Prelude Series: Way of the Guardian

by A.R. Minion

The history between Kai Lugo, who would become the Exile, and Atris has always been an enigma too all but them. And perhaps why the Historian had hated him so much was because at one point in their lives, their strongest bond was with eachother.

9. Chapter 9

"The Jedi Code – the staple of every member of the Order, defining how we must act, perceive, and overcome."

The many rows of younglings respectively sat behind their desks in attentive silence, gazing down the length of the lecture hall at their teacher.

"While the Code in itself is known to have existed for several millennia past," Atris continued, then activating the ceiling holovid projector, producing the life-size image of an alien being that appeared to be standing next to her. "It is only in more recent centuries that this one, Jedi Master Odan-Urr, had brought about a series of teachings intended to divulge the deeper meanings hidden behind the subtle words that we are taught."

Leaning against the wall at the far back of the hall with his arms crossed, Kai listened passively as his counterpart continued speaking. The day felt as if it were flying by for the Padawan. Atris had decided to keep there time at the ruins short, only spending the last two hours there in what was usually a seven hour expedition. She claimed that she wanted him to be well rested for what she was entrusting him with later. True or not, Kai rather enjoyed the opportunity to sleep in.

Their time together at the ruins felt even more brief with Atris barely saying a word to him the whole time. She didn't even take a break to eat, which just left the young Guardian confused as she was undoubtedly famished. Before Kai could knew it, they were back at the Enclave.

It was already ten minutes into the Echani Knight's lecture, and yet never once did she stumble or show any sign of uncertainty for what she would say next.

"Master Odan-Urr realized that too many Jedi often perceived the code for its face-value. 'There is no emotion, there is peace.' Simple in form, and often misinterpreted as insinuating that as Jedi we are not meant to feel emotions, or any other sensation that would compromise our perception and judgment."

Kai then noticed the Historian glancing in his direction for moment, giving him the strangest of expressions, somewhere between the common melancholic he was so used to seeing and a look of uncertain distaste, as if she was conflicted over him for some reason.

"All beings feel emotions," Atris continued as she looked back to the students. "Anger, fear, aggression, sorrow: most are either ruled by them, or attempt to ignore them completely. As Jedi, we are meant to stand as examples to the galaxy, which means choosing the right path rather than the easy one. Such was perhaps the greatest lesson Master Odan-Urr ever taught. Those who are ruled by their emotions become oblivious to logic and reason, rendering them fickle and destructive both to themselves and those around them, while those who attempt to hide from their emotions are attempting to hide from reality. As Jedi, we must always seek to be guided by truth and reason. That includes learning to recognize and understand the very impulses that drive us. And by such understanding, we learn to control and overcome our own emotions, thereby maintaining our inner calm and acting with clarity and precision."

She was just as good as Lugo thought she would be: well-versed and well-spoken. Perfectly adapt for the role of teacher and scholar that she devoted herself to. The younglings all paid attention with their pronounced gazes upon the Echani Knight, taking in her words as she continued with her lecture on the Jedi Code. Kai could honestly say he enjoyed seeing this side of her.

It was a lecture the young Guardian had heard before, given several times by several different Masters, each having presented it in a way that reflected their own perceptions, be it with more emphasis on the need for understanding or the need to overcome, or any of the other several points within the Code that could be interpreted and studied upon.

Personally, Kai reflected less on the Jedi Code than he knew he should, or than he used to. Experience had always been his greatest teacher, which was something even Master Kavar agreed on, forcing him to walk openly in crowds instead of just telling him to learn to be calm while among others.

Honestly, when Kai had first learned the Code, he thought of it simply as a means of positive reinforcement, like a motto or a team battle cry, meant to stimulate within him the concept of how a Jedi should act and perceive. It would not be until a few years after joining the Order that he would learn it held greater meaning.

Admittedly, there were times where Kai was so sick of teachings and lectures that he did not want to listen anymore; where all he wanted to do is be left alone to practice his combat techniques. Many times he had to force himself to listen with alternative means: drinking a large amount of Stim Tea to keep himself super-perceptive, using a datapad to write down what his teachers were saying in order to keep attentive, and repeating the key points of a lesson over and over in his head until they sunk in. He imagined his need for such methods is what placed him on a different level from his peers. Even the younglings Atris currently attended to seemed to be more submerged in the lecture than he ever could be. It always seemed that his mind wanted to be somewhere else.

"Good afternoon, Padawan."

Kai looked to his right to find Master Zhar walking towards him from the entryway. He immediately pushed his back off the wall and respectfully turned to face his superior, bowing his head once the twilek Jedi stood before him. "Afternoon, Master. What brings you here?"

Turning to face down the length of the massive hall, Zhar eyed the Knight at the far end. "If perhaps Atris needed support in her lecture, one of us should be here to observe."

"I see," Kai replied, then looking back upon the Historian as well as she continued. "Well, I'd hate to tell you you're wasting your time, Master, but… well, you're wasting your time."

Zhar quietly chuckled to himself for second. "Perhaps I am…"

Atris, as one so methodical in her studies and devoted to her role as a Historian, was far from being in need of support for giving a lecture. With a clear and even tone, well punctuated grammar, and a voice and accent that were admittedly easy on the ears, one could almost proclaim the Echani scholar epitomized the role of teacher.

Five minutes into passively watching the young Knight, Zhar would have felt comfortable leaving Atris to her own. However policy dictated he should stay for the entirety of the lesson. It at least granted him an extra moment in his day to silently contemplate.

Kai would have preferred not being there at all. Atris' lecture on the Jedi Code presented nothing new to him. While he found his counterpart's presentation of it to be more enjoyable than the ones he had heard so often, it was all information that had practically been burned into his brain by now.

"How go your studies, young Padawan," the twilek Master suddenly asked as the pair continued to watch from highpoint.

"Well enough," Kai politely responded, "Master Kavar has me currently studying meditative techniques. He feels I need to learn to be able to focus my thoughts better; that my mind is a bit too… whimsical when it is not set on a task."

"Is it," the twilek asked indifferently?

Lugo twitched his shoulders a little, not comfortable with being evaluated, even when it was he himself making the evaluation. "It's… always been harder for me to concentrate when I am among others. Kavar says that I'm so aware of everything and everyone around me that often I am not aware of myself."

That sounded like a strangely fitting assessment of the Padawan, Zhar thought to himself. "I heard you will be helping Atris with the students' exercises. Do you think you are ready?"

"I can teach hopefuls a few basic techniques and lessons. I just wish my nerves would come to grips with it."

"Stage-fright?"

"I thought my earlier performance in the Council chamber would have made that obvious." Lugo let out a heavy breath in order to relieve some of tension he felt within. He knew it was stupid – to get worked up over something so simple like teaching a few younglings. Still, it had been a long time since anyone expected more from him than what he did for himself, aside from whatever menial labors Atris and Master Kavar instructed him to do.

This also wasn't the same to him as when he gave Mical a few pointers on lightsaber combat. These students would be expecting clear, professional guidance from him, as would Atris and any other authority figure that would be present. What if he did not meet up to their expectations? What if he showed himself to be incompetent as a Jedi?

Again he realized he was being stupid. This wasn't a grand, intricate lecture at some prestigious university on Alderaan he was giving. This was him teaching a bunch a children. Absolutely nothing to be tense about… So why wouldn't this feeling go away?

Rather than dwell on the subject, the teenage Padawan decided to ask about a matter of interest that he had been curious of for some time. "I heard Revan was currently your apprentice, Master Zhar."

The twilek cast the raven-haired youth a quick glance, not sure why Kai was speaking to him of such, before turning back in Atris' direction. "Yes, that is correct. He did mention to me that you two had met."

"Did he? I'm surprised he would have mentioned me. We did not exactly… see eye to eye."

"How's your leg, by the way," Zhar asked, rather pointedly, making it clear that he understood what Lugo meant.

"It's fine now," Kai answered, tapping his heel a few times to make sure that it was just numb from standing for so long. "I'd ask how your Padawan's ribs, lungs, and throat are, but given his aptitude with the Force, I imagine he's breathing – and speaking – the same as usual by now."

"He is an extremely competent Force User, yes." It was an unnecessary point of reinforcement, the twilek Master knew. Almost always the first thing anyone noticed about Revan was the amount of power that hung about him so effortlessly. It was… intimidating to many.

Glancing over at the student beside him, Master Zhar could not say the same for the raven-haired teenager. For all the Council's talk on Kai's strange abilities and connection to the Force, looking at him now all that Zhar saw was what he saw with most Padawans that were Lugo's age: average. The Force flowed calmly through him at average speed and quantity; nothing indicating that there was anything particular or unusual about him.

But… the twilek Master saw something much different when perceiving outwardly. Kai's stance, the look in his eyes that radiated with experience, the slight discolorations on his face – remnants of scars long healed - that told of his past struggles: there was strength in these things.

But what was such strength when weighed against the Force?

"Incidentally, where is he right now," Lugo asked with passive interest, remembering how the Protégé had a habit of appearing unexpectedly, much to his annoyance.

"Working in the Droid Maintenance Bay."

"Droids?"

"He has a strong interest in machines – droids especially. He commonly spends his free time learning advanced programming and studying upon mechanical hydraulics and the like, along with other areas of study. He's more than once completely disassembled one of the protocol droids without permission, only to put it back together in complete working order."

"I didn't imagine someone like him would have such a strong interest in something so... common."

"It helps him center himself; a form of 'active meditation' as he calls it. It often seems he prefers the presence of droids more than his fellow students."

"He would..." Kai replied with a gritty tone, finding the image of Revan with an army of combat droids was rather suiting. "I can't imagine why you would have wanted to take him on as an apprentice. He did not strike me as the kind of student who would take well to your… uh…"

By the way Zhar looked back at him, with a gaze more serious than casual, Kai quickly realized that his tongue had once again caused him to step out of order. "I'm… sorry, Master Zhar. It's not my place to comment on such things."

"No, it isn't," the twilek calmly reaffirmed, but smirking slightly as he was glad to see a sense of humility within the Padawan that the Council feared could prove more dangerous otherwise. "I understand your views, however. So if it means anything to you, know that despite his… flamboyant nature, Revan is a very apt student and apprentice. I imagine his eagerness to learn is what drove him to seek me out as his teacher."

"He sought you out?" Kai echoed with a confused tone and a crooked brow. "I did not know Padawans had the option of choosing their teachers."

"In general, they don't," Zhar explained, "Based on their particular abilities, or lack there of, Padawans are either assigned a Master by the council, or taken on by one who personally requests such assignment. But Revan has proven a… unique case in terms of his ability to learn and progress. Much like Atris, he has been granted several liberties in his development."

"Is that so…" Apparently getting away with nearly killing a fellow Padawan fell under that list of liberties. It was pointless to make a fuss about it now, Kai knew, but a part of him still felt responsible for what happened to Bandon. As much of a thug as he was, he did not deserve to suffer at the hands of whatever twisted plot it was that Revan had conjured.

Then again, perhaps having a few of his ribs cracked had been punishment enough for the prodigal student, as was the busted leg Kai had received in turn.

Listening in silence for the next few minutes, the two spectators realized that Atris' lecture for the day was quickly coming to an end. That being, Master Zhar gave a slight nod of satisfaction for what he had seen and turned to leave. "It seems my presence really was not required here. Still, it was good talking with you, young Padawan, and may the Force be with you."

With that, Master Zhar quietly walked out of the lecture hall, leaving young Kai to wait by himself as Atris began to wrap up her lesson.

"I'd prefer to have a little more confidence with me than the Force right now," the green-eyed teenager muttered to no one in particular as the students began to leave the room.

{(---)}

"Well, that certainly wasn't expected," the tiny holovid projection of Master Kavar muttered as he rubbed at the strain that had built up in his forehead. "So was anyone hurt by this… echo, as you called it?"

"As far as the council and anyone else at this point need be concerned, no," Quatra replied as she sat before her work desk within her chambers, her expression a mix of concern and uncertainty.

By her choice of words, it was easy for the Jedi Guardian to deduce what she was implying. He understood that certain… events concerning young Lugo were best left unspoken. "And this friend of his – Mical – beyond an increase in combat prowess, has he exhibited any other form of behavior unnatural for him?"

"Confidence, persistence, and more openness towards others," the young woman listed off, unsure of whether she should be pleased or concerned by such things. "Nothing I would perceive as being a danger to him. It's difficult to tell whether this is simply the result of someone giving him the helping hand he needed, or whether Kai is forcing such things upon him."

"Then perhaps we should stay focused on what is more likely to prove a danger," Kavar suggested as much to himself as he did to his counterpart. "This echo of pain you've described… You believe its source was originally the young ones he formally attended to in his younger days?"

"That is the only answer I could theorize," Quatra explained as she leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to look about the room at the many plants she kept. "His compassion for the life of others is rather extraordinary for one so young, extending to even those who openly wish him harm."

It still surprised her that Lugo had shown concern for Bandon even after what had occurred between them.

"A side-effect of his abilities, perhaps?"

"Maybe – maybe not." An inconclusive answer was the only one the young teacher could give. "We still don't know why or how he forms these bonds of his in the first place, or exactly what he achieves through them."

It was fortunate that Master Kavar was simply a hologram on her desk right then, for if he had been standing in the room with Master Quatra she would have felt that he was keeping something from her. As Kavar saw it, it was not necessary at this point for her to know of the more… parasitic qualities Lugo's ability possessed. And, as far as he knew, it has not been an issue since the Alleyway Massacre.

"For now, my main concern is preventing a repeat of the incident." Quatra continued. "I doubt the other council members will remain open-minded towards Lugo if the echo we felt proves reoccurring and continues to increase in potency."

"You have a plan to prevent this?"

"More like an intuition at this point." It was difficult for Quatra to explain, but she believed it possible to help Kai overcome what pain he kept buried within and perhaps prevent it from spreading outward again.

Her experiment within her meditation chamber had proven that Kai managed some level of control over the intensity of the echo, and that as long as he maintained his inner stability, he was not a danger to others. But again, all of this fell upon mere theories and speculation, nothing certain.

"Hopefully before he returns to Coruscant we will be able to give Lugo some means to move forward with his life."

Kavar quietly looked upon the woman then, with calm eyes that hiding the epiphany he just had about his friend.

At first, Quatra had agreed to help him in this endeavor for his sake alone. But Kavar now saw that this was no longer the case. The reason she was doing this now had nothing at all to do with him.

She was doing this now only because she wanted to help Kai.

For only a moment, the Guardian suspected that it was possibly due to the boy's influence that this ambition stirred within her. But knowing his old friend – knowing how far she was willing to go to help those she watched over, how aggressive and ambitious she could be when seeking to provide for their future: he knew better.

"You should have been a Guardian, Master Quatra," Kavar said with a knowing smile.

The woman gave the image of her friend a strange look. "What do you mean? I've always favored the way of the Consular since I was a mere youngling. You know that…"

The swordsman simply shook his head. "Never mind. Well, thank you for keeping me informed. Oh, and please be sure to pass on my regards to Kai when you see him. He knows already that he will need to provide a report to me concerning his assignment when he returns here, but if you could remind him anyways…"

"Very well, then. I shall keep you informed if there are any more developments. Till next time, Kavar."

"Till next time…"

The pair shared one last smile with each other before they cut communication.

Letting her head fall back, Quatra rubbed at her eyes with she attempted to fight off the uncertainty she felt within.

Intuition? More like a shot in the dark. How could she hope to assist the Padawan in overcoming this when she did not even fully understand what it was?

An instinct that drove him to suffer, fight, and kill, the ability to forge Force Bonds that caused him to endure the torments of others and also gave him the ability to mentally dominate them, and now this echo born of a thousand screams: just listing all the abnormalities surrounding young Lugo gave the Jedi Master a headache.

But her choices, or rather Kai's, were becoming fewer.

Master Vandar had confirmed that this echo had gotten stronger over the years, as has likely Kai's other innate abilities. Why? They did not know, but that was only a secondary concern at this point. While isolation may have prevented its effects from reaching others, it apparently did nothing to weaken it. And though Master Quatra had managed to keep the extent of what this anomaly was capable of a secret from the other Masters, if it became any stronger…

And if her suspicion as to the origin of this sensation was accurate, it likely meant that for whatever assistance she would give the Padawan, it would have little impact on the echo itself. It may even become stronger as Kai progressed.

And if that happened, then there was little hope for the raven-haired teenager.

Yet still they had to try.

{(---)}

"This is it?" Kai asked, feeling as though someone had played a rather poor trick on him.

Standing at the entryway, the young Guardian looked in upon the training room that consisted of twenty-some younglings between the ages of six and ten, some of them appearing to be completely new to the Order, and all of whom were currently partaking in one of the many activity stations about the area.

Standing next to Lugo, the Echani Knight did not understand her counterpart's surprise. "What exactly were you expecting?"

"I don't know: a groups of students to which I would have to teach a few lessons – something along those lines."

"When did I ever say you would be giving a lesson?" Atris replied, laying the blame directly on the raven-haired swordsman for reading what he wanted into her words. "I said you would be assisting in teaching younglings in basic Force techniques."

"So what was the point of that datapad of yours then?"

"You have to know the teachings in order to assist others in learning them, Padawan. Isn't that obvious?"

Gritting his teeth, Kai looked away from the girl as he had to work hard in order to avoid hitting something right then. Why didn't she just tattoo the word 'moron' on his head and get it over with!? He could not believe he allowed himself to be deluded by how the Historian made him feel like what he would be doing would somehow be grander and more involved on his part than this.

Seeing Lugo's aggravation as he continued to look away from her, Atris pointedly asked. "This isn't going to be a problem, is it?"

Letting out one of the many sighs of defeat he has had since arriving on the planet, Kai turned back towards the Knight. "No, it won't. So what exactly do you expect me to do?"

"Just make sure each Initiate has a chance to complete every activity. If they have any questions or are in need of assistance, they will know to come to you. Beyond that, simply watch over them and make sure they are doing what's expected."

"Great… and where will you be?"

"Attending to the higher-level Initiates in the training grounds down the hall. I am entrusting you to at least take this responsibility seriously, Padawan."

Without another word, the white-mane Knight turned and left, with an extra quickness in her step that confused Lugo as she disappeared down the hallway. She was in a hurry to get away.

Was she angry with him, or was she simply worried that he would prove as whimsical with this as he was in guard duty? What did she expect - for him to be ever vigilant against the elusive field rats?

She seemed... distant somehow. More so than normal, which may or may not be saying much, but for some reason Lugo noticed it. The look in her eyes – like she was attempting to stare through him rather than at him. The firmness in her tone, before seeming natural of her voice, now sounded forced as though she were having trouble maintaining it, as if was afraid that her words might tremble in front of him.

Letting out a sour grunt, Kai closed his eyes and dropped his head, knowing that perhaps he was being a bit overly scrutinizing of her, considering everything, and especially after what she did for him earlier. He had asked a lot of her, he supposed, in revealing parts of her past to him. It couldn't have been easy for one whom was seemed always content with her air of professionalism. Having stepped beyond her norm must have been difficult for her. She was struggling to regain it, the young Guardian surmised. It was what worked for her, what gave her the strength to be as devoted to the Order as she was.

Atris needed to be Atris.

Walking into the room, Kai quickly made note of all the activities the younglings were engaged in. A clay molding table, levitation practice using wooden blocks, basic meditation mats, a construction table with kits for making practice sabers, and a precognitive training kiosk where users attempted to guess what object the holovid projector would show them next. All of it basic tools for teaching first-year Initiates, just as Kai himself had used on Coruscant.

More than the activities, it was the children themselves that garnered the teenager's attention. So many of them all together... it was nostalgic for the former Underdweller, though only passively so as these strong, healthy children were a far different lot from the weak, sickly ones he had once tended to. Also, these children seemed more capable of smiling and enjoying the lives they had.

Quietly walking about as he observed the younglings, Kai made note of a few of the alien species included among them. Togruta, twilek, and a few others the raven-haired teenager failed to recognize. Memories reminded him of the unfair prejudices he often saw humans exhibit upon other species while living in the Coruscant Depths. Groups would band together looking for stragglers amongst the dark alleys, often killing or nearly killing whatever poor alien they came across.

Kai never really understood such hatred as some of the kindest and most compassionate people he recalled meeting were of different species, many included in the gallery of orphans he had formed. Adults, especially humans, so often seemed to look for a reason to hate one another, as if it somehow validated all the suffering in their lives, when all it did was wrought more pain in the world...

The sound of agonized moaning brought the green-eyed Padawan back to reality. Looking over his shoulder, he found the cries coming from the group of Initiates who were currently cross-legged on the ground and engaging in meditation training.

Kai quickly walked over to them. "Are you alright?"

As he spoke, the group of five seemed to come out of their trances, rubbing at their heads as they looked back upon Lugo.

"My head suddenly began to hurt," one of the youths replied.

"Mine too," said another, the rest either nodding in agreement or keeping quiet.

Noting that all of them seemed alright, Kai inquired. "What happened?"

"It just… started to hurt…" Another replied.

"Do you know why?"

All the younglings shook their heads, looking back upon Lugo as though he had the answer.

"Well…" Kai attempted to think of the most plausible answer. "Maybe one of you was pressing yourselves too hard. You likely placed strain on your connection to the Force, and it rippled among the rest of you. It's nothing to worry about – I've done it countless times before getting it right."

The young ones simply gazed back at the older student, trusting in his years that he knew what he was talking about.

"Here," Kai sat down with his legs crossed in front of the group. "I'll join you for a minute and give you some pointers. Now close your eyes and listen to my voice."

The younglings complied without complaint.

"Now, let all your other senses fall silent. Do not feel with your bodies or see with your eyes. Disconnect yourself from such things. Let only the Force encompass all that you can sense. Let it be all that you know. Listen to it sing – the sounds it makes as it ripples around and through us. Let it come to you with natural flow, not strain and intensity. Just feel… and listen…"

With that, Kai opened his eyes to find the group of students once again in meditation. Yet this time they seemed more engrossed by it, almost completely disconnected with the physical.

Kai couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened as it had taken him a lot longer to master such a level of nirvana. And all he had done now was repeat the same words several of the Masters on Coruscant had used for him.

Why were they so much better at it, Lugo thought in annoyance as he stood back up and walked away? Maybe Master Kavar had more of a reason for wanting to teach him more meditation forms: an area of expertise he always lacked in ability. His mind just seemed to dislike standing still.

"Padawan," a small voice called out.

Kai turned about to one of the Initiates walking up to him - a young togrutan girl of some early year – holding one of the practice sabers from the construction kit in her hands.

"Mine won't work."

Looking over to the activity station, Kai saw that the other Initiates had already completed constructing their sabers and were now busy taking them apart and putting the pieces back into their individual kits.

"Well, let's see," Kai warmly spoke as he knelt down and came to eye-level with child, whom then placed the device into his outstretched hand.

A simple latch kept the outer casing secure as the practice sabers were designed to be easy to construct and deconstruct – far different from an actual lightsaber. Still it taught students the basics of the weapon's design, which was its purpose.

Thinking back upon his own lessons, Lugo realized how far his own understanding of lighsabers had come over the years. While Initiates were simply expected to know the layout the weapon's inner mechanics, Padawans were taught on how to construct the actual parts of the device – from the power conduit to the emitter matrix. As Lugo himself practically wielded two sets of the weapon – all the design configurations and calculations were now burned into his memory. He could not even begin to guess how many times he had taken his own one apart, right down to its base components, and then reassembled the device to perfect working condition.

Kai would have enjoyed the opportunity to learn of some of the newer configurations the Knights and Masters were partaking of, but sadly for him Kavar currently forbade the Padawan from customizing his lightsaber, saying that it would be unwise for him to place any more focus upon his combative nature than he already did, needing to focus more on the other aspects of being a Jedi. A shame – blue wasn't really his color...

As for the imitation model now resting in his hand, Lugo almost immediately recognized the Initiate's error.

"Well here's your problem," Kai playfully said as held the device out for the togrutan girl to see. "Your focusing lens is upside-down, that's all."

The child's eyes widened as she saw her mistake, moaning slightly behind her lips in irritation, bothered that she could have made such a simple error.

Lugo chuckled lightly behind a kind smile, amused by the fact that had someone made that mistake with an actual lightsaber, the power cell would likely have overloaded, blowing off the wielder's hand. It was probably better that he did not inform the youngling of this.

"It's nothing big, see?" Quickly Kai took out the lens and flipped it over, then closing the outer casing. One tap on the activation panel and the weapon's beam sprung forth. "Round side up, and it works like a charm."

Handing the device back, the youngling gave a small smile of appreciation before immediately walking back over to the station and beginning to deconstruct the saber.

This wasn't so bad, Kai thought to himself with a satisfied smirk upon his lips as he continued to walk among the younglings, watching closely for any need of assistance. Feeling gratification from such things was a part of life, or at least that was what Master Kavar had tried to teach him once. It was not something the raven-haired teenager fully understood: taking satisfaction from committing acts of kindness and compassion. Such a way of thinking was too self-validating for young Lugo, as if gaining prestige for one's charity was more important than the charity itself. But again, Kai knew that his way of thinking was a bit different from what one would call commonplace.

Regardless, it was nice to partake of something outside his more usual routine of practicing, studying, and playing bodyguard.

"Having fun?"

Caught off guard by the sound of an adult voice in a room full of children, Kai turned about with a bit more exertion within his movements than he knew was prudent.

Quatra stood calmly with her arms crossed behind her, a soft smile on her lips accompanied by calmness in her eyes.

"Master Quatra?" Kai's voice betrayed his surprise."What are you... I mean... I wasn't expecting to see you here."

The Padawan quickly recalled what Master Zhar had mentioned earlier in the lecture hall. "Please tell me your not here to watch me walk around the room for the next hour or so."

"The council's policy is quite clear on a Master needing to be present for such undertakings by Padawans," the young woman explained, almost sounding apologetic to the raven-haired youth. "Regardless, I was more than curious in seeing how you would take to the role of teacher."

Kai snorted in ridicule. "One needs to teach in order to be considered a teacher, I would think. Everyone here already seems to know what they need to do, give or take the occasional error."

"A tutor then," Quatra corrected.

"I hate that they all seem to be so much smarter than I was at that age," the young Guardian joked with a smirked as he scoped the room, watching the younglings as they laughed and played with their friends while completing their exercises with relative ease. "Makes me wish Master Vandar had found me earlier than he did."

Quatra chuckled softly in the back of her throat, once again enjoying the teenager's laid-back mannerisms. All issues aside, the boy was good company to have around, given that he never seemed to let his own problems or concerns get the better of him or placed their burden on those around him either.

Sadly, such burdens were a part of a teacher's duty to help explore and overcome. And while Master Quatra would have liked to allow Kai to simply enjoy the rest of his time on Dantooine, there were still too many avenues left to explore, and they were running preciously low on time.

She had another reason for being here today...

{(---)}

It was perhaps a technique beyond their young years, perhaps even Padawans of Atris' age, but the Historian did not let such a thing dissuade her from her lesson. And as there was no inherent danger to such an ability, she felt exposure to it at this point in their training as Jedi might serve as a means of inspiration, and as an example of the deeper intricacies of the Force.

"All life is connected in the Force," Atris calmly spoke before the crowd of students, most of whom were approaching or in their early teens. "Every aspect of who and what we are as living beings, sentient or not, is touched by it. From something as mundane as breathing, to our cognitive ability and capacity for speech. As Jedi, we have the capacity to reach beyond the restraints brought about by the limits of our physical perceptions and achieve a standard of sight and control unobtainable otherwise. To see the world through the Force, to gain mastery over our very breath, to move beyond the limits of one's understanding of linguistics and instead hear the meaning behind a speaker's words rather than knowing the words themselves. This is called Force Listening – a more advance technique than most of you are likely familiar with, but one believed to be as old as the Order itself. And today I will be instructing you on the basic forms of training that are necessary for mastery of this ability."

"Knight Atris," one of the younger students held up his hand. "Isn't this something that is... too advanced for some of us..."

"Perhaps," the Echani teenager replied indifferently to the boy's doubt in himself. "Do not view this as unattainable, though. Such an ability is not about strength within the Force, but of knowledge and understanding – two things that we as Jedi must always strive to achieve. It is something that even Masters spend years training to perfect, so you are not expected to master it this day. You will however be engaging in exercises meant to help you start on the path to eventually being able to use this technique in a practical sense. You will find that a majority of beings both in and outside the Republic do not know Intergalactic Basic, or at least not as their primary language."

"Aren't protocol droids built for that, Historian?"

All eyes darted to the right side of the room where the voice emanated from. Although several of those present recognized the individual found standing with his back resting against the wall and his arms crossed, it was Atris herself who was most shocked to see that someone standing where she thought no one had been up until now, the surprise in her eyes betraying her shock.

Revan only returned a playful smile in response. "You'll run merchants out of business teaching techniques like that, Knight Atris. After all, who'd want to have a robot as a translator when our Jedi Initiates will come with such handy features, and yet are still small enough to be considered carry-on."

A bunch of the students giggled openly at the Protégé's humor. Atris did not. She instead turned back to to the matter at hand. "Form into your assigned groups, then each of you go to one of the training stations about the room. I have already provided the necessary utilities for you to start the first part of the lesson on your own. If you have questions, come speak with me. Otherwise, you may begin."

Given their instructions, the young ones quickly complied, moving past their teenage instructor and to the stations to being their training, all the while Atris continued to stare at her uninvited guest. "What are you doing here, Padawan?"

"Sorry for missing your lecture earlier. I was too busy with my own studies to bother attending," Revan replied, completely ignoring the Echani Knight's words. "I am more interested in your training class regardless, and seeing if perhaps you would have anything to offer me."

Stepping away from the wall and slowly approaching the young Historian, Revan kept that snide grin upon his lips as if amused by some unknown joke. He stopped only three feet away from her, the nonchalance of his brown eyes meeting the cold edge within her own. Though they had had no interaction with eachother since the incident after his match with Kai, something about this particular student just seemed to naturally conflict with the young Historian. She didn't care enough to hide her repugnance. "There is nothing that I'm going to teach you."

"Hmm... A teacher who refuses to teach – what a strange concept," Revan muttered as if to no one in particular, seemingly unbothered by her hostility.

"Get out..." Atris demanded in a voice tipped with venom, finding her distaste slithering its way into her tone, despite her efforts to keep her aggression at bay. "You have no reason to be here, bothering me, disturbing my lesson."

"I disagree, white Knight." The young Protégé looked to his left at the number of students who were busily engaged in their studies. "I feel it is my obligation to make sure that our younger disciples are receiving their education from one who is already adept to such teachings. And therefore I feel that perhaps I would be a better candidate for instructing them on the ways of Force Listening."

Arrogant and outspoken – one would think that a mere Padawan would know to tread with a sense of humility. But Atris saw nothing humble in what stood before her. And yet... for him to be seen in the same light as her – as a prodigal student..."This is my class, underling. You will leave here immediately."

"Underling, am I now?" Revan was more amused than insulted that she would throw such a word at him. Without explanation, he immediately changed his dialect to that of Rodian. "And what exactly makes me an underling in the field of Force Listening, Knight Atris?"

Did he think that she would be unable to understand him whilst speaking in a different tongue? Did he somehow think that if he displayed his linguistic ability that it would prove him her better? Arrogant and outspoken, but now also clearly a fool. If only to put this egotist in his proper place, Atris replied in a different tongue of her own: Echani. "Your immature nature shows how incompetent you are as a Jedi. You lash out like a brute and squawk like a tach, brandishing power and talent both unwisely and undeserved."

She maintained her calm tone even as she spout her words with clear malice. The grin still did not leave Revan's face as he stood at ease with his arms crossed. He chose Arcanian this time, keeping his response both short and simple. "I am what I am, daughter of the Echani."

Was that it? Was that the excuse he gave for all the flamboyancy, for all the dishonor he did to the Jedi name? I am what I am? That was the reasoning of a Jedi Protégé? What gave such a person the right to stand and be counted among the greatest following in the galaxy? Power? Was that all it came down to? Damn the teachings and values, was it simply the strength of one's will and ability that determined their place in this life? Atris refused to believe that. The Jedi were about something greater than power – greater than the will of one degenerate student.

"How history will view me and my ways matters little in my eyes." Revan concluded, seemingly without care for the topic. "Your distaste for me aside, my reason for being here is as simple as I have stated. I would not want these younglings to be... misled by one who is currently plagued with doubts."

What was he implying? She... she had no doubts! He was speaking nonsense! For the sake of ensuring that none of the children within the room would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation, she continued playing the prodigal student's game, this time choosing the language of the Togrutan. "What lies are these? You do not-"

"-It doesn't take much or long with him, does it?" Again Revan spoke as if not hearing her, this time in a dialect the Historian did not recognize, necessitating her use of the Force Listening ability to understand him. "How does it feel to have his talons buried within you, Jedi Knight? How does it feel to find yourself at the mercy of a Masterless pupil who shows no loyalty to any but his own animal instincts? Kai Lugo – Kai'ren Lugola: Spirit of the Mist, Predator of the Sky, guiding others to their doom as he collapses into the Abyss. Even now you feel it; the walls upon which you have forged your status as a Jedi being cracked by an allure that you have no control over. Yet where it has helped to guide his youngling friend, it now pulls at you in another way, a dangerous way. Such feelings – not at all like a Jedi..."

…

Her voice could not answer, even as she tried to speak. Her body could not move, even as she tried to walk away. Her mind could not shut his voice out, even as she tried to not listen.

Why couldn't she ignore him? Why were his words cutting as deep as they did? And for all that she didn't understand about what he spoke of, why did she know that everything he said was true?

...

She could feel it again; it rose up once more from the darkness: that sensation buried within her chest she had decided to deny in the hopes that it would simply vanish. But even now she felt it. And as she took in the Protégé's words, she could feel it rising up like a tide.

As her head slightly lowered with distraught eyes, her right hand rose to push against the sensation she had hoped would dissipate: the throbbing warmth atop her breast. Why was it appearing now? Why did this one's words, the words of one who had no place in her life, bring about something so horrible upon her?

Why was this happening to her? What could possibly have caused such a thing? She had thought to dismiss it as mere empathy for her Guardian; a rush of emotional satisfaction from helping with what had vexed him. That was simple. That was sound. That was something a Jedi could experience without dangerous consequences.

Why couldn't she believe that anymore?

It burned within her, the anomaly a mixture of feelings, some completely new to her, others being so nostalgic as to remind her of times long passed from before she found her calling amongst the Jedi. Sadness, anxiety, hope, and above all else, a longing that she did not understand. It beckoned to her, begged for her to give in to something she could not contemplate, causing fear to build within her.

"Ah... there it is..." Revan muttered, having closed his eyes for a moment. "It echoes out from within you now, though I would suspect it has been years in the making. All that time you've spent with him on Coruscant..."

{(---)}

It was late into the night at the Jedi temple on Coruscant. Most Masters, Knights, and Padawans were fast asleep, letting their minds and bodies rejuvenate for the next day's activities. Not but a few night guardsmen and the occasional droid were up and about at this time. Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be.

The Public Archives, a hall as massive as a Senator's abode, with its countless shelves filled to the brim with datapads and tomes, was currently dormant of light and life, save for the one desk lamp that illuminated a small corner of the elongated study table and the young teenage girl who sat next to it, her eyes focused on the tome that laid before her.

She liked this time in her day when she could sit by herself within the great library, no one to bother her, nothing to distract her, and no limit to how long she could be there. It was a time for her to get ahead in her studies, to prepare not only for the next day's lessons, but for next week's, or even next month's. It was her time to improve on who she was, to advance her understanding of the Jedi teachings, and progress even farther in her status.

They called her a prodigal student for her overzealousness in her studies, tempered by her willingness to learn and follow the Code of the Jedi. She did not rightly understand this. As she saw it, what she was doing was something that every student to the Order should pursue, not just the most talented.

Perhaps her former life, filled as it was with lessons and practice and following orders, had prepped her for such pursuits within the Jedi Order, giving her a distinct advantage over her peers. Regardless, she made no excuse for her own shortcomings and would not accept those of anyone else.

"Umm..." A voice mumured in the dark.

The white-maned student immediately pulled herself from her studies and looked to her right in the direction of the voice. A figure around her height stood within the dark, partly hunched over as though cold. She raised her hand in the figure's direction, causing the desk lamp nearest the dark apparition to flick on. The individual retracted from the strong light source, covering his face and stepping back a bit.

It was a teenage boy, no older than the prodigal student he stood before, with long black hair, currently hiding his eyes with the sleeve of his night robe.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"I... I'm sorry to intrude." His voice came forth quivering and weak, as though he were unused to speaking, or perhaps was afraid to do so. "I saw the light while passing through and-"

"-I don't wish for company," the girl interjected, having not the patience for such interruptions while enjoying her solitude. "If you desire something from the Archives, then claim it and leave me in peace."

"No... I'm not here because..."

"What's wrong with you? Why do you hide your face?"

"...The light," the boy answered pointing in the lamp's direction with his free arm. "Please turn it off..."

The girl looked upon the lamp and then back upon the boy, silently ridiculing that someone could be so bothered by such a weak source of illumination. Perhaps he had been walking in the dark for too long and his eyes were not adjusting well. Either way it mattered little. With another raising of her hand, the light flicked back off.

"Thank you," the boy replied, slowing dropping his arm away from his eyes. "I forgot my visor in my room. It's hard for me being exposed to-"

"-Why are you here?" The girl once again interrupted impatiently. "You shouldn't be walking around... the..."

When the boy had taken a step closer to her, allowing enough of her desk lamp's soft luminance to fall upon his features, the prodigal student was greeted by a face she recognized almost immediately, despite having only seen it once before.

"You..." the white-mane teenager muttered with disbelief on her face as she stood and turned her body towards the individual.

Finally managing to see enough of her face beyond the stinging light, the boy's reaction was much the same, though without verbal accompaniment.

"You're that thief!" The girl declared openly. "You stole my lightsaber from me!"

It had taken her more than a few seconds to recognize him once he had stepped into the light. He looked very different from the malnourished boy she recalled from several months back. But the eyes were the same.

How was the teenage boy meant to react such an aggressive accusation? "Uh... nice to see you again?"

The disbelief upon the girl's face only seemed to increase by his words.

{(---)}

"Be... silent..." Atris commanded in a shiver of her normal voice, so threatened with losing control as her fingers attempted to dig into the fabric on her chest, wanting to rip the feeling from her body. "You... know nothing of what you speak."

The snide smile upon Revan's face suddenly turned into a very serious and dark expression. "I know this: I know that, for all the distaste for him and his reckless nature, you have never made an effort to be apart from him. I know that you could have chosen any other time to have practiced your combat forms, yet you chose the time when he would also be at the training grounds. I know that when you approached me last, spouting how I should have defeated him with ease and without harm, it was the image of seeing him wounded and in pain that stirred your aggression. I know that you, someone I doubt has ever desired the assistance of others, asked him to watch over the younglings you were responsible for. And above all, I know his very presence has caused you to waver in your devotion to the doctrines of our Order, birthing that abomination inside of you that you do not understand."

{(---)}

He sat five chairs down the table's length from where the young girl continued with her studies. Every five minutes or so, she would turn to look in his direction for a moment, then return to her readings, as if having to remind herself that he was really there. Even in that dead silence that filled the Archive, he made not a sound, to which she was grateful for in the pursuit of her studies. Yet she found it also slightly unnerved her. Not once did he stir as he sat in that chair, arms holding each other as they rested atop the table, head lowered with eyes closed as if sleeping. And though he did nothing to suggest it, the young girl could not shake the feeling that he was watching her, aware of every motion she made and every thought she had.

She was being overly dramatic, she knew. He was here by chance, claiming that he could not sleep within the small room he was assigned and having gotten lost while roaming the halls. Why he did not ask one of the protocol droids or night watchmen to guide him back to his quarters, he did not say, but the white-maned student sensed an unnamed agitation within him. And it was this same agitation that made her feel that he was watching her.

What did it matter to her though? She never thought to see this one ever again, let alone within the Jedi Temple. She could not claim that it did not bother her that the Order would welcome one such as he into their numbers. After all, he was a thief. What place did a thief have among the Jedi? Still... it wasn't her place to question the will of the Masters. If this boy had been welcomed among their number, then there must have been a reason for it; she couldn't guess what it would be though...

"Do you plan to sleep here?" The white-mane girl asked with a distaste upon her voice, finding her irritation by his presence would not remain silent.

The boy's head almost immediately turned within her direction, like a frightened animal suddenly aware of a lurking predator. His voice came out as it did before, with barely the will to be heard. "I... wasn't planning to go back to sleep. I'm no good at it."

"You're no good at what? Sleeping?" The girl looked at the raven-haired boy as if he just said something simpleminded. And yet... by the look in his eyes, and the sensations he radiated, she felt that he was speaking honestly.

"Why... why are you still up?" The boy asked weakly. "Do you have trouble sleeping too?"

"No, I do not," the girl replied defensively. "I simply do not believe a Jedi needs more than so many hours of rest, and that any more is a waste of time better spent on studies."

"Study?" The boy responded curiously. "Is that what you're doing?"

Was the tome laying in front of her not apparent enough, the young girl wondered? Not wanting to engage anymore in this pointless banter, she looked back upon her book, hoping this interloper would take the hint that she had no more desire to speak with him.

The boy seemed to realize it well enough, taking back to his original posture of looking emptily on the table before him.

For what must have been nearly half an hour, that was how they sat, with her reading through the book before her, and him sitting there, not moving, not speaking – doing nothing but staring downward, as if he did not know what to do.

After all that time, the devoted student noticed her unwanted company finally stir from his motionless state. The green-eyed youth looked towards the shelf lined with tomes and datapads that stood behind where he sat, his wide-gazed expression making it seem as if he just noticed that he was in a massive library. Without warning, he stood up and walked over to the shelf. Randomly, there was no way he could have seen what it was whilst standing in the dark, he pulled a datapad off the shelf, walked back over to the table, and sat back down. Turning on the desk lamp in front of him to a very dim glow, he turned on the datapad.

"What are you doing?" The watchful girl finally called out, confused by what she was seeing.

The boy looked back over to her, his expression almost making it seem like he had forgotten for a moment that she was there. He replied softly. "I'm reading."

"Reading what? Do you even know what that is about?"

"Doesn't matter," he answered calmly. "It's about something I don't know. Why not learn a little about it then?"

He smiled slightly as he looked upon her, and yet the only look she could return was one of complete disbelief.

That he would walk into this room by accident and randomly start reading... who was this boy? More so, why did she suddenly find him so... unsettling.

It wasn't important, the white-robed student yelled at herself. Forcefully she turned away from the interloper and directed her attention back upon her work.

{(---)}

Fear turned to terror as every word Revan said, every truth Atris never had to face before, began to surface in her thoughts.

"Would you like to know what it is, Atris of the Echani? What it is that is tearing down everything that you are? What it is that he had caused to fester inside you?" Revan asked. Was his intention to help her understand what she was feeling, or to use it against her? No one other than he knew.

And yet she couldn't say no. Even as she hunched over slightly, her face wincing as if fighting against an overpowering urge, both hands now attempting to hold back the swell, to prevent her from losing control, she could not answer.

So Revan did.

The Historian once again did not understand the dialect the prodigal student chose, and even as she attempted to avoid doing so, her mind listened to his voice through the Force. And it translated his words into three small syllables. Three small words.

…

{(---)}

Three hours had gone by without any more interaction between the two youths, and the white-mane girl was grateful for that.

She had managed to return to completely focusing her attention upon her studies, placing the interloper out of mind as he sat there, reading some random text without expectation.

She avoided looking at him, intent on returning to the clear state-of-mind she had before his interference. She was here to study and that was what she was going to do. She did not...

Without meaning to, the young student found herself once again looking within the boy's direction. Why had she looked? One moment she was calmly reading a line written upon her tome, the next she found herself looking at her stowaway. She did not want to! There was no reason to. Studying was the only thing that she was here to...

Now taking in what her eyes truly fell upon, the young teen found the reason for the silent ambiance. Without any indication within that three hours of silence between them, the boy had apparently fallen asleep – his head now laying down with his arms crossed atop the turned-off datapad. Sitting there with his head turned in her direction, he seemed strangely at peace despite what looked to be an uncomfortable position.

…

Was this a joke, the young teen girl wondered? This boy wandered away from his quarters, from his silent room and nice, warm bed, to traverse the hallways of the Jedi Temple, having no knowledge of where he was going or how to get back, only to end up, of all places, in the public archives where she had been studying in enjoyable solitude. For no apparent reason, he picked up a datapad to read, and then falls asleep whilst in the midst of doing so. The young girl could not imagine how this could simply have been a mere turn of events – that this... this thief would once again randomly walk into her life.

Fine! Let him sleep there, she decided, looking away once again. It at least meant he would not be bothering her with any more useless words.

{(---)}

"Get Out!!!"

The activity throughout the room came to a jolting halt as the Echani Knight's voice erupted in the ears of all those present with as much ferocity as a shock charge.

Disbelief and confusion quickly filled the faces of all who laid witness, save for one silent prodigal student who remained unbothered by such anger, nor the fact that it was directed at him. Well... partly at him... he imagined it was meant mostly for another... He simply remained standing there, looking back into those aggression filled eyes that stared back at him, waiting for what he knew was about to occur.

And but three seconds later, it did.

The rage subsided within Atris' eyes in but an instant, immediately replaced with disbelief and fear for what she had just done. She looked away from the silent Revan that stood across from her, unable to hold onto any sense of resolve as these sensations took hold of her in a way she did not believe possible anymore. She was frightened... terrified, unable to come to grips with the flood of long forgotten emotions that suddenly found their way back into the young Echani-noble girl who once thought to abandon them as she herself had been abandoned.

They took hold of her again, after so many years.

…

"Not at all like a Jedi..." Revan muttered with what appeared to be a sigh of disappointment. Without another word, he turned away from the young Knight, and left the room as quietly as he had entered.

… What he had said... No... he was wrong! He had to be wrong!

She did not-!

Jedi do not-!

Why couldn't she say it!? Why was she to terrified to even think it!? She asked herself this over and over again.

It was not true! She did not feel such a thing! She could not feel such a thing! Not for anyone! Especially not for-!

…

{(---)}

She was about done with all she had planned to study for that night before finally retiring to her quarters. The last hour had been one completely devoid of interference, and she was grateful for it. Quickly reading over the last paragraph of the chapter, she closed the tome quietly in satisfied self-validation. She had just finished reading the notes that were meant for next week's lesson, and had already done so for all lessons prior. Surely her Master would be impressed with her ambition to improve upon herself. Such ambition had already placed her above her fellow students in the eyes of several of the Council Members. In but a few short years, if she maintained her drive, her Master believed her possibly considerable for the rank of Knight! She would be among the youngest of Padawans ever to receive their full-membership into the Order's ranks. Such was all that was important to her now.

With the tome in her arms, the young student stood up from the desk, waiting a moment for her legs to become used to standing once again after so many hours. It was in that minute or so that she suddenly heard a strange sound. Looking over to the teenage boy, she quickly surmised that it came from him.

She hadn't heard so much as a noise out of him after he had fallen asleep, yet it seemed that his soft, nearly imperceptible breathing was now accompanied by a quite audible shiver.

He was cold... of course he was! The room, even as massive as it was, was maintained with a cooling system and dehumidifiers, designed to keep some of the older records from being slowly eroded by the elements. Did he not think to bring some extra clothing with him if he planned-

… Of course not, she realized, having completely overlooked the fact that he was here by sheer coincidence. Why would he have thought to bring anything?

She, on the other had, still had the blanket she had brought with her draped over her shoulders. Naturally, she had been prepared to spend a long time within the cold, dark room.

…

She should wake him up, she knew, or at least tell a droid or watchmen that he was here so that they would be able to escort him back to his room. It was, after all, the proper thing. This was not a place for people to sleep!

… And yet there he was, sleeping comfortably in that chair whilst laying over the side of that long table. He could not find sleep whilst laying within a warm, cushioned bed in a small, soundless room. It was within this large, dark chamber, with the sound of the cooling system and the dehumidifiers humming, that he found his solace.

…

Did it really matter? Would it hurt anything if she just let him spend what was left of the night away in this one small corner of the compound? What would it matter? Who would know? More to the point – who would care? Would the Keeper of the Archives come in in the morning, find him sleeping here, and condemn him for it? It was doubtful that she would say a word, as she already allowed the young teenage girl to spend the late hours of the night away within the archives.

No, the Keeper would not care, and neither should she then, the girl realized. Let him have this night, at least.

And as she about turned to leave, she heard once again the sound of the boy's shivering breath, and paused.

Placing the tome down for a moment, she took the blanket off of her shoulders and held it in front of her with both hands, looking upon it with her empty expression. It was a mere sheet of fabric, as simple as a Jedi's robes, with but a bland coloring and no design to speak of. Yet after having spent so much time draped over her frame, the fabric still bared much of her own warmth – warmth that she imagined this boy would appreciate.

…

It was a practical thing to do...

…

And if it mattered to her, which she wasn't convinced it did, she could always get the blanket back from him later.

{(---)}

"Excuse me, Knight Atris," a small boy from the conglomerate of onlooking, uncertain Padawans slowing approached the teenage Historian from behind as she had been standing there without motion for well over a minute after her outburst.

Lightly poking at her arm, the Echani Knight's immediately turned her gaze in the boy's direction. He jumped back in fright at the distraught face that stared daggers at him.

"I, uh..." Such an emotional face was not something he knew how to respond to.

Looking away from the speechless youngling, Atris eyed the faces of her other students, seeming only now to remember what it was she was doing here.

And yet...

"The lesson is canceled for today."

The younglings continued to stare upon their teacher in confusion.

"You are to clean up your stations, then continue on to your next assignments." Atris continued, speaking as if she did not even see the looks she was receiving in turn.

Another young student attempted to speak up. "Knight Atris, why are-"

"-That is all." Without another word or sign of recognition to the class, the young Historian turned about and walked out of the room in an hurried pace, leaving the younglings behind without another thought for them.

Faces blurred as she walked by them, nearly running. Several looked in her direction with concern, but she paid them no heed, barely registering them at all. All she could think was that she needed to get away.

She needed to run – to run until her feet blistered, until the pain and fear inside her chest subsided and dissipated, just like it had once before. Until she could convince herself that what that student named Revan had said to her wasn't true.

She needed to prove to herself again that she was above such things – that they held no power over her: not fear, not anger, and especially not-!

…

She... needed to run...

{(---)}

He could not say it was his proudest moment. But as Revan stood silently at the corner of the hallway's intersection, watching as the young White Knight walked, nearly ran, by him without noticing his presence, he could not help but be impressed that it had worked so well...