A/N: Sorry about the long delay again, life is hectic at the moment. I (finally) graduated, so I'm now looking for a job. It takes a lot of time and is quite stressful, and with the crisis it's not easy to find something as a starter. Luckily I already have a fulltime job which pays decently enough, but it's not in my field of work so I want to find something else.

But I thank you all for your kind PM's and concern, it does me well to know people are interested in me and the story. As thanks for your PM's, reviews, follows and favorites, and to make up for the delay, I've made an extra-long chapter. Enjoy!

Book Two – Rebirth

Chapter Eight

Warmth

All sensations were replaced by the thick waves of overwhelming energy, pulsating and vibrating like the overheated air above an inferno. It took over everything as it filled the large chamber, even the oxygen that somehow didn't feel like such a necessity anymore. There was one thing that mattered and one thing only: an extreme force of nature encompassing everything, down to the very foundations of life.

An awestruck whisper left Xana's mouth. "What a tremendous power."

"The Force, in all its unbridled glory," Bastila announced. She had to smile from the impressed tone of her apprentice, she had never seen Xana so curious and enthralled at the same time, almost like a small child. "Can you feel it tingle through your entire body?"

As promised Bastila had taken Xana to a small system of caverns not far from the Dantooine enclave. The Force was so incredibly dense here that it had actually solidified into a physical shape. Over the many centuries it had evolved and changed, turning into multicolored crystals, the very crystals used as a focusing medium for the Jedi's lightsabers. The underground chamber was filled with these crystals, all emitting a faint light that bathed the area in a strange, almost eerie glow.

"Incredible," Xana muttered in awe. "It feels like it stimulates every single fiber of my being."

The master chuckled. "I remember coming here for the first time, being just as overwhelmed as you are. Maybe even more so, considering I was just five years old."

The padawan turned to the knight and smiled warmly. "D'awww, that must've been so cute, little five year old Bastila." Her eyes nearly melted from the adoration as she tried to visualize the little girl.

"Perhaps, but I didn't feel very cute at that time," the brunette said, unable to prevent a small blush from forming on her cheeks. "I was both overwhelmed and terrified by all new experiences that came with joining the Jedi Order." She sighed and her eyes turned inward. "All alone, for the first time in my life without my parents."

This surprised Xana, as she had never heard Bastila mention her parents before. She had always just assumed that the brunette had been an orphan or abandoned, like most of the Jedi. Judging by Bastila's longing eyes, she had once been loved by her parents, so it didn't make sense that they had severed all ties.

"Why did they leave you with the Jedi? If I had children, I'd never relinquish them to some order against their will, no matter how noble it pretended to be." She had to think of Mission. Had the Twi'lek been her daughter she'd never abandon her, unless the little thief really wanted to go. The strange thought of Mission as her daughter surprised her, and she wondered where it had come from.

"My father thought exactly like you," the knight answered with a faint smile. "He loved me dearly and did everything in his power to make me happy, always keeping me close, even on his dangerous travels. My mother… not so much," she added bitterly. "You see, my father was a treasure hunter, going to the most hazardous places of the galaxy hoping to find valuable relics."

"A dangerous profession," Xana commented. "And not very suitable for a child to tag along with."

"It was my mother's fault," Bastila said, still with that bitter tone. "She wanted to live the rich, luxurious life. Unfortunately their less than modest income didn't allow for her high standards, which is why my mother pushed my father to go on dangerous hunts, so she could live in wealth."

"That doesn't seem very fair."

"It was almost cruel, my poor dad risking his life for that wench of a woman." Bastila breathed a deep sigh. Xana could almost feel the whirlwind of emotions through the bond. "And then it was discovered I was sensitive to the Force. As you can imagine my father didn't want to relinquish me, but for my mother it was a golden opportunity. A child is very expensive, without me she'd save even more money to spend on excessive luxury."

The padawan watched her master closely. "I can't imagine a mother giving her child away for a reason like that," she said carefully. "Are you sure that's what happened?"

Bastila gave her a sharp glance. "Of course I'm sure, I was there the entire time. Are you trying to protect my mother?"

Xana quickly held up her hands. "Not at all. But you were just five years old. Children can have a strange perception of the world, and you seem to be biased to your father's side of the story. Maybe there's more to it."

"You are defending my mother," Bastila coldly replied. "I thought you of all people would be on my side."

Xana winced at Bastila's words. "But I am on your side," she answered in a wounded tone. "I'm just trying to analyze the situation from an objective viewpoint, because I want to help you."

"I… sorry," the knight muttered, hanging her head in shame. "But save your energy, because I'll never see them again. The Code prevents me to."

"That's cruel. Your father loved you, I can imagine he'd want to see you again."

The brunette let out a ragged sigh. "Sometimes I wish I could… But accepting you can't is part of becoming a Jedi, no matter how hard that might be. That's why orphans make such splendid Jedi."

"No loose ends," the padawan muttered. "Are your parents still alive though?"

"I honestly don't know, as I haven't had contact with them since swearing myself to the Code."

Bastila's definite tone betrayed she wanted to close the subject, so Xana wisely didn't press. Instead she chose to explore the underground chamber a bit more, slowly walking through it and studying the various crystals. It was truly a marvelous sight to behold. Some crystals were as small as the tip of a pencil, while others were elaborate structures of nearly six feet. How they had ever formed was a mystery to her.

Her mind went to Revan, wondering if the former Dark Lord had also wandered these caverns in her youth. How had she felt at the time? Just as lost as Xana was about her future? Or had she been fully aware of what it had to offer, exploiting her time to the fullest to prepare herself for taking on the cloak of Dark Lord? Not for the first time did she wonder what had happened during the aftermath of the Mandalorian Wars, and if the following war somehow could've been prevented.

She shook her head, trying to force out Revan. Why did the former Dark Lord have to pop up in her mind so often, of all people? Perhaps it was because of these visions, giving her small glimpse in the woman's mind. Somehow it gave Xana a strange feeling of kinship for Revan, like the two of them alike. Their characters did have a lot in common. Revan could be laidback and indifferent, not giving a damn about the galaxy, but that vanished like snow in the sun when a breaking point was reached, when she felt intervention was necessary.

Then she changed into a driven, committed and charismatic woman, who would and could move the galaxy to get what she wanted. The resemblance to Xana's own personality was almost uncanny. She had felt little drive to intervene in this Jedi war, until she had seen the Sith horrors with her own two eyes. The thing that had pushed her over the edge was Mission and her infinite sadness over the loss of her mentor and home.

"You are uneasy," Bastila remarked after a while, shaking Xana out of her silent contemplations.

The raven haired woman breathed a deep sigh and glanced over to her master. She needed to get her troubles off her chest, feeling it might burst otherwise. And now was as good a time as any. She walked over to her master and looked her straight in the eyes, almost challenging. "When I was taking a nap this afternoon I got another vision."

"Really?" Bastila seemed both curious about the vision and apprehensive of Xana's blunt tone. "What did you see?"

"Part of the destruction of Cathar, through the eyes of Knight Revan. She was there with a Catharese princess and her guard, scouting a burning city. It had been besieged by Mandalorians. In the ruins a young Juhani was battling a group of Mandalorians, who had probably been left behind to take out any remaining survivors. Juhani was losing the battle, but she was saved by Revan."

"Interesting," Bastila slowly said. "I never knew Revan was the knight that rescued her."

"Yes, very fucking interesting," Xana snarled, a bit more harshly than she had intended. "I'm getting sick of these visions Bastila. I mean, I can understand why the Force wants to show me Revan's search of this so-called Star Forge, that's very fucking useful information now that the galaxy is on the verge of destruction. But seeing that arrogant brat being rescued by the Dark Lord? Through the eyes of said Dark Lord, complete with thoughts and emotions? I don't fucking get it Bastila! What's the point?"

"Xana, calm down... now." Bastila's voice was stern and commanding.

"I will not," Xana growled. "Every time I ask questions, all I get are half-truths or silence. What's up with that? I don't give a fuck about what that bitch did when she was alive, why bother imparting all that crap into my brain? The news value isn't that high and I sure as hell can think of better things to dream of."

The master held up her hands and gave her apprentice an imploring look. "Xana, please stop thi…"

"What am I, Bastila?" the apprentice interrupted. "What the fuck am I? Wasn't I supposed to be a simple pirate, traveling the galaxy for easy opportunities and quick cash? Then why am I suddenly showing all characteristics of a seer, with insight in the galaxy's number one enemy? The galaxy's number one dead enemy? Sure, it helps me find this blasted Star Forge, but how the fuck does knowing Juhani was rescued by Revan help me in any way? It didn't even help me to understand how I can get on better footing with that woman, save from pretending to be Revan. What's the Force trying to say? That I should buy a dark robe and blood red mask and declare myself Revan incarnate?"

Bastila grabbed Xana by the wrists and pulled her close, forcing their eyes to meet. "Xana, listen to me," she said seriously. "I know what you're going through is off-putting and frightening and I wish I could give you satisfying answers, I really do." Her silver eyes turned sad and she suddenly looked extremely distressed. "But if you think the Council respects me enough to be completely open with me, you're wrong."

Xana could spot no lies in Bastila's words and her master's voice calmed her down like always. But this time it only confused and scared her. "I don't understand," she muttered. "Why do I trust you so unconditionally? It denies all logic. You're a Council puppet, following their orders meticulously. Everything you tell me, everything you do, it's all just a repetition of their words. Yet here I am, feeling utterly safe in your presence. Why?"

"Xana…" Bastila looked genuinely wounded by the harsh words of her bondmate. "Please don't do this," she pleaded. "I am on your side! Everything I do and say is because I care for you, because I want to keep you safe and shield you from the dangers of this galaxy, while preparing you for the task we're about to undertake."

"Does that include withholding information from me?" the raven haired woman asked quietly.

For the briefest of moments Bastila looked away, telling Xana enough. Bastila looked almost lost. "Don't you think I wish things were different?" she asked softly, while meeting Xana's eyes again. "I wish I knew everything that was going on with you and that I could share it freely with you, if only to ease your mind. But I don't and I can't, and it scares me just as much as you. But I swear I'm not planning to use you or hurt you in any way. I hate being treated by the Order like this and I hate the way they treat you even more, but I have no choice in this matter. Following their orders is our best bet of stopping the Sith."

"It's almost ripping me apart," Xana breathed. "My heart tells me to trust you, while my mind tells me to back the hell off."

A faint smile appeared on Bastila's lips and she grabbed both Xana's hands in hers. "It's good to be cautious, we can't afford not to be in times like these. But I can't do this on my own Xana, and neither can you. I want to end this war, if only to prevent cases like Mission. But I need your help. The two of us need to stick together, to look after each other."

"Promise not to betray me," the padawan whispered, looking deeply into Bastila's silver eyes.

Bastila met her eyes and looked reassuring. "I promise I won't betray you. And I promise I'll protect you to the best of my ability. From both the Sith and the Council."

Xana smiled faintly, but didn't release her gaze just yet. There was one last thing she needed to know: "What am I, Bastila?"

This time the brunette smiled warmly. "You are a very capable Jedi, who might just be able to turn this war around. You're an extraordinary woman that will make this galaxy a safer place, if you make the right choice."

Xana swallowed hard and couldn't find any words, so touched was she by Bastila's genuine trust in her ability to stop the Sith. This time she did calm down, finally realizing that at least one Jedi was on her side, and the most important one at that. She trusted Bastila unconditionally and just knew that – although she might not be completely open with her – the brunette would never lie to her or betray her. Her bondmate simply wanted the best for her.

"I trust you," the padawan muttered, and she pulled the brunette in for an embrace, which was fully returned. For the second time that day she found peace and safety in the warmth and softness of that body and it was at that moment she fully realized how much she loved Bastila. This wasn't just simple sexual attraction, this was a connection much deeper and stronger.

She pulled her head back to look at Bastila. The brunette looked simply stunning in her arms, the strange light emitted by the crystals highlighted the sharp features of her beautiful face even more. Code and Council be damned, she simply had to tell Bastila the extent of her feelings. Right know was the perfect opportunity to tell her she loved her. The gorgeous brunette looked up curiously as Xana opened her mouth. "Bastila, I…"

The sound of heavy footsteps coming from the single pathway leading into the underground chamber interrupted her. Without hesitation the duo released each other to activate their yellow lightsabers. Xana instinctively took the lead, positioning herself a bit in front of Bastila to shield her from possible danger. To her surprise the knight made no move to change their positions, in fact she actually slipped a bit further behind the physically stronger woman, so as to find safety there.

A group of bandits entered the cavern. They were Duros, eight of them, all clad in leather armor and wearing various firearms. But it was the leader that surprised the padawan. Clad in blood red armor which covered his entire appearance, with just a tiny visor to allow for a modest amount of vision: it was a Mandalorian. She had never seen a member of his group on Dantooine before and she wondered what he was doing so close to the Jedi enclave. Her eyes were transfixed on his massive blaster rifle, which was steadily pointed in her direction.

"Well this looks fucking cozy," the Mandalorian said in a rough voice.

"Told you these bitches were in here all alone," one of the Duros grinned, sounding quite pleased with himself. "The days of the Jedi are numbered if all of 'em are this stupid."

Xana calmly assessed the situation to calculate her odds. The enemy's numbers might seem overwhelming, but the Duros were just trash. Wearing cheap armor and blaster pistols that were probably meant more to intimidate than to serve as a deadly weapon, they hardly posed a threat. The Mandalorian was a different story though. His armor was of good quality and battle worn, meaning he had seen a fight before. His blaster rifle looked well maintained and on his belt was a sharp vibrosword that had seen a whetstone not too long ago.

But as she grabbed the Force to enter her battle trance she came to a reassuring realization: the Force was so lively and strong in this place that she could probably rip these guys in half without even breaking a sweat. With that insight the tension left her body, making way for her usual laidback confidence. Bastila responded to her change of posture, Xana could almost physically feel her calm down as well. She smirked to herself, the brunette might be a bossy tutor, but out in the field she knew exactly who was in charge.

"You've just interrupted a very important moment, Mandalorian." Xana's voice was cold as ice. "Care to explain why? Or what the fuck someone of your wretched kind is doing on Dantooine?" She knew Mandalorians were easy to provoke, sending them into battle enraged and unprepared.

"Revenge," the Mandalorian said curtly. "If it wasn't for you cancerous Jedi, we'd be in charge of this galaxy. But no, you saintly bastards had to intervene, bringing my glorious clan to the brink of extinction." His voice was trembling dangerously, letting Xana know she almost had him. "And that, my lovely Jedi, is something that will simply not do." He pointed at his belt, where two lightsaber hilts were proudly on display. "You see, I'm a bit of a collector. And I prefer taking them from the mangled corpses of my victims."

"Impressive collection," Xana remarked dryly. "And who are you? Caius Fett himself?"

"Funny, you must be the jester." He made a wide gesture with his arms, standing proud and tall. "My name is Sherruk Jedislayer. And you two bitches are the next tallies I'll carve into my flesh as tokens of my victory."

The padawan barked a patronizing laugh. "Wow, you're so hardcore, I bet you get all the girls." Her grin faded and she gave him a cold stare as she pointed her lightsaber in his direction. "Why don't you frisk back to mommy, Sherry? I'm sure she'll want to have a word with you for your naughty language." She heard Bastila chuckle behind her and the Mandalorian's stance immediately changed.

"So you choose to mock me," he growled. "Wrong choice. I wanted to be merciful on you two, I really did. But now you've lost all my sympathy. First I'm going to beat you two into a bleeding pulp. Then I'm going to carve you open, removing your organs one by one and skinning you alive. Within the hour you'll be begging for your death, but such mercy won't come. I'll continue until the last little fiber lies shivering on the bloodied floor, resonating in the glory of the Mandalorian clans!"

The raven haired woman laughed again at his words, not feeling intimidated in the least. "You fucking daft moron. You got any idea what this place is? The Force is so fucking huge here it solidifies into crystals, yet you want to take on two Jedi Knights?" To fortify her words she fully embraced the Force. To her surprise, and that of the bandits, the entire cave responded. Each and every single crystal was activated, emitting powerful light that bathed the entire cavern in an array of colors.

The bandits were blinded by the lights and held up their hands clumsily to shield their eyes. It was Xana's cue to strike. Behind her back she signaled Bastila to take the left flank, while she rushed off to the right without checking if the brunette followed her order, she simply knew she would. The first two Duros didn't know what hit them when a yellow beam of light cleanly severed their heads, but the other two on her side of the room regrouped in time to send a barrage of blasterfire her way.

Slipping into the defensive Soresu lightsaber form she had little trouble blocking the bolts of energy, until the Mandalorian decided it was time to open fire as well. The quick bursts from his blaster rifle proved to be a bit more challenging and she had to reposition herself to get out of his line of fire.

Bastila in the meantime calmly fought her way through the Duros bandits on her side of the room. She wasn't targeted by the Mandalorian, so she could take her time to concentrate on taking out the trash. Using a smooth combination of Force pulls and pushes and her lightsaber she dealt with her share of hostiles quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately the Mandalorian then changed his priority on the knight, figuring she was currently his biggest threat. A burst of blasterfire was sent her way…

…giving Xana room to wreck the last of the Duros. A quick combination of her lightsaber dealt with them. What she then saw nearly made her heart stop.

Bastila had made a mistake and was now at near pointblank range from the Mandalorian, who was about to blast a hole in her face. At this range it'd be impossible for the knight to block his attack. Xana could feel blood surge to her ears and time seemed to grind to a halt.

She knew she shouldn't let her anger overwhelm her, but it flared up to nearly immeasurable heights. Just about everything about this guy rubbed her the wrong way. First of all he had killed two Jedi, and judging by his words their way of departure hadn't been a painless one, she didn't doubt this guy was twisted enough to torture his enemy. Then there was the fact that he had interrupted an important moment with Bastila, where Xana had almost spoken her true feelings to the brunette. And finally he had carelessly threated to hurt Bastila, a threat which he was now putting into action. For Xana it was the absolute breaking point. This guy deserved no mercy and he would receive none.

Using the Force she broke both his arms before he could even fire a shot. With a strangled yelp he dropped his blaster rifle. She then picked him up, planning on smashing him into the wall just hard enough to knock him out. That way he could be taken to the enclave for interrogation. But the Force was extremely lively through her and her burning anger made her unable to contain herself. She flung him into the wall with so much force that a sickening crack could be heard. His limp body slid down in slow-motion, leaving behind a nasty red mark on the rock wall. She didn't need to check his vital signs with the Force to know he was dead.

A moment of deep silence ensued, lasting almost ages in Xana's mind. Bastila was the first to recover. "Have you completely lost your mind?" she exclaimed, while rushing over to the fallen enemy. A quick glance proved that he was indeed dead. "We should've taken him in alive so he could've been questioned."

"Shit," the padawan muttered, feeling stupid and weak for losing herself like that. "This place overpowered my abilities."

The knight shook her head in disapproval. "That's no excuse! You're a padawan now, mistakes like these can't happen anymore."

Xana shrugged. "At least he won't bother any Jedi anymore. Sick bastard."

"Thanks to you we don't know why he bothered those Jedi, or who the Jedi were," the brunette snarled. "Was he a lone wolf? Or was he hired to wreak havoc so close to the enclave, perhaps as a distraction? He could be working for the Sith for all we know!"

She didn't like the tone of the brunette, pointing out the obvious in such an accusing manner. "I made a mistake, I'm sorry," she answered through gritted teeth. "At least I saved your life, that must count for something."

Bastila held her nose high in the air. "I would've been perfectly able to save myself, thank you very much."

Xana's mouth fell open and she gasped for air, incredulous to the brunette's ungrateful behavior. She thought back on Taris and shook her head. "Not this shit again," she muttered. "Can't you just accept you're not my superior on the battle field?"

"Absolutely not! With your rash action today you only proved you're far from ready to take command."

"And you proved you're not fit for leadership by nearly getting your head blown off, after which you act like an ungrateful little kid to the subordinate that saved your life!"

The face of the knight darkened, but she shook her head and ignored the padawan. Instead she crouched down beside the body of the dead Mandalorian. "This is bad," she angrily muttered, while grabbing the two lightsaber hilts that were secured to his belt. "I must bring these to the Council immediately so their owners can be identified."

"Don't ignore me! We must discuss who's going to be in charge of this mission right now."

"You're not ready yet, so right now it's not open for discussion," the brunette scowled, as she made her way to the exit of the cave. "Pick whatever crystal you want for your lightsaber, then head back to the enclave and fetch Mission to serve your sentence." Without another glance back she strolled out of the cave.

Xana watched her go quietly, barely believing her master's actions. But then she recounted Bastila's last words her anger faded: 'you're not ready yet.' It seemed even the haughty knight was starting to realize staying in command wasn't the brightest idea, as it might quite literary cost her her head one day. The tanned woman starting grinning to herself, a bright little feeling was nestling inside her stomach. It wouldn't be long before Bastila was going to be relieved of command.

And that, coupled with the reinforced trust in Bastila's intentions and Xana's own future, simply made her day. She glanced around the cave, then started her search for a crystal of her liking while humming a happy tune.

Mission was curled up on her bed in the small room she shared with Zaalbar, stifling yawn after yawn. With her back leaning against the wall she watched her Wookie friend, who was already lost in deep sleep in the bed opposite of hers. Sleep threatened to overwhelm her too, but she was forced to wait for Xana to come pick her up, so they could perform Bastila's punishment: sleeping outside under the chilly Dantooine sky. A small smile tugged at her lips, she didn't consider spending the night with the only grownup that genuinely cared for her much of a punishment.

Her life at the moment was pretty good, but doubts were making her head a mess. Xana had been promoted to padawan that afternoon, which meant she and Miss Bastila would leave on their super important mission soon. The Twi'lek didn't know the details, but it was something about stopping Malak and the Sith from messing up the galaxy even further. And that lead to the core of her problem: you don't stop the Sith by staying on Dantooine.

The end of Xana's training no doubt meant she'd leave the enclave together with her master to aid in the war. And that scared the living daylight out of Mission, because who was to say she'd be invited to tag along? Xana would want to take her without a doubt, but what about the other Jedi? Miss Bastila surely wouldn't be happy with the little brat coming along and she was convinced the Council wouldn't want someone as young as her in the way of their precious mission.

She knew Xana was headstrong and charismatic, but would she be able to sway the Councilors? The Councilors and Bastila? It would take an extreme amount of effort to convince all of them and even then she wasn't sure if Xana'd be able to pull it off. Even though Bastila sucked as a leader, she still was the one in charge. And if the knight forced the matter she'd overrule Xana, meaning Mission was forced to stay behind.

She would be abandoned once again.

Her parents had abandoned her. Her brother had abandoned her. Zaerdra had abandoned her.

The only ones who hadn't abandoned her were Zaalbar and Xana. Big-Z would never willingly leave her, but thanks to his life-debt he was forced to follow Xana, even if it meant being separated from his best friend. And what about Xana herself? Would she be able to convince Miss Bastila the little pest had to come? Would she bother to?

Xana's determined green eyes came to her mind, and she immediately regretted her negative thoughts. Of course Xana would bother to bring her along, the human adored her. The former marine had spent almost all her spare time on Mission, either educating her or simply blowing off steam by goofing around. She had not just been a mentor, but so much more than that. Xana's care and affection for the thief were almost limitless and she fulfilled very deep desires, desires Mission never really knew she had.

Part of Mission – a part she kept safely hidden away from everyone else – desperately wished that it was Xana Grey who had been her mother, not the sad excuse for a woman that abandoned her and Griff. She knew that thought was very childish, and she'd never share it with anyone. But the fact remained Xana cared very much for her, and Mission would do anything to stay with the human.

Bastila was a completely different story, Mission had to admit she was a bit scared of the senior Jedi. Whenever the Jedi Knight looked at her with those incredibly light grey eyes she felt like all the mischief she had ever committed was laid bare before the woman. It was the reason why she had confessed so quickly that she had indeed sneaked the bantha into the enclave. Mission highly doubted she'd ever be able to keep a secret from the brunette. She had a feeling Bastila didn't really like her, but then again, Mission had never given her any reason to. And now that might catastrophically backfire on her.

Her heart ached in her chest just thinking about being left behind. Losing the newfound safety of Xana's presence would probably be the hardest thing she'd ever have to endure, and that included Zaerdra's death. She had to talk to Xana about it, somehow convince the woman to take her along. She'd beg, plead, whine, wail, whimper… whatever necessary.

A sharp knock on the door brought her back to the real world. She rushed towards it to open it and nervously glanced around the edge, finding a positively beaming Xana on the other side. "'sup Blue?" she asked brightly. "Ready for a cozy night in the open?"

"Nope," she answered and managed a mischievous smile. "Wanna bail?"

The happy Jedi barked a loud laugh. "I'm no masochist," she grinned. "If she finds out – which she will – we'll be in even more trouble."

Mission left the room and followed the ex-marine into the hallway. "I don't understand why you allow her to boss you around like that," she remarked. "Aren't you the one with a degree in leadership?"

"Degree, degree… I'm but a simple lieutenant," Xana answered with twinkling eyes. "But it has helped me you know, accepting her as my superior. Having an honorable and strict mentor like Bastila has sped up the learning process tremendously, just like you did much better after I gave you a few good reprimands."

"And once things get difficult?" Mission wanted to know. "You'll be going against the Sith, right? Back on Taris she made a big mess of things, which you had to clean up for her."

"Not to worry, not to worry," Xana soothed with twinkling eyes. "Things are changing, the balance has shifted tonight. Right now she's still too proud to admit I'm the one meant to be in charge, but once we're out in the field she'll surrender leadership to me quickly enough, mark my words."

"We'll see about that," the Twi'lek muttered. "Is that why you're so happy right now?"

"Part of it," the padawan grinned goofily. "The two of us just had a good chat and I'm feeling awesome. Got all the crap that's been bothering me off my chest. And I've established that I can trust her one hundred percent… and that I'm indeed very much in love with her."

Mission cocked an eyebrow skeptically. "And you told her that too?"

"Err, I was planning to." Her face darkened. "But then I was interrupted by some macho Mandalorian who wanted to torture us by skinning us alive, effectively ruining the entire moment."

The Twi'lek wasn't too sure if Xana was serious or not. It was probably just a lame excuse. "You're a pussy," she huffed. "Just tell her how you feel."

The ex-marine looked a bit ashamed. "It's not that easy, you know? What if she snaps and never wants to see me again? I'd rather live with her as a friend than without her at all."

Mission shook her head and sighed. "You really are daft, you know? Doesn't she need you on this bloody mission? Aren't you two connected by a powerful bond? How can she ever shun you with all that is happening between you two? Besides, she's just as much into you as you are into her, she's just bullied by those close-minded Councilors." She gave one of the planters a kick to vent her annoyance. "Geez, it's pathetic that you need love counseling from a fourteen year old girl."

Xana grinned self-consciously and gave the tip of Mission's lek a playful little tug. "Bright little thing you," she smirked affectionately. "No wonder you're my prodigy."

The girl let out a small yelp and wrestled her lek free. "Oww," she huffed, while stroking the head tentacle gently. "That's sensitive you know?"

"A glaring flaw in your race's evolution," the strong woman said with a laugh. The duo had left the enclave and walked into the dark courtyard.

Mission folded her arms and shot her boss an angry look. "Yeah, like hair is such an ingenious example of intelligent design. You can totally see all its incredible benefits, like… oh wait, absolutely NOTHING!"

The ex-marine barked a laugh, after which she stroked her long black hairs while giving Mission a lecherous grin. "You might think that, but all the ladies fall heads over heels for my long mane. It's a bloody babe magnet I tell ya!"

The Twi'lek snorted. "No wonder you're still a bachelor," she dryly remarked.

"Ouch," Xana whined playfully. "That hurts Blue."

"Own damn fault for being so shillyshally," Mission huffed, causing Xana to chuckle.

The pair had reached a large tree in the courtyard with a patch of soft grass around it. Xana had walked here without hesitation, so perhaps it was her favorite spot whenever her master forced her to sleep outside. The padawan lay down on her back in the grass and patted the spot next to her, indicating the thief to lay down. Mission curled up against the human, laying her head on the strong woman's shoulder and snuggling close to get warm. It was pretty damn cold out here.

No sooner had she laid down comfortably, or she felt one of Xana's hands gently starting to stroke her lek. The feeling took her completely by surprise. It felt incredibly good, Twi'lek's head tails were very sensitive and the way Xana was caressing hers was nothing short of divine. It sent shivers through her entire body and made every single muscle relax completely.

The feeling was also completely alien to her, as no one had been ever close enough to do something so incredibly intimate to her. She wondered if Xana knew stroking a Twi'lek's lek was something only done by lovers, very close friends or family. Her mind told her the Jedi knew, because it gave her the incredible feeling of being loved and cared for. She snuggled a bit closer to the strong body of the woman, craving for the attention she was getting, and let out a content sigh.

The tender, loving caresses continued for a long time, but didn't manage to stop the flood of bad thoughts from creeping up in her mind. It actually strengthened her fear of being abandoned by her new guardian. Xana had come closer to her than anyone before, even Zaalbar. Being separated from her would be hell, plain and simple. The time for timidity was over, now she had to be bold to secure her future.

"Hey Xana?" she asked tentatively. The strong woman grumbled something in response, indicating that she was listening. "Your real mission starts tomorrow, right?"

"Tomorrow 800 hours sharp," came the muffled response.

"That means you'll be leaving Dantooine pretty quickly, right?"

Xana stirred a bit, trying to get comfortable. "They say Revan and Malak travelled the galaxy for a while, searching for some shit that's supposed to be the reason the Sith are kicking our asses. Considering it's our job to find that shit, I guess we'll be travelling the galaxy as well, yes."

The young Twi'lek shifted nervously, preparing for the question that had been bothering for months now. "Can I come with you?" she asked in an incredibly tiny voice.

To her surprise Xana chuckled. "What? Did you think you could stay all nice and comfy in the enclave, while I have to crawl through piss and shit in search for an elusive artifact? Living on a diet of soda and candy bars while I'm trying to swallow down stale ship food without gagging? Only for me to return to an enclave that has been burned to the ground… or painted pink?" She chuckled again. "Not a chance, young lady."

A ray of hope shone through Mission's heart. "You mean… I can come?"

"Wha… you seriously thought I was going to leave you behind?" Suddenly Xana was wide awake and looking at the girl intently.

Mission felt ashamed and childish. "I-I didn't know you'd want me to come. I mean, what use can I be to you? I'm always just tagging along, relying on you for guidance and protection. I try to act strong, but Bastila's right. I'm still just a child."

Xana wrapped both arms around the girl and pulled her on top of her, hugging her tight. "Have you any idea what you mean to me?" she whispered softly in Mission's ear. "Ever since I woke up with my memories gone, everyone I met was either hostile or a business acquaintance. You were the first friend I met, the first person that resembled something like family, someone I could just be with. With you I can just mess around without being judged."

The human continued stroking on of the Twi'lek's head tails. "Not only are you my student and protégée, but you're also the one who keeps me sane and down to earth with all the crap that's happening to me. Thanks to you I know exactly what I'm doing this for. So yes, you're staying with me, for as long as you like. Be it ten years, twenty years, or your whole damn life if you'd give me that honor. I'll be there for you." The strong arms pulled her even closer, until Mission was fully embraced by Xana. There was no mistaking it; those arms were possessive. Xana was claiming Mission as hers, and Mission had never felt so… right before. "I promise I won't abandon you. Ever."

The last sentence was spoken with so much emotion, with so much care, that Mission simply believed it every word. For the first time in her life she felt safe and secure, like she had finally found a home. It was such a powerful emotion that her entire heart ached with joy. "T-thank you," she muttered, and then burst out in uncontrollable tears. "Thank you s-so much."

"You're welcome Mission," Xana answered warmly, while continue rubbing the sobbing girl's lek affectionately and sheltering her from the outside world with her arms. "So stop worrying needlessly, you little idiot," she chuckled warmly. "You're mine. And I take good care of those who are mine."

It was too much, Mission simply couldn't believe she deserved this. Never before had a grownup taken such care of her like Xana had. The care and affection this woman gave her was simply incredible, and she couldn't describe the joy she felt while lying in the strong arms of her guardian. Was this what having a mother felt like? It didn't matter, because after fourteen years of aimless wandering she had finally found the anchor she was looking for.

She was home.

Basking in the strong presence of her guardian her tears slowly ebbed away and she drifted off in a deep, content sleep. A sleep that was free from nagging doubt and desperation for the first time in her life.