Visitation

Here, have this.

Reviews and criticism are welcome.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

The next few weeks came and went. I didn't really do all too much other than the usual duties and coordinate with the Unseen to find a meeting spot for Shmi and Anakin. Mace sparred with me a few more times. I don't think he was after anything specific during those sessions. I think that I just made it into the rotation of his usual sparring partners. I was honored. I don't think he was going to ever teach me Vaapad, but I enjoyed being able to step up to the next level of saber mastery. Still had a bit of work to do, before I had Juyo mastered, but I was getting there. Mace was a hard teacher, but clear cut. I found I liked that a lot. Reminded me of Tal'or, when he wasn't prancing around the underworld.

On a related note, the battle Meditation Club started up again. Despite our ideological disagreements Rancisis and I got along alright. Any frustrations we had, would be taken up on the court so to speak. It had stopped being about just training just me. Instead, we began to rotate out. That was nice. I still lost against all three combined, but I never stopped trying. I needed to know firmly where my limits were in the battles to come. Only the Grandmaster could win against us all.

I found out my favorite range had shut down. The owner passed away and his kid turned it into a storage warehouse. The new owner had a decent reason at least. He couldn't run both his general store and his father's old range. Once things settled he would look into selling it to one of his father's friends so they could keep the place going in the future. It was annoying as I wearily had to use the range in the Temple basement for the time being. After I got over my annoyance at the Gray Paladins' stubbornness, I decided I might ask them for tips. While I had experimented incorporating a blaster into my saber forms in the past, I had never fully focused on it nor did it mesh well. Perhaps it was time to build bridges instead of fording the river downstream to avoid said bridge.

It was just that once we really got to talking, it devolved into a theological mess regarding using the Force as intended or ignoring the abilities the Force itself has granted therefore ignoring the Force. In short they were trying to convert me into one of them and I was at least trying to turn them into Teepo Paladins or proper Sentinels. They were clearly wrong though.

The Gray Paladin's didn't bother me at least due to my new rank. That was nice. I knew they all but salivated over my Swiftkick. Apparently it had become even more of a collector's item in recent years. One that was still working anyway. The seals in blasters went to hell if you didn't shoot them regularly or vacuum seal them in a display case. Finding new seals involved having them custom made or tracking down factory seals which in some cases could be worth as much as the blaster they were designed for.

Initially I lamented that they had discontinued production. It was a fine piece. Luckily I found I could do something about that. I reached out under a moniker. One of many. I purchased the rights for it from Blastech. The pistol had been out of general circulation for sometime and Blastech was going to let the patent expire anyway.

Why bother, right? Well, with the patent, I could have the base design upgraded and have a reliable and official clone on the market before the other blaster companies tried their hand at their own clones. There were some issues with the compact blaster that I had felt needed adjusting. It was thicker than it should be and I really wished that the grips could be swapped out for smaller or larger grips and the trigger could have a crisper break. Which is why my alternate persona partnered with Mandaltech to manufacture and improve on the design.

One of the conditions being they come up with an improved variant. Perhaps even a full size version. They agreed, reluctantly. Their small arms division was working on it now. It would take a few years as proper testing was required. I might have to renew the patent. We'll see as I wasn't really sure how that worked. While I had loads of money, I only kept around five percent which was still a substantial sum. The rest was invested or donated to various charities. Oh and upkeep for the damn prison world I had no idea what to do with. How do sell worlds? An Ad in the paper?

FOR SALE!

Fully functioning Deep Core carbonite prison.

Guaranteed Escape free with its hazardous location and frozen prisoners.

Fully automated with amenities for onsite Organic Personal.

Luckily that world just needed shipments of raw materials and the Droids there would fashion what they needed at foundry on site including parts for themselves if needed. I haven't even been there. Considering how hard it was to travel in the deep galactic core, I decided to put it off for the time being. aa

In the meantime, I leaned my head back on the tram, taking me toward the old speakeasy where I met Plagueis for the first time. Thinking about Plagueis allowed my thoughts to drift to Maul's Scimitar. Which was still tucked in the Jedi Temple hangers. Luckily no one would bother it as I posted a note on the hatch that read:

Dibs

- Luminara

Foolproof.

I entered the place. It was dusty and all the furniture was covered in duraplas wrap. I searched every nook and cranny for any clue the Old Muun might have left. There was none which was to be expected. I mostly bought this place because it was off the books. I would have to spruce up the always said Red as a color is looks good when it's new, but if you don't refresh it becomes stale or some osik like that. Komari could spruce the place-

I caught my thoughts and stood there for a time, before resolving to just turn it into a safehouse and spare armory. In its current state it would serve as a meeting place for Shmi and Anakin.

Even though I had approval, the purpose of meeting here still made it look like I was going against the council in this matter. It would give off a sort of rebel legitimacy to the whole thing for the Unseen.

After finishing up and making the place presentable, I went back to my apartment. I had only been here briefly to gather a few things and store my Bellicose armor before my duel with Maul. Thoughts of that fight made me cringe. So sloppy. I absently scratched at the ghost arm. It felt so real that I forgot I had even lost it. It was a bizarre feeling.

The armor itself had dried and it looked beautiful. Golden highlights along the edges stuck out, all geometrically shaped. Komari had done her research and nothing was culturally off. No misplaced diamonds or triangles. Nothing that screamed fake. She must have looked it up or had a second more reliable source. This will turn heads in bounty hunter circles. Might even get a mention in the Weekly update the Bounty Hunters' Guild puts out. They liked to keep tabs on freelancers, especially notable ones.

Even so, it was a very quick trip as I wanted to avoid going into the master bedroom. I found myself outside the door anyway. It had been sealed. I should have left it open to air out. My force enhanced senses instantly picked up her scent. I powered on through the familiar miasma, until I found myself sitting on the bed where it was still strongest.

I felt the covers under my hands and briefly a memory of a hand caressing my back and pulling me down into the covers entered my mind. I resisted that urge to lay down. I didn't want to land in an empty bed.

Instead, I forced myself to stand. It took more effort than I thought and moved to the dresser. I reached in the top drawer and pulled out a fancy silk glove. Komari wore it at a party she attended a few months prior to Yinchor. I didn't have to dress up for that one, I got to super sleuth my way around the ducts and hallways in order to find evidence instead.

I smiled. I liked that mission. I hated those parties. Komari liked them, and that was why I put up with them.

It felt good as I slipped it over the Force arm. Komari had slightly bigger hands than mine, but I could have sworn the glove fit perfectly. I shrugged. I left the room, Turning back to look at it one more time, before shutting the door. I will return, but right now, I had a meeting to plan.

Anakin

He hated it here. Meditation class would have been better if he was allowed to fix something while doing it. He didn't like the eyes he felt watching him while his own eyes were closed. He could sense their stares and resentment. The other students weren't the nicest nor were they outright mean. They resented him skipping over so much of what they trained years doing. Not to mention they envied how much he had learned in such a short span and how easy it was for him to do so. There was another big factor. There were only so many Jedi looking for padawans to go around. This led to a competition to see who was better and who would be left to join the Service Core. There was an often unspoken horror of being sent to the service core.

Anakin's ease at learning what was being taught only seemed to inflame that divide. He would admit it wasn't hard to see why they didn't really like him. He was glad that Barriss didn't seem to mind being around him. He liked being around her as well. She was quiet, but she wasn't too proud to take advice from him on some techniques. She offered some tips on blocking out the negative feedback from the other students. Barriss had become good at that. That made him angry. She was so nice. The Others didn't think much of her as she was youngest and often wondered why she wasn't in a lower class. She was never hesitant to be his sparring partner when they practiced drills. That made him dislike the others even more.

She was the only reason that he could bear to stay in this place right now. Luminara also promised he would get to see his mom. He hoped she wasn't lying. She had seemed determined to make it happen. The idea of his Mother living in the seedy underbelly of this vast city world. To say he was worried, was an understatement. Was she a slave to some crime lord or sitting in an alley begging? His mind was a wash with worry, despite the assurances of Luminara that Zane seemed on the level.

His lessons in the fighting ring had just finished, when he sensed Luminara. He looked around the hallway that went back to his room. She was leaning on a pillar talking to another Master from the looks of it. She had clearly been waiting. The other master had a suave look about him and his dreadlocks gave him away. It was Master Vos. Vos was always fun to be around when he was here. Anakin smiled.

"And then I had to blow it up." Vos sighed. "Shame too, You don't see many artifacts that old. I don't care much about archeology, but that was something else."

"Well if anyone hasn't said it already, thanks for saving Coruscant. I appreciate it since I live here. Also I am sure there are more stargates out there. They had to have more if there was a network. Who knows, maybe they connect to a secret mountain base on the human homeworld." Luminara chuckled to herself before she noticed Quinlan confused look and changed the subject. "How is Aayla doing by the way?" Luminara briefly adjusted her veil after bumping it on the pillar she was leaning on.

"She is doing great, It won't be long until she takes the trials."

"That's good to hear. It seems like it was just yesterday I was herding back into her room while on temple guard duty."

Quinlon chuckled, "She mentioned a temple guard that seemed more angry about her lightsaber forms than her being out after curfew. Should have known that was you." He nodded toward Anakin as he exited the classroom. "Speaking of Padawans…" Luminara turned. She smiled.

"Hey kid. How'd class go?"

"Alright. We worked on our meditation." he said.

"Oh, how long did you manage before you fell asleep?" Luminara said. Master Vos smirked at that. Anakin blushed.

"I managed not to fall asleep today." It was true. Normally he did nod off somewhat, but today he managed to get into the flow if only toward the end.

"That's good. I had a hard time getting the hang of meditation back in the day." Luminara admitted.

"Only for you to find that it was a crucial part of your skill set." Master Quinlan jested.

"Yes, the Irony writes itself." Luminara changed the subject. "Anyway, I thought I'd check in."

Anakin wasn't sure he should ask. He didn't want to pester Luminara. She raised an eyebrow, already knowing what he wanted to ask. Perhaps even without reading his emotions or sensing his thoughts.

"Tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I managed to get a place lined up for the meet the Unseen would be okay with." Luminara started scratching her gloved hand.

"Has the Council cleared that?" Quinlon asked and Luminara shrugged.

"Better to ask for forgiveness than permission. Besides, Master Plo made it sound like it was a yes."

"They probably know you would just do it anyway. Is it wise to push them so much after they greenlit your new enclave idea?" Luminara simply gave him a look that said "yeah." Anakin smiled.

"I suppose if they hadn't kicked you out by now…" Quinlon shook his head.

Luminara grinned. "Well they do need pushing every once in a while. I am still rather tame compared to Qui-gon. Now he pushed things." It looked like she was going to go on a long rant before she looked at Anakin. "Anyway, that conversation can wait. Anakin, be ready to go when I stop by later." She nodded to Quinlan who gave his own nod and left to return to his own duties.

"Okay," Anakin said excitedly. Luminara gave him a quick wave before departing He couldn't wait to tell Barriss later. Wait, Barriss-

"Wait!" he nearly shouted. Luminara turned back to look at him.

"Is Barriss still coming with us?" Anakin asked with a hint of trepidation.

Luminara just smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Before Anakin realized what he was doing he hugged her. Luminara's body stiffened at the contact, but relaxed and he felt her arms on his shoulders.

He pulled back. "Sorry I…"

"It's fine," Luminara brushed it off. "You better get to your next class." Anakin did his best but he could tell that he was too impatient and received more shocks from the remotes in blaster deflection class than his usual none. Even despite the snickers of the other students, he was just too excited to care. Bariss perked up when he told her. She had been excited to meet his mother as well.

I could sense the tension in the Unseen guards as they shifted nervously on their feet. It wasn't their fault. I don't think they actually knew a lot about body guarding at all. They had never even seen the sun, much less the level above 1313.

These men were clearly the only ones. Desiree and Zane had both accompanied Shmi and hadn't come off as uneasy. I wondered who was watching their little bar down below. Zane probably had people for that. Desiree was annoying me with her prods at my emotions. None of them got through. I didn't comment on it. One, I was sure it was instinctual zeltron behavior and two, I didn't want to ruin the moment. The only other Zeltron I knew was Ida and she was weird. Not weird per say, just that the Mandalorian was overwriting the Zeltron. Maybe more like melded together. Zeltron's had a vicious warrior culture overshadowed by their "other" cultural aspects.

Anakin was telling Shmi about life in the temple. He clearly was leaving something out. I remembered that the other students were jealous of Anakin, but kept their distance. Barriss sat quietly next to him. Shmi looked relieved to see her child again and was more than happy to simply listen to him ramble on about his training. However, she did notice Barriss, and would ask her questions. Barriss was clearly warming up to Shmi. I wondered briefly about Barriss' parents.

"How about you Mom? Have you been doing alright…? Down there?" He gave a look to Zane.

"More than fine. Zane has been a great host." Shmi wasn't lying and showed no signs of being forced into saying that. I looked at Desiree. She sensed my skepticism. She signaled me to follow. I saw Zane nod to her, saying it was okay.

We went over to the back of the storeroom behind the bar. I shut the door behind me.

"So, everything above board?" She knew better than to lie. (If there was a lie to tell.)

"Shmi is fine. Better than fine, insisted on working to at least cover the room and board. Zane was hesitant, but when the next morning we woke up to find the kitchen the cleanest it had ever been, he relented."

I nodded. Damn, she was pretty. Her skin tone was just the right shade of pink and- I shook my head. What was going on?

"I was worried you put her to work, though I sense you aren't lying." I looked up and she had moved closer. Her long blue hair was combed over to one side. Before she stepped closer, I found myself stepping back. "Uhm," I said as I stared into her eyes. Those dark purple eyes. Purple? Shouldn't they be blue? I woke as if from a trance, and realized to my annoyance that I allowed myself to go into a small enclosed space with poor airflow while with a zeltron. I put my hand up and stopped her.

"No, please." It was too soon, way too soon for such a thing. "I'm flattered, but no." I must have let some emotion slip through the net. Her face softened in understanding. Damn empath.

Then the Zeltron smirked, but nodded. Her hand brushed my waist briefly, feeling my abs under my robes and sliding her hand down to my waist. I would have stopped her if I sensed her intent to pursue. Instead, I heard a click of her inserting a chip into my comm link.

"Apologies," She smiled wanly, "I understand you have Zane's contact info, but he isn't always available. Just in case." Did she just give me her number?

I coughed, "Of course. Thank you for your honesty." I quickly left the room doing my best to get the pheromones out of my system.

Shmi was still talking with Barriss, and Anakin was sizing up Zane. I looked at Zane and he was clearly concerned for Shmi. I looked at Desiree who still seemed a bit let down about my stalling of her advances.

"My parents were killed in a speeder accident. They found me cocooned in a little force bubble." Barriss said. She sounded sad, understandably so. "I was sent off to the temple soon after."

"I am sure they would be proud and happy to know you lived and are going to be Jedi." Shmi said in a motherly tone. She had taken with Barriss and it was apparent that the feeling was mutual.

"She is like that with the street kids too. Easy going and willing to listen." I turned to see Zane lean on the wall next to me. There was admiration in his voice.

"She had a lot of practice on Tatooine." I remarked.

"Yeah, she told me a bit about that." Zane was quiet, before speaking again, "I am surprised you kept your word. Jedi aren't known for much down in 1313 other than causing trouble. Well meaning I grant, but trouble all the same."

I nodded, "We do tend to womp rat our way through things and then tend not to stick around for the consequences. Of course some could argue that we do the heavy lifting."

Zane nodded. We were quiet for a time. I found myself asking a question, but Zane beat me to it.

"Why did a Jedi decide to break tradition?"

I chuckled. I didn't want to get into that right now. I simply said. "I just want us to be heroes again."

After about two more hours, it was time to go.

"Bye, Mom,"

"By Ms. Skywalker."

Shmi smiled and bid them farewell. I told Zane to send me updates.

"Don't worry, we know how to watch our backs." He said. Shmi approached as Anakin and Barriss went to the door to get ready.

"Thank you for this." Shmi said. "He needed it." She looked at her son. Anakin waved from the doorway.

I nodded "Yeah, I could tell he wanted to ask, but refused to look like he was pestering me."

Shmi smiled. "Take care of him." She looked into my eyes and I matched her gaze.

"I will," I turned and called out to Anakin and Barriss. "TIme to go."

Anakin didn't complain, nor did Barriss. While I would have liked to spend some more time, there was only so much time one could spend visiting before things got too awkward, and it was better to keep things short and sweet. I would have to be clear to Anakin that this couldn't become a regular thing, but I felt that things went well. Anakin wouldn't have to be stuck in class for very long as my new Enclave proposal was going through. I would take Anakin with me to the station, Barriss too.