to be able to cook," Alexis muttered as she left the kitchen. She made her way to the table in the living room where Canderous and Atton were playing cards. Neither looked up at her. They just continued to stare at the foreign looking cards in their hands.

"Burn the water again?" Atton asked slyly, tossing a card onto the table. Canderous cursed and stared furiously back into his hand, trying to decide what to do next.

"You caught me," Alexis said in return. Her utter failure at cooking was no surprise. After all, making the perfect meal was hardly part of her Jedi training. Perhaps it should be incorporated into the lessons of the Order's future Padawans. It was safe to say that she wouldn't be the instructor, however.

No one replied, so Alexis glanced at Atton's cards, trying to figure out just what they were playing. The cards had strange markings on them with numbers and sometimes even faces. Atton glanced over at her, frowned, and covered his cards. "Trying to help Canderous cheat?" Atton asked suspiciously.

"I don't cheat," Canderous growled.

Alexis laughed lightly. "I can tell when I'm not wanted. I'll go find…" Alexis trailed off and glanced at the door. Carth was outside. She could tell it was him, even through that door.

Alexis watched as the door slid open and Carth walked in. He glanced around the room in surprise. Kalen stuck her head into the living room, wiping her hands on a towel. "Who's here? Oh, hey Carth. Want some lunch?"

Carth turned towards her, frowning slightly. "I didn't know you guys were here."

"What are you doing home? Shouldn't you still be at work?" Kalen asked.

No one else was speaking. Canderous and Atton had slipped back into their card game. The world around them didn't exist. Alexis was watching Carth with guarded eyes. Kalen hadn't noticed a thing. She wasn't very perceptive for a Jedi sometimes.

"I forgot that I had a meeting this evening. I need my uniform," Carth replied. He was wearing his favorite orange jacket and dark green flight suit. He looked exactly as he had almost five years ago when he'd been helping Alexis search for Malak.

"Do you have time to stay for lunch? I did make it in your kitchen," Kalen said with a smile.

Carth nodded slowly, looking at Alexis apprehensively out of the corner of his eye. It seemed that staying for lunch was the last thing in the world that he wanted to do.

Alexis straightened. All she had to do was be calm. She'd behaved childishly the day before. She just needed to grow up a bit and- avoid him like the plague. Not that that would help. And not that she could really do that in the first place. She just needed to act like the rationale adult that she was. Most of the time.

"Great. You and Lexi sit down. I'll have the food ready in a bit," Kalen said, disappearing into the kitchen without looking back.

Carth stared at the people in his living room, wondering why he'd ever been lonely. Did he really need company? All he wanted was to talk to Revan alone for a little while, to apologize. At the moment, he wouldn't have the chance.

Revan flashed him a welcoming smile that was nearly a grimace. She wasn't happy to see him. She'd left the apartment before dawn just to avoid this meeting. Carth nodded at her and stalked off to his bedroom to retrieve his uniform. He hadn't expected her to be home.

Carth collected his suit from the closet and folded it over his arm. What could he say to her? Would she even want to talk to him? Carth resolutely turned and left the room. He made his way into the living room and tossed his uniform across the arm of the couch. He sat down in a nearby seat and looked up to see what Revan was doing.

She was seated in a chair she'd pulled up by Canderous, frowning at the cards in his hand. "Now that just isn't fair. I thought you didn't cheat," Atton said.

Canderous looked up, an innocent smile on his face. "I'm just teaching her how to play."

Revan was smiling again, a real smile, rather than the forced one she had given him. "Worried I could beat you, Atton?"

Carth stood up again and headed to the kitchen without looking back. Revan was enjoying herself, so he didn't want to upset her again.

"Kalen?" Carth said to catch the young Jedi's attention. She turned towards him, wielding a spoon. She had some sort of sauce smeared on her cheek

"Anything I can do?" Carth offered.

"Do you cook better than Lexi does?" Kalen asked, grinning. She'd noticed the sauce on her cheek and was attempting to wipe it away with the back of her hand.

"Doesn't everyone?" he quipped back.

"Here, stir this. Alexis has actually told me that you cook very well. It's better that one of you can, since…" she trailed off, passing him the spoon.

Carth chose to ignore that comment. "It looks like you're done."

"I am, all except for that sauce you're stirring. You did volunteer, though." Kalen took the spoon back. "On second thought, would you set the table? I don't know where the dishes are."

"Oh good. From one menial task to another."

"There's no slave labor on Telos. You'll have to do."

Carth began to gather plates, glasses, and silverware from the cabinets. "I hope there isn't a uniform for this as well. I think that I have one to many as it is."

"I don't know. Alexis might like some kind of leather slave outfit on you. I'll bet I could find one somewhere."

"I'm not so sure."

"Why aren't you out there with her, anyway?"

"She's busy."

"Too busy for you?"

"Canderous was teaching her how to play some kind of card game."

"Right. Well, I'll go get the rest of the party while you finish setting the table. It may be hard to break Atton away from whatever game it is that they're playing. I'll be back," Kalen said, heading out of the kitchen.

Carth watched her go, frowning slightly. Hopefully everyone else at the table could carry the conversation. He didn't think Revan was too keen on speaking to him just yet.

Alexis glanced up as Kalen slid into the living room and dropped promptly into Atton's lap. He was so startled that he dropped his cards. Alexis smiled at the look on Atton's face. Kalen had probably crawled into that poor boy's lap just to distract him from his card game. It was one of the few things that would have done it.

"Well hello there," Kalen said, tossing an arm around his neck. "Carry me to lunch, flyboy?"

"Sure," Atton said, rising with Kalen in his arms and making his way into the kitchen, a bemused smile on his face.

"Smart girl," Canderous said to Alexis.

"Yeah. Lucky boy," Alexis replied.

They rose together and made their way into the kitchen in the couple's wake. Perhaps Atton had taken some of her good advice. Well, probably not. It was much more likely that Kalen had realized a few things and decided to take the situation into her own hands.

Carth was already sitting at the table. Atton took a seat with Kalen still in his arms instead of dropping her into another chair. "I don't think that this is a chair built for two," Kalen said dryly.

Atton watched as Kalen squirmed out of his lap and made her way to her own chair, a pained expression on his face. Alexis hid her grin. Kalen was playing to win. Little did she know that she already had her fist around his heart.

Alexis glanced furtively over at Carth. He was looking back at her. Their eyes locked for a second before Alexis finally managed to break the connection. Damn. There was nothing she could do to temper her feelings for the man. Every time she looked at him, even after they'd been fighting, she wanted to jump into his arms and hold on and never let go. Alexis sighed. The next few months were going to be difficult indeed.