I'm very sorry for the late chapter again. I dawdled in writing it and then my internet service provider decided that this would be a nice time to halt their services to do some upgrades. Since I'm trying to finish this before Christmas, you can hope to expect earlier postings. I can't guarantee that, though.

Many thanks to herc009 for reviewing.

Disclaimer: STAR WARS and certain characters (eg. Yoda, Mace Windu) belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I make no money from this. Other characters though, (eg. Maia, Jeran) are mine. (Sorry, I forgot to write disclaimers for the other chapters. Please don't sue!)

CHAPTER 5
Of Inner Conflicts

Jeran did not even bother to turn around when he felt the presence at his back. He knew who it was. It was a presence that was becoming uncomfortably familiar to and at the moment he would rather have nothing to do with the girl it belonged to.

So he ignored her, concentrating even harder on the kata he was practicing, hoping she would get the message and leave. It was hard to focus however, for he constantly felt her intense gaze boring into his back like a laser. Even worse was the growing feeling of guilt fed by the growing worry that he might be hurting her feelings. After repeatedly missing a step in the kata, he turned around, fed up, and beckoned her to enter the room.

"Come in."

He watched her enter and tentatively take a seat on one of the benches that surrounded the room. Her greeting however was anything but shy.

"Hi, Jeran."

"Hello, Maia," Jeran greeted flatly in return. He could not help but feel a twinge of annoyance at casual way she had addressed him. Not that it was her fault, he had actually encouraged it but that had been before his best friend started yelling at him and suggesting that he take a Padawan.

Right now, he wanted to be as far away from any youngling as possible. He did not want a Padawan, did not need one, did not-

"Ah, Jeran," the girl ventured hesitantly, interrupting his thoughts. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I'll leave now. Good Night."

"It's okay, don't leave." The words were out of his mouth before he had actually considered them. You fool Jeran, you want her to leave but tell her to stay! Now what? He certainly could not chase her away now. Not with her beaming all over her face, not when she was bouncing brightly on the edge of the bench.

Sighing inwardly, he reignited his lightsaber and proceeded to continue where he had left of at the kata. Yet no matter how hard he focused on the moves, the thought of the little girl sitting on the bench behind him kept forcing its way into his conscience.

Step, slash, block, sweep, thrust, kick. "Why are you here?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Slash, thrust, step, jump. "Again?" Swing, block, cut, step, thrust, step.

"It's normal for me."

Jeran froze in mid-kata, one leg- bent at the knee, raised in front of him, his lightsaber held in a two handed grip in a salute in front of his face. "So you roam the temple each night?"

"Sometimes."

Jeran held the pose as long as he could. His muscles burned yet he forced them to remain in that position for five minutes, seven minutes, ten minutes…He sighed and closed his eyes as he relaxed, extinguishing his lightsaber and slowly lowering his foot.

"How old are you, Maia?"

"Me?" he could hear the puzzlement in her voice. "I'm nine and a half."

Old enough to be chosen as a Padawan, Jeran reflected silently.

"Jeran?"

"Hmm?"

Maia bounced to her feet. "Could you teach me that kata you practiced yesterday? Please?"

He crossed his arms, regarding her thoughtfully. "Isn't that level too high for you?"

"I can handle it," she insisted, her brown eyes shining with eagerness. "Really."

Jeran raised an eyebrow. "You seem very sure of yourself. Let's see how well you have mastered the lower level katas."

The Initiate looked at him in dismay. "Those?" she said disdainfully. "I can already do those well. Why do I have to-"

Jeran held up a hand and she fell silent. "You're rather, ah – arrogant, for someone your age. It is vital that we know and practice even the easiest kata. Is this why you watch Knights spar? So that you can learn higher katas and then show off to your friends?"

"I don't show off!" Maia yelled indignantly. "I really can't sleep so I just walk around or watch others practice. If something interests me I try to learn so that I might integrate it with the katas I'm learning now. It's called being innovative."

"Well then, if you are so good at your katas let us some of it, hmm? I would like you to perform all the katas you know. Then I will decide whether you are good enough to start on something higher."

Maia gave him a derisive glance as she unclipped her training lightsaber from her belt and ignited it. The red blade flared to life as she settled into a defensive position, centering herself.

She's good, Jeran had to admit as he watched her flow through the movements. She was a little choppy at parts but that could be easily corrected with regular practice. Her only problem was that she held her training 'saber rather stiffly, making some movements irregular besides that being the main reason for her choppiness.

As she moved from kata to kata, he noted that her rhythm became faster, her movements more aggressive. Reaching out to her mind through the Force, he felt well constructed mental barriers yet hints of annoyance, frustration and even a little anger were leaking out through small cracks in her shielding.

If she managed to correct her technique, control her emotions and reign in her pride she might stand the chance to become one of the better swordsmen – or in her case; swordswomen- in the Order. But only 'if '.

And if you don't stop sounding like her Master you'll soon have her tagging along behind you, a voice at the back of his mind chastened. If you really don't want to take a Padawan then stop encouraging her!

He pushed the voice away and focused his attention back on the girl just as she completed the last kata. She extinguished her lightsaber and held her arms out wide. "Happy now?" she asked huffily.

Again, Jeran felt a twinge of annoyance at the tone of voice. Her manners and respect still left much to be desired.

"It's fine," he said. He lit his own blade and tuned it down to the lowest setting. "Defend yourself," he told Maia as he moved to the centre of the room. She looked at him warily. "Don't worry," he assured her. "I'll be careful."

She moved to face him and her blade lit up. They saluted each other then each settled into a defensive stance. They remained like that for a while, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Finally the Initiate skittered forward, taking advantage of her much shorter stature to move beneath his defences and slashed at his legs. Jeran easily leaped over the attack though and she was forced to retreat as he attacked.

Jeran kept his strikes gentle, easy enough for her to block but at the same time give her a bit of a challenge. They moved across the room, lightsabers flashing.

At one point, both their blades locked, green against red. Maia strained against his blade, a trickle of sweat running down her face. In a sudden swift movement, Jeran disengaged his blade and with all her weight pressed behind the block, she staggered. He let her regain her balance, before moving with a sudden strike. Maia parried it on time, then swung her blade towards his unprotected midsection. The blow was deflected and at the next moment, she found herself clutching her stinging wrist as her training lightsaber sailed away and hit a wall with a thud.

The Knight knelt next to her, a look of concern on his face. "I'm fine," she said before he could say something. "Just a little…surprised." He extended a hand and her lightsaber flew into his palm. She held out hand for it but he made no move to give it back.

"Did you recognize that move I used to disarm you?" he asked instead.

Maia had recognized it, much to her consternation. "Yes. It was a parry form the level one kata."

"There," said her friend as he handed her back her training saber. "Even low level katas are important and need to be practiced regularly. Simplicity is sometimes much better and efficient and there is usually little time to improvise your fighting style during a fight. Remember that."

"I'll remember that." She paused then said silently, "Sorry."

"Don't apologise to me, apologise to yourself," Jeran contradicted. "Everything you learn and do now will effect your actions in the future. That is why you have to realise your weaknesses and mistakes and correct them before it is too late." He rose and tousled her hair. "It is very late. Maybe I'll teach you another time or we'll leave that to your teacher. I think it will be best for both of us if we return to our quarters now, hmm?"

"Okay."

He gathered his belongings from one of the benches and both stepped out of the practice hall and into the corridor.

Jeran looked down at the girl. "I trust you can get back on your own, right Maia."

She nodded.

"Goodnight then."

Maia's sudden hug almost bowled him over, both physically and mentally. He gazed down at the face that looked up from his knees. Her lips formed words. "Thank you, Jeran. Goodnight."

She let go of him and stepped back. "By the way," she said, grinning. "Whenever you say 'hmm', you kinda sound like master Yoda."

Jeran blinked, astonished. "I do?"

But the Initiate had already raced down the corridor and was slowly disappearing from sight.

Thank you very much for reading. waves a hand You will now leave a review. Please review. If the chapter or even the story sucks, feel free to criticize. Yes, I am desperate.

-Xrai