Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfic.

Enjoy the read.

Chapter Seventeen

The Right Path

"You're coming back?" Ellana spoke out looking at the holo in front of her.

Her Master was looking at her with a small smile upon her lips. She wasn't dressed as a Jedi thought which made her wonder why she wasn't but Ellana was surprised at the sudden call from Master Amell.

"Yes," the woman spoke out, "the deeds that Zevran and I went through was successful in a manner of speaking. With the original contract destroyed, the House of Repose will have no need of going after the Montilyet family anymore."

"Then that's good," Ellana said.

Her Master frowned.

"Is something the matter Ellana?" she asked, a curious tone in her voice.

Ellana stayed silent for a moment.

"It's nothing," she said, "I'd rather speak with you in person Master."

Her Master tilted her head lightly for a moment before giving her a nod.

"Very well," she said, "We should arrive in a few hours. So, I'll see you then."

With those parting words, the holo disappeared from the console in front of her. Ellana turned her gaze toward Mr. Montilyet that was beside her. The whole reason he had been here was to learn of the news of the destruction of the contract upon his daughter's life. Now that the contract had been destroyed, it would seem that they wouldn't be anything to worry anymore.

"It had been some good news at least," she said looking at the man beside her, "However, it is really true that the House will not retaliate for this?"

"Not if they care about their reputation," he answered with a light frown upon his features, "The House of Repose no longer have any incentive of coming after my daughter."

Ellana frowned a bit at him.

"I will make the necessary preparations," the man continued, "If you will excuse me."

With a light bow of his head, Mr. Montilyet left her standing there. She stood there staring at the man walking away from her with confusion churning within her. How can the man be so…calm about this? She remembers just how Mr. Montilyet had been when Josephine had been attacked at the Citadel.

She remembers just how afraid he had been, but now just because her Master had taken care of the contract, then the man was reacting like the matter had been dealt with. Just how odd were people in this galaxy?

"You get used to it," a familiar voice told her.

Leliana was leaning against the far wall with a light smirk upon her lips as she was observing her. The young woman had her arms crossed beneath her chest, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she took sight of Ellana's features.

"Used to it?" Ellana repeated, a frown upon her features.

"Yes," Leliana told her, "Assassination is a natural part of Antivan society. A tool that the highborn use to gain power over one another. It's a past time that they enjoy very well."

Ellana frowned.

"How could such a thing be?" she asked.

Leliana shook her head.

"Because that's the culture here," she told her simply, "One of the most infamous assassin guilds was created on this very planet and is still active to this day. The Antivan Crows, if you don't realize the name."

Ellana shook her head.

"Well, Zevran used to be part of them," Leliana told her, "How do you think we managed to track down the House of Repose's so quickly?"

Ellana couldn't find a response at all. She had been curious as to why Leliana knew how the House operates, but then now, with a sinking feeling in her chest, she has come to realize that Leliana was just like the two they had fought the previous night.

Assassins.

Some part of her wondered, when it will be Leliana who will be creeping through the darkness to assassinate an innocent girl in her chambers?

"I see," she murmured, walking away from her.

She felt sick to her stomach and around her the Force felt gray.

The following hours passed quickly as Ellana had decided to simply meditate on this new dilemma, she had found herself in and yet, found no answer to the questions that were swirling within her mind. She just couldn't find it within herself to understand that someone would choose to kill someone else for money.

Master Solana Amell and the elf Zevran returned in the early hour of morning but not before they had gotten a message from the House themselves renouncing their hunt for his daughter. All in all, it was a good ending to what seems to be a dangerous situation for everyone.

Thought, Ellana was still feeling a little off knowing what Leliana and Zevran were. She waved goodbye to Josephine and her family a week later, as her master had wanted to stay to see if the House would go back on their words but no attack ever came again after the young woman. Having taken a transport ship back toward the Citadel, the two were now seating within their cabin as she was looking out toward the field of hyperspace beyond her.

"You said that you wanted to speak with me about something," Master Amell told her as she took a seat across the her.

Ellana glanced at her.

"I just learned that the people I trusted to keep Josephine safe were no better than the House of Repose," she answered, her voice cold, "I learned just how little people outside of the Jedi value their own lives…treating it as if it was a sport."

Master Amell sighed.

"Antiva has been that way for centuries," she said, "It's part of their culture, their way of life. Given their power, it's not something the Jedi can even interfere in."

Ellana looked at her.

"So, it's okay for Zevran and Leliana to be assassinate other innocents?" she asked.

Surprise appeared upon Amell's features.

"What are you talking about?"

"It was because of Leliana's plan we managed to capture the attacker that night," she told her, "It was because of her plan. She knew exactly how they will operate and how it will happen…almost as if she has planned it herself? It was her idea to place Josephine in my room so that we could place a trap for our attacker. How else would she have known all of that…unless she was an assassin herself?"

Master Amell let out a small sigh at her words. She was surprised by Ellana's accusations, that much was true from what she could sense in the Force, however, the older woman seems calm as she answered her, calm and yet, firm.

"This is a lesson you are going to have to learn as we work in this galaxy Ellana," she spoke out, "Ideally, it will be best if such things didn't exist at all, but as you have seen, the galaxy doesn't operate solely on black or white. It's more of a gray area that we have to learn to navigate as Jedi."

Ellana can feel confusion rising within her.

"Then, how will we know which path is right?" she asked.

Her Master smiled lightly, and there was something sad in her expression.

"The right path," she spoke out, "Is in right action on behalf of those who can't protect themselves, as well as courage. The Order teaches us on how to be selfless when the situation calls for it, however, to truly know how to be good is by here," She pointed at her head, "And here." Pointed toward her heart, "and what you decide to do, everyday as a person in the service of the Light and of the Force…you will be a great Jedi and a good person."

Ellana stayed silent as her Master words echoed within her. She stayed silent for a long moment. This assignment wasn't what she had thought it would be at all. She had never realized just how different the galaxy would be after leaving the Temple behind on Odessa.

However, despite those conflicting feelings that were within her. She had decided what type of Jedi she is going to be.


Odessa

Jedi Temple

Master Mahariel was meditating in her quarters. Strangely enough, the sky was overcast today which promised rain in the following hours in the night. It was something that was familiar on Odessa, the large jungle Planet that the Jedi Order had been calling home for millennia. Having spent her entire life here, Mahariel knew that this moment of peace is welcome to the Jedi of this era.

However, that doesn't mean that it wasn't without strife.

There has been a worrying number of reports about the Terminus System lately. In the past few months, they have become increasingly more active as of late and the Batarians slavers have started to make their presence more felt. While it was a step forward to have slavery was outlawed in Citadel space and in the Attican Traverse, the Terminus System was another business entirely.

The Sith Empire had allowed the Terminus to flourish thousands of years ago, and given the Years of Darkness that followed, they had managed a structure that to this day remains. The Jedi wanted to end the slave system but with their alliance to the Citadel, they couldn't interfere or they will be without allies from both the Citadel Space and the Attican Traverse and given the tense relation they had with Turian Hierarchy, their hands were tied.

But that didn't stop the Jedi to contact nearby systems and warn them of the rising dangers. Mahariel could feel that there was something there in the Force, something that she wasn't seeing.

There was a light ping sound from the door, drawing her from her meditation. She gave the clock she has a glance knowing that the ones she had called for had come. With a wave of her hand, she opened the door allowing it to slide open so that the two Jedi she had called for entered within the room.

Solana Amell stood in her gold and white robes; blond hair drawn backward upon her back in a low ponytail thought some string fell around her face. The Jedi Master had a light curious expression upon her features as she walked forward with her Padawan.

She was dressed in vastly different robes than her master. Hers were a forest green with design upon it that drawn upon her Dalish heritage. Mahariel observed the young woman, remembering the first time she saw her, a young child standing in front of the Council and now, she was now sixteen years old, a Senior Padawan from what she knows of her progress.

And the girl had progressed so quickly that it was staggering, considering it had been only four years ago she had become Master Solana's padawan. In the Council they have been talks of making the girl take the Knight's Trials but Mahariel feels that it was still too soon.

Ellana Lavellan was still untested. She was talented, yes, there was no denying that but she wasn't ready to be a Knight…not yet.

"Master," the two greeted with respectful bows from the both of them.

A light chuckle escaped from her as she indicated the chairs in her room.

"Here, take a seat," told them.

"Is something the matter Master?" Solana asked, a curious tone in her voice.

"There is nothing wrong," she answered, "However, we were contacted by Clan Lavellan from Elvhenan."

Ellana's eyes, bright and silver, met her own unable to hide the surprise that was within them. Her crimson hair, short and spiky, made her eyes stood out even more as her padawan braid fell upon her left shoulder.

"The Clan did?" she repeated, shocked.

Mahariel nodded.

"When you were brought to us," she said, "It was under the condition that when you reach a mature age that you will return home to receive your Vallaslin, as it is part of your Dalish culture."

Ellana seems surprised for a moment as Solana glanced at her.

"You're only recently turned sixteen yes?" she said.

The elven woman nodded.

"Yes, I did," she said, "Keeper Deshanna must have been waiting for it to happen, if she has been the one who called."

"Then we have our heading then," Master Solana said.

"You do," she said, looking at the two of them, "As her Master, the duty will be to you Solana."

The blonde woman gave a nod.

"Then, May the Force guide you well," Mahariel told them both with a light nod of her head.

The two Jedi in front of her stood up and gave her a deep bow of respect.

"And you as well," they answered together.

With those parting words, the two left the room behind. Mahariel frowned lightly to herself as she felt a change within the Force. Almost like there was something that had changed.

A disturbance in the Force, she thought.

But what truly worried her, was the wave of darkness that came with it.


Outside of the room, Ellana couldn't help but feel a soft joy within her heart at the thought of what was happening. She hadn't really realized that it was already that time for her to gain her Vallaslin. She hadn't realized that this time was here, that it was time to reconnect with her Dalish roots.

"Is everything alright?" her Master asked, a concerned look upon her features.

Ellana realized she must have been projecting her feelings without being aware of it. Taking a breath, she shielded herself once more. It was technique she learned here at the Temple very early in her Jedi training. A way to stop herself from reacting to the many feelings of the people around her. While Jedi do know how to shield themselves from feelings, ordinary people does not…thought despite the shielding, she can still pick up feelings from others people.

"I never realized the time has passed so quickly," she answered her Master, her tone low, "Going back to Elvhenan…I mean, we've had some missions that took us close to the system but…"

Master Solana let out a soft chuckle as she placed a hand upon her shoulder.

"Well, it had been ten years," she answered.

Ellana looked at her.

"I look forward to see how much it had changed in those ten years," she smiled lightly.


Hope you have enjoyed the read so far.

Next Time: Return.

Jacques0 out.

R&R