Jori wakes the next morning with empty arms. She looks around for Loneva, but the tent is empty. Fear seizes her. Did being so bold frighten the Jedi off? Did she move too fast? Did Loneva get cold feet? The Sith throws off her sleeping bag and darts out of the tent. There, she sees Loneva a few meters away, dressed in a white tunic and denim shorts, standing over the fire. She looks up. "Good morning," she says, clearly amused.
"G-good morning," Jori says, "You scared me, not being there when I woke up."
"What, are you going to complain that I made breakfast for you?" the Jedi smirks.
"No, of course not. That's very kind of you. I appreciate it." She nods.
"So," Loneva looks Jori up and down, "Are you planning on getting dressed at any point?"
Jori looks down at herself, then quickly covers her breasts and privates with her arms. "Oh, damn."
"Hey, don't cover yourself," Loneva says with a wink, "You've got a nice body."
"Shut up," Jori, completely red-faced, runs back into the tent and dresses herself hurriedly in a camouflage blouse and full-length, somewhat loose denim pants and her lightsaber belt. She emerges.
"Seriously, Jori, I don't mind," Loneva says. "And that's not just because we had sex last night. I've always been fine with nudity."
"Well, I'm fine with others being as undressed as they'd like. I just don't like being naked around others unless I'm being intimate with them. It's a trust issue."
The Jedi frowns. "I thought you trusted me."
"I…" Jori seems afraid to answer. "I...don't know how to explain it. But there's a time for this, and a time for that. Do you understand?"
"I...think?" She shakes her head and checks the pot again. "No, I don't understand. But I can live with it. Anyway, breakfast is ready now."
Jori takes the plate Loneva offers and sits by the fire with her. She takes a bite of the food, determined to keep a straight face while biting into it. "Thank you for last night," she says after swallowing, "It was wonderful."
"It was for me, too," Loneva says. "How do you like the food?"
"It's...quite delicious," Jori says, her voice dropping an octave.
"Jori, just because we're sleeping together doesn't mean you have to like everything about me. Now, how is the food?"
The Sith swallows. "The eggs are dry, and the meat is overcooked. But it's edible."
"Maybe I made the fire too hot. I think you should cook from now on."
Jori shakes her head. "Nobody is innately good at anything. You just need to practice."
"Jedi are taught to shun worldly things. I guess I've never really known what goes into creative cooking."
"Oh, I'd be happy to show you once you get a new registration for your ship," Jori offers. "Speaking of which, have you figured out how the Knights of Zakuul discovered us on Nar Shaddaa?"
"I think so. I'm guessing one sensed my Force aura, checked my identity against their records, and figured it out."
"Then I'll have to teach you how to hide your aura. It's difficult, but it can be done. We will have to leave this world eventually, and we won't be able to strike at the Eternal Empire without going into their territory."
"True."
"Finish eating, and we'll begin." Loneva obliges her, and turns to face her. "Now, close your eyes and imitate what I'm doing. In that order." When the Jedi's eyes are shut, Jori spreads her arms out to the sides. Loneva does the same. She clasps her hands above her head. Loneva does the same. She raises her right hand. Again, Loneva follows her lead. "Alright, see if you can follow now." She puts her arms on the ground. Loneva shrugs. "Come on," she says, sounding irritated, "Do it!" Loneva clasps her hands in front of her chest. "You can't see me, can you?" Jori snaps.
Loneva opens her eyes. "Sorry! It's just not something I've trained at!"
Jori takes a few deep breaths, then speaks. "I apologize for the outbursts, but it was necessary."
"How were you hiding your essence from me?"
"It's an old trick that was perfected at Darth Traya's academy on Malachor V. What it consists of is hiding one's location with powerful emotions combined with putting up a barrier to disrupt the aura. And it's what I'll teach you."
The Jedi winces. "Are you sure there isn't some other way?"
"You could use a stealth belt, but that would only protect you from being visually detected. You must use your emotions to confuse those trying to sense you with the Force."
"I'll have to try and find something on my own, then," Loneva says, standing up.
"That will take too long," Jori says, grabbing her wrist.
"But it's the acceptable option!" she pulls away.
The Sith stands. "Why? Why are you so unwilling to try my method?"
Loneva quotes the mantra by which she was raised. "There is no emotion, there is peace."
"That's all you can say? A tired old platitude?" Jori's eyebrows go down.
"It's there for a reason," Loneva insists. "Emotions are what lead to the Dark Side. It takes us and turns our entire being into hatred. That's what happened to Exar Kun!"
"You know, for somebody who looks down on emotion, you show quite a bit of yourself." Jori's irritation is now palpable, and not forced for the sake of a lesson. "When we were in the spring, you seemed plenty passionate. You didn't kiss me like a serene mystic."
"Sex is not forbidden for Jedi," Loneva says, "We just need to keep an emotional distance."
"So that's it?" Jori's yellow eyes glow, "I'm supposed to just accept that I helped you scratch an itch so you can relieve your conscience?!"
"I don't want to talk about this," Loneva says, turning around, "I need to go for a walk."
"No you don't," Jori steps in front of her, "This came out of nowhere. How do I know that you won't have a similar outburst in the future?"
"By letting me control my emotions, that's how!" Loneva roughly pushes Jori out of her way.
"You're barely controlling them!" the Sith exclaims as she stands up. "You're on the verge of throwing a tantrum!"
"I said...GO AWAY!" Loneva hurls a Force blast at Jori, then runs into the jungle, using the Force to propel herself at unnatural speeds. She continues running until her legs can no longer support her, not keeping track of where she's gone, and collapses in a clearing, breathing heavily.
Back at the camp, Jori takes a bundle of clothing under her arm down to the hot spring and uses the Force to wash each of the garments. She had allowed Loneva's push to work, thinking it's just what she needed to realize what was in her. She'll be back, sooner or later. Still, she feels a touch of regret at having to resort to it. Incorrigible a student as she may be, her Jedi lover is generally pleasant to be around. No, she needs to focus on bettering herself. That's, after all, the whole reason she came to this planet. Why not enjoy the solitude she's always craved so much?