I own Ayame and Kamuro. Everything else belongs to their respective owners

Once they were safely in hyperspace, Ayame broke down crying.

"I left him! I just left him!" she choked out between sobs. The only one to talk to was R4, but she didn't care. She continued to cry until she reached Courescant. Once she dropped out of hyperspace, she left the hyperdrive in orbit with the others and contacted the Temple. Master Shaak Ti answered her call. She informed Ayame that Master Yoda and other members of the Council were in a meeting with Chancellor Palpatine. Ayame called there next.

"Chancellor!" she exclaimed. "Please excuse the interruption."

"Master Ayame! You're alive!" Palpatine replied. "Where are you?"

"I just returned to Courescant," Ayame said, not even bothering to smother the sob that worked its way into the sentence.

"Come to my office at once," he said, and cut the transmission. Ayame landed the moment he gave the order. She was in his office in minutes. Master Windu was waiting at the door, along with Jar Jar. Master Yoda had gotten up from his chair to greet her. Once she was in the Chancellor's office, exhaustion caught up with her. Master Windu caught her as her knees gave out. As he held her up, Ayame felt her emotions rise again, and she allowed them to. She started sobbing.

"Obi-Wan's been captured," she managed to get out.

"Ayame, calm down," Master Windu said, but Ayame didn't want to hear it.

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" she shouted, suddenly finding her strength. "I just left Obi-Wan to whatever fate may be awaiting him and you want me to calm down?! Contrary to popular belief, that is not always easy!"

"AYAME!" Master Yoda pounded his walking stick on the floor, raising his voice for the first time in ages. Ayame felt everything dissipate when she looked at her master's stern look. She looked back at Master Windu and the others gathered. They were looking at her hands. She looked down and gasped as Force Lightning crackled around her fingers. Ayame balled her hands into fists, closed her eyes, and took a few deep breaths. The crackling ceased and she felt her emotions fall into line. She then opened her eyes and bowed deeply to everyone in the room.

"Please forgive me Chancellor, Masters, Senators," she said. "That was uncalled for, and I apologize. I have no excuse."

"I would say that you do, but that's beside the point," Senator Organa of Alderaan said. Organa was a reasonable man, a loyalist, and member of one of the great noble houses of Alderaan. Ayame could always sense good intentions behind his actions, making him a rarity in the Senate. When she straightened up, Master Windu put a hand on her shoulder.

"We will speak of this later," he said. Ayame merely nodded and looked down. She felt like a youngling again, being scolded by an instructor. It was humbling and she felt the full force of it.

"We actually were just finishing, Master Ayame," Chancellor Palpatine said. "It would seem that Representative Binks is willing to do what others are not." Ayame looked at Jar Jar, who seemed more serious than he normally was. As the Senators filed out, Senator Organa placed a hand on Ayame's shoulder, giving her a sympathetic and reassuring smile. Ayame nodded and returned the gesture with a smile of her own. Once all of the Senators and the Chancellor had left for a special meeting of the Senate, the Jedi Masters turned to their emotional Knight.

"Ayame, what was that?" Windu asked when they were alone.

"An emotional outburst, Master," Ayame answered, choosing not to make any excuses, especially since she had none.

"Concerned for Obi-Wan, we all are," Yoda said. Even with her head bowed, Ayame couldn't bear to look either of them in the eye. Instead, she dropped to one knee and kept her head down.

"I beg your forgiveness, Master," she said. She felt ready to cry again, but suppressed it hard. The Masters must have noticed, because Ayame watched as Yoda's feet entered her vision. He tapped his cane on the floor twice, and as she slowly looked up, she became confused by the calm look on her Master's face.

"You are getting attached, Ayame," he said. Ayame merely nodded, knowing that this was true.

"You know what the code says," Windu commented. "You're conflicted. I sense much chaos within you."

"There is no chaos, there is harmony," Ayame recited, almost immediately. When she said it, however, she realized that she felt nothing. The words used to have such an impact, but she felt nothing this time. Though she did her best to hide this, a look in Yoda's eyes said that he noticed it as well.

"Come," he said, flicking his cane upward slightly. Ayame rose to her feet. "Go to the Senate, we must." Ayame nodded, and the three left for the Senate to witness the outcome of this special session.

When they arrived, Jar Jar was speaking.

"It's-a clear desa separatists made a pact wesa desa Federation du Trade. Senators, ''dellow felagates''.: In response to this direct threat to the Republic, mesa propose that the senate give immediately emergency powers to the supreme chancellor." There was a general uproar, mostly of support, from the Senators. Ayame watched as Palpatine rose while the Chairman called for order.

"It is with great reluctance...that I have agreed to this calling," Palpatine began. "I love democracy. I love the Republic. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated." Ayame noticed something strange about him when he said that…the same something that she felt when she had recited the line from the Jedi Code. "And as my first act with this new authority, I will create a grand army of the Republic to counter the increasing threats of the separatists." The speech was met with cheers and applause.

"It is done," Windu said. Yoda nodded thoughtfully. "I will take what Jedi we have left to Geonosis to help Obi-Wan."

"Visit, I will, the cloners on Kamino, and see this army they have created for the Republic," Yoda replied. As Master Windu walked away, Ayame moved to follow him. "Ayame," Yoda called. She stopped, knowing what was coming. "Come with me, you will." She turned and faced her master.

"With respect, I feel that I would be of better use with the strike team," she said.

"Better use to whom, hmm?" he asked. Ayame felt anger start to rise, but she quashed it as hard as she could. Some part of her knew that he was right, but her heart was telling her something else. "Need you on Kamino, I do," Yoda continued. "You know these cloners." With a sigh, Ayame bowed.

"Yes, Master," she said. You're a Jedi first, she told herself. Obi-Wan would be ashamed of you if he saw you acting like this.

But is denying your heart helping? Asked a little voice in her head. She tried to ignore it, but the question stood out.

Only Sith use their emotions. Emotions are compromising, Ayame answered herself. But even as she said the words, she knew that it wasn't completely true. Her passion for Obi-Wan made the both of them stronger. So why was she reacting the way that she was?

On the way to Kamino, Ayame took the time to talk with her Master.

"I've let myself become too attached, Master," she said. "No matter what I do, the fear of losing him is always there."

"Letting go is not always easy," Yoda replied thoughtfully. "Especially when fighting the will of the Force."

"But, if Jedi are supposed to let go of fear, why would the Force have me attach to someone in such a way?" Yoda was silent. Ayame waited patiently for an answer.

"Meditate on that, you shall," he said. "Allow yourself to commune, and perhaps, an answer you will find." Ayame considered his words, and agreed with his advice. She went to a quiet part of the shuttle and sat down to meditate. Clearing her mind, she kept one question, the question she had asked Master Yoda, at the forefront. As her mind opened, she felt the Force begin to flow through her. The question grew brighter and brighter in her mind.

Why? Why would I be so attached? She asked herself.

"Because you are different," came a spoken answer. Ayame jumped. The voice came from behind her, ethereal…and familiar. She felt her heart race as she slowly turned around. Tears leaped to her eyes as a glowing blue figure came into focus.

"Master Qui-Gon!" she gasped. Qui-Gon Jinn was standing before her, a gentle smile on his face.

"You've grown," he commented. Ayame wanted nothing more than to jump up and hug him, but she merely laughed and stood up.

"So has Obi-Wan," she replied. "And Anakin."

"I know," he said, moving toward her. "I mean that you've grown in the Force, Ayame." He sat down on the bench she had been meditating on, and motioned for her to join him, which she did. They spoke about little things for a few moments, and then Ayame returned to what he had first said.

"Master, what did you mean when you said that I was different?" Qui-Gon just looked at her, silently observing her.

"Ayame, when you first came to the temple, it was obvious that you were different. You had an affinity for the Force that we had not seen in a very long time. Indeed, the next time we had a student that gifted, it was Anakin. I don't believe that you were destined to follow a Jedi's path," he said. Ayame frowned.

"Not be a Jedi? What do you mean?" she asked, feeling a little offended.

"Ayame, what do you know of the Gray?" he asked. Ayame thought back to her research while she was still a Padawan.

"They were Force-sensitives who followed neither the Jedi or Sith way. They walked what I called the Twilight path. They understood that there needed to be a balance within the Force, which is why the Sith and Jedi are never completely eradicated throughout our history," she replied. Even as she spoke, she realized that she held to the same philosophy, mainly because she had the natural talent for Force abilities that, normally, only Sith used. "You believe that I am one of them?"

"I believed it from the first moment I met you," Qui-Gon replied. "This is not a bad thing, Ayame. There have been many Gray that served the Galaxy in their own way, keeping peace where the Jedi could not."

"You believe that I need to follow this path?"

"The real question is, do you?" He slowly faded from view.

"Master, wait!" Ayame cried, reaching her hand out. It was too late; Qui-Gon Jinn was gone again. Ayame sat there, confused. Meditation now seemed to be pointless. Instead, she returned to Master Yoda.

"Find the answers you seek, did you?" he asked.

"No," Ayame replied. "I only found more questions." Yoda looked at her, nodded, and got up from where he had been sitting.

"Come," he said. "Arrived, we have." Ayame helped her Master into his hover chair, and the two disembarked the ship. Taun We was waiting for them.

"Master Melma, it is wonderful to see you again so soon," she said, bowing.

"It is good to see you again as well, Taun We. May I present Grand Master Yoda of the Jedi Council," Ayame replied. Taun We bowed to Yoda, who inclined his head. "He's come to inspect the troops."

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be pleased. This way, please. The Prime Minister will want to speak with you personally," Taun We said, and lead them to Lama Su's office. He was speaking to another Kaminoan when they walked in. "Prime Minister, Master Melma has returned." Ayame bowed to Lama Su and made proper introductions.

"Prime Minister, may I present Grand Master Yoda of the Jedi Council," Ayame said, motioning to her Master. "Master, this is Lama Su, Prime Minister of Kamino."

"We are glad to see you again, Master Melma, and it is a great pleasure to meet the head of the Jedi Council," Lama Su said. "We certainly hope that you will like what you see."

"Sure of that, I am, Prime Minister," Yoda said.