Semele Maryam was struggling to focus on her meditations, but it was proving much too difficult with her Master nearby. For almost a year now they had roamed the star systems at the edge of the galaxy, looking for the place in her vision. During this time, her fascination with Qui-Gon Jinn had only grown. He told her that on Tatooine she had given him a manifesto, one built from the Sith Creed and mingled with the Jedi Code. He was calling it the Code of the Gray Jedi.

"Something troubles you, padawan?" His musing broke her reverie and she turned her gaze to meet his.

"N-no. Just the same things." He thankfully didn't say anything, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. He knew of her crush, surely. She had all but admitted to it when she took a death blow fate had meant for him under the palace on Naboo. She could feel the jade blush creeping into her cheeks even now. Everytime he called her padawan it stoked something in her that was certainly not...holy.

Training was going frustratingly slow. Qui-Gon was ever the paragon of patience, but Semele felt as if no progress had been made. Her race was unusually long lived. As a result it took them a little longer to learn new concepts than most other sentient peoples. Surely he was frustrated as well? "Ms. Maryam, you're doing it again." The blood filled her face once more. "All padawans learn at their own pace. We have all the time we need."

She sighed. "We're never going to find the place I saw. How many planets with abandoned temples are in this galaxy?" He just smiled and she turned slightly away from him. There was no personal space for her to ruminate on her feelings alone. She'd have to deal with continual embarrassment at her unreciprocated attraction, or learn to better use the Force to shield her intentions and thoughts.

She attempted to return to her meditations and had to admit, she definitely felt the things she was supposed to be feeling. The Force was there. She could almost touch it...But she was struggling with the most basic concepts. Like how to direct the flow within her to sense things around her. "This isn't working." She stood up. "I'm not like your typical padawan. I am filled with emotion. I need...a more provocative training, Qui-Gon. If you'd like to see results within your mortal lifetime, anyhow."

He nodded, as if he had expected this. "I wondered how long it would take you to speak your mind. A year, Ms. Maryam." He chuckled. Semele's face colored again. It was unfair the effect he had on her, really. "It is time for our monthly supply run, yes? Mark our coordinates so we can navigate more quickly later." She did as she was asked, curious now. What was he going to do with this new turn of events? When their current location had noted down, Qui-Gon engaged the light speed engines and they were off, back to the core worlds.

This always made Semele nervous. Gamzee was still out there somewhere, dead or alive and she was afraid to find him in either condition. "Padawan, speak. You must be free with your emotion now, lest it rule you. That much is still a principle. You are not your emotion, despite the ability to feel it freely."

"Gamzee." She said. "He's out there somewhere. Is he angry with me? Is he hurt? Is he dead?" Her stomach began to churn until a hand dropped onto her shoulder.

"You cannot know. Instead try to find the answers yourself, either in the Force or the visible world around you. It is not good to lose sleep and control over something you have no say in." She quieted, mulling over this. There was wisdom in it, much as she did not want to heed it.

"He was..." She struggled for an equivalent Qui-Gon would understand.

"You were bonded. Maybe not with the Force, but bonded and it was real." He gave a gentle smile. "I'm sure the uncertainty must pain you quite a bit, but as I said...Seek the knowledge." He went back to the middle of the floor where he liked to meditate and Semele decided to do some complicated stretches a human would not capable of. She needed to stay limber, because Qui-Gon was for sure training her to fight. Something had snapped on Naboo. She had bloodied her blades for the first time since the war that claimed many of her people. Her pacifist nature was no more. Semele had done this out of anger at Maul, knowing what he would do to Qui-Gon if her precious Master had reached the Sith first.

As she did her stretches, she controlled her breaths counting each inhale and each exhale to a carefully metered four. While she counted, Semele reached for the living presence she felt all around her. Inside her and Qui-Gon. It stirred and...answered back. Keep looking. She was startled. No one had spoken. She knew that. She had...interpreted the will of the Force? No. No, Qui-Gon said only god like beings that were long since dead had been able to do that. Perhaps she had just found the answer she wanted, which was that she was doing the right thing searching for the planet from her vision.

X

Tavros was overjoyed to see Semele again. He had taken up residence in his old home on Endor again. It was he who supplied Semele with blood when she needed it, which was often. Normal food did little for her except fill her stomach. It did not quench the hunger. Just take up space. She did this part herself, while Qui-Gon waited politely just outside the door. She took the vials, hugged him and whispered that she was grateful for his understanding of her rainbow drinker status.

As she was about to leave he pulled her back, whispering in her ear. "Your heat's about to start soon isn't it? It's been um...nearly two years, Semele."

She groaned and answered back in a low voice. "Don't remind me. I'm stuck on a ship with the one man-creature to ever arouse an interest and...well obviously the physical affection is less discouraged now, but he's still my Master. He'll never go for it. What sweet agony. I thought I was done getting tortured like this after the war."

Tavros bit his lip and went into the back room, rummaging around for some before coming back with a box. "Don't open that until you're alone. I know you have this intense inability to control the rush of blood to your um...face when you're embarrassed or flustered. It's not much, but maybe it'll keep you from dying of heat sick. The hair was enough last time..."

Semele had a good idea now of what was in that box. She successfully fought back the blush that rose a the thought of using it. "Yea, but he wasn't within ten feet of me at all times during that whole miserable debacle."

Tavros shrugged. "Run away for a week if you must. He seems very reasonable for um...a human. I don't want you to die. There aren't...aren't a lot of us left." They chatted a while more before she said goodbye once again and actually left. Qui-Gon began to quietly walk back to the ship, holding a crate of things he had not had before. Had he left to give her some privacy? The thought made her feel...warm and tingly inside.

"Master, I believe I heard the Force on our way here. It said to 'keep looking'. As in for the planet not-"

Qui-Gon gave her an intrigued side-glance. "Interesting development, padawan. See? There is progress. You can't always see what others around you do. I for one sense that your Force connection grows stronger with each day of practice. You are nearly ready for your first lightsaber." She brightened, having heard wonderous things about the process. "Perhaps by the time we've reached Illum, you will be. Let us depart, padawan."

As they were heading up into the ship, Semele felt...sensed something behind her. She whirled in time to duck under extending arms and avoid... Obi-Wan Kenobi's offer of a hug. He laughed. "Wow! Look at your force sensitivity! Amazing, Semele." Behind him stood Anakin Skywalker, almost a year older. He looked a little shy.

Obi-Wan met his former master's eyes. "We should talk. Is your hold good?"