Chapter 12

Kyn had no choice but to tell his parents the whole truth about everything. He was forced to come clean about his gambling, how he had endangered Kyra on multiple occasions, including on the transport from Ennth, and his lie about leaving for a midnight shift job.

It had been three days since Zafii and Kyra had crashed. Tyon, Kyn, and Kyra had taken Zafii back to the Jedi Temple in the morning and Kyn had to confess in front of several Jedi Knights what had transpired.

The Jedi took in Kyra to their medical ward, as well as Zafii, to clean her up. Kyn was not scolded by the Jedi Knights; they left that to his parents.

"You are grounded for the rest of your life," his parents had said multiple times.

He deserved to be and he knew it. How foolish could he have been to trust Salue and get in so deep with her? His biggest worry was that she would find him sooner or later and make him pay up. Or that the Rodian would find him and return the favor for shooting him.

Kyra had been allowed every day after school to stay with her father in the hangar of the Jedi Temple until he was off shift. After he was off for the day, they went down to the medical ward so that Kyra could visit Zafii, who was still severely concussed.

Kyn on the other hand had not been permitted by his parents to do any such thing. Finally, after seeing the guilt in his eyes, his mother Rayna spoke up at dinner.

"I want you to get cleaned up and put on your best clothes. Take all the credits you have and buy yourself a taxi ride over to the Jedi Temple. Go visit that girl and see how she is doing for yourself. I want you to keep just enough of those credits to get back home. The rest of it I want you to donate to the Jedi Temple so they can give it to a worthwhile cause."

"Ask for Master Tine," Tyon added. "He'll be expecting you."

Kyn did not speak but nodded as he poked at his food. He had not been able to look any of his family members in the eye for three days now.

After dinner, Kyn did exactly as he was instructed. He was going to obey his parents word for word from now on, he had promised himself. He had thought he was an adult, but looking back over the past year he realized how childish he had behaved.

He felt guilty putting on his best clothes and expensive cologne; gambling winnings had paid for all of it. He threw the thought aside and walked back through the apartment, promising his parents he was done with his foolish ways and walked outside.

After waving down an air taxi and paying up front, they were off towards the Jedi Temple.

"They don't let just anyone in there," the Bothan taxi driver said as they pulled up next to the stairway entrance.

Kyn didn't respond and exited the speeder. He walked in and notified the Jedi security that Master Tine was expecting him. After a few moments of communicating on comlinks, Kyn was permitted to enter the Temple.

After several minutes of waiting, he recognized the blue Twi'lek walking towards him. He shook hands with Master Tine and introduced himself.

"Yes, Kyn." Master Tine responded kindly. "Your father is one of the best mechanics we have. This way then."

Master Tine led Kyn through the Temple and finally after several minutes they arrived at the medical ward.

"She is still a little woozy, but I'm sure she'll be glad to see you." Tine reassured him.

Kyn did look nervous, perhaps that's why Tine had made this comment.

"My sister said she passed out behind the wheel for no reason at all. Do you know why now?"

Master Tine shook his head, "Unfortunately no… A similar fate beheld her on Ennth. I have my theories but for the time being, I will keep those to myself."

The Jedi Knight then took his leave and left Kyn to enter Zafii's private room. He knocked softly and heard a voice from within.

"Come in."

The door shot open and Kyn stepped in.

"How are you?" Kyn muttered, standing next to the door.

Zafii waved him over, "Come closer, I don't want you to have to speak loudly."

Kyn stepped over to her bedside and noticed she winced as she finished her sentence. Obviously her head was hurting to the point that any loud noise was bothersome to her.

"My parents gave me permission to come see you," Kyn whispered.

"Since when do you need your parent's permission? I thought you were all grown up?" Zafii said, attempting a joke.

Kyn blushed and sat down on a steel stool that was next to the bed. He looked over her. She was in much the same condition that he had first met her in. Her face was severely bruised and she had small cuts littering it. There was even a small circular burn mark on her cheek that seemed to be in the process of healing.

"What happened?" Kyn asked softly.

Zafii shrugged, "I don't remember. I'm sorry, I endangered Kyra."

Kyn shook his head, "I was the one who did that. You saved us… again."

Zafii smiled but did not speak.

"You're amazing; I mean… you were amazing."

"I think you've told me that before." Zafii reminded him, closing her eyes.

"Must be true then… Is the light hurting your eyes?"

Zafii nodded and with this, Kyn walked over to the dimmer on the wall and turned the lights in the room down low.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you." Zafii responded.

Kyn took his seat next to her again and they sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Let me ask you this," Kyn began. "How did you know we were in trouble again? I mean this is the second time you've made an opportune entrance and saved our necks."

Zafii seemed to think this over for a moment, "The first time, I know what happened. I was simply making my rounds on the transport when I overheard the commotion."

"And this time?" Kyn asked.

"I felt it; I felt it in the Force. The same way I had felt on Ennth before everything went so wrong."

"Ennth? What do you mean?" Kyn asked, this was news to him.

Zafii shook her head, "I don't know, Kyn. I just felt a great disturbance in the Force. I tried to warn everyone, even Master Tine but I was told to settle my feelings. Just minutes later… well you know what happened as we were trying to get the ships boarded."

"Yes, I remember how amazing you were." Kyn blushed as he said the words.

"I don't remember it; I passed out right after that too." Zafii sighed.

"I'm still confused… I mean on Ennth that was a big natural disaster. I'm not Force sensitive but I guess I could understand how you would see something like that coming. But to know Kyra and I were in trouble a few nights ago."

"I was on my way back from Naboo. I was nearly at the Jedi Temple… Then I felt it. It was as though… I'm not sure but I felt it. The Force guided me to you. I knew what was happening from a kilometer away while I was still in the speeder. I could see the cantina as if I were standing in it. That's when I began to act. I called out to you with the Force and I think you heard me." Zafii explained.

"Yes!" Kyn exclaimed, before lowering his tone remembering it hurt her. "I did hear you. You told me to put down the blaster."

"That's really all I remember. I know I entered the cantina and we left together but it's all in pieces after that."

More silence overcame them. Going over the events in her head was one thing but saying it out loud had made Zafii wonder even more about why she was able to sense Kyra and Kyn when they were in dire need.

"Your braid," Kyn said, touching her hair before pulling away after realizing what he was doing. "It's gone."

"Master Tine came in and knighted me yesterday."

"You… you're a Jedi Knight then?" Kyn asked, surprised.

"Yeah, shocker huh?" Zafii joked, smiling and wincing at the same time. "That's what I was off doing for a year. The Jedi Trials."

"Ah," Kyn stammered. "So you weren't just ignoring Kyra's request for a year then?"

Zafii frowned, "I tried to break ties with her but I didn't have the heart to do it. I thought I had explained to her though…"

She stopped when she realized that it was him complaining for his own sake, rather than his sister's.

"I can't explain it; I care a great deal for her. I'm sorry she was disappointed for so long."

"I get the feeling though, you care for a lot of people… a lot of beings… a great deal."

Zafii nodded, "I wouldn't be much of a Jedi if I didn't. Caring, compassion… it's central to a Jedi. Attachment is what we must avoid. Fear of loss is a path to the dark side."

"So you do not fear her losing her life?" Kyn asked, a little confused. "Because it doesn't seem that way."

"I fear for the loss of any innocent being. However I do not let that fear control my actions." Zafii explained, but then began to ponder her most recent actions.

Again an awkward silence overtook them. Kyn rubbed his own hands in nervousness as Zafii looked to the opposite wall.

"Anyway, I just want you to know." Kyn said, standing up. "I appreciate everything you've done for my family. I can never repay that debt."

"It's my job." Zafii said, turning her head to face him.

"That may be," Kyn nodded. "But I just realized what my job is."

Kyn watched Zafii in her medical bed; all beat up and bruised as a puzzled look came over her face. He knew at this point he could never let anything happen to her.

"You are all cut up and bruised and why? Because of me… There is no two ways about it. And I'm truly sorry for that. I promise you though; I'm never going to let anything happen to you ever again."

Zafii smiled, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Kyn. I'm a Jedi and my cause will take me to worlds you would never be able to reach in time to save me… if you could even know I was in trouble."

Kyn had begun to walk towards the door until she had said this. He then walked back to her beside and stood over her.

"I've done a lot of lying over the last year and all of that guilt has made me grow up a lot in the last three days. I imagine I will keep growing up from here on out. But if it is in my power to protect you, I will. That is no lie."

Zafii reached up with her right hand and brushed his cheek; this sent a chill down Kyn's spine.

"I'm the Jedi here, remember?"

"For everything you've done, Master Jedi…"

Kyn took her hand from his cheek, closed his eyes and kissed her fingertips. He then turned on his heel and left without as much as a glance back towards her.