And now we've come to the end.

I'll post again soon in what's to come next.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Six

"I've got another one over here," Kyra said, running to another monstrous pile of rubble and debris. "Make that two." Aedan and Jedi Knight Bultar Swan, who they'd bumped into during the rescue efforts, were following her.

"How is she not tired?" Swan asked, her dark hair plastered to her head from sweat.

Aedan just shook his head, "Force knows," he said, wiping his brow.

Kyra was drawing in force energy, her eyes lighting up an electric blue, just as Aedan and Bultar caught up with her and began to take deep breaths. "One, two, three," Kyra said, and Aedan and Kyra lifted the biggest boulder off of the pile, while Bultar used the Force to make sure nothing else collapsed back into the hole.

They had been at it for hours, Kyra reaching deep into the force to help as many survivors as she possibly could. She hadn't been able to give any thought to the destruction as she had descended down into Coruscant to save Aedan. Aedan and the chancellor she reminded herself. Obviously. But now she had a new mission: Save as many as you can. She never paused to observe the devastation or the death toll that was in the tens of thousands. She gritted her teeth, and continued to pull people out of the wreckage.

Kriffing clankers, she thought, as she pulled more duracrete shards up into the air, and set them aside. How many had they rescued already? She stopped counting after twenty-five, and that was hours ago. She brought up another piece of rubble, and finally saw the individuals who had been trapped. Two durasteel support beams leaning against a large chunk of duracrete is what saved them. She pulled the steel beams up, while Aedan and Bultar removed the surrounding smaller pieces of debris.

"We're Jedi and we're here to help," Kyra said, and leapt down into the meter deep hole. A young boy was curled up next to what Kyra assumed was his mother, her back was toward them. The boy turned a dust-covered face toward her. Two streaks ran down from his eyes to the bottom of his chin. Those eyes had been leaking, nnow they held hope when he noticed the three of them. Kyra extended her hand, "Come on, little one, I've got you now."

The boy merely pointed to his mom, "Please, help my mom and sister. They're hurt."

"Sister?" Kyra asked and drew closer to the mom who still hadn't moved from her tightly curled fetal position. Kyra could sense the mother was alive through the force, so she wasn't worried about that, but why was she still not moving. "Ma'am, you're safe now." But the lady still wouldn't move. Kyra stepped over her and knelt down next to her so she could see the lady's face. Then she saw a little white sock on a small, tiny foot. "Oh, Force, please no."

She gently pulled at the woman's arm and saw that she had been curled around an infant, which she now heard was crying. Relief swept through her as she felt the baby's unique signature in the force. Alive, and unhurt. The woman was badly bruised in several areas—her body taking a beating as she protected her baby.

"Ma'am," Kyra said, "It's okay, we can get her to safety, we just need you to get up."

The woman, who must have been lying there for hours experiencing all manners of torture to shield her child from danger was unable to fathom that it was over, that she could relax. Kyra laid her hand on the woman's shoulder, and channeled peace into her. She spoke into her mind, promising her it was okay, and that she was safe now.

Slowly, the woman began to uncoil. Bultar hopped down to help, and began pulling the woman up, while Kyra gently picked up the baby, holding it underneath its arms. She held the baby up, unsure of what to do next. She had never held a baby before. But the moment the child looked into her still shimmering eyes, it quieted down, apparently mesmerized by the sparkly orbs in front of it. Kyra, as if she were handling baradium charges, carefully maneuver the baby so its head was resting against her upper arm, and she supported the rest of it with her hand. It was so tiny. So fragile.

"You got it, Kyra?" Bultar Swan asked as she helped the woman out of the pit.

Her eyes snapped away from the baby, and she nodded towards Bultar. Then she looked up, and saw Aedan was staring at her. His face an unreadable mask.

What?

I love you.

She smiled. You said that already.

Oh, I can't say it twice?

Kyra looked down; I hope you say it a million more times.

"I will," he said out loud.

Cautiously, Kyra climbed out of the pit while still holding the baby, who still wouldn't take her eyes off Kyra's eyes, which weren't the electrified blue they were before but were still abnormally bright.

An emergency management team of paramedics and firefighters rushed toward them, placing the woman in a hover-stretcher, and another paramedic reached for the infant in Kyra's arms.

Kyra hesitated for a moment. Looked down at the baby, then at the man reaching for the baby. Then once more at the baby. She let out a breath and slowly, almost reluctantly, handed the tiny child over to the man in dark blue medical gear. "It's okay, we'll take it from here."

Kyra nodded, and watched the man walk away.

An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and Kyra, instantly knowing who it was, leaned into Aedan's embrace. They stared at the surroundings, the sun starting to go down, casting a golden hue on the battle-damaged skyline.

"You were amazing today, Kyra."

"So were you."

Aedan shrugged, "We make a great team."

"That is true," a voice said behind them, causing them both to turn and see Master Windu standing there, hands on hips. They stepped away from each other quickly, and bowed simultaneously, causing Mace to look at the ground and shake his head. "You do make a good team," he said, taking a few steps to the side and looking over the relief operations. "You two haven't stopped working, haven't stopped rescuing people since the fighting ended. You've saved probably a hundred lives, maybe more, and that was all after what you accomplished today."

Kyra shook her head, "We failed you, Master."

Master Windu raised a finger, "No. The failure was not yours," he said far too intensely. Recognizing his boiling emotions, he let out a breath, and glanced away, apparently having a difficult time looking them in the eye. "Anakin and Obi-Wan were successful in retrieving the Chancellor."

"Yea, that Dreadnought missing half its hull and crashing on the surface had Skywalker written all over it."

"They also killed Count Dooku."

Now that was a surprise. Aedan was about to ask what the plan was now that Dooku is gone, but he saw that Mace was internally struggling with something, the scowl on his face more pronounced than usual.

"Everything I've ever learned goes against what I'm about to say, but after what I saw from you two today—that unimaginable display of skill, power, and teamwork—I've been forced to reconsider your situation."

Kyra felt her heart sputter, anticipation beginning to sprout wings.

"You two are permitted to remain...together."

"What?" Aedan asked, incredulous.

"I do see you two through the Force, and there's nothing but light there. You love each other, and yes, you've grown attached, but what you have accomplished with that attachment spurring the other on, leading one another, it's...it's incredible. I would be doing a disservice to the order by keeping you two apart. So, you two may continue your relationship."

Aedan's mouth was wide open, and he couldn't seem to voice anything, so Kyra spoke up. "I don't know what to say, Master."

He held up a hand, "There are a few conditions: No public displays. We can't have other padawans and knights and masters thinking this is okay, because frankly they aren't you. Obviously, we'll have to consider allowing this eventually. With guidelines of course." He shook his head once more, "Force, what have you two done to this order," and then he smiled. A genuine smile. "Two...just," he held up a hand, "Be careful and be wary. You too will be under close scrutiny, but just continue carrying out the mission to the best of your ability like you two have been doing the past three years, and all will work out." He still had trouble looking them in the eyes and was stumbling with his words. This was difficult for him to say.

"Aedan," he said this time looking the Jedi Knight in the eyes, "I'm sorry. I've treated you unfairly. I thought poorly of you because you were unorthodox in your ways, but you always followed the Force. More so than the majority of the order.

"And Kyra," he said turning to her, "What is there to say? You have become everything I hoped you would be. Thank you both."

Kyra and Aedan were both in disbelief. "Master, thank you, that means everything to us," Aedan said, and Kyra nodded earnestly.

"May the Force be with you," he said, and then walked away.

The two Jedi turned toward each other. "I so want to hug you right now," Kyra said. "I can't believe this."

"It seems too good to be true," Aedan said.

Kyra shrugged, "Or maybe it's just the Force works in mysterious ways."

"That it does."

Kyra took a deep breath. She could ponder this new reality another time. And she would definitely take advantage of their new situation later. The idea sent shivers through her body. But for now, she had work to do.

"Let's get back to it," she said.

Aedan nodded, "Lead the way."

After catching a gunship ride back to the temple, the two weary jedi made their way into the temple. It had been a long day. Like an Elzar Mann and the fall of Starlight long kind of day. Kyra didn't even hesitate in following Aedan to his quarters. Though the moment Aedan closed the door behind them, the day's weariness seemed to fade, and they were in each other's arms. Kyra pulled Aedan to her as close as she possibly could, and it just didn't seem to be close enough.

"I missed you so much," Kyra whispered.

Aedan nodded into her neck. "I felt like I couldn't breathe with you gone. My chest was literally aching without you. But now I can finally breathe again." Aedan took a deep breath in celebration and let it out slowly.

The emotions swirling within Kyra were nearly too much. She felt tears brimming. Not only were they together at last, but they had permission. This was no longer going against the order. Their desires and their duties had aligned. Kyra let out her own deep breath.

She pulled back from Aedan looking him square in the eyes, the tears now falling freely.

"We did it," she said.

Aedan smiled, his own eyes glistening. "We did it," he confirmed somehow knowing exactly what she meant, like he always did.

She leaned in and their lips met. This time there was no sense of regret or wrongdoing. Nothing holding them back. They could love without second guessing their actions.

The war was still raging, a masked monster was still plotting the fall of the Jedi, but for now, for tonight, it was just the two of them. Together. The hope of brighter days to come dancing around them, and whispering of a future with green fields and golden sunsets.