I am alone again.

Zefel left this morning. I will miss her so much. I tried to show a brave face when she left, but it's horrible to be alone. The caretakers of the younglings realized that I was preoccupied and asked if I would like to leave early, but I didn't. I can never thank Master Yoda enough for offering me this job for afternoons. Without the younglings, I would go crazy.

When I leave them, I almost go to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to talk to Zefel. But she won't be there. In the weeks that my friends have been home, I have forgotten what it is like to be alone.

I can't go back to my room. I'll end up staring at the blank ceiling above my bed. I miss Oreti so much, but I am a Jedi, so I have to get over that.

I eat dinner early. I walk through the Room of a Thousand Fountains. You can get beautifully lost in here.

My lightsaber is calling to me. I find a teacher, tell her I want to practice, and choose an empty room. I leave the door open out of habit. If there were many people practicing, this would matter because closing the door means that no one else can use the room, and I don't plan to take up so much space.

I start doing velocities. These are drills in which I keep doing the same set of moves in faster and faster patterns until (hopefully) a watcher won't be able to see what I am doing. They aren't useful in a real fight, but they are good for getting to know a certain move or your lightsaber. Shii-Cho has more velocities than the other six forms because it is the oldest and is taught to younglings who aren't used to their lightsabers. I am used to mine, and I love the feel of it in my hands. I do know Shii-Cho better than any other form, so I do its velocities for as long as I can. I enjoy the fact that I have to focus on not burning myself but absolutely nothing else.

When I am finally exhausted, I slow down again and finally stop. My world expands from the tiny area that my lightsaber covers. A light-skinned Zabrak is watching from the hallway. She hurries away when I notice her. I have seen her before, but I am too tired to think of where.

I return to my room, wash up, and get ready to sleep.

It has been eight weeks since the battle. I am still masterless. Yet when I ask the Force, it shows me the feeling of hope yet again. There is someone waiting for a padawan and will choose me. Someone. Somewhere.

I have been forced to wait before. I was the last of my friends to be chosen by a master. This should be no different, except that, now, I know what the galaxy is like and we are in a civil war. Maybe I should be happy that I am safe in the Temple.

I still miss my master.

I glare at the sink in my 'fresher. It has started to stick. I avoided telling anyone about this before because I felt that it was the only thing besides me that could break. That was stupid. I live in the Jedi Temple, where everything works smoothly. I don't see why this should be any different. If I hurry, I can tell a maintenance droid what is wrong and still have enough time for breakfast before classes.

I think I understand now. I think I understand.

Zefel was not made for survival in the darkness. Friendship would not be enough for her. She isn't strong enough on her own.

Oh, Zefel. There is nothing I can do for you but try to ease the pain, but at least I can do that.

My schoolwork has taken longer than usual for me to finish, so I hurry to the younglings.

This has happened before, but this time is different. As I turn a corner, I meet someone all-out running in the other direction. I am going slowly enough that I can stop, but the other Jedi jumps sideways to avoid me and has to go past me before stopping.

We turn to face each other. She is a gold-skinned Zabrak who I know I have seen before.

"Akite Chairu," she gasps without even apologizing for running in the hallways. "Will you be my padawan?"

I'm not sure what she actually said. I just stare at her, trying to figure it out.

She waits a few seconds before prompting, "Well, will you?"

"Uh, yes…?"

"Great. I'll have to talk to you later." She turns and continues down the hallway at a very fast walk.

I have no idea what I just agreed to. Jedi don't almost bump into a padawan in the hallway and ask her to be her apprentice. Well, they don't. It was just my longing clouding my brain, as the masters would doubtless warn me would happen. Because Jedi don't just…

But that was Moyek Yasi…

I recognize the Zabrak. I have seen her several times. I caught her watching me at velocities last evening, and she caught me hugging a sobbing Zefel the afternoon before that. And, even earlier, I have seen her a few time and been told who she is.

She is Moyek Yasi, a Jedi master known for excellence at lightsaber combat and being a little crazy.

I stare down the empty hallway. Someone just asked me to be her padawan. Moyek Yasi just asked me to be her padawan!

I start to grin. Yes! It's about time!

I feel like dancing in the hallway, but that would be frowned upon, I'm not entirely sure if I was hearing right, and about twenty seven-year-olds are waiting for me to play with them.