Kyra was bored. They were three hours from Naboo. Her parents were sleeping. Her brothers were wandering around the ship. Kyra was supposed to be asleep, but she found it impossible. She kept seeing the images of Ennth's destruction. She could hear the screams of thousands of people dying. When her family had been fleeing their home, an earthquake ripped through the land. Kyra watched from across the street as her school collapsed, killing at least a hundred. Her best friend's mother was inside. Ten minutes later, while driving to the spaceport, she saw five buildings destroyed by fire.

She could still hear the screams.

Kyra hated Ennth. She never would see her friends again. She didn't even know who was still alive. She never wanted to go back.

She stood up and looked over at her parents. They were fast asleep. Kyra slipped out of the room. She wanted to find that Jedi. She was interesting to talk to.

Kyn and Cole found their way to the cargo hold of the transport. There was a group of beings seated around a low table. Kyn recognized a deck of sabacc cards and several bottles of liquor. The brothers exchanged looks.

"Look what we have here," a woman said from the table. Her long, blond hair was slightly curled and framed her face. Her brown eyes were accented with blue make-up and long, dark lashes. Her plump lips looked to be in a permanent pout. Kyn recognized her as a woman his parents would not want him to associate with.

Cole nodded a greeting. The woman crooked her finger for him to come over.

"Young blood. What are you? Solider? Pilot? Farmer?" she asked. She squeezed his sleeved arm, "You're strong."

Cole politely smiled, "Solider."

The woman chuckled, "Maybe one day. Are you joining us?"

Cole shook his head, "No thank you."

"What about you, child?" The woman taunted, turning to Kyn.

Kyn glared at her. He hated being called a child. He wasn't a legal adult yet, but he was closer to that than some dumb kid.

"Kyn, let's get out of here," Cole said in a low voice.

Kyn turned his glare to his brother. He hated when Cole pulled the big brother card.

"I think I'll stay."

"Kyn, you don't have any money," Cole said quietly.

"I don't care," he growled.

"Come on sugar, I'll lend you a couple of credits," the woman cackled as she threw an arm around his shoulders, "Pay me back when you win."

"Kyn! Cole!"

Kyn stopped walking and ducked out from under the woman's arm. He rushed over to Cole who had snatched the comlink from his belt.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Is Kyra with you?"

Tears were streaming from Kyra's young eyes as she ran through the ship. No one was out in the corridors at this hour, it would have been after midnight on Ennth. Kyra's legs were taking her as fast as they could go. It was as if the images in her head were haunting her like a mad poltergeist.

Suddenly two arms grabbed her from nowhere, halting her in mid-stride.

"Told you I'd see you again," Padawan Zafii smiled.

Kyra seemed startled at first until she came to the realization that she had found the person she was looking for.

"Zafii," I found you.

"Well technically, I think I found you but I don't like to get into semantics." Zafii said, setting the young girl back down on her feet.

"What is a semantic?" Kyra asked naively.

"Force if I know," Zafii joked uncharacteristically. "It's one of those words adults use when they want to sound smart."

Kyra nodded and processed this information as if she was planning to use it later.

"Now tell me," Zafii said sternly. "Why have you run away from your family this time?"

The two walked through the corridor of the ship until they found themselves in the cafeteria which was empty, except for some cleaning droids. They each took a seat at a steel table that was cold to the touch, sitting across from one another. The only lighting they had was the emergency lights, as all the other bulbs wouldn't be turned on until just before breakfast.

"I wasn't running away, I told you." Kyra explained, holding back tears. "I was looking for you."

Zafii gazed the young girl for a moment and took her in. She studied her young, troubled face and tried to use the Force to divulge anything the girl might be hiding.

"I find it hard to believe that you have grown so attached to me that you would run crying through the corridors of a strange ship to look for me," Zafii said with a straightforward and honest tone.

"When did you go off to become a Jedi?" Kyra asked her own question, avoiding Zafii's. "My brother, Kyn said that Jedi have to leave their families behind to study at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant."

"Your brother is pretty smart," Zafii admitted.

"Oh I know…" Kyra rolled her eyes. "He only tells me how smart he is every 10 seconds."

"Well to answer your question, I was taken by the Jedi when I was a baby. Before I could even remember." Zafii explained.

Kyra's eyes widened in shock, "They kidnapped you!"

Zafii could not remember smiling so much as she did in the presence of this little girl. She figured she might be able to get a 'quid pro quo' with Kyra.

"No, it was a choice my parents made. The Jedi informed them that I was Force sensitive after they had received blood test results from my birth planet."

"Where were you born?" Kyra asked inquisitively. "I was born on stupid Ennth."

Zafii sighed, the conversation was going sideways. She knew one of her flaws as a Jedi was her negotiating skills and as much as she hated to think of this girl as just a practice session, every experience was a learning experience, as Master Tine always said.

"Why don't you answer a question for me?" Zafii asked.

"Then you'll tell me where you were born?" Kyra asked.

"I'm not sure why it is important to you, but yes if you promise to answer my next question, I will tell you." Zafii agreed.

Kyra nodded for her to ask her question now.

"Why were you really running? I know you were trying to find me, but there was no reason to cry as you were. You would have found me eventually."

Kyra hung her head down low, ashamed that she had been crying. She had two older brothers and her mother was as strong as they came. She had never been told it was a bad thing to cry, but she had never seen anyone else in her family ever do it.

"I don't know," Krya shrugged.

"I think you know. As a matter of fact, I know you do. I talk with people all around the galaxy. Some are little girls like you who just want to know what it's like to be a female Jedi. Some others cry and tell me secrets they have never told anyone else and I help them." Zafii said.

"How do you help them?" Kyra said, almost raising her head high enough to make eye contact.

"A lot of the time, it's just talking. It's amazing how comforting it can be to get something off your chest. To not bottle up everything inside and let others know how you feel… To know you are not alone and others have the same thoughts and fears." Zafii explained.

Kyra wiped the tears from her face, suddenly feeling confident and not so bad about shedding them.

"I was having day dreams about all of the bad things I saw on Ennth. I remember my friends who might not even be alive anymore and if they are, I'll never see them again anyway." Kyra explained.

"Your friends are now one with the Force. It was tragic and horrific, I won't lie to you Kyra. Some of them might have suffered greatly and I know that hurts you a great deal. But I believe in being honest. That way when I tell you that I know for a fact that they can no longer be hurt or feel fear, you will know I'm telling the truth then as well. Those whom have left you are now one with the Force and those who were fortunate enough to live; they will go on to live their lives. They will make new friends and for the most part, they will be happy." Zafii said, holding out her hand across the table and taking Kyra's.

"I believe you," Kyra said.

Zafii stood up and walked around the table and sat next to Kyra. It was not some sort of future motherly instinct that told her to do it, but purely the Force. She put one arm around Kyra and pulled her into her side and hugged her. Kyra wasted no time in throwing both of her arms around Zafii's neck and once again start crying as she hugged her back tightly.

"Krya!" Tyon yelled.

Kyra was startled and jumped off of Zafii and nearly fell buttocks first onto the floor.

"You had us scared to death!" Tyon continued his mini-tirade, now fully entering the cafeteria.

Kyn and Cole came from the opposite side of the corridor that Tyon had come from and joined them.

"You found her," Cole said, out of breath.

"Just now, yeah." Tyon nodded.

Kyn didn't say a word as the first thing he had seen was not his little sister or even his irritated father. But the young Jedi whose wounds had gone down a considerable amount since the last time he had laid eyes on her. In fact her recovery rate seemed nearly impossible.

"I found her wandering about the halls," Zafii said, telling a bit of a white lie.

She knew the young girl had been ashamed of the tears she had shed. While Zafii did not see this as a character flaw, she did not know this family that well and didn't want to give up the girl's secret.

"Thank you Master Jedi," Tyon gave a small bow.

Zafii didn't bothering correcting him. It was late and of little importance.

"Come on you three," Tyon said to all of his children.

Cole walked over to stand next to his father and Kyra did as well. Suddenly she turned back to the Jedi with her eyes wide.

"You still have to tell me where you were born," Kyra reminded her.

"I hadn't forgotten," Zafii grinned, or was it a grimace. "I was born on Naboo."

Tyon put his arm around Kyra's shoulder and began to escort her out. Kyra tried to look back at Zafii for one last look as if she was some side show attraction that she couldn't get enough of.

"I'll be right there, Father." Kyn finally spoke.

When Kyn was sure his family was far enough down the corridor, he turned and looked at Zafii who had not moved from her seat at the steel table.

"Can I," Kyn motioned to the table.

"By all means," Zafii nodded.

Kyn sat down across from her and once again he felt awkward silence drowning the room. Just like before he was sure that this Jedi in training was immune to it.

"How old are you, Kyn?" Zafii broke the ice.

"How uh? I'm fifteen, but how did you know my name again?" Kyn asked, amazed.

"I read your mind," Zafii said, in the most serious tone.

"Really? That's, uh…" Kyn started to sweat at this idea. "How well can you read minds then?"

"I'm kidding," Zafii said. "Sorry, I'm not very good with jokes. Kyra might have mentioned you. Although you could have been the other brother. Either way, I had a 50% chance of being right."

"Cole," Kyn muttered.

Zafii crooked her head slightly and gave him an inquisitive look.

"My brother's name is Cole, I mean." Kyn repeated. "So, um… can I ask how old you are?"

"Sixteen," Zafii left it at that.

Kyn was amazed she was only sixteen. How could someone do what she did back on Ennth only be sixteen. Although looking into her eyes, he could see the truth.

"Wow, and to think I'm still in school." Kyn said, avoid Zafii's eyes.

"Technically, I'm still in school too." Zafii said, trying to make him feel better.

That dreadful awkward silence was like a noxious smog that could not be avoided and followed Kyn wherever he went.

"You look a lot better than you did the other day," Kyn said.

As soon as he said it, he knew it was a fatal mistake in a conversation with a female. How could he be so stupid as to phrase it like that?

"That's not to say that you looked bad," Kyn rapidly tried to cover his tracks. "I mean…"

"It's okay," Zafii gestured her hand in front of him.

A wave of calm filtered throughout Kyn's body. He didn't know why, but he wanted to thank her.

"The Jedi Academy is not a beauty school, Kyn." Zafii reassured him.

Kyn sat there and twiddled his thumbs for a few seconds, trying to think of anything… anything that could prolong this conversation. Maybe this was why Kyra wanted to be around her too? Perhaps it wasn't just him being a fifteen year old boy? Could it be that she had a particular gift with the Force that made everyone who talked to her feel better?

"So is my sister okay?" Kyn asked.

"She's fine," Zafii said. "She just needed to get some things off her chest."

"She looks up to you." Kyn informed her.

Zafii grinned but yet again, did not offer even the slightest hint of a blush.

"There are far greater men and women for her to admire. But I'm glad I could be of some help to her. She is incredibly smart for her age." Zafii offered.

Kyn nodded his head, "Yeah she's the smartest nine-year old I've ever met. But you are too humble, you were great on Ennth. I mean, just amazing."

"Not amazing enough," Zafii frowned.

Now for the first time, she now felt awkward and shied away from eye contact.

"Even if there had been a hundred Jedi, you guys couldn't have saved everyone." Kyn tried to console her.

The roles were now strangely reversed. Zafii was usually riding the Jedi Code so hard that she would never have been able to blame herself for such events occurring. Her ego or lack thereof would have never allowed it. What happened back on Ennth was easily the most chaotic thing she had ever experienced in her life. Once again, she knew she would have to learn from it and become a better Padawan for it.

"I appreciate that, Kyn." Zafii said, conquering her demons and looking him in the eyes when she said it. "I think I need to rest, as I imagine you need to."

Kyn nodded regretfully as Zafii stood first and began to walk back towards the corridor.

"Good night, Kyn." Zafii said, as she turned back around to face him for a moment.

She reached for her collar and hooded herself and turned back to the corridor when he didn't respond. The first few steps she took slowly, fully expecting him to say goodnight; when he didn't, she sped up and continued towards her quarters.

Zafii turned when she heard footsteps clanking on the metal frame of the floor, she turned and faced Kyn.

"Hey, you promised my sister you would talk to her again." Kyn said.

"I did and I did." Zafii retorted.

"I was wondering, since you are good at keeping your promises…"

Zafii cut him off and answered the question, "Same time, same place tomorrow evening then?"

"Well, I was thinking," Kyn scratched the back of his head. He had done this a lot lately and he wondered if it would start to scab soon. "You told her you were born on Naboo…"

"Yes," Zafii answered.

If there was awkwardness before, there were now no words to explain the current situation.

"I just thought, since it was a half a day lay over… Are you going to visit your parents?"

"Goodnight, Kyn." Zafii said, for the first time her voice was as cold as a glacier.

Zafii turned on her heel and did not wait for him to respond this time. Before Kyn knew it, she was almost 50 feet down the corridor.

"Same time, same place tomorrow then?" Kyn called out.

This time, he was the one who didn't get an answer.