Summary:

Ventress and Fives arrive on Serenno.

Dooku gives Ventress a proposition.

Ventress rescues Jinn.

The team re-groups.

Confessions are made.

Jinn gets an apprentice.

.

25.

Elsewhere in space, Ventress got up from her bunk and picked her belt with her sword and lightsabers. She bulked it around her waist and stood in front of the mirror in her refresher. She brushed her teeth and washed her face and stared at her reflection in the glass. Her hair was growing back. She had a short crop of white hair around her whole head. She looked different then what she remembered. It wasn't that long ago that she couldn't stand looking at her own reflection. Yet, here she was working as a bounty hunter, partnering up with a clone and searching for a dark Jedi of all things.

She didn't want to admit it, but she missed him. He made her feel things she thought she had long forgotten how to feel. She had gotten used to feeling how much he cared for her. Experiencing the Force without him just wasn't the same.

She didn't know when it happened, but she knew it started with the bond. At first, she didn't even know it was there. They used to meditate together almost every night. Jinn's presence was warm and bright. She would bask in his feelings for her. It was almost addictive.

However, ever since the night of the ball, he's fire had been snuffed out. It was only because of their bond that she knew he wasn't dead.

Ventress then washed her hands and dried her face and hands with a towel and tossed it onto her table. After weeks of playing bounty hunter, she was finally getting results. She left her cabin and headed to the cockpit.

Fives greeted her and said, "Morning, sunshine. Boy, you don't look so good. Are you still feeling under the weather?"

"I'll be fine. How long still we arrive?"

"We'll be there in 15. Are you sure you want to do this alone?"

"I need you here in case things go south."

Fives sighed and put his Mandalorian helmet back on. He didn't want to say it out loud, but he was worried about Ventress. They had been working together to track down Master Jinn's location for nearly a month. The bounty hunter thing at first was just a backstory to feed Dooku, but Fives discovered that he liked working outside of the GAR. For the most part, he was his own man. Commander Tano told him to take matters into his own and it was liberating. He never knew how much he had to answer for until he didn't have to. It was nice being treated like a natural born compared to a clone.

He was also impressed with Ventress' loyalty to Master Jinn. He knew his Jedi was different, but he never thought he'd worm his way into the ex-assassin's heart. There were a few times he caught her meditating with Jinn's sword in her lap. She always seemed to be looking for him, even with her eyes closed.

Before long, they arrived at their destination on Serenno.

They landed on the grounds of Castle Serenno. The main dome tower loomed ominously in the distance. Dooku was waiting for Ventress when she landed.

"I knew you'd come back to me, my dear. The Jedi are not so forgiving."

Ventress glared that the Count and said, "I came here because you invited me."

Dooku smiled and said, "Come, I have a proposition for you. One I think we can both benefit from."

Ventress frowned but followed the Count into Castle Serenno. He led her through the dark halls to a heavy locked door. Behind the door was a chamber with sparsely anything inside. There was a small table and two chairs, a bed and an adjoining refresher. Sitting in the chair was Jinn.

He was sitting with his back turned to them. Ventress felt her heart racing. She didn't know what condition he would be in when she found him, but this wasn't what she imagined. As she walked to face him, she saw that he looked thin and worn. He was no longer wearing his dark grey robes from the ball. Instead, he wore all black. There were cuts and burns on his face and hands. She saw that he worn a metallic shock collar around his neck.

He didn't react as she approached him. In fact, it looked like nobody was home. Ventress had to resist the urge to attack Dooku for what he did to her Jedi. She was glad Jinn taught her how to conceal her Force-presence completely or Dooku would sense her murderous intent.

"I didn't know you collected Jedi."

Dooku joined her side in front of Jinn and said, "Master Jinn is my guest. Though, as you can see, he hasn't been very cooperative. I want you to persuade him to talk. I've sure you can convince him that it is for his benefit."

Ventress said, "What makes you think I can persuade him to talk? It looks like you've already tried."

Dooku said, "Master Jinn shows great skill in the Dark side of the Force. I want his secrets. However, he has proven himself to be quite stubborn. Do this and you may return as my apprentice. Fail and you will be eliminated."

Ventress placed her right hand over her chest and bowed. "Consider it done, Master."

Dooku smiled and said, "Good. I expect results soon, Ventress."

The ex-assassin kept her head down as the Count left the room. Once the heavy door was shut and sealed, she got up to face Jinn. She leaned over him in the chair and placed her hand on his shoulder to shake him.

"Come on, Jedi. Wake up."

Jinn remained still. He continued to stare off into the distance. His amber eyes were unresponsive. She pulled a dose of anti-Force suppressor out from her belt and injected it into his neck. She held his face in her hands and tried reaching him through the Force. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against his. She searched through the Darkness for his Light, but she discovered that his Force-shields were up. He was blocking their bond.

She wondered how long he kept himself isolated in his own mind. Ventress wasn't sure how to reach him. It had to be the reason behind Dooku offers to take her back. He probably couldn't reach Jinn either. From the state of Jinn's body, it looked like Dooku tried torturing Jinn back into consciousness.

She kneeled in front of him and took his hands and softly said, "Jinn, please wake up. It's me, Asajj." She then reached up and fingered his shock collar. "I know you're in there or else Dooku wouldn't have bother to put you on a leash."

She then lowered her gaze and placed her head in his lap. She didn't know what to do. There wasn't much point in a rescue if the part of him that matter was already gone. She squeezed his hands tightly at the thought. She didn't want to lose him, not to Dooku, not to anyone.

Resolved, Ventress got up and decided to do something stupid. She dropped her Force-shields completely and closed her eyes. She reached inside herself and grabbed hold of both the Darkness and the Light and forced them to merge. It was hard at first, but gradually she got more and more of it to move against one another until they began to swirl. Jinn said it was like a dance. The Dark hunting the Light. The Light hunting the Dark. Eventually, the hunter and the hunted doesn't matter, all that remains is the desire to consume.

Suddenly, there was a spark. The Dark and the Light began to burn. There was so much power. Ventress wasn't sure she could contain it. She never tried to use both Forces before without Jinn's help.

Then, Dooku appeared at the door and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

The Count grabbed Ventress' arm and pulled her towards him and said, "So, he has been training you. Show me what you've learned."

Ventress shoved Dooku back and said, "No."

Dooku sneered and said, "You will obey me."

He then raised his hand and shot her with a bolt of Force-lightning. Ventress cried out in pain as she sank to the floor. From the window, Dooku and Ventress' shadows stretched out across the floor in front of where Jinn sat.

As her cries grew louder and louder, something inside the dark Jedi snapped.

Jinn got up from his chair and grabbed Dooku's wrist. With a tight hold, he pulled Dooku towards him and sent a bolt of Force-lightning directly into his body. Dooku cried out in agony and took hold of Jinn's arm as he tried to break free.

The dark Jedi then raised his hand and summoned his black sword into his hand and pressed the blade against Dooku's throat. He was ready to take the Sith's head.

Without warning, Jinn screamed as the shock collar around his neck electrocuted him. He released the Sith. Dooku grinned as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the remote to shock Jinn again. Jinn tried to resist, but it was too much. He dropped his sword and fell to the floor. Dooku stepped away from Jinn and held his wrist close to his body.

"How good of you to join us, Master Jinn."

Ventress groaned with pain and got up to reach Jinn. She sat down beside him and held him close. He reached up to cup her face with his hand and in a strained voice said, "Are you really here?"

She held his hand against her cheek and said, "Of course, I'm here, idiot."

He gave her a weak smile and said, "Get this thing off me."

Ventress smiled and dropped Jinn back onto the floor. She unclipped her lightsabers from her belt and used one of them to free Jinn from the shock collar. Once he was free, Jinn turned onto his belly and slowly got to his feet. He felt weak and hazy. His mind was clouded. He grabbed his head and tried to clear it, but after weeks of Force-suppressors and truth serums, he wasn't at his best. He discovered that he could hardly stand.

He closed his eyes and dropped his Force-shields completely. He didn't care if Dooku could read his thoughts. He had to recover his strength. He focused on the Force around him. He gathered the Darkness and the Light and merged them into a ring of fire. Life and Death. Day and Night. Jinn took the power and used it to purge the rest of the drugs out from his body. He knew he would pay for it later, but right now it didn't matter.

Meanwhile, Dooku and Ventress began to duel. Dooku was good, but Ventress had greatly improved her swordsmanship by sparring with Jinn. Jinn liked to fight dirty and he made sure his nightingale learned all his tricks.

Dooku glared and said, "Your skills have improved, Ventress. You've grown more powerful in the Dark side of the Force."

"No thanks to you."

Dooku said, "He's become attached to you. Do you really think you can control him?"

Ventress sneered and said, "Enough talk."

"Ah, I see. You care for him, but there is no place in the galaxy for a Jedi and a Sith. He will never accept you for who you are. He will never help you gain the revenge you seek."

Ventress didn't know if she even want revenge for her former master anymore. The pain and hatred in her heart no longer consumed her every waking thought. Instead, her thoughts belonged to her Jedi. She wanted to be his nightingale. She wanted to fly in Darkness. She wanted to be the strong woman he saw in his beautiful amber eyes.

Dooku pulled one of her lightsabers out from her hand with the Force and backed her up against a wall. He crossed his lightsaber against the one she had left and inched it closer to her throat.

"Your feelings betray you, my apprentice."

Jinn summoned his sword off the ground and his blue lightsaber from Dooku's belt. His lightsaber hummed as he activated it. He swung high with his sword and cut Dooku across his back. The Sith had no choice but to let Ventress go in order to defend himself against Jinn.

As they clashed, Jinn said, "Darling, you really shouldn't be taking love advice from a celibate."

Ventress smiled at Jinn's comment. She appreciated his odd perspective. His words helped her shake free from her doubts. However, she noticed that Dooku was driving Jinn back. He was too weak to fight. Ventress summoned her lightsaber back into her hand. She broke the two men apart with an upward swing of her lightsaber.

Dooku sneered at Jinn and said, "You stubborn fool. Do you really think your democracy can save the people from corruption? How can you fight for the Jedi when you don't even practice what they believe? You have more in common with the Sith than you do with the Jedi. You should join me. Together we can expose their hypocrisy."

Jinn was short of breath. Ventress kept him steady with a hand on his arm. "I already have a partner and she's easier on the eyes than you are Count."

Annoyed, Dooku replied, "You're making a mistake."

Jinn leaned against Ventress and said, "You just spent weeks torturing me. What makes you think I'd ever consider joining you?"

As they were talking, Ventress pulled a hand grenade from her belt pocket and tossed it on the ground. The explosion distracted Dooku. He used the Force to clear the smoke. He saw that the two Force-users had left the room.

Enraged, the Count activated his comm and ordered his commando-droids, "Find the prisoners and kill them."

XXX

An unreasonable number of droids appeared from all concerns of the castle to fight Ventress and Jinn. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping the amber Jedi going. He deflected and cut down several droids as Ventress cleared a path towards the exit.

"Do you have a plan?"

"Of course, I have a plan."

"Well, what is it?"

Suddenly, more explosions erupted throughout the castle. Dust, debris and mayhem swirled around them. However, it didn't slow down the droids. More and more of them poured out to attack them. Meanwhile, Ventress kept running.

Jinn couldn't take much more of it. He deactivated his lightsaber and shoved it in his waistband. He then grabbing his black sword in both hands and raised it above his head and struck the ground. A blast of energy erupted beneath the droids and scattered them in all directions. Though, he was disappointed when he saw more droids took their place.

"Come on!" shouted Ventress.

She grabbed Jinn by the front his robes and used the Force to lift him up and into a ship. Jinn landed hard on his shoulder with a huff. Ventress Force-jumped on board as well. She pressed her comm as she helped Jinn onto his feet.

"Fives, get us out of here."

"You've got it!"

The ramp closed and after a moment they were climbing out of the planet's atmosphere. However, Dooku would not be deterred. He and several droids began to pursue them in ships. The ship Ventress was on began to rumble as blaster fire collided with their shields.

The two Force-users joined Fives in the cockpit. Ventress sat down in the co-pilot seat and began using the guns to fire back at the droids.

Jinn said, "Can you get us into hyper-space?"

Fives said, "There are too many of them. I can't get clear enough to make the jump."

With a boom, a new ship appeared over Serenno from out of hyper-space. It was Obi-Wan's ship. Jinn laughed. He had never been so happy to see a battleship in all his life. The Republic ship started to fire on Dooku's droid ships. It wasn't long before the droid ships were driven back, and they were able to board the main ship.

XXX

When Jinn and the others boarded the main ship, they were greeted by their friends. Ahsoka gave Jinn a hug. She immediately noticed how thin and weak he was. He sensed her concern and pulled back from the hug to take her hand.

"I'll be fine, Miss Tano. It's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too, Jinn."

Jinn looked around and noticed that someone was missing and said, "Where's Anakin and Rex?"

Obi-Wan said, "They are out fighting Dooku's droids."

Jinn turned to Ventress and said, "I should have killed him."

The ex-assassin said, "Not before I do it first. Fives, help me get him to the infirmary."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Mandalorian armored clone smiled. He clipped his helmet onto his belt and moved to take one of Jinn's arms and pull it over his shoulder for support. Jinn did not like the fuss and tried to pull away.

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm fine, really."

Ventress glared and pointed her finger in his face and said, "Don't argue with me, Jedi."

Jinn smiled and said, "I wouldn't dream of it, darling."

XXX

It wasn't until after Jinn was treated for his injuries that Ventress finally came to see him alone. He wore a plain white under robe with pants when he answered the door. He still looked thin and worn, but his color had improved. He was washed and groomed and looked more like himself.

"Darling, what's wrong?"

Ventress stepped into his quarters and shut the door. She then lowered her gaze before wrapping her arms around his waist and buried her face into his shoulder. Jinn held her tight and gently rubbed her back and shoulders.

"Hush, it's alright. I'm fine, Asajj. I'm right here."

She lifted her head and stared into his eyes and said, "You could have died on Serenno. I thought a part of you did."

Jinn took her hand and led her to his bunk. He sat down and offered her to join him. Ventress didn't hesitate. She waited till he laid down before curling up around him. She placed her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart as he breathed. Jinn wrapped his arm around her waist and with the other, he held her hand.

"I couldn't fight so I retreated into myself. I knew that if Dooku kept asking me his questions that I wouldn't be able to resist. I didn't want to betray the others, so I shut down. I'm sorry I scared you."

"What snapped you out of it?"

"I felt your power. I heard your pain. I couldn't let him hurt you, my darling."

Ventress squeezed his hand at the memory of Jinn in his catatonic state. A tear rolled down from the corner of her eye. Jinn lifted his hand and gently ran his fingers over the short white hair on her head. She closed her eyes against the feel of his touch. She had never felt so safe or so warm as she did in his arms.

"I think I've fallen in love with you."

Jinn stopped caressing her hair. She noticed he wasn't responding. She turned and propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at his face and said, "Well, say something."

Jinn stared up at her and said, "I-I, are you sure?"

"Yes."

"You're not just saying that because I almost died?"

"No."

He smiled and said, "Then, I'm the luckiest man in the galaxy because I love you too, Asajj."

She shared his smile and closed the distance between them to give him a kiss. Jinn lifted his arms to wrap around her body and kissed her back passionately. Ventress then moved her legs to straddle him and then sat back and started pulling at his robes. She wanted him. She wanted to feel that he was alive.

Jinn grabbed her hands and said, "Wait, darling. As much as I want to make love to you, I don't think now is the right time. I'm exhausted. I'll probably sleep for the next two days."

Ventress frowned and pushed Jinn back down onto the bunk before getting up and said, "Fine, but you owe me, Jedi."

"I'll gladly make it up to you, darling. Wait, where are you going?"

Ventress stood by the door and said, "I'm leaving so you can get your beauty sleep."

"Stay with me, Asajj."

She stopped and slowly turned around to face him and asked, "Are you sure?"

Jinn moved to sit up on the bunk and offered her his hands. She took them and stood in front of him. He stared up at her and reverently said, "There's nothing I want more than to be with you."

Ventress lowered her gaze. She felt embarrassed by the way Jinn made her feel. He always treated her like she was someone special. She waited until he moved back onto the bunk before she took off her lightsabers and put them next to his sword and saber. She then removed her boots and joined him. Expect this time, he laid with his chest against her back and his arm around her waist. It has been a long time, but Ventress finally felt like she could rest.

XXX

Jinn slept for a day and a half. He woke up alone and hungry. He got up and got dressed and put on his gear. He was glad someone left him some dark grey Jedi robes instead of the standard white. He left his quarters and headed to the Mess Hall.

Jinn was greeted warmly by the men and picked up double the rations and opted for a hot cup of tea instead of caf. He felt ravenous and started eating. He was so distracted by his meal that he failed to notice that Ezra Bridger had joined him.

"Boy, you sure eat a lot."

Jinn looked up and saw the young man sitting across from him and said, "Mr. Bridger? How did you get here?"

Ezra raised his brow and said, "Oh, I guess nobody told you about me. Ahsoka said you met a version of me in her timeline, but we haven't."

Jinn put down his fork and picked up his napkin off his lap to wipe his mouth. He then offered Ezra his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Bridger. I'm Master Jinn Kenobi."

Ezra took Jinn's hand. He was curious about him after Ahsoka told him that Master Jinn was a Jedi who knew both the Dark and the Light sides of the Force. Ever since Ezra found the Sith holocron, he had so many questions about the Dark side. He learned a few things from his encounter with Darth Maul, but he felt like Jinn would be a better person to seek answers from. For one thing, Master Jinn was related to Master Obi-Wan, who was one of the greatest Jedi that ever lived. The second thing was that Master Jinn's mother was powerful and scary. He must have learned a lot if he was her son.

Jinn politely asked, "Have you eaten yet, Mr. Bridger?"

Ezra waved his hand and said, "Oh, no. I'm fine. Though, could you not call me Mr. Bridger? Ezra is fine. I knew someone that used to call me that and he wasn't a good person."

The amber Jedi smiled and said, "Of course. Forgive me if I'm overly formal. I was taught to behave in a courtly fashion."

"No, it's no problem. I've been meaning to talk to you. Do you have a minute?"

"Yes, but let me take care of my tray first."

"Oh! I can do that."

Before Jinn could object, Ezra got up and took Jinn's tray to the clean-up station. Bewildered, Jinn got up and started grabbing a few protein bars and stuffed them inside his robe before heading towards the door. Ezra ran to catch up with him and he soon fell into step beside him.

"Ah, where are we going?"

"To the training room."

"Oh, okay."

Once they entered the training room, Ezra noticed that there was no one else around. Jinn moved to sit on the floor and gestured for Ezra to join him. Ezra mirrored Jinn's posture and sat with his legs folded facing him. The moment that Jinn was comfortable, he reached into his robes and began opening a protein bar. He took a bite out of it and started to chew.

Jinn paused a second and said, "Oh, sorry. Would you want one?"

Ezra narrowed his brow and said, "Uh, no thanks. Are you alright?"

"I was held captive against my will for a month by a Sith and the food was dreadful. This isn't any better, but I need to gain back the weight I lost. Now, what did you want to ask me?"

Ezra frowned and said, "Yeah, I heard from Ahsoka that you know about the Dark side and the Light side of the Force. How do you do it?"

"That's a rather vague question, Ezra. Can you be more specific?"

"How do you stop yourself from falling into the Dark side of the Force? How do you use the Darkness? How do you make sure it doesn't take you over?"

Jinn finished his protein bar and put the wrapper inside his robes. He then folded his hands inside his sleeves and said, "The Darkness is always inside you. It isn't another entity outside your body. It's a part of you like the Light. Everyone has a darker side to their personality. Fear. Jealousy. Envy. Anger. Hate. It's all part of being alive. It's impossible to avoid negative feelings. What makes a person good or bad is decided by what you will do when you face those emotions."

Ezra narrowed his brow in thought. He never heard a Jedi talk about emotions like that before. He asked, "But, how do you overcome the Darkness?"

Jinn said, "By confronting it. The more experience you have, the less afraid you will be. The less fear you have, the more control you will obtain. You should learn what you're capable of and your limitations. Recognize them and your boundaries."

Ezra was impressed. Jinn made a lot of sense. In fact, his advice sounded a lot like something Rex said. The Clone Captain was big on experience. It was true that new things were always scary at first before you got the hang of it. He just never thought that advice would apply to the Dark side of the Force as well. It was just that the Dark side was always so-well dark.

"Do you have anything else you want to ask me?"

Ezra knew exactly what he wanted to ask him. He straightened up and said, "Yes, will you teach me?"

Taken back, Jinn said, "I beg your pardon?"

Ezra sheepishly rubbed his head and said, "I'm asking if I can be your apprentice."

"I'm flattered Ezra but I'm not a Jedi."

"I don't care. You're the only one who knows anything about the Darkness and the Light. I want to be able to master both like you. I don't want to be afraid anymore. Please, teach me."

Jinn was stunned. He never had anyone ask him to be their master so fervently before. Though, he understood Ezra's desire to shake his fears. It was only natural. However, being his apprentice wasn't going to be easy.

"Are you sure? You'll have to unlearn a few things from your Jedi training."

Hopeful, Ezra said, "Yes, I'm sure."

Jinn closed his eyes for moment and took a deep breath and said, "Alright. I accept you as my apprentice, Ezra Bridger."

The young man beamed with excitement and said, "Yes! You won't regret, Master Jinn. Now, what's my first lesson?"

Jinn mischievously smiled and said, "How about a sparring match?"

Ezra smiled and helped Jinn to his feet. The amber Jedi took a few pacing back and drew his black sword. Jinn casually held the sword to his side and tucked his left hand behind his back.

"When you're ready, Ezra."

The young man smiled and ignited his green lightsaber and said, "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you, old man."

XXX

"That's three to zero, Ezra. Try again."

The young man growled. He could not believe it. Every time he tried attacking Jinn, he kept out maneuvering him. He was lying face down on the mat and frowning in frustration. His lightsaber deactivated in his hand.

He got up and said, "Alright, what am I doing wrong?"

Confused, Jinn said, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're wiping the floor with me, so I must be doing something wrong. Since I'm your apprentice, teach me."

Jinn smiled and said, "You're not giving yourself enough credit. You're doing well. Besides, this isn't a competition. I want to assess your skill level."

"Yeah, so how am I doing?"

"Good, you strategize, and you have a good sense of your surroundings, but your swordsmanship could use some work. It's rather basic. I'm guessing that whoever trained you didn't complete their training."

Ezra lowered his gaze and said, "No, Kanan's master died when he was still a Padawan. I studied some holos of Anakin training."

Jinn noticed Ezra's mood and said, "Then you can help me get back into shape. It's always good to brush up on the basics. You can join me in my morning routine."

"There you are. I've been looking for you, Jedi."

The two looked towards the door and saw Ventress. She was glaring daggers at Jinn. The amber Jedi lowered his gaze and put his sword back into his sheath. He felt guilty for not telling Asajj where he had been. He knew she must have been worried about him.

"Forgive me, darling. I didn't mean to make you worry."

Ezra wrinkled his nose at Jinn's pet name. He had no idea who the woman was. The only thing he did know was that she was Force-sensitive, and she knew Jinn. In fact, she looked kind of scary.

She said, "Why are you playing with a youngling?"

Ezra frowned and said, "Hey! I'm not a youngling."

However, Ventress ignored him and waited for Jinn to answer her question. To Ezra's surprise, Jinn smiled and closed the distance between them. He leaned in close and softly said, "Have you come to collect what I owe you, nightingale?"

Ventress smiled and lowered her gaze. She missed her flirty Jedi. She didn't want to admit it, but she was afraid when she discovered him missing from his room. She feared that something happened to him again. She couldn't bear to have him out of her sight so soon.

Jinn reached out to caress her cheek with the back of his hand. He sent her soothing waves through the Force. She closed her eyes and hummed at the sensation and nearly forgot about the boy until he spoke.

"Uh, what's going on here?"

Jinn quickly removed his hand and turned to Ezra and said, "Oh. Yes. Uh, Ezra Bridger, allow me to introduce you to my partner, Miss Asajj Ventress. She's my beloved. Miss Ventress, young Ezra has agreed to become my apprentice."

"What!" the two exclaimed in unison.

"What do you mean your beloved?"

"What do you mean your apprentice?"

Jinn blushed and replied, "Well, girlfriend sounds so inadequate to how I feel about Miss Ventress."

"Wait, she's your girlfriend? Wow, you weren't kidding about not being a Jedi."

Ventress raised her brow and said, "Since when do you have an apprentice?"

"Since about an hour ago."

She said, "Why didn't you come talk to me about this first?"

"You don't think I should have an apprentice, darling?"

Ezra interrupted and said, "Hey! Your girlfriend doesn't have anything to do with my apprenticeship."

The amber Jedi sighed and placed his hand on the teen's shoulder and said, "You obviously don't understand women. I might be your Master, but Miss Ventress is the woman I answer to."

Ezra frowned and said, "That doesn't make any sense."

Ventress smiled at Jinn's words. She liked a man who knew his place. Though, having someone else around to keep an eye on her Jedi wasn't such a bad idea. She shrugged and said, "Fine, you can keep him."

Ezra fumed and said, "Hey! I am not a pet."

Jinn held Ezra in place with his hand on his shoulder and said, "Thank you, darling. I'll come find you when I'm done here."

Ventress started heading towards the door and said, "You better."

XXX

TBC

XXX

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