"Are you going to talk to him, or are you going to just stare a hole right through his head?" asked Master Secura as she smiled at her Padawan. At Zandra Sunrider's shocked look, her master laughed, her blue head-tails twitching with amusement. "Honestly, Sunrider, you could not be more obvious about your interest in him. And you know the rules."

"But who is he?" asked Padawan Sunrider, as she and her Master were standing in the large, domed hallway, behind one of the large marble pillars.

"He is a Jedi Knight," said Aayla Secura, shrugging. "That's all you should really care about, Sunrider."

Zandra rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to try and start something with him, Master," she protested. "I'm just worried . . . about his head . . . injury." She trailed off, staring at the dark-haired young man who was talking with Master Windu across the way, by another large marble pillar.

Secura couldn't help snorting. "Of course." She grabbed Zandra's tunic by the arm and began dragging her away. "You and I have some training to do, Padawan. I'm making you take the trials soon, and you had better pass the first time around!"

"Oh! But—!" protested Sunrider as Master Secura pulled her away, heading off to the training room where they could spar.

At the pillar where Mace Windu stood talking with Kiran Quin, the sight of the blue-skinned Twi'lek pulling her reluctant Padawan away was only noticed by the younger Jedi, who was obviously more prone to distraction than Master Windu.

"This is a serious matter that the Council should meet over," Windu was saying as Kiran's blue eyes drifted away for a moment. "You will come to a meeting this evening and tell the whole Council everything you know about this threat, and about what happened to you and your master."

Kiran nodded. "Of course, Master. As you wish."

Windu placed a hand on the young Jedi's shoulder, sounding genuinely sorry. "I am deeply sorry for the loss of your Master, Jedi Quin. Jhoren Lorus was a great Jedi Master, and he will be missed."

A lone tear traced down Kiran's cheek as he bowed his dark-haired head. "Thank you, Master. I know that he is with me always in the Force."

Mace Windu nodded, patted Kiran's shoulder, and then walked away, leaving the young man alone. As the more experienced Jedi walked away, Kiran wiped the tear from his face with the back of his hand. Without looking, he stepped into the hallway and walked right into Anakin Skywalker.

"Ouch!"

They both stepped back, Anakin rubbing his chin, Kiran rubbing his nose.

"Watch where you're walking!" scowled Anakin. "Did you have to step right out in front of me?" He saw Kiran's bandages and sighed, his scowl lessening. "Sorry. What I should've said was, 'Are you okay?'" His stance said he wasn't too sorry though, and he expected Kiran to accept most of the blame for the little incident.

"S-sorry, Master Skywalker," apologized Kiran, looking embarrassed. "I wasn't looking. I'm clumsy anyways . . . I have a lot on my mind." He looked so apologetic that Anakin kind of felt a bit embarrassed for him.

"Well, it's okay. I mean, it was just a little bump. I over-reacted," said Anakin, a lot more kindly than he had been at first. "I mean it. It's all right. Don't get all hung up on it."

Kiran smiled a little. "Thanks. I really am sorry."

Anakin waved his hand. "Seriously. Don't worry about it." Then he paused. "Hey, wait a minute. You're the kid that crashed into the landing platform a few days ago, aren't you?" His expression grew solemn. "I'm sorry for the loss of your Master. That must have been really hard."

Kiran's eyes watered, but he straightened his shoulders and cleared his throat. "It's all right. He—he's in the Force now, and I know that wherever I go, he's always with me." He trailed off, looking away.

Anakin looked Kiran in the face, touching one of his shoulders carefully. "Are you going to be okay?"

Kiran nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I'll be fine. Thanks, Master." He walked away quickly before Anakin could ask any more questions.

Anakin watched the younger Jedi hurry away with an odd expression on his face. Something felt . . . weird.

. . .

The Room of a Thousand Fountains was beautiful. The sound of the water gushing down into small pools, the smell of clean earth and fresh vegetation was all so energizing and peaceful, it was an instant feeling of calm for Kiran as he stepped around the plants and pottery, gazing at the art and beauty around him.

As he stepped around a clump of large ferny plants, he saw the girl from earlier, sitting with her master. The Twi'lek was levitating above the marble stone, lifting a potted plant into the air with the Force. Her Padawan, however, was struggling to levitate herself, focusing on balancing on one foot underneath her crossed legs. Her frame was trembling.

"It's a lot easier if you relax," commented Kiran helpfully. There was the sound of pottery breaking, not from Aayla Secura, who had opened her eyes and was still successfully levitating both herself and the potted plant, but from her Padawan, who had fallen over and knocked a different potted plant from its place near the pool edge.

Zandra picked herself up angrily, looking at the potted plant with frustration, then shooting a glance of distrust at Kiran. When she saw who it was, however, her expression softened, and her cheeks turned a light shade of pink.

Aayla Secura set the potted plant down carefully, and then rested her own body on the cool marble flagstones below. She stood regally, assessing Kiran Quin with a cool glance.

"Is there a particular reason you came here and disturbed our meditation?" she asked curiously. "My Padawan already has difficulties with her focus. The last thing she needs is someone sneaking up on her to frighten her out of her studies."

"I didn't mean to surprise you—" Kiran began, but Master Secura raised one blue hand to quiet him.

"No, no. I'm sure you didn't. But when you mask your presence in the Force and sneak up quietly on someone who is concentrating really hard with their eyes closed, it kind of gives the impression that you were going for the element of surprise, if you know what I mean," said Aayla calmly.

Kiran bowed his dark-haired head. "I'm truly sorry. I was trying to be helpful by being quiet and masking my Force presence. I just—when I saw your face," he said, turning to Sunrider to explain, "I just had to try and give you a little advice. You looked like you were about to pass out from pure concentration."

Sunrider finished brushing off her clothes and smiled. "Yes, well. Apology accepted. I'm not very good at meditation anyway. You just—took me a little off-guard, that's all."

"Would it be okay we talked for a little while?" asked Kiran, the question directed at Sunrider, but his glance at Secura was for permission.

The Twi'lek master nodded. "Very well. I can see that your reunion can't be put off for long. You may converse for a little while," She walked to Zandra, placing her hand on her shoulder. "But don't take too long. We still have a lot more to do today." She briefly cupped Zandra's cheek in her hand, then with a kind glance at Kiran, she walked away from them, disappearing among the various large plants.

"Do I know you?" asked Sunrider, her long hazelnut colored hair gleaming in the soft ambient lights that were meant to reflect the light of Coruscant's suns.

Kiran smiled. "I think so. I mean, obviously we don't know each other well, but I remember you from when we were Younglings. You're still pretty." He ducked his head and blushed. "Uh, well, I mean, you're prettier than I remember, but that doesn't mean I—what I mean to say—"

Zandra stopped him before he hurt himself. "Thanks. I don't get many compliments on my appearance. I suppose I'm pretty enough for a Jedi. She blushed a little. "I don't remember much from those days, I'm afraid. Lectures and lessons from Master Yoda . . . and that's about it."

Kiran's blue eyes were kind. "I remember you because your name, Sunrider, it has a lot of rich Jedi heritage. I researched it in the Library one day because I liked it a lot and wondered where you got the name from."

His friendly remark seemed to set her back a little. She lowered her gaze. "Yes . . . well . . . it's not a name I really inherited from my parents . . . " She walked a little ways from him and knelt by the pool of water, dipping her hand in it.

"I'm sorry—" started Kiran, walking slowly toward her.

She shook her head. "You don't have to apologize, Jedi Quin." Her green eyes looked sad as she gazed at the water her hand was trailing small circles into. "Master Aayla Secura has been my mother and my sister and my friend." She looked up, a smile forming on her face again, though her eyes stayed a little sad. "She told me that when my grandmother, Vima-Da-Boda, brought me to the Temple to become a Jedi, that's when I was given the name Sunrider. She wanted me to grow into it." She sighed. "Apparently some Dark Force users have come out of my family line and she wanted me to grow up away from that stigma." She laughed and pulled her hand from the water. "But you didn't come here to talk about my deceased family, did you? Because that's an awfully boring subject to try and talk about for more than five minutes."

Kiran smiled apologetically and held out his hand. Zandra took it, and he helped her stand up, letting go when she was steady.

"Well," he shrugged, "Each of us has a dreary past. That's why we need friends. To help us get past our pasts. " His smile was so infectious. And he smiled a lot. Sunrider felt her cheeks grow warm.

"Yes. It is nice to have friends, isn't it?" she agreed.

"Want to take a little walk?" asked Kiran in answer.

"Sure," she smiled, her cheeks flushing again. They talked a little about what they had been up to in their apprenticeships with Masters Lorus and Secura. Sunrider found herself growing fonder and fonder of Kiran's voice as he talked. He told her about the last mission with his Master to Ossus, and she found herself in tears when he cried as he told her about Jhoren Lorus' death.

"I'm sorry," he apologized tearfully, wiping his cheeks. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"It's all right," she smiled sadly. "I just feel so bad for what you went through."

"Things always get better when you find friends," he said with a small smile, his blue eyes piercing her very green ones.

"Yes. I think so too," she conceded. There was a brief moment of silence as they walked between two large ferny plants, brushing aside the feathery-like leaves.

"Well, it was nice to talk with you, Jedi Quin," she said, remembering that the only relationship they would ever have would be as Jedi comrades, no more. The thought made her sad.

"Can I see you again sometime?" asked Kiran, looking a little anxious.

She nodded. "Sure. I don't see why not."

"We could spar tomorrow. I need to train a little bit and strengthen some of my muscles from the injuries I got on Ossus," he said, a little embarrassed.

She smiled, touching his arm. "Hey, look. It's all right, what you went through. You don't have to be embarrassed. I think you're really brave."

There was a shimmer of hope in Kiran's eyes as he looked at her gratefully. "Thanks."

Master Sercura appeared almost instantaneously, brushing aside vegetation as she approached the two young Jedi's.

"Well, I hope you too enjoyed your reunion," she said calmly, taking Zandra's hand. "Come on, Padawan. Let's go eat and then you can meditate in our alcove."

"It was nice to get to know you better," called Kiran with a smile as Zandra followed her Master.

The young Padawan smiled before disappearing into the flora. "You too!"

. . .