While I followed the Jedi through a maze of endless corridors, I stared at the grey plating of the floor, listening as their booted feet made deep thunking sounds while my heels simply clicked. A sound completely out of place in this vast world I hadn't known existed.

I felt out of place.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest, hugging myself while I stared at nothing in particular. I didn't want to be where I was – all of a sudden, I was deathly afraid. My skin crawled and my heartbeat picked up like a jackhammer, the thing pounding at my ribs as if wanting to escape on its own.

I had no idea where I was, I had no idea how I had gotten here and I had no idea how I was going to get home.

I tried not to hyperventilate as realization kicked in.

Biting down hard on the inside of my cheek, I followed the men onto an elevator-sort-of-thing. Captain Myles touched a few buttons on a control pad in the wall and I felt a slight jerk as the elevator took us upward. I don't know how much time passed but it was enough to feel trapped in between these tall strangers, all of whom were armed. How did I even know that they weren't going to hurt me or worse? Anyone could say they wouldn't but I had no proof that they would keep their word.

I felt like such an idiot. I should have fought more. I should have shut up and not talked at all. I should have demanded a lawyer, someone who would plead my case and make them send me back home! There had to be a way for me to –

The elevator doors opened and I gaped like a fish. My mouth moved but no words came out as I stared at a landscape that took my breath away. We were standing on a platform that seemed to be floating in mid air. A vehicle stood to the far right and while Captain Myles headed for the drivers' side, I couldn't move a muscle.

There was a kilometer wide stretch of mountains behind us, the peaks covered with glittering snow. Nothing out of the ordinary but the sight in front of me – spires and columns rose into the air, touching the clouds and in between I saw small and large ships sweeping through traffic lanes, I supposed. I had never before seen buildings so tall before! And so many!

I was astonished beyond words.

"This way." The tall Jedi named Zekk said, gesturing to the vehicle with an outstretched hand. But I couldn't move. I didn't want to move. Because the closer I got to the strange vehicle, the more I knew that all this was in fact real, that all this wasn't just a figment of my imagination. I didn't want this to be real, I wanted to return to my boring stupid life where I had to dig through all my pockets to find my keys, where stupid colleagues annoyed the crap out of me with their I-am-better-than-though attitude at work, I even wanted to go back to my irritating Death Metal-loving neighbor!

Anything but this.

I shook my head, swallowed a few times before I was even able to utter a word. I could hardly recognize my voice. "I can't."

"You'll be alright." Zekk said, smiling kindly and a part of me wanted to believe him. But I couldn't.

I just couldn't.

"No. I…" I stepped away from him, still hugging myself as if to prevent myself from falling apart. "I can't do this."

"Calm down." Even though his dark voice was soothing, my brain screamed at me to run away, to protect myself from the unknown.

Running away wasn't an option, though. The doors to the elevator-thing were closed, the controls gone red as if one needed an access code to get through. I backed up to the edge of the platform, Zekk still following me with an outstretched hand, asking me to step away from the ledge.

Yeah, I wasn't that desperate. I just wanted to take a look.

Getting off the platform that way wasn't an option either. Kilometers over kilometers downward. I did wonder long the fall would be, though.

The only way off was with them, them being the Jedi, Captain Myles and the strange flying vehicle.

My throat seized up and I gulped for air.

"I can't do this." I whispered under my breath, the fear I had tried holding back getting the better of me.

The last thing I remember was Zekk calling for help and a painful thud. Then I blacked out.

Again.

I woke up with a really bad headache. I felt like a truck had run me over at least twice and then reversed to finish the job of mushing up my brain. My arms and legs felt like lead, my eyelids must have had weights implanted while I was unconscious – ugh…make that three trucks. Honestly.

"She's waking up." A woman voice said, soft and delicate and I pictured a sort of Dr. Quinn with a white coat and a happy smile on her face. I could live with Dr. Quinn. I loved that show when I was growing up, especially the guy with the long dark hair. Hubba.

I felt a warm hand on my arm and I focused on this warmth, using it as an anchor to help me back into the real world. Although real had an entirely new meaning to me.

"How are you feeling?" The woman asked and I tried opening my eyes, seeing only blurry outlines all around me. I recognized white walls and a few awkward machines. Hospital?

Hospital.

Don't. Hyperventilate. Keep it cool. It's just a hospital.

Well, to hell with that – I was on the brink of a complete mental meltdown. Could you torture me some more?

I took deep breaths, squeezing my eyes shut and hoping that I had misread through the blurriness but when I finally got myself under control again and I blinked a few times – yeah, definitely hospital room, although different from what I'd gotten to know throughout my life. Huge windows, no drapes. No TV, just blinking beeping machines out of some new age science-fiction movie. There was a small stall that seemed to function as a bathroom. I think.

"Calm down." The lady voice said. "No one is going to hurt you."

I turned my head towards her and I think my eyes widened to huge UFO's. Definitely no Dr. Quinn. Definitely no human.

I don't want to sound mean or condescending or whatever word you can use to describe my state of mind, but this female alien Doctor looked like a fish on two legs. I am serious and it's not a laughing matter. Her skin was a pale salmon color, glistening underneath the bright white lights from the ceiling. Huge bulbous eyes swayed here and there and I found it a bit disconcerting that she could look at me with one of them and yet glance in the entirely opposite direction with the other. How weird was that?

And no white coat. A white combat suite more like, sticking to her frame like a second skin. There was a cylindrical shaped object hanging from her waist – just like the others had had. What had they called themselves? Jedi. Was she one of them?

Maybe they were something like a cult or sect. It creeped me out to think I had landed somewhere in a scientology camp or a similar religious fanatic's personal household.

I sat up in the bed, gripping white sheets as I stared at the female in front of me. I wasn't afraid, though, which surprised the heck out of me. I felt content around her, at ease even though my brain was trying to get my lazy butt up and simply run.

How odd… after all the stuff that had happened in a single day I felt good?

Now that was just completely wrong. I knew it was wrong. Maybe they'd drugged me before I woke up?

"What's going on? Where am I?" I stammered, blinking away tears while the light still assaulted my eyes.

"You are safe among the Jedi."

There was that word again. "What are the Jedi? Are you like some cult or something?"

The alien woman chuckled and I heard a sound from behind her then, akin to a snort maybe. I frowned, craning my neck to look around her and caught sight of a dark haired man sitting in a chair against the wall, looking very arrogant the way he had his leg crossed over his knee and his head propped into his hand while resting his elbow on the armrest. He looked bored out of his mind.

Through the haze of tears I couldn't recognize much besides dark hair and dark clothes and, of course, the cylindrical thing at his belt. What in the world was that?

"We are keepers of the peace." The woman said. She bowed a little, which had me frowning big-time. "I am Cilghal. I am a Jedi Healer."

"What? Are you like this herbal organic Doc?"

Somehow I knew she was giving me a quizzical look, having no clue whatsoever what I had just asked her.

I heard a slight screech when the man in the chair got up, the chair scratching along the white floor. I was irritated by him and I had no idea why. He wasn't as tall as Cilghal but definitely human.

He didn't say anything, just stood at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Aye…good looking dude.

I turned back to Cilghal, clearing my throat. "Why am I here?"

"You passed out a few hours ago.."

"Well, with everything that's been going on, it doesn't surprise me in the least."

"I gave you something to calm you down. I'd like for you to rest a little while longer and we can talk later, when Master Skywalker returns."

Ah…the seventies hair style specialist Master Skywalker.

"Is there anything you might require?"

"Answers would be nice. With a side dish of more answers and a way home." I smiled grimly, turning away from her, peeking up through my eyelashes at the strangely quiet man and then decided that the threads in the bed sheet were so very interesting all of a sudden.

God, the guy was making me nervous! He had this strange aura about him, I don't know – as if he were probing me, making sure I wouldn't lie or some other crap I could only guess about.

I wanted him to go away and leave me alone. Both of them for that matter. Let me bathe in my personal insanity all on my own please. I can handle it better that way.

"I do hope the Jedi Council will be able to help you." I think she tried an equivalent of a smile. I think. "Master Durron will stay here and watch over you. I have a few more patients to attend to. If there's anything you need, let Master Durron know."

I arched a brow at the man in front me, said "see you later" when Cilghal got up and left.

"So…what did you do to have to babysit me?" I asked this Master when we were alone.

"Spoke my mind."

I laid back down on the pillow and closed my eyes. Good-looking and a nice voice. And a cult/sect member. Man…what the heck had I gotten into this time?