A/N: Hello and thank you to the new followers. I'm sorry this chapter took some time. It was giving me a lot of trouble as I wasn't liking anything I was putting down. Now that I'm stuck at home for goodness knows how long I was able to spend more time on it and finally had something I liked. I hope you enjoy as well and as always let me know what you think. I hope everyone is well under the circumstances.

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Guest: I hope you are still with me! Here's more!

TOWG: So glad to have you aboard and I'm glad you're enjoying it! Your questions will be answered as we move along. :)

Alés absently scrolled through the chart of the galaxy as she watched The Child messing with one of the boxes in the hold of the ship. The glow from the datapad's screen finally drew his attention and he toddled over to investigate.

"These are all the known planets in the galaxy," she explained, swiping through the pages more slowly. He paused and stared at the screen. An idea came to her and she looked down at him. "Do any of these seem familiar to you?"

He just tried to pull it towards his mouth then gave a big yawn. With a chuckle she sat it aside and picked him up. "Play time is over."

After settling him in his little alcove she sat cross legged in the middle of the main hold and closing her eyes she tried to clear her mind. The incident on Eriadu had been a clear warning that they were being hunted. It was eerily familiar to how she had felt all those years ago after they had fled the Temple. True, she wasn't the one being actively tracked but she'd thrown herself willingly into this so she had at least something at stake now. And how could she know if any of these bounty hunters would turn her over to any remaining Imperials? She still felt the Force wanted them to go to Coruscant but Alés hoped she might be able to come up with something else to try before that. Just because she was being pushed in that direction didn't mean things would go easily once they got there. It certainly couldn't hurt to have options.

She became aware of Din's presence several minutes later. He was watching her but it wasn't discomforting. There had been times she'd sat and observed him as well. It was only natural when you were learning to not only be around someone but to trust them as well. Pushing those thoughts aside she focused on reaching out beyond the confines of the ship, hoping that her meandering would prove fruitful in discovering somewhere else they could go to find the answers Din was seeking. She could feel The Child's distinct Force signature, it shone brightly, but there was nothing else. In fact it almost felt like her attention was being directed back into the ship though she wasn't sure why. There were no answers to their questions on the Crest. After several minutes she pulled herself from her meditation though she remained seated with her eyes closed a while longer.

"Why did you become a bounty hunter?" she finally asked.

"It was a way to get by," he replied after a long pause.

"Are all Mandalorians bounty hunters?"

"There's not many of us left but no."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"Not particularly but the pay can be good."

"If you had other options would you take them?"

"I don't know if I would be safe enough to remain in one place long enough to try anything else." He shifted his feet. "I doubt I'm suited for much else."

Alés opened her eyes, her gaze landing on him directly in front of her. "You are a good man, Din, and you can move beyond where you are now. It will just take some time and work."

There was what sounded a bit like an amused snort from under his helmet.

"You have more faith in me than I do in myself."

"Most would have turned the Child in, taken the payment, and moved on. You didn't. I think that speaks volumes about your character."

"Are you trying to get inside my head?"

She chuckled. "No. I told you when we first met that I make a point of not prying into the minds of others however your actions tell me quite a bit. The Force moves around you protectively."

"Why?"

"Perhaps because of what you're doing for him," she said, nodding her head in the direction of where the Child was sleeping. "Perhaps there is more in store for you, a different destiny that the one you expect and it is trying to protect you. I do not know."

He crossed his arms on his chest, seeming to contemplate her for a bit. Eventually he moved over to the side of the hold, punching a button that opened up a wall, and began to fiddle with some of the numerous weapons concealed there. She could tell what she'd told him had put him a little off balance, as if he was struggling internally with something.

"I don't know why I would be chosen for anything in particular. I was a Foundling, the Mandalorians took me in and raised me. After the Empire's Purge we went into hiding, many of us finding whatever means necessary to keep our people alive."

She tilted her head a bit to the side as she listened to what he was revealing about his past. "What did you do with the payment you got for taking the Child in?"

"Gave it to the tribe to support other Foundlings."

"So you risked your life and apparently your reputation and standing to go back for him without keeping the payment for yourself." She raised an eyebrow a she waited for his response.

"It was the right thing to do but I fail to see how that has anything to do with my future … known or otherwise."

"While we are able to hear the will of the Force after many years of training there are always going to be some things that remain hidden from us. However there is no way to hide from your destiny no matter how much you try. Eventually, you will have to face whatever it is that is in store for you."

"Were all the Jedi so ambiguous or is that just one of your more endearing traits?" She could almost see his hidden frown and she chuckled.

"Oh I have many endearing traits, Mando. You just haven't had the luck to see them all yet."

She finally rose and began digging around in their food stores, feeling his eyes on her the entire time.

"What is it like? The Force?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you hear a voice or physically feel something?"

"It is hard to explain. I am always aware of its presence around me. Sometimes it feels like … water flowing through me like a river. It makes us aware of everything around us and even far beyond our physical state. That is how I knew you were coming; I could sense your approach in the Force days before you arrived. And no, it doesn't speak in a voice. It's more like feeling pulled in a particular direction or having your focus placed on something that you can't ignore. Some Jedi experience visions."

"And this Force gives you special powers?"

"I wouldn't exactly call them powers."

"Being able to see into people's minds? I would call that a power." He leaned against the wall. "What all can you do?"

Alés rolled her eyes. "I can manipulate objects with my mind -"

"All objects? Like what the kid did with the mudhorn?" She nodded. "Yes, Jedi can read other's thoughts and emotions. The Force can also give us extra strength and agility if needed. Some are able to see things from the past just by touching an object, like reading the memories of that item, while others could control aspects of nature. None of it comes easily or quickly. Jedi would train for at least ten years, usually more like thirteen to fifteen years before they had honed their skills enough to take the Trials and venture out on their own."

"And you did not get that far?"

Her shoulders slumped. "No. I had just become Master Basri's padawan. All my training happened once we were hidden."

Din fiddled with some of the boxes in the hold before turning to her. "What was it like there? What were the Jedi really like when they weren't fighting in the war?"

Alés was silent as she thought on that, wondered how she could convey what normalcy had been for them, the peacefulness of the Temple, the murmurs of Jedi and Padawans going here and there. She bit her lip as an idea came to her.

"Are you allowed to remove your gloves?"

"Yes." His confusion was clear in that one word.

"Then come here and take them off. I've never tried this but my Master taught me about it. Maybe it will work." She seated herself on the floor again and gestured for him to do the same. Once they were settled and he'd removed his gloves she reached out for his hands. "Put them on the sides of my head and leave them there. Just relax." When he'd done as she requested she wrapped her fingers around his wrists and closed her eyes.

It took a moment for her to fully relax. His skin was warm against hers, she could feel the steady pulse under her finger tips; it had been quite some time since she'd had any human contact. Brushing those sensations away Alés concentrated on her memories, allowing them to flow up from where she'd locked them away years ago. She once again saw the graceful, towering arches inside the main hall of the Temple, heard the voices of her clan mates, meditated in the Room of a Thousand Fountains with the calming sound of water around her, watched as Masters Yoda, Windu, and Kenobi strode purposefully down a corridor. A warmth began to grow inside along with a slight stinging in her eyes. Swallowing back tears that she'd told herself she would never shed again she continued to pull up all those memories that would show the man sitting in front of her what life had been like. So much goodness, so much purpose … all gone. Suddenly other memories began to surface, popping up unbidden: the sound of blaster fire, the sight of the clones firing on any Jedi they came across, the smell of fire and death, that pain inside as she began to feel each spark of light in the Force extinguished. All the horrible emotions of that day, confusion, pain, fear, slammed into her like a burst of energy from an engine.

With a slight cry of pain she jerked her eyes open and tried to pull back but he tightened his hold on her slightly keeping her still. She blinked furiously trying to clear the blurriness of tears from her sight.

"How did you do that?"

"It is an ability the Force allows us. Sometimes seeing, feeling, can explain much better than words ever could."

"I've never … experienced anything like that before. I could … feel you, feel what you were feeling, thinking …"

"Yes, which is why I attempted it. There is no way I could ever convey with words all that I feel about that part of my life."

"Can you do that with others? See their memories like that?"

"It does work both ways."

"Did you do that with me just then as well?"

"No. I did not have your permission."

He finally released her though not before gently wiping a tear she hadn't realized she'd let fall from her cheek. The gesture surprised her; never would she have expected such from him. Yes, there was compassion hidden under that beskar and he continuously showed little hints of it.

As she tried to bring her emotions back into balance Din picked up the datapad she had discarded earlier. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really. I was just looking for something to keep occupied so I was trying to refresh my memory of all the star systems and planets." He handed it back to her. "The kid seemed quite interested in it at one point so I let him look at it hoping he would indicate if anything looked familiar to him."

"I guess that didn't work?
She laughed. "No. He wanted to chew on it." Glancing down at the screen she abruptly froze and peered closer, an idea forming in her mind.

"What's wrong?"

"I want to make a detour."

"What? You said - "

"I know what I said but I want to try something else first."

"Why? What is wrong?"

"You saw what I experienced in the Temple that day. I'm really not in any hurry to return." He didn't say anything but she could feel some emotion from him along with a spurt of understanding. "I'm also leery of walking right back into the heart of what was the Empire. The Emperor is dead but, as you told me, there are those clinging to keep what they can of his Empire alive. That may include making sure there are no Jedi, no Force users, left alive. I would like to see if we can find the answers you seek elsewhere first."

An audible sigh came from under his helmet. "Where?"

"A temple in the ancient home of the Jedi. It may contain older records than the one on Coruscant. It's also surrounded by uncharted systems and not a place to attract much attention."

"And where is this temple?"

"Jedha."