Mace steered the ship towards the green planet. He nodded at it, indicating Farah to look.
"This is the only planet that fits the description 'green, desert and north of Helia'", he said. Farah nodded and sat down on the floor.
"I'll try and sense them", she said. Mace turned forward again, turned on the autopilot and closed his eyes. But it was only moments later that he opened them again, disturbed by a beep from the controls. Farah opened her eyes as well.
"We're receiving a hologram!" she said, surprised. Mace nodded.
"So there's someone down there", he said and pushed in a button on the controls. "This is Master Mace Windu. Do you read me?"
The blue picture glimmered before turning quite stabile.
"Master Kenobi!" Farah exclaimed. Obi-Wan seemed relieved.
"Do you read me?" he asked, his voice sounding crappy. Mace adjusted a few controls and nodded.
"We read you. Could you send us our coordinates?"
"In a moment", Obi-Wan answered, smiling at his companion. Farah swallowed as she saw her Master's pale face. Still, she smiled at Obi-Wan.
"Don't worry, we're safe", Obi-Wan whispered as he send the coordinates to the ship. "Did you get them?"
Mace nodded once again.
"We'll be there in a couple of minutes", he said and turned off the communications. Farah sat down in her chair.
"She looked so pale", she whispered. "If I had been faster…"
"We've found them now", Mace calmed her, placing a fatherly hand on her shoulder.
Farah stormed out of the ship as soon as he put it down, throwing herself over Sandra. Her Master smiled, even though she fell back on Obi-Wan.
"Master Tornyk!" she called. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."
"Hey, why should you blame yourself for this?" Sandra asked. "I doubt you're the cause of it all."
"If I just had tried to look after you sooner…"
She hesitated as she noticed the dead pilot in the first streaks of dawn.
"We might have been able to save that pilot."
"At least you saved four out of five", Sandra said, giving her Padawan a sad smile. Farah smiled back and helped Sandra stand. She swayed and Obi-Wan was immediately at her side.
"I better carry you, you're still weak", he said, lifting her up. Farah wrinkled her forehead when she noticed the pleasure they both felt in being close.
"When did…" she began, but her Master gave her a sharp look and nodded almost non-seen towards the ship. Mace had just come out of the door, Farah noticed, and she gave Sandra an angry look in return, along with a look that said 'we have to talk'.
"I'm glad we found you", Mace said and looked at both Sandra and Obi-Wan. "I need your help with the pilots, Master Kenobi. Iraham can look after Master Tornyk."
Obi-Wan carefully put Sandra down next to the ship and gave her a quick smile, before walking away after Mace. Farah sat down next to her Master and gave her a sharp look.
"Master, that is treachery!"
"Well, I hadn't actually planned to…"
She hesitated and grinned towards her Padawan.
"And I also think that I'm not the only one who's broken a rule during these days."
Farah crossed her arms over her chest.
"Master, I did not plan to… oh!"
She suddenly realised what she'd been saying and smiled towards her Master, hugging her.
"I'm sorry, Master", she said. "It's wrong of me to yell at you while you're sick."
Sandra chuckled and hugged her back.
"We'll have to talk about this when we get back to the Temple", she said and looked at Obi-Wan, carrying one of the pilots. "And I guess they need to be there as well."
Farah panicked.
"What?! Master, no! They can not…"
Sandra raised a hand to calm her.
"I know what is needed, trust me."
Farah looked sad and leaned in closer, whispering in her Master's ear.
"So I won't be a Jedi then? All of these years will be wasted?"
She took a few deep breaths, before she rose and left her Master on the ground. Sandra shook her head and lay back down. Her Padawan would understand, in time.
"Master Kenobi! You need to help me with Master Tornyk", Farah said. Obi-Wan nodded and walked back to the ground.
"I'll take her alone, Delmerians are extremely light", he smiled and lifted Sandra once again. Farah lingered behind, staring into the nothingness. Mace suddenly came up by her side.
"Iraham, you have to help the pilots", he said. "You're the only one among us who have knowledge about healing."
Farah was snatched back to reality and gave a sharp nod.
"I'll check them right away", she said, hurrying back up to the ship. Mace was standing alone on the ground and shook his head while he walked back into the ship, closing the door behind him.
"So alike, and so unlike eachother."
Obi-Wan had already seated himself in the cockpit.
"I'll take the controls, Master", he said. Mace was about to protest, as he worried about Obi-Wan's health, but instead he nodded and walked away to the ship's small meditation-room. Just as he walked away, Farah slid into the cockpit. Her hood was pulled up and she looked straight into the wall as she spoke.
"I've stabilised the pilots, Master Kenobi", she said harshly. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then nodded.
"Thanks for telling me", he said before he lifted the ship off the ground. Farah made a slight bow before she walked back to the small room where her Master was resting.
"Master, what made you so weak?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "What happened?"
Sandra winced her eyes as a sign of irritation.
"I hope you learn from my mistakes, my Padawan", she said and gave a short smile. "We met a man down on the planet, who first hated us and then seemed to be helping us. As he was helping us, he pointed out a plant that he said was eatable. It wasn't."
Farah nodded bitterly.
"Some people have a heart of stone."
"He hadn't", Sandra corrected. "He had been hurt psychically by Jedis before."
She sighed and looked up in the roof of the ship.
"What one man does can only several make undone", she muttered. Farah nodded, before she grew solemn.
"Master, when are you going to… talk about… the subject?"
Sandra noticed how worried Farah was.
"When we're back in the Temple", she said and put a hand on her Padawan's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll be a Jedi."
Farah sighed.
"It's not just that", she said. "What if they separate us? Forbid us to see each other? I won't be able to handle that."
Sandra smiled and gave Farah a wink.
"I doubt the Council has to find out", she said. "We will handle this."
Farah lay down on her Master's shoulder.
"I hope so."
"You have my word", Sandra whispered.