Disclaimer: The people and places (except for my OC's) belong to either Lucas, Bioware, Obsidian,or West End Games.
Trae had been quite busy the day of Revan's arrival. Jek had commed him the day before and informed him of the slight change in plans. Although Trae feigned sympathy for Jek's illness, both men knew the Senator wasn't fooling anybody. It also didn't escape Trae's notice that Jek had waited two days before contacting him. It effectively gave the Senator little time to prepare for the change. Obviously the Jedi underestimated Trae's abilities to get things done. He knew he was being paranoid about Jek and Revan, but he couldn't help being watchful of the other man. Although it was never spoken of, Trae felt certain the Jedi was just as watchful of him. He truly did consider Jek one of his closest friends, but you didn't have to be a Jedi to notice the change in the air when Revan was with them.
Trae made slight adjustments to his plans. He had spent the entire day shopping after the call from Jek. He bought more flowers, more wine, and a few items of clothing. He had also been sure to have his estate staff reduced to just a few droids for the week. Some of the planned events had to be adjusted…particularly the dinners. Trae had thought nothing of an evening meal in one of the planet's exclusive restaurants for the three of them. But he quickly thought of the implications of him and Revan showing up to dinner alone and therefore cancelled the reservation.
When Trae arrived at the docking bay, he located a street vendor and purchased a snowflower. The transport was on time and he waited patiently for the travelers to disembark. He wasn't surprised when Revan was one of the last ones off. He immediately noted her brown Jedi robes, something he'd never seen her in. In fact, he was sure she had mentioned how much she disliked them. He had the impression she was trying to tell him something. So we're in Jedi mode.
When her eyes finally found him, she smiled. He didn't take his eyes off of her as she approached. However, soon her gaze shifted and she frowned and came to a halt. He looked down at the flower in his hands and panic set in. He looked back at her as her eyes shifted around the very public landing bay. Okay, the flower was a bad idea.
Thinking quickly, he glanced around for a possible solution to save the situation. He spotted a rather unpleasant-looking elderly woman approaching. He abandoned his worried expression to don his best senatorial smile and thrust the flower into the hand of the old woman. "Pardon me, my lady. Allow me to welcome you to Lianna. It is our wish that you have a pleasant stay."
The woman stopped and looked at him as if he had just released a pungent odor. She eyed the flower with distaste and scowled as she ambled over to the nearest trash receptacle to dispose of it.
Revan, who had witnessed the entire exchange, burst into laughter. Trae could only watch in disbelief as the old hag walked off. He slowly turned his attention back to Revan and noticed her enjoyment at his expense. He softened his expression at the sight of her and couldn't help but laugh with her.
He closed the distance between them and stopped in front of her. His smile remained as he said, "I suppose it would have ended up in the garbage no matter who I gave it to."
She continued to laugh and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes. "Yes, but I liked that way much better."
She had a good point. He chuckled, "I suppose I do as well."
He held out his hand in formal greeting. "Master Jedi, allow me to be the first to welcome you to Lianna."
She accepted his hand and shook it. "Thank you, Your Grace. I have no doubt it will be an interesting stay."
After collecting Revan's belongings, Trae led her to his speeder. Revan couldn't help but smirk when she saw it. She'd had no doubt he would have the best of everything. The speeder, a sleek design she recognized as a Sienar model, didn't disappoint.
"Is this the new KZ-55?" she asked as she ran her fingers along the bright blue exterior.
Trae beamed, "Yes."
She circled the vehicle once and then asked, "Can I drive?"
His smile fell. "No way."
She huffed, "Why not?"
He placed her things in the speeder and escorted her to the passenger side. "The last time I let you drive, you disengaged the anti-gravity field and dropped us through six lanes of traffic."
"It was a short-cut," she defended as he walked around to get in the driver seat.
His lips formed a tight line as he slid into his seat. He gave her a sideways glance. "You could have warned me."
Revan had been quite pleased she'd been able to pull off the stunt. She had seen Malak do it on more than one occasion and wanted to try it. When she had, Trae's face had turned sheet white and he couldn't stop shaking for twenty minutes. Jek had been impressed with the maneuver, but had enough sympathy to calm the other man's shattered nerves with the Force. Revan laughed to herself when she recalled Trae's screams of terror.
Trae noticed her amusement. "It wasn't funny."
She laughed more. "Maybe not to you."
They made their way to Trae's estate. It was much like any other dignitary's that Revan had visited…too big for just one person. It featured several sitting areas, a large dining area and kitchen on the main level. The second level held sleeping chambers. She couldn't help but laugh slightly when she noticed how close her appointed room was to Trae's.
"Just out of curiosity, where was Jek supposed to sleep?" she asked.
Trae visibly flinched, something she noticed he was doing more of whenever she mentioned Jek. He led her to another room that was at the opposite end of the dwelling than hers. She briefly thought of teasing the Senator and requesting to stay in Jek's room. But she had plenty of time to torment the man throughout her stay and decided against it.
The next few days were filled with various meetings regarding the trade agreement. At night, the two enjoyed nice evenings in Trae's home. After dinner, they would sit together on the lanai that overlooked the gardens.
Trae had been a gentleman throughout the first couple of days. Revan was rather relieved at how much more at ease he was on his home planet rather than on Coruscant. She supposed it was because he knew they had all week to be alone together. Nevertheless, she enjoyed his company and didn't even mind getting a little cozy with him into the evenings.
The days had been very busy for the pair. Several meetings and communications to Coruscant had transpired. One of those communications had been to Jek. Revan had a question regarding a minor detail in the agreement and knew he would have a quick answer. Trae had said it wasn't that important, but she'd insisted. She had also felt bad for not contacting her fellow Jedi when she'd first arrived to see how he was feeling. Trae had mentioned Jek was better, but Revan knew that wasn't enough to convince her not to comm the other Jedi.
To be honest, she woke up one morning and simply had a desire to speak with Jek. It was unusual for her to have that feeling with anyone other than Malak. It was a kinship she had with no others, including any of her former Masters.
Trae's communications room was on the main level. Therefore, she showered and prepared for the day before making her call. Once situated, she punched in the appropriate code and waited for Jek to answer. It took a few attempts before the very tired Jedi appeared. She winced when she realized it was the middle of the night at the Temple.
It took him a moment to fully waken, but when he did, he seemed immediately concerned. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"
She smiled slightly. "Everything's fine. I just had a few questions."
He didn't respond at first and just stared at her. He then glanced at the chrono and said, "Revan, it's three o'clock in the morning."
She looked at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I tapped through the time differential warning. How are you feeling?"
Jek yawned, "Much better. Eilan came by the day after you left and helped me through some new healing techniques she's been working with. She really is quite good."
"I bet she is," Revan said under her breath.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Nothing. So do you have a moment to go over a few things, or should I call back later?" she said in a suddenly business-like tone.
He sighed, "Now's fine."
Trae entered the room and handed her a cup of caf. He glanced at the image of Jek and said, "Good morning, Jek."
Jek studied the new image and then replied tightly, "Morning, Trae."
Trae then leaned over to Revan and kissed her gently on the lips. She froze and could sense his ill intent at making a show for Jek. Instead of returning the kiss, she jammed the heel of her boot into Trae's foot. His eyes registered the pain, but he remained silent as he straightened.
She glanced quickly at the image of Jek. Though he held no expression while he watched Trae's intimate gesture, Revan could see that his eyes were trained on her.
She looked back at Trae and dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "You can send a droid to let me know when it's time for our tour of Sienar."
Trae blinked. His eyes slowly made their way to the image of the other Jedi. His lips formed a smile that never reached his eyes. With a sardonic laugh, he shook his head and walked out of the room.
Revan continued on as if the display had not occurred. They went on to discuss a few of the agreement details so that she could better understand them. She explained Trae's apparent reluctance to take her to Sienar Systems. For some reason, he didn't realize she would want to see the ships in production. It wasn't the only reason she wanted to visit the corporation; she had been curious about it for a few months and wanted a better look inside, with the Force as her guide.
When the call ended, Revan sat at the comm station for several minutes trying to decipher the anxiety she felt. She realized it had been the middle of the night for Jek, but there was an added tension in their conversation that wasn't there before. She had no doubt Trae had contributed greatly to that.
She found herself somewhat disappointed in the Senator. She had thought he was above such things. Apparently he wasn't.
The day before Revan was to leave, the two were to attend a state dinner to honor the new agreement with the Republic. They arrived at the reception in a manner Trae wasn't happy with. Revan had insisted upon wearing her formal Jedi robes and the Senator didn't agree with her choice.
He was already nervous about the event, knowing full well who would be in attendance. The guest he was most uneasy about was his mother. Revan had joked upon her arrival that as long as he didn't take her to meet his parents, she would be fine. Trae had failed to mention that was the last thing he wanted to do.
He had also failed to mention how much his mother hated Jedi. Several years before his parents married, his mother had had an affair with a Jedi. The Jedi had returned to his duties, leaving Trae's mother pregnant. The entire ordeal was besieged in scandal. Trae never knew what happened to the Jedi.
There were nine years between Trae and his brother. As a result, the Senator had never had any form of relationship with the other boy. From what Trae could recall, his brother had been in and out of various schools. Judging from his troublesome behavior as an adult, Trae could only assume he had been equally difficult as a child. Therefore, Trae was not looking forward to the fact that his brother would also be at the night's engagement.
His worries came to pass soon after the dancing had commenced. He had tried to keep Revan a safe distance from his family. The task required all of his attention to be placed on her. Somehow he didn't realize how that would appear to his mother.
During one of the slower dances, Revan said, "Would you mind telling me the story about the woman who has been glaring at me all evening?"
Trae sighed and glanced over at his mother. He was going to need a drink for this one. He said, "Perhaps we can get a drink first." Revan agreed and excused herself to the fresher while Trae made his way to the bar.
After placing his order, a dark figure appeared next to him. Trae looked over to see his brother standing next to him with a smug smile on his face.
The other man said, "A Jedi, Senator?" He laughed slightly. "Mother would never approve."
Trae was just about to tell him to mind his own business when Revan appeared at his side. His brother quickly stepped in and offered his hand in a gentlemanly fashion. "Master Jedi, it is an honor to have you among us this evening."
Revan smiled and shook his hand. "Thank you."
Trae spoke up, "Jedi Revan, meet Taren Quinn." He thought of mentioning the relation, but he knew Quinn never admitted to any familial connection. His thoughts were interrupted when his parents came into view. Quinn released Revan's hand and stepped away.
Trae took a long drink from his glass before continuing. "And this is Lady Karta Storm…my mother." He wasn't sure which woman's eyes he wanted to avoid more.
The smile on Revan's face faded when it wasn't returned by the other woman. Trae prayed his mother would be nice. However, instead she abruptly said, "There's no place for a Jedi within this family."
Trae was mortified.
He looked at Revan to see how she would react. He expected Jedi calm, but instead saw an odd smirk on her face.
Revan said, "Well then it's a good thing Jedi aren't the family type."
Trae's heart dropped as he gasped. It was definitely the wrong thing to say to his mother. He heard a laugh behind him and turned to see his brother in total amusement. Laughing in that situation was something only Quinn could get away with.
Lady Storm's eyes widened in shock and she said, "How dare you speak to me in such a manner!"
Trae felt his world spinning out of control and wanted to say something to make it all stop. All he could do was wait to see what happened next. He didn't wait long. Revan cocked her head to the side, the smirk still upon her face as she regarded the older woman.
She then turned to Trae and stated, "I'm leaving. Don't wait up."
Trae stood in stunned silence as he watched Revan leave the room. He was torn between going after her or soothing his troubled mother. He knew of his mother's dislike for Jedi, but never realized how much it would upset her to be near one. He looked to his father for help. His father nodded knowingly and guided the older woman to their table.
Trae took the moment to run after Revan. However, when he arrived outside of the grand ballroom, she was nowhere to be found.
Revan was sure she must have missed something along the way. She was usually fairly sharp when it came to local customs and was quite certain she hadn't said anything to offend the older woman. But between Trae's mother and Dark Eyes in the corner, Revan did not like her position and wanted out fast. Of course, the dark eyes she had found upon her much of the evening turned out to belong to Taren Quinn.
There was something sinister about the way he watched the people around him. He was tall with long black hair tied neatly in the back. She had attempted a light Force probe to get a better read on him, but found it unusually unsuccessful. She made a mental note to check into him a bit further later. But for now, she had found the perfect opportunity to make her leave of Trae and go do a little investigating.
She had wanted another look inside Sienar Systems without the numerous escorts she'd had previously. The Force told her there was something to be found there and she was anxious to find out what it was.
She shed her robes and retrieved the cloak she had hidden earlier before slipping into the Lianna night.
In the two weeks Revan was gone, Jek did a lot of meditating. It bothered him that he allowed himself to be so affected by what she chose to do with her personal life.
He knew Revan wouldn't return to the Senate once the trade agreement was finalized. She had been too caught up in the war to stray far from the Fleet. Jek thought maybe it was best that way.
He really couldn't afford to be around her as long as things like the sight of Trae kissing her still made his stomach turn. In fact, he felt the two week gap in their friendship was something they needed to make the separation that was necessary for both of them. Though, he would be lying to himself if he said he didn't miss her.
When Revan returned from Lianna, her first priority was to visit the Fleet and inform them of the production progress. They had every right to be thrilled with estimated delivery dates. Of course, she didn't alert them of the fact the first ship had begun production before the initial request for trade. It still warranted further investigation to fill in the gaps left open from her late night "tour" of the facility.
In the meantime, Malak had contacted her from Manaan. He was still investigating the attempt on Judge Duula's life. He explained everything he had discovered thus far.
"He's the biggest proponent of complete Selkath control of the kolto supply. Based on everything we've come up with, I'm almost certain it's Czerka."
"Have you told them that yet?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No. I was waiting to be sure."
She thought about it a moment. Companies like Czerka were the exact reason Manaan needed to keep control of its own resources. "What's next?"
She saw his image shift. He said, "Well…that's kind of what I need you for."
She groaned, "What?"
He went on to explain, "Pollard Seario will be on Coruscant to attend some thing the Rodians are putting on."
She furrowed her brow. "You mean at the Coruscant Opera?"
Malak nodded. "He's been rumored to have business meetings in his viewing box and I want to know who he's meeting with. The problem is that, although I'm on my way, there's no way I can be there until the day after the show."
She didn't respond. The Opera? She wasn't sure she would like it, but immediately formed a few ideas on how she could pull it off, none of which she was willing to share with Malak.
"Can you do it?" he asked.
She sighed heavily, "Yes, but you'll owe me."
He smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"You've got that right," she shot back.
The next morning arrived and Revan commed Jek. She anxiously waited for him to answer. And when he did, she wasn't disappointed by the handsome face that appeared. They started out with a brief rundown of the trade agreement finalities. They both agreed that although Sienar's rapid ship building was suspicious, the Republic would certainly benefit from it.
He asked, "So what now?"
She shrugged, "You know I'm not returning to the Senate. The Council has agreed to let me stay with the Fleet a bit longer. I do have a small thing I have to do for Malak, but I haven't figured out how to do it."
He cocked his head to the side and asked, "What's that?"
She explained, "The President of Czerka Corporation may be having a meeting at the Coruscant Opera. I need to get in so I can keep an eye on him for the entire show."
Jek seemed to think about it for a moment. Unlike her, Jek was more familiar with the Coruscant Opera House. He said, "You'll never be able to do that in general seating. I suppose you could sneak in, but it would be easiest if you were in a box of your own."
She added slyly, "Yes, but wouldn't that seem kind of strange for a woman to attend by herself? I mean, it's a fairly prestigious outing."
He frowned when he realized her ploy. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Don't think you're going to convince me this was my idea in the first place."
She donned an innocent expression. "Would I do that?"
He grumbled.
Her smile grew. Before ending the call, she asked, "Oh, and I've been itching to spar. Are you up to it?"
He paused again and she didn't know why he all of a sudden had to put thought into something as simple as sparring with her. She had been waiting for a good match. Trae had tried to ask for lessons, but that had been a joke.
The idea of a two week separation being good for them went away quite quickly. With Revan back, Jek felt all previous worries disappear. They were sparring again and it was something he really looked forward to.
The first day, Revan was in rare form. He knew he was in trouble the moment he stepped through the doorway. She had been relentless and it was all he could do to keep his defenses in check. She definitely took the opportunity to take all of her aggressions out on him.
The second day was much different. Jek was determined not to let her trample him again. The match started out the same as the others. Each struck and parried quite effectively. Their green blades clashed together in a dance both were very familiar with by now.
When Revan stepped up her attack, Jek was right there with her. He could tell she was pleased with his responsiveness. He usually wasn't one that felt he had to prove anything to anyone. But Revan required her opponents to fight at the next level at all times. She was also highly competitive; something Jek had found resulted from her relationship with Malak.
Soon, the opening he was looking for appeared. He launched his attack and put her on the defensive. For the first time, he saw everything so much more clearly. He struck at her in a flurry of attacks until he had her pinned against the wall of the room. Taking note of her own lessons, he used every advantage he had and used his body to hold her close to the wall while his hands held her wrists at bay.
Her lightsaber deactivated and clattered to the floor as their bodies moved together in deep, labored breaths. He could sense her trying to devise a way to defeat him. But she quickly realized how limited her options were. They were close enough for him to feel her breath upon his lips. With a voice that came from deep inside of him, he said, "Do you give?"
She seemed to search his face as if it would provide the answer she needed. Her eyes finally locked with his for an amount of time he was uncertain of. He suddenly became aware of their proximity and his resolve faltered slightly. She quickly detected it and used the Force to thrust him away, sending him sprawling across the floor. Her saber was at his throat before he had any time to react.
She smiled cunningly as she loomed over him. "You almost had me there, Jek."
The next day was their "date" to the Coruscant Opera. They were to see a drama created by the Rodians. Many people felt the performances were some of the best in the galaxy. Jek had not seen one yet, but was actually looking forward to it. He made a visit to Senator Krishon to ask permission to use his viewing platform. The Senator had been more than willing to oblige, especially once Jek had mentioned Revan's name. At first he had thought about asking Trae, but quickly tossed the idea aside when his warning sense flared. It was something that definitely made him curious and he would meditate on it later.
But for now, he was on his way to pick up Revan. The nature of the evening required them to be out of their normal Jedi garb. Finding something to wear had been a task for Jek, but he had somehow managed with the help of an attendant in one of the shops close to the Temple. She found him black trousers and a dark blue shirt to wear. She also talked him into a cape – the standard for an evening at the Opera. Then there was the issue of his hair. The point was not to look like a Jedi, so he chose to wear it loose.
Preparing for the evening had been an all day venture. When he arrived at Revan's quarters, he was anxious to see what she would be wearing. She was never one to wear typical Jedi robes. She'd had so many Masters that one design had never passed on to her. But anything she wore was certain to be practical. Revan didn't like to wear anything that didn't go with her boots. She dressed to be prepared for combat in any situation.
When he arrived, she answered the door wearing a short silk robe. Probably a gift from Trae, he mused. Jek was definitely affected by her attire. Sure he had seen her on comm calls before. When they talked in the morning, he'd had brief glimpses of those cute little pajamas she'd worn. But those times were different…he was alone without any need to answer for his reaction.
He looked around the apartment, hoping for some sort of distraction. He found the area relatively clean, despite the datapads everywhere. "I don't think I've ever seen your quarters this neat before."
She said wryly, "Yeah, well, I've been gone for two weeks. So it hasn't had a chance to get messed up since Malak was here."
He glanced at her doubtfully. "You clean it for Malak?"
She scoffed, "Of course not. He cleans it."
Jek blinked. "Malak…cleans your quarters?"
She shrugged and explained, "He's kind of a neat freak."
"I never would have guessed that."
"You look very nice, by the way," she said. She moved closer and he tried to keep his eyes up. She reached out to feel the soft material of his shirt. "That color really brings out your eyes. You should wear blue more often."
He wasn't used to compliments, especially from her. "Thanks," he managed to say.
He sorted through the various datapads on the table and noticed them all pertaining to the Mandalorians. "Someone's been busy."
"I'm just trying to get a better understanding of them. Their philosophy is very interesting. It's so different from the Republic's way of thinking. The more I read about them, the more I wonder if the Republic can beat them. The Mandalorians are masters of war. The Republic philosophy can't compete with that."
He glanced at the datapad in his hand. "And Mandalorian Mating Rituals helped you to come to that conclusion?"
She laughed. "No, but now I know I never want to mate with a Mandalorian."
He laughed.
She handed him a datapad of her own that had many notes she had written. "I've tried to summarize." She walked towards her sleeping chamber and said, "I'll only be a minute."
He read over the offered information. He had guessed she had used her time in hyperspace to and from Lianna to go over much of the information. She was efficient, he had to give her that much.
He finished reading over the datapad and wondered at the time. They were supposed to eat dinner before the Opera and she was taking an unusual amount of time to get ready. He remembered the Senate Ball when she'd had such a hard time figuring out what to wear. Then she showed up in a custom fit robe that was both functional and very flattering. It had been the first time he'd realized Trae was interested in her on more than an intellectual level.
Revan stood in her sleeping chamber staring at her reflection in the mirror. It wasn't her, she insisted. She was very unsure about the dress Trae had selected for her. It had halter straps, which she concluded were better than the thin kind, and was made of emerald green silk that hugged her form at the top and flared out slightly at the bottom. She hated wearing anything that would be hard to fight in if she needed to, so she picked shoes that would be easy to kick off, since her usual boots wouldn't quite fit the image she was trying to present.
She ignited her lightsaber and practiced a few forms to make sure the dress would hold up. She really didn't feel the mission they were on would lead to anything like that, but it was always good to go prepared for anything. Her biggest worry was where to put her weapon. She searched through a drawer to find her thigh holster she sometimes used for a small dagger. She laughed as she thought she never would have needed the harness for dinner and a show.
She sighed and finally accepted her attire. She pulled her hair up and tried to form it into some of the common fashions she had seen around Coruscant. Styling her hair had actually taken longer than getting dressed. It didn't take long for her to realize she would have a tough time as a non-Jedi.
Taking one last look in the mirror, she had to admit she looked good. She picked up the cloak she had purchased to wear for the evening and draped it over her arm. She had admired the dark silken material and thought it could easily be transformed into something she would wear on a regular basis.
When she stepped into the common room, Jek was standing at the window. She wasn't expecting his reaction when he turned to face her. His eyes traced her form as his mouth dropped open. The wave of shock that rolled off of him made her silently gasp. She shifted under his gaze – Jek had never looked at her like that before.
He finally broke free of his stupor and said, "You look amazing."
The new information flooded through her and she tried to process it quickly enough to form a response. She offered a quiet, "Thank you."
Both stood in silence for a moment, shields firmly in place. She slowly let out the breath she had been holding. To be honest, she really didn't mind the way he looked at her. Frankly he wasn't that bad to look at, either. He wore his hair down for the first time around her and she didn't need the Force to tell her she was in trouble.
She swallowed hard and said, "We need to get going."
Jek knew he was in trouble. But he drew a blank as to any good excuse why she should change. He certainly couldn't tell her that he'd never be able to keep his eyes off of her. Although, we are undercover and she could be jeopardizing the mission by diverting my attention. He knew that would never go over. It was his problem and he was a Jedi. Surely he could figure out how to get through the night. But damn.
He suddenly wished they could skip dinner and just get the whole night over with. As he followed her out of her apartment, he briefly wondered where she hid her lightsaber. He shook the thought from his head, knowing thoughts like that would do him in for good.
Other things like emotions he had been prepared for. Though he hadn't chosen to identify them by name, he knew there was a chance they could arise from their hidden depths. But lust? No, he hadn't expected that one. Even in their slightest hints of passion, it hadn't been out of lust. It had been for who she was and how she made him feel…as a Jedi as well as a man.
Taking a deep breath, he knew it would be a long night.
The pair didn't have a great deal of time for dinner. But they did manage to enjoy it regardless. Both were sure to keep the topic on galactic matters. Jek didn't ask about anything that had occurred on Lianna, and didn't really want to know. Therefore, they kept the subject on the war.
The first vessel to come from Lianna would arrive in three months time. The Fleet would put together a crew to get the ship to the Outer Rim. Once there, it would take on more soldiers from the over-crowded capital ships.
"I'm going to ask the Council to let me go with them," she stated.
Jek was about to place another bite of food in his mouth when he paused. He looked at her questioningly and asked, "You want to join the war?"
"I think the Jedi should have joined some time ago. I'm not confident the Republic soldiers can stand up to the Mandalorian forces. They're losing more battles than they're winning. Quite frankly, the Mandalorians appear to be getting stronger and the Republic getting weaker. If something doesn't happen soon, it will be too late."
He agreed with her, and he knew many other Jedi felt the same way. However, the Council had decided against joining. "Do you really think the Council will let you go?"
She shrugged. "I don't see why not. I'm not asking for a full scale deployment. I'm volunteering. And I have a feeling others may do the same thing." She paused and looked at him thoughtfully before she asked, "Would you?"
"You know I would." There was no question - Jek would go in an instant.
The restaurant was not far from the Opera House. Revan and Jek were waiting when the doors opened. However, before they entered, she asked, "Can you mask your signature any more than that?"
He made an attempt to hide his presence in the Force better, but was unsuccessful. All Jedi had the ability to do it; some were just better at it than others.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him off to a side alley where they wouldn't be seen. She held both of his hands in hers as they faced each other. They closed their eyes and she lowered her shields to allow him to see how she did it. It was something they had never done before and Jek was astounded by what he witnessed. He had always known Revan to be powerful. But once inside, the magnitude of that power took his breath away.
She squeezed his hands more tightly in an attempt to make him concentrate. If it were up to him, they'd scrap the performance and spend the whole evening right where they were. She chuckled as she caught on to his thoughts. He suddenly became aware that she was just as much in his mind as he was in hers. The thought elicited slight panic that she would see things about her that he never intended for her to see. He was quickly soothed by her and reassured that she would never do so without his permission.
He focused on what she was doing and saw how she locked on to her own signature, wrapped the Force around it, and then tamped it down. He smiled at the simplicity of it. Once he did it successfully, she allowed their senses to mingle together for a moment longer before slowly slipping away.
He opened his eyes and stared at her with the feeling he had truly been given a gift. They didn't move away from each other and stood hand in hand as they tried to decipher what had just transpired. He knew that she now also saw a part of him that she had never seen before and couldn't help but wonder what she thought. He finally found his voice and said, "I've always wondered how you were able to hide your presence so well."
She smiled and said, "We'll have to do that again sometime."
He hoped it would be soon.
Once inside, the two made their way to the private viewing balcony Senator Krishon had allowed them to use in his stead. The area was big enough for eight people. It had plush cloth covered walls the color of burgundy. Each seat was of softest nerf leather. The numerous balconies surrounded the stage in a semi-circle that encased the general seating in the center. From their vantage point, Jek and Revan had a perfect view of both the stage and Seario's balcony.
They took their seats and waited for the show to begin. Jek noticed how Revan seemed fascinated with the activities. He never realized she hadn't been there before. His Master had taken him as a young Padawan. Jek wasn't thrilled about it at first, but he'd grown to like it. He'd never seen a Rodian performance but had heard quite a few people praise them.
The lights lowered and both Jedi were thankful their booth was close enough to still allow them the view they required. The show started and their attention was riveted to the stage.
It wasn't until the third act when a shift was detected from the other box. Though they needed to mask their presence, the Force was still required to slightly enhance their sight. A tall man with very dark hair stepped in and was seated next to Pollard Seario.
Jek heard Revan say, "You've got to be kidding me."
He directed his attention to her. "What?"
She said nothing for a short while. When he was about to ask again, she said, "Taren Quinn."
It was not a name Jek had ever heard before. However, admittedly, Revan had been to twice as many places as he had.
She sat back in her seat and seemed to process the information with her eyes on the performance below. She finally said, "I met him on Lianna. He has a large financial interest in Sienar and many other corporations on the planet. I had a feeling there was something about him. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see him with the likes of Czerka."
"Did you speak with him?" Jek asked.
"Only long enough to learn his name. I went to Sienar that night to do a little investigating. That's where I found out how he was connected with them."
Jek's lips formed a tight line. "And they just gave you that information, right?"
She smiled and glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "From a certain point of view, yes." She shrugged. "I mean, if they can't provide ample security for their computer system, then they're just giving information away."
"And where was Trae?"
She thought for a moment and said, "At his home, I guess."
Jek was dying to ask more. Why wasn't Trae with her? Why didn't she know where Trae was? Why didn't she seem to care? But he had promised himself that he wouldn't ask about Lianna. So he held his tongue and continued on. "He doesn't look like the type to get his hands dirty."
"Yes, but I'm willing to bet he knows how to get something done," she said absently.
Jek agreed, "He wouldn't be with Seario if he didn't." Then a thought struck him. "You don't think he'll recognize you?"
She scoffed, "Dressed like this? I doubt it."
Jek didn't have her optimism. She obviously underestimated her appearance throughout the night. For Jek's part, how could Taren Quinn miss her? In fact, Jek hadn't been able to stop looking at her all evening.
After the performance, Revan and Jek stopped by an establishment commonly frequented by theater-goers. They had gathered the information they needed and Revan would pass everything they had discovered on to Malak.
She had to admit she was very curious about Taren Quinn. It appeared that Trae at least knew the man. However, she didn't think Trae was very interested in speaking with her at the moment. He hadn't been very happy with her disappearance the last night she was there. When she left the planet, he was still trying to figure out how she'd breached his security to enter back into the estate.
Somehow she knew she wouldn't be able to ask Jek to speak with Trae either. It's not that Jek would mind...but she really didn't feel like getting into the details of her argument with the Senator. Leaving out the amount of times Jek's name had been mentioned would create too many holes in her defense.
When it came down to it, Trae couldn't come to terms with how easily a Jedi could detach themselves from others. Of course, she then had made some disparaging remarks about his mother and that was the end of the conversation.
She pushed the memory aside when Jek returned to their table with two drinks. Earlier that evening, she never would have thought she'd want to continue their night out after the show. But the night had given them both the opportunity to live outside of who they were.
"What did you think of the performance?" Jek asked.
She sipped her drink before saying, "I think it was fine, but judging from the shrieks heard throughout the auditorium, I would guess it was a little gruesome for most."
He smiled. "It was definitely an interesting story."
Revan shifted in her seat. The harness she used to secure her lightsaber was not very comfortable. She sensed Jek's amusement and glanced over at him. There it was again…the smile she had only seen once before. It's not that he never smiled, just not like that. Curious, she asked, "What are you smiling about?"
He blushed slightly and looked away for a moment. He said, "I, uh…I just figured out where you're hiding your weapon."
She laughed and asked suggestively, "Would you like to see it?"
He laughed with her and his face turned a brighter shade of red. "Maybe later."
Their laughter subsided, but their smiles remained. They drank more of their drinks and listened to the music that was provided by the Rodians. Jek cocked his head to the side and said, "I am curious. I never would have expected you to be in something so…" He glanced down at the dress as he searched for the right words.
Revan smiled knowingly. "I know, it's not exactly my style. I tried telling Trae that."
"Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not complaining," he added.
She laughed. She ran her fingers along the rim of her glass and said, "Somehow I think Trae was searching for a woman, not a Jedi."
Jek's expression grew serious as he stared at her a moment. He then said, "He must not have been looking close enough."
She was sure her heart just stopped. She recalled wearing the dress on Lianna. She refused to leave the estate with it on and would only wear it inside. The dress had made her feel defenseless in Trae's company. However, it was different wearing it with Jek. She supposed he was someone she felt safe feeling vulnerable with…although it also made her vulnerable to him.
Her musings were interrupted by a brush across her senses. She knew well enough it wasn't Jek. She glanced around quickly and Jek said, "I felt it too."
Both Jedi searched the room with their eyes, but didn't uncover anything. Revan sat in silence for a moment and recalled where she'd had the feeling before. "Taren Quinn."
Jek looked at her with a puzzled expression. "That would mean he's –"
"Force sensitive," she said, finishing his statement.
"Do you want to follow him?" he asked.
She shook her head distractedly. "No. We need to know what we're dealing with first." She paused a moment before saying, "Are you ready to go back?"
The two Jedi returned to Revan's quarters within the Temple. Information about Jedi initiates was not difficult to acquire and both thought they would be able to gain access from there.
The first thing she did when she walked in was kick off the shoes she had been wearing. "I do not know how women wear those things. They're horrible." She sat down on the couch and examined her feet. "I think they gave me blisters," she announced in disbelief.
Jek was already busy at the terminal access of her comm station. She was still grumbling about the shoes when he sat down next to her and handed her a datapad. He said, "You read, I'll take care of your feet." He reached down and hooked an arm around her legs, pulling them to rest on his lap.
Revan leaned back on a pillow and looked over the contents of the datapad. She tapped through the necessary screens to get to what she looked for. Then she felt a cooling sensation that started at her ankles and moved slowly over her heel, along her arch, and then through her toes. She couldn't help the soft moan that escaped as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling. "Oh Jek, that feels wonderful."
He chuckled, "You're supposed to be reading."
She smiled broadly and said, "Just promise not to stop."
He continued to soothe the soreness as she searched for any trainees in the past thirty years by the name of Taren Quinn. Just as she started to think she would have Jek do this to her more often, she found what she was looking for.
"Hmm," she said.
Jek paused his ministrations. "What?"
She peeked over the datapad and nodded for him to continue. He laughed, but did as she asked.
She explained, "It appears he was here for at least ten years. There's no record of him being chosen as a Padawan." She paused to pull up another screen. "He was assigned to Telos."
"It doesn't appear he stayed there," Jek said.
"No, in fact he never went. He left the Order and returned to his home planet…Lianna."
"So he's a potentially half-trained Force sensitive that has business relations with Czerka Corporation."
"I had a hard time getting a read on him there. He was obviously masking his presence very well. Which means either his skills have improved or he's not that strong."
"I wonder why he wasn't chosen as a Padawan." Jek stood and let Revan's legs drop unceremoniously to the couch, causing her to pout slightly. He walked over to the comm station and sat down.
Revan padded over to him to look over his shoulder. He tapped in a few commands and pulled up Quinn's parting evaluation. She was stunned. "How did you do that?"
He snickered, "Wouldn't you like to know?"
She would.
Jek looked over a few things before saying, "Force, Revan, he has a longer disciplinary record than you do."
"Hey!" she was affronted. "And how do you know how long my record is?"
He smiled slyly. Then he furrowed his brow. "He was brought here by Master Zentar…his father."
"I wonder who his mother was," Revan said.
Jek tapped a few more sequences and said, "He returned to Lianna to reside with a Karta Santhe."
Revan's eyes went wide as she processed the information. "That son of a schutta! No wonder that woman hated me so much!" She started to pace. "When I get a hold of him…"
Jek asked, "What are you talking about?"
She pointed to the terminal. "See if you can find the maiden name for Lady Karta Storm of Lianna."
Jek did and sure enough, they were one in the same.
Revan shook her head. "I've never heard of a Master Zentar."
Jek accessed another file. "He died three years after Quinn was brought here."
She slumped down on the couch, feeling duped. It was not a feeling she appreciated in the least.
Jek shut down the terminal and returned to the couch next to her. He lifted her legs again and continued his previous massage.
She leaned back again and relaxed into it. He really was quite good and soon she forgot all about Senators and their screwed up families. She reached down and pulled up her dress enough to reveal the thigh holster. She unfastened it and laid it and her lightsaber on the ground next to the couch. Her leg was left with red indentations from the device.
Jek seemed to hesitate at first. But then he reached a tender hand to smooth across her leg and make the marks disappear. She could feel the cool sense of the Force mixed with the intoxicating warmth of his touch.
A small voice inside of her said, Stop! While the other, much louder voice asked, Why? It was the story of her life, really.
Jek treaded on dangerous territory. It had started out simple enough – her feet hurt and he had the ability to make the pain go away. But the fact was that he had never been so intimate with her. Actually, he'd had the desire to touch her all evening. He'd started out carelessly brushing along her bare arm as he helped her with her cloak. Now he was soothing away angry welts on her bare thigh. He supposed he should go before he found something else to move on to.
She said, "Would you mind if I went to change? I think I've had enough of this dress."
His first instinct was to agree, but then he wondered what she would change in to. What if she came out in her pajamas? He'd never be able to trust himself if that happened. He looked at the chrono and noticed it was very late. He said, "That's okay, I really need to go."
She sat up and smoothed out her dress. She stood and offered a hand for him to do the same. He took it and let her lead him towards the door. It took everything he had to not find a reason to stay.
When they were a couple of meters away from the door, she stopped and faced him. She stepped so close he could feel the heat from her body. She stood on the tips of her toes and placed a gentle kiss upon his lips. She let their lips linger a little longer before pulling away. She smiled shyly with a shrug and explained, "First date."
He was slightly stunned and forced himself to move to the doorway. He reached up to press the door release and his hand hovered over the control for a moment too long. He dropped his hand and turned to face her. Without further delay, he closed the distance between them and backed her up against the wall. She had a sexy smile upon her lips and all pretenses went somewhere else as he kissed her deeply.
His tongue swirled with hers as his hands glided up her arms, neck, and through her hair. His pent-up desire for her unleashed itself. He wanted nothing more than to slip off the dress and feel the flesh beneath it…to feel it pressed against his as he moved inside of her.
Their clothes fell quickly to the floor and they spent the rest of the night bringing each other to ecstasy over and over again.
It was morning and Revan was enjoying a dreamless sleep. She was snuggled in her bed and felt more relaxed than she ever had waking up before. She felt a familiar brush across her senses and pushed it away, /I'm sleeping/.
/And you can go back to sleeping as soon as you let me in so I can drop my stuff off./ was the reply.
She ignored him and hoped he would go away.
/Come on, I'll only be a minute. You don't have to worry about me disturbing your Senator friend./ he teased.
She opened one eye, Senator friend? All of a sudden, the events of the past evening flooded back to her. Her eyes widened and she clamped down hard on her shields as she slowly rolled over to discover the man sleeping beside her…Jek. She looked towards the door…Malak.
She suppressed her slight panic and gingerly slid out of her bed in an attempt not to disturb its other occupant. She slipped on a robe and shut the door behind her as she went to the common room.
She could sense Malak's amusement on the other side of the door. Wondering how long it would last, she tried to pick up clothes that had been tossed in every direction the night before. She was somewhat thankful Jek hadn't worn his robes. The amusement mixed with impatience before she pressed the door release.
Malak was in the room before the door even opened all the way. "What took you so long?"
She concentrated on keeping her face expression-free. "What are you doing here?"
He placed his bag next to the sleeping chamber door and said quietly, "Master Vash's class. I told you I was coming back for it."
"You did. I didn't realize it was today," she said. She walked towards the sitting area.
He approached her with a knowing smile. "I didn't think you'd really do it."
"Do what?" she asked.
He looked at her as if it were obvious. "The Senator."
She smiled tightly. "You don't want to be late for your class."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll get out of your hair. You'll just have to tell me everything later."
He turned to leave and took two paces before he froze. She followed his gaze down to the floor where Jek's lightsaber lay next to a chair. It was apparent he recognized it as shock flowed through their bond in a massive wave. He turned to face her with a look of total disbelief.
She didn't move and still held no expression as she watched him carefully. Shock was briefly replaced by pain…that was immediately consumed by anger. Without a word, his eyes turned cold as he stormed towards the door. He used the Force to open it with such power it nearly knocked it off its track. The sound of it reverberated through the walls of her quarters.
Voices from the other room slowly brought Jek out of his slumber. He opened his eyes to look at the empty pillow beside him and wondered who would be visiting so early. He lifted his head to search the room for a chrono. When he saw that it was already 0930 hours, he sat up swiftly. "My class!"
He went to get out of bed and glanced at the door. "My clothes."
Using the Force, he reached out to see if he could find out who was there and if they had any intention of leaving. He groaned at his discovery, "Malak." Great timing.
He shook his head, Malak's not going to like this. Did I think of that? He had thought about it. However, that was right around the time she slipped her hand into his pants and he had lost all coherent thought after that. He thought briefly on the events that had followed. He sighed as he thought of the only word to describe it, Incredible.
He rubbed his hands over his face and stalled when he felt a slight disturbance in the Force. It was followed soon after by a loud bang from the other room. He quickly gathered the sheet around him and headed for the source.
When the door slid open, he saw her standing at the window running a finger along her lips. He'd seen her do that before when deep in thought. He'd always found it very sensual. He leaned against the doorjamb and waited for her to come out of her thoughts.
It was futile to try to get a read on her at the moment. He wanted more than anything to know what she was thinking…how she was feeling. He could handle just about anything…except regret. Rejection would be better than regret.
Her hand stilled and she looked up at him with a faint smile. "Good morning," she said quietly.
He motioned towards the door. "Malak?"
She nodded.
He saw his clothes draped neatly over a chair and moved towards them. He paused before he started dressing to say, "I'm really sorry. But I have a class…and we slept late." He felt like a complete jerk leaving so quickly – especially under the circumstances.
He was quite surprised when she burst into laughter. It was the last thing he had suspected. He grabbed his shirt self-consciously. "What's so funny?"
She barely contained her laughter long enough to ask, "Please tell me it's the session with Master Vash."
He looked at her with confusion and then a thought struck him. "Oh no…he's not…"
She confirmed his suspicions with a knowing nod. He groaned, "That's in fifteen minutes." The prospect of sitting in the same session for most of the day with Malak was not good. "You don't have to laugh quite so hard."
She said, "I'm sorry. But I hope you don't mind if I procure the security tapes for that room."
He slid a leg into his pants as he said, "No, please do. Then we'll be sure to have proof that he actually can burn holes in me with his eyes."
She laughed a little more as she watched him dress. When he finished, he looked around for the last item. He saw it resting in the palm of her outstretched hand.
She called it, "The culprit."
He smiled as he approached her and accepted his lightsaber. He clipped it to his belt and wondered what to do next. Many thoughts ran through his mind. First and foremost was the sudden thought that things would never be the same. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly in a way he hoped wasn't 'Goodbye.' He kissed her again just in case it was.
The session with Master Vash was something Jek had looked forward to for quite some time. The subject was enhanced split-level concentration. Most Jedi were capable of the simpler form. However, what Master Vash suggested would enable them to focus on multiple occurrences at the same time.
The attendees sat cross-legged on the floor of the training room while different events occurred within the area. After brief instruction, everyone in the room was able to direct their awareness to many places. So as Jek sat there, he marveled at his new-found ability. Levitation exercise in the corner; Malak's attempt to disintegrate him with his glare; lightsaber match off to the side; Revan's head thrown back, eyes heavy-lidded with desire, lips slightly parted as he… Okay, scratch the last one. He shifted his position slightly as he thought it wasn't the right environment for those images.
He sighed to himself. He had been in the session for almost three hours and hadn't been able to keep his thoughts away from the previous night. At first, they had both been frantic for release before falling asleep sated on the couch. Then she woke him up to move to the bedroom. When they stopped at the dispenser for a drink, he was overcome once more by the mere sight of water dripping from her swollen lips.
Of course, he hadn't exactly woken under the best of circumstances. He glanced over at the tall bastard with the tattoos. Doesn't he ever blink? Jek frowned slightly as he looked away. It didn't help that he knew he wouldn't be able to speak with Revan until after Tall Bastard left.
As Malak approached Revan's quarters, he attempted to quell his frustration. Of all the men in the galaxy, why did it have to be that one? How long had it been going on? Had it been weeks? Months? Is that why she'd been upset at the club when he left with Tolana? Had he hurt her in some way? Had it even grown to the point there were feelings between them? He shook the thought out of his head, Revan would never let it go that far. He tried to tell himself that he would have known before. She wouldn't have been able to keep something like that from him. He would have detected it.
It hadn't helped that he sat in session all day with Jek in his line of sight. Malak wouldn't have wanted to be in that position on any day. At first, he had scoffed at the other Jedi for being late…something else he probably got from Revan. Then Jek had the audacity to look at him like Malak had no right to be upset. Didn't Jek realize that Revan was off limits?
He felt a tightening in his chest as another thought struck him, Didn't Revan realize that Jek was off limits? What was she thinking? They had goals. Jek was nothing but a…a liability.
When he arrived at her quarters, she let him in without a word passed by either of them. She then stood by the window with her back to him.
He paced around the room and tried his best to control his irritation. He stopped and stared at her with disapproval. "How could you be so reckless?"
HHHHer expression turned to confusion as she turned to face him. "What?"
"I can't believe you would go against your training like that," he stated as he walked towards her.
He could sense her annoyance as she said, "What are you talking about, Mal? You do this kind of stuff all the time."
He defended, "What I do doesn't matter. You don't do these things."
She looked at him doubtfully. "Don't give me that crap, Malak. A few weeks ago you were trying to push me into sleeping with Trae Storm."
A few weeks ago, you were upset when Jek left with another woman. He stood directly in front of her and leaned towards her. "This isn't like that. Is it, Revan?"
She clenched her jaw and bit out, "I'm going to take a nap." She turned on her heel and walked towards her sleeping chamber. With a twisted smile, she threw back, "I didn't get much sleep last night." His anger spiked again and he slumped on the couch.
A thought occurred to him, "I want those sheets changed before I sleep in that bed tonight."
She poked her head back out and said, "Well then you might not want to sit on that couch, either."
He stood quickly and could still sense the passion from the night before hanging in the air. He felt traces of Jek's aura everywhere…on the couch, by the door, next to the dispenser, through the doorway to her sleeping chamber. It was enough to make his skin crawl and he had to get out of there.
A/N: As always, your comments are appreciated. Thanks to my wonderful betas Alexandra3 and Lossefalme.