Sorry it's been awhile since I updated. forgive me and enjoy

I was in my ship's galley, preparing for my trip to Nar Shaddaa.

Shortly after returning from Kaleth, I was approached by Master Bronn, who requested I take Grella with me to Nar Shaddaa for a few days. He wanted her to have the experience of being a Jedi off Tython, but also be supervised. Her leaving after a few days and returning to Tython on her own was also a part of the deal. Bronn wanted her to have just a quick taste of what it was like to be a full Jedi, with the hope it might cure her of her need for adventure. She needed to learn that life outside of Tython was hard and being a Jedi out in the universe was even harder.

I had agreed right way. It really was a good plan and Nar Shaddaa was a perfect place to take her. She would need to learn control of her emotions, since you could end up sharing air with Imperials and you had to not react, or get yourself killed. It would be an interesting job for me, keeping her alive, but I was willing to do what I must to help Grella make it to Jedi Knight in one piece.

I had nearly completed my inventory check, when Grella bounded in with her things, followed by her much more mellow master.

"This is so exciting! My first offworld trip." She exclaim, a bit too excitedly for my taste. "And it's with you!"

I looked to Bronn, who was rolling his eyes. The poor man really did have a challenging padawan. He was infinitely patient, though. Any other master would have given up on the wild youth ages ago.

"Yes, you're going with Zanthia. You will listen to her and follow her lead, as you would with me. I'm taking a chance letting you offworld at this point in your training, but I think the experience will be good for you and will help you understand why I get upset by your excitement. I expect a full report on what you learned when you return and I will get a full report from Zanthia to ensure you behaved."

Grella calmed down. "Of course Master. You don't need to worry. I'll make you proud."

Bronn nodded. "Good luck to both of you. Safe journey." He bowed, then left the ship.

"Remember what Master Bronn said. When we land on Nar Shaddaa, you must listen to what I tell you. It's a very rough place and you could literally be surrounded by Imperials or even Sith, but you must learn not to react. This moon is neutral territory and we must stay as neutral as possible. Any fight picked could cost, not just the Order, but the Republic. You must remember that, if nothing else."

Grella nodded, for the first time taking what I was saying seriously. "Of course, Zanthia. I'll follow your lead and do nothing without your permission. I know I sound excited, and I am, but I'm also terrified."

I smiled at my friend, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay to be scared, but don't let it interfere with your perception of the now. As Jedi, we must not let any emotions control our actions, regardless of the type of emotion."

She nodded.

"Excellent! Time to go." I said, allowing just a bit of excitement be heard in my voice.

XXX

The flight to Nar Shaddaa had been uneventful. I had to admit, it was nice flying with a companion. I had my droid onboard, of course, but it wasn't like having another flesh and blood person to interact with. Grella calmed down well during the trip and was amazingly composed as we made our way through the local spaceport for the first time.

She had told me during our trip that she had never been to a city like this one before, so she was much too busy looking at everything around her to cause any trouble. I didn't anticipate any problems while she was in my charge, but in a place like this, anything could happen. Nar Shaddaa wasn't exactly known for being a peaceful place.

Grella spent two days with me. I took her right to the refugee settlement, where she quickly learned that life as a Jedi wasn't all lightsaber battles and adventure. She did get to pull out her lightsaber when a thief tried to rob the settlement, but he turned and ran before there was a fight. All in all, I felt she learned something. I was sure Master Bronn would see a difference in her attitude.

As instructed, Grella left after the second day to return to Tython alone. After seeing my friend off, I meandered to a cantina at a slow pace, looking forward to a good Corellian ale. I didn't drink much, but I did like to indulge after a long day. Outside the entrance were several young children, handing out flyers for local establishments. A bright red Zabrak girl, who couldn't be more than 7 or 8 standard years old, handed me a flyer, but pressed it firmer into my hand than necessary. She smiled at me, then scurried away.

I looked at the papers in my hand and found she didn't just hand me a flyer, but also what looked like a datakey to one of the rentable rooms above the cantina. It had a room number written across the front in a curvey handwriting.

I froze in the hallway of the cantina, not sure what to do as I examined the datakey. It looked like someone was secretly trying to meet with me. The question was, was this person friend or foe? This could be something as innocent as an indecent proposal, to an Imperial ambush, to an undercover Republic agent asking for help.

I continued into the cantina, bypassing the bar and headed into the lift which took you to the second floor, where the rooms were located. Whatever this was, I had to investigate. If someone needed help, I couldn't ignore the invite, even if it was a trap.

I took my primary weapon off my belt and readied it in my right hand, holding the datakey in my left. These rooms had to be fairly small and one lightsaber would be enough to defend myself, as long as there weren't too many people in the room. I approached the room slowly, reaching out with my mind. I could only feel one person in the room. He or she seemed very calm, without even a trace of anger or aggression. They seemed a bit nervous, but not distractingly so. It was a good sign. I could also tell this person wasn't Force sensitive.

I took a deep breath, swiped the key and entered the room…

To Be Continued...