Okay, I've sorely neglected this story, so I have another chapter here for y'all. Just a note here: this story has been heavily inspired by Sith stories by Lincoln Six Echo, and with her permission, I'm borrowing some of the ideas from her Sith stories about their strict training, with her blessing. Just thought I'd let y'all know. Enjoy!

Chapter 4

The following morning, Jeela awakened and the first thing she noticed was that she was not in her tent or her bedroll. The second thing she noticed was that she was not alone in the bed, for she was wrapped loosely in Sith Knight Kenobi's arms. And, the third thing she noticed was that her tunic and leggings were gone and she was wearing a Sith Knight tunic.

Obi-Wan was awake and looking down at her with concern. "Do you remember anything about yesterday, Jedi Linn?" he asked.

She took a moment to collect her memories. "I remember getting shot and you bringing me back here, and healing me, using the Force. I was scared it might be too much for you, remembering what you'd told me about what happened with you and Sith Knight Ventress. I don't think it's been that long since then."

He shook his head. "You underestimate the will of the Force," he said. "I was meant to help you without any further risk to my well-being, although why is a mystery to me. The only ill effects I suffered were lethargy and chills, so you needn't worry about me further on that respect."

She sat up, feeling her hair in her face. She pulled it back into a serviceable knot and slipped out of the bedroll, looking around for her own clothes.

"Your tunic and leggings were ruined when you were shot," he explained coolly. "You can thank Sith Knight Ventress for the clothes you're borrowing. You and she are about the same size. She was gracious enough to give me a spare set for my partner in situations like these."

Jeela nodded, struck speechless by the Sith Knight's explanations. His voice was nothing what she'd expected. It was low and cultured, nothing like a warrior's voice that she would've expected, low and throaty from barking orders to his troops.

She shivered, remembering the kiss he'd planted on her lips just before she'd lost consciousness. He'd kissed her to quiet her protests when she tried to stop him from risking his life to save hers. That kiss had left a scar on her heart, and had set things in motion that could not be undone.

She shook her head to clear it and lay back down to rest. Obi-Wan looked down at her as she dozed, also remembering the kiss they'd shared. And as he'd slept the night before, he'd seen the vision of Sith and Jedi reconciled, and in the middle of it was him holding Jeela in his arms, kissing her passionately, her body molded to his as if she belonged there.

No! he admonished himself. That won't happen! The only reason it would is because I would surrender and submit, and a Sith never surrenders or submits.

After a few minutes, he roused her so they could return to Coruscant. Her fighter had been damaged beyond repair the day before in the middle of the skirmish, however, her R4 unit astro droid had been spared. She was still weak from her injuries so he carried to his starfighter, sitting her down in the passenger seat. Before long, they were airborne and leaving Geonosis.

The moment they were back on Coruscant, Jeela reported to the Jedi Council about the mission. After briefing the council, she was heading back to her room in the women's dormitory in the temple when Master Qui-Gon Jinn stopped her.

"Jeela, are you all right?" he asked gently.

"Yes, Master Jinn. I'm just exhausted from the mission and my injuries. I was planning to go to my room and rest." She shrugged and started to go, but Qui-Gon's gentle, yet firm hand on her arm stopped her.

"I know what happened on Geonosis, when Sith Knight Kenobi saved your life," he said in a low voice. As she opened her mouth to protest, he held up a hand to stop her. "It's all right, Jeela. You don't have to fight what is happening between you."

She shook her head. "No, I won't give in to it. He's a Sith; I'm a Jedi. It's wrong in every way." She rushed off to her dorm room before the Jedi master could stop her.

At the same time, Obi-Wan was reporting to the Sith council the success of the mission, and was surprised to see fellow Sith Knight Asajj Ventress coming into the council chambers to give her own report.

"So, you risked your life for a Jedi, hmmm?" she teased. "I could feel those tremors all the way on Rekam, on our way to Boz Pity."

He rolled his eyes at her. "She was a good warrior and didn't deserve to have her life snuffed out."

The bald woman shrugged. "I know better, Kenobi. Something has happened that can't be stopped, no matter how you try to deny it." She smiled serenely and went before the council, leaving Obi-Wan alone with his thoughts.

Jeela took a deep breath. I can do this, she told herself. All I have to do is return Sith Knight Ventress' clothes and thank her. I laundered them, ironed them, and they're as good as new. Chances are, I probably won't run into Sith Knight Kenobi.

She entered the Sith temple, and after timidly talking to someone she assumed was a Sith Master, she was directed to the female dormitory wing. A woman with a bald, tattooed head came out of one of the rooms.

"Hi," Jeela said shyly. "I'm looking for Sith Knight Asajj Ventress."

The bald woman smirked. "You're talking to her. You must be Jeela, and I sense you're here to return my clothes."

"Yes. I wanted to thank you also for giving them to Sith Knight Kenobi so he could have them on hand for me when I was injured." Jeela was trembling. Could this unusual Sith Knight see through her? Her arms shaking, she handed the neatly laundered and folded bundle to the woman.

Ventress leaned forward as she took the bundle to whisper to Jeela, "What happened on Geonosis was the will of the Force. Don't fight it." A moment later, she walked back into her dorm room, leaving Jeela standing there alone. Finally, she got the strength to leave the dormitory and walked out of the Sith Temple, unaware that she was being watched.

Obi-Wan watched as the girl fled. It was like she was afraid to confront the attraction between them, even after Ventress had told her it was the will of the Force.

Shaking his head, he went back to his room to meditate. He found himself thinking about what had happened thousands of years ago when the Sith Order was formed. What he'd always been taught was that the Order had been founded after a few of the dissenting members of the Jedi Order had left. Since then, there had always been a subtle estrangement between the two orders, even though they all had a common enemy, the Dark Lord Sidious and his servants.

While the Jedi worked to settle wars, the Sith worked to end them. While the Jedi let go of their emotions and released them into the Force, the Sith held onto their emotions, not thinking they were dangerous. And unlike the Jedi, at least until recently, the Sith Knights and Masters were allowed to marry and have families, but their training was stricter than the Jedi order. Jeela will find out about that soon enough, he thought ruefully.

As he meditated, he was shown a vision, a vision of the future. This one wasn't a dark vision of the galaxy being ruled by the Dark Lord, Darth Sidious. Instead, he saw a universe where there was light and happiness. Sith and Jedi younglings were playing together, laughing and sparring together in training. Other Sith and Jedi warriors were walking together in reconciliation. And then, he saw them.

There was a couple, a man who looked to be in his early forties and a young woman in her twenties, both with reddish golden hair. They were holding hands and walking together, seemingly happy. He watched as they began to kiss tenderly, and as the man rubbed the woman's slightly protruding belly, a belly where a child thrived inside…

He jerked back into the present, trying to process what he'd seen in his meditation. The man was him, and the woman was Jeela, he knew it was her. Yet, she was fighting this bond between them.

Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Picking up his comlink, he dialed a code that belonged to a certain Jedi Padawan. "Anakin, do you copy? This is Obi-Wan Kenobi…"