The trip to Mandalore was a tense one, and the trip to the medcenter afterwards was even worse. Jense's eyes were like daggers and Kira could feel them burning into her back whenever they were laid upon her. She had the inkling that her resemblance to himself was not yet noticed, he still seemed very dazed and confused but that didn't stop his distrust of all the Jedi in his company.
Aside from the minor laceration on her chin and a touch of dehydration, Kira was in perfect health and after an hour of observation, she was released. She walked out to the lobby and found Kal waiting, his legs crossed, ankle to knee and his arms crossed over his chest. His helmet lay beside him on the seat to the left.
"You're still here?" She asked, a little surprised.
"Yeah," he said leaning against the arm rest. "I can't imagine Jense will be safe to drive home for a while so I figured I'd wait to take him."
"You're a kind man, Skirata." Kira jested. "Mind if I join you?"
Kal nodded and moved his helmet from the seat beside him offering her the space. Kira sat down. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, for the most part. You guys came in the knick of time, the Taavarians weren't able to do their magic on me and aside from Jango dropping me on my face, I'm fine."
"Good," he said with a laugh. "It would be a shame if the only Jedi we've allied with in centuries lost her largest asset."
Kira chucked. She wondered if that implied he intended on seeing more of her after today. "Honestly, though."
"Your Jedi friends should be out shortly," he said. "It seems the older one was a little worse for the wear but they should be fine."
"And Jense?"
Kal shrugged. "I haven't heard anything yet."
Kira nodded. "Hopefully he's alright."
"He's resilient," Kal said assuredly. "I'm sure he will be."
"Good." she said with a nod.
Then, as if on cue, a nurse came from behind a set of doors.
"Are you Kal Skirata?" She asked in Mando'a. Kira couldn't understand a lick of what they were saying but she watched the conversation anyways. She made a mental note to learn the language if she was going to keep hanging around these bucketheads, but it all depended on what happened with Jense. He held her entire future in his hands even if he didn't know it.
"Yes, Ma'am." Kal replied.
"We are going to keep Jense overnight for observation," she said. "It appears he has sustained some head trauma that we would like to keep an eye on."
Kal nodded. "I'd be surprised if he didn't." Considering the tunnel cave-in and being thrown around it would be a miracle if he hadn't sustained some type of injury besides whatever magic the Taavarians used on him.
"He has been insistently asking for you two since he's been here." She said with a smirk.
"I'm not surprised." He chuckled.
"Follow me then." She said with a wave of her hand.
When Kal stood, Kira did as well. He switched back to basic. "We're going to see Jense now if you're still up for it. Now's your last chance to walk away, he won't let you leave if you walk in there without answers."
"I'm ready, Kal." She answered with a pat on his shoulder. He nodded and turned to the nurse.
The nurse led them down the hallway Kira had just come down from to a door opposite of the room Kira had been in previously. She waved her hand over the panel and the door slid open.
The room was pale white with cabinets to the side and a bed in the center next to a bunch of medical equipment.
Jense laid on the bed, in a medical gown with wires taped to either side of his head, a heart monitor on his chest and a pulse meter on his right pointer finger.
"Jense, you have visitors." She said standing aside to let Kal and Kira pass before she stepped out of the room to give them space.
Jense looked over at his comrade before his eyes traveled to the Jedi at his side. She wore a plain brown poncho over her Jedi uniform and her hair was braided neatly over her shoulder, his expression hardened. He could not see why a Jedi wanted anything to do with him, even if he was Force sensitive, he was far too old to be of any use to them. They would have to be truly desperate to recruit anyone older than an infant.
"I want those answers now." He demanded. He had waited enough time and his patience for the Jedi was running thin.
Kira and Kal traded glances as if the younger was asking permission. A silent agreement was made and she moved to stand beside the railing of the bed. She looked down at her hand that held onto the rail. She had no idea where to begin. What was the best way to break it to a man that his daughter, who was thought to have died in infancy, was alive and well? Kira had absolutely no idea.
"Do you remember what my name is?" She asked, her voice cracking slightly. She avoided looking up, she felt that if she looked into those eyes she wouldn't be able to spit it out. His gaze alone was enough to make one want to hide away.
He raised an eyebrow. He couldn't remember, upon waking, his mind was too cloudy to retain hardly any information, much less the name of a rotten Jedi and he couldn't see why it was important. This girl was nothing to him, knowing her name wouldn't change that, he was sure. "No."
"My name is Kira," she said.
"So?" There were plenty of girls named Kira, it was a Corellian name, sure, but he still couldn't see why it mattered.
"Well, Kiratta." She mumbled, sometimes even she forgot that her name wasn't just Kira, she hadn't used her full name for anything other than formalities, but now she was stalling. Getting the words she wanted out was harder than she imagined.
Jense raised an eyebrow again, the resemblance still had not crossed his mind. He had spent years upon years burying his pain away and had it all locked so far back in his mind, only when his conscious mind was down could those memories come out. Sometimes, he even forgot that he had lived a life that didn't entirely revolve around a constant supply of jobs and busy work.
"Get to it, Girl." He growled.
"I'm a Kenvor," She stated bluntly, Jense glared. "And I think we may be related. That's why I came... I believe there's a possibility that you may be my father."
Jense stared blankly and a deafening silence filled the room. Kira's eyes flickered to Kal then back to Jense. He was unreadable, no expression and Kira could not grasp any sort of emotion through the Force.
Finally, his eyebrows furrowed. "That's not possible." He said dismissively, his brain refused to accept the possibility that it could be true. "You are mistaken, Jedi."
"I know it sounds crazy," She said calmly. "I know what you've been through and I would probably think the same if I were in your shoes but I really think-"
"No." He said, simply refusing to hear Kira out. He avoided looking at her, as if he ignored it enough she would just go away. He was certain this was an awful dream and he would eventually wake up. It was surely just a dream, there was no possible way this girl was speaking the truth and an even smaller chance that she had convinced Kal Skirata of the same.
"Jense-" Kira tried, her voice faltering as the little confidence she had rapidly faded.
"No."
Kal rolled his eyes and huffed loudly. "Dear Manda, vod, look at this child, you can't tell me you don't see it." he said, frustratedly motioning to Kira. "You would have to be blind and I know for a fact you have excellent vision."
Jense's nose curled as he looked at Kal, before looking at Kira. She was the same height as Kal, coal black hair that was tied neatly in a braid that hung over her shoulder down to the bottom of her ribs, then he looked at her face. Her eyebrows were knitted together in frustration but she had a pleasant face. She was young, that was for sure but what really caught his attention were not her intense, cold eyes, though that was usually the first thing someone noticed about her. With eyes that blue it was hard not to ignore them, but what he noticed was the two moles on the left side of her upper lip.
He stared for a long time before he began to see pieces of a face he'd longed to see for almost two decades. His wife's. Lenore's. If she had just had blonde hair and green eyes he could almost see her within the girl's face.
"It's not possible." He said finally trying to understand. "The house was destroyed. There is no way an infant could have survived."
Kira shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "but all I know is I see a lot of myself in your eyes and we share the same name, the similarities cannot be coincidence."
It was then that he finally saw the resemblance they shared. He had been overlooking the blatantly obvious since he had met her but now that she had mentioned it, she did look like a female version of himself.
"Ni enteyor cuyir nuhoy." He said, shaking his head, putting a hand over his face.
"You're not dreaming, vod." Kal said, more to translate for Kira than to confirm what was happening.
"I don't understand," Jense said, trying to make sense of it all. "How?"
Kira shrugged. "I wish I had the answers you needed but I don't," she said. "But all I know is that I was picked up by the Jedi as a baby and that I am alive with no recollection of how I got there or where I came from and I also know that you're the only other Kenvor I've ever met or even heard of and I'm just hoping there is a chance for…" A chance for what exactly? A chance that if she left the Jedi she had somewhere to go? A chance for the connection she so longed for? She didn't know exactly what she was searching for when she decided to seek out Jense Kenvor. "Something."
Jense stared at her again. How many years had he spent with a massive hole in his heart? He had convinced himself he had let go of the past but now that Kira stood before him he realized he hadn't let it go, he just buried it. He almost didn't want to believe what he was seeing, somehow that was easier than accepting that his only child was alive.
"I want to be sure," Jense said after a moment. "There are many who look like each other without any relation. The galaxy is too large for there not to be. I…I just want to be sure." Before he could allow himself to gain any hope, he had to know for sure. That way if it was a false alarm, he could shove it back down before it was too late.
Kira nodded. She could sympathize. She wanted it too, she needed it. She couldn't be certain of anything without a blood test as concrete proof. "Can they do paternity tests here?" She asked Kal.
"I'd be surprised if they couldn't." He said as he pushed the button that called the nurse.
Jense let out an exhausted sigh. He found that spark of hope ignite in his heart, he had nothing left to remember his family by but memories. Everything else has burned away in the destruction of his home but if this child proved to actually be his, he would no longer feel so lost and angry, he was sure of it but he had to know for sure.
The nurse came in after a knock on the door. "You called?" She asked.
"Is there any way we can see if their blood matches?" Kal asked, motioning to Kira and Jense.
She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Long story," Kal said. "She could be his kid, we just want to be sure."
She made a surprised face. "Oh," she said. "But yeah we can." She circled around to the corner of the room where all the medical equipment was and pulled out a handheld device and two needles. She went to Jense's side and drew his blood, she put the vial into the side of the device. "Alright," she said, turning to Kira. "Your turn."
Kira went to her side and sat down in the seat next to her before rolling up her sleeve. "Go for it."
Kira's blood was drawn and the vial added to the device.
The screen of the device went into a processing page and then after a few minutes it beeped out loud. The nurse looked up, "It's a match." She glanced at both Kenvors.
Jense's eyes immediately filled with tears, his hands were quick to cover his eyes in a failed attempt to hide away the wave of emotion that overtook him. That fragile gate that held back the hope and old pains flew open and came crashing through like a tidal wave.
The nurse and Kal glanced at each other, Kal motioned his head and they both left the room to give the newly discovered father and daughter some space.
Kira's eyes lowered, unsure of what to do or say and Jense's emotions took hold of him in a way he could not have anticipated. His tears brought out quiet sobs. He wrapped his arm around his midsection while his other remained over his face, he couldn't stop even if he tried, and he certainly was trying.
Kira was not good at dealing with her own emotions, let alone others but she tried. She reached out and put a hand on his forearm. "I'm sorry I brought this on you." She said, she wasn't sure if she regretted it or not now, she didn't know how to read Jense's outburst.
Jense took a few moments to try to control himself. "Don't be sorry," he said in between deep breaths. "Don't be sorry at all."
Kira couldn't help but smile. "Ok." She said quietly, unsure of what else she could say at the moment.
"I've spent so many years trying to accept that you and Lenore were gone," he said, putting his hand over hers and holding it tightly. His hands were rough with callouses, the years of mercenary work and manual labor were not kind to his skin. "I can't believe it. My daughter is alive."
Kira smiled and couldn't help but stare at him. She had been called many things in her life but daughter was a new one. Even if she thought of herself as Mace's daughter, he would never say it out loud. It was a strange thing to be called when you've gone your whole life without.
"Surprise!" She jested quietly, trying to lighten the mood.
"And you're a Jedi? I must be dreaming." Jense said, never in his wildest dreams would he have ever imagined a child of his to become a Jedi, a guard dog for the Republic. There were so many things he needed to process.
Kira let out a small chuckle. "I know," she said. "I know you're not very fond of my kind." It was a common theme amongst the Mandalorians.
"I'm sure you know why." He said with a shrug, he wiped his eyes again and let out a shaky sigh finally feeling some form of control over himself once again.
"Jango told me about Galidraan and aside from thousands of years of animosity, I can't say I'm surprised."
Jense let out a huff of a laugh. "At least you knew what you were getting into."
Kira laughed this time. "Oh, to be honest, I've been just winging it for days now. I'm not even good at pretending like I know what's going on." She said. "I've almost walked away about five or six times already."
"What stopped you?" He asked.
"Impulse mostly." She admitted.
Jense snorted. There was a long silence between the two, neither really sure on what to say to the other until Kira broke the silence. She didn't go through all that for awkward silences. "But one thing I don't understand is that the Jedi stopped taking Force-Sensitive Mandalorian children as students a long time ago. So, I'm not sure how I became one."
Jense wondered the same thing. There was always the possibility the Jedi didn't know they were taking a Mandalorian child. Someone had destroyed his home and he still had no leads on who it could have been. Even as much as he hated Jedi, the likelihood of them being the ones to do it seemed a little too far-fetched. The Jedi were spineless monks but killing innocent women and children didn't seem like something they would do needlessly.
"Would any of your leaders know?"
Kira shrugged. "Probably, but they've been reluctant to share the knowledge if they do. As Jedi, we are supposed to remain unattached to any person or possession. They believe that temptations of the heart are what can lead someone to a darker path."
"You don't believe such things?" He questioned. Kira had said they and not we. If she was a dedicated servant of the Republic as most Jedi were, in Jense's mind, she would include herself when she spoke of them.
Kira pursed her lips together into a thin line. "I… struggle with remaining unattached." She admitted.
That was the Mando'ad in her Jense was certain. "Anyone would. Mandalorians are a family-orientated people."
Kira smirked. "So I've been told."
Jense smiled and couldn't help but just stare at the girl taking in her sight. He almost felt like if he looked away even for a moment she would disappear. Moments ago he'd been wishing it was a dream and now he prayed it wasn't. 'Shab' he thought. She was the spitting image of himself and she was beautiful but not only because of her looks but because she was alive. His little Kir'ika was alive.
"Will you stay?" He asked, praying she would never leave his sights again.
Kira frowned. "I wish I could stay, I'm not actually even supposed to be here and I must return to Coruscant as soon as possible." She said, averting her eyes.
Jense felt his heart break. He didn't want her to leave, not at all. "You're not supposed to be here?" He asked.
Kira gave a half-smile. "Yeah… I sort of left in the middle of the night without telling anyone right before I'm supposed to take one of the most important trials of my life… the ones that would make me a Jedi knight."
Jense snorted. "So, you're a bit of a rebel then?"
Kira smirked. "Only when it's necessary." She said before looking at the chrono on the wall. "But you know, I've already been gone for about a week… I'm sure a few more hours won't get me in any more trouble."
Jense smiled. "Sounds good to me."
"I would like to stay in contact… if that's something you're okay with," She said. "I can't tell anyone back on Coruscant about you or the other Mandalorians but I would like to get to know you."
"I would love nothing more, Ad'ika."
Kira and Jense talked for several hours before it was finally time for Kira to go, she wanted to stay but if she allowed herself any more time there was a chance she wouldn't leave at all. Still, they exchanged contact information and promises to keep in touch as much as possible, both understanding the need for as much discretion as possible. The agreement was made that only Kira would make contact unless there was an emergency to avoid detection from Mace or another Jedi.
Kira met up with Khane and Pao'l at the hangar where her ship was still docked.
"So?" Khane asked, pushing himself up from the side of the ship that he was leaning against. "Is he who you hoped he would be?"
Kira paused, Khane and Pao'l were the very thing that would either be her saving grace or the reason for her downfall as a Jedi. She had to convince them that she no longer would have reason to be involved with any mandalorians. It was crucial for her success that she convince those who had reason to betray her. Her jaw tightened before saying, "No. He wasn't."
Khane carefully watched her to see any faltering in her words but there weren't any. He already knew she was an awful liar so if she were lying now, he was sure he would be able to tell. "I'm sorry to hear that."
"It was a foolish mission," She said, if she was going to pull this off she had to believe that it was.. "I should have known to let it be."
"Maybe." Khane said. He was still suspicious of Kira but there was something she wasn't saying. Her attitude had done a complete one-eighty from that morning.
I won't say it was a foolish mission," Pao'l said as he shifted his weight. "You ended up coming to our rescue when no one else had, for months. For that we are grateful."
"Of course," She said, putting her hands behind her back, putting on her best Jedi persona.
"While it may not have been the outcome you had hoped for, it happened for a reason." Pao'l said.
Kira nodded. "I can now go on unburdened now." She said. "And as long as I'm not expelled from the Order I can continue on as a Jedi without the liability of attachments, perhaps disappointment is the lesson here." She looked to the ground, her jaw tightening.
Pao'l put a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort the young padawan. "I understand why you came, Kira and I can't say I blame you. The ways of the Jedi are not for the faint of heart but perhaps this was one of your trials and you didn't even know it. Letting go is possibly the greatest challenge one can overcome." He said as they walked up the ramp of the ship. "I am proud of you and I'm sure your master will be too."
Kira smiled. "Thank you for your kind words." She said as they entered the cockpit. "What will you tell the council when we return?" She couldn't help but ask.
Khane and Pao'l exchanged looks. "I understand the risk you took coming to Mandalore and Mes Cresta and honestly without it we would have likely died there. We will not tell the Council the true nature of your departure from Coruscant."
"Really?" Kira and Khane asked in shocked unison. They both glanced at each other before returning their gaze to Pao'l.
"Why would we ever agree to do that?" Khane asked with irritation in his voice. Khane couldn't understand why his master was so willing to bend the rules for this troublemaker of a padawan. He was sure that if he had the honor of being hand picked by Mace Windu to be his padawan, he wouldn't throw it in his face by lying and keeping secrets.
"Would you rather be trapped in that cave for the rest of your life? Would you have rather died there?" Pao'l asked. Khane frowned. "I didn't think so."
Kira looked over at Khane. "I'm not some mercenary or thug, Khane. I am still a Jedi," She growed. She had just about enough of Khane's attitude towards her, she seemed to have convinced Pao'l but Khane would become a thorn in her side if she couldn't convince him as well. He would certainly spell disaster if she couldn't rein him in. "Have you never questioned your own past? Have you ever questioned your life as a Jedi at all? If not, you probably should. This life was chosen for us, not by us, and I'm not saying I'm mad about it because I'm not but it cannot be just me in the whole entire Order who felt they needed to know their past in order to move forward. You know, if anything, Khane. This makes me a better Jedi because I saw what could have been, even if it were only just a glance, and I still chose the Jedi in the end. So, if you don't mind keeping your suspicious, sour attitude to yourself, that would be absolutely wonderful." She snapped as she sat down and started up the ship. "Now, sit down so we can go home."
Khane frowned and his nose curled. "So, the Mandalorian is your father then?"
Kira glared over her shoulder. "It doesn't change anything." She snapped. "I got the answers I needed."
Khane couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Clearly she either hadn't told the Mandalorian she was his child, or she did and he rejected her. Either way, she was still going back to Coruscant so he supposed it counted for something. "I'm sorry."
"You should be." She snapped back over her shoulder.
Khane took a seat behind her as Pao'l took co-pilot. Kira kept her eyes forward but her expression relaxed. Perhaps, she could keep this secret, if she could convince them, she was sure she could convince Mace. She should have felt guilty about lying right to their faces but she didn't. Unless she had no other choice, she wouldn't be saying a word about the Mandalorian to another living soul if she could help it.
Coruscant was a welcome sight, whether or not she actually liked the planet itself was irrelevant. She just had one more hurdle to cross before putting all the stress and anxiety about her unplanned trip to rest.
This, though, might be the hardest part. She was about to face Mace again and had to lie straight to his face. The likelihood of him seeing right through his padawan's deception was incredibly high. Mace was not stupid nor was he easily fooled. Kira would have to put on her best show to pull off such lies.
Kira let the ship drop into the hanger of the Temple and it would seem that the conversation she'd been stressing about was going to happen sooner than she anticipated. Mace was in the hanger, his arms crossed over his chest and the most unpleasant expression on his face.
She had sensed some relief from Mace but it wasn't enough to override the frustration he felt when he spotted her in the cockpit. Kira took a deep breath and lead Pao'l and Khane out of the ship.
"I was beginning to think you were dead, Padawan." Mace's scolding voice made Kira's skin crawl as she walked down the ramp of the ship. When he noticed Khane and Pao'l, his expression turned from irritation to confusion. "Master Trij?"
Pao'l was weak on his left leg and struggled down the ramp. "Master Windu." He greeted him.
Mace's eyes traveled from Pao'l to Kira. He was demanding an answer without saying a word.
"I know I missed my trials," She began. "But it was for a good reason."
Mace said nothing, his eyes were like lasers that burned her skin as Pao'l stumbled ahead of her creating a barrier between master and padawan.
"I believe the Council will want to hear of this." Pao'l said, Kira's eyes shot daggers into Pao'l's back. He had assured her on multiple occasions that he would keep her secrets and the second he gets in front of Mace he betrays her. "My padawan and I were captured on Mes Cresta by creatures we had thought were extinct for centuries. If not for your padawan, Master Windu, we would have likely died. I think we defeated them but it would be worth it to investigate these creatures further."
"What creatures are they?" Mace asked.
"They're called Taavarians," Pao'l answered. "They can steal the Force essence out of a living creature and it would seem they have taken all of mine."
Kira's eyes shot to Pao'l. That's why she hadn't been able to sense any of the Force within the Jedi Master, he'd been completely drained.
Mace's expression hardened. "How is this possible?" He asked.
"I don't know but it would be worth looking into." Pao'l said before looking back at Kira and Khane looking between them. "Before I was drained, I reached out as far as I could through the Force. Apparently, your padawan got the message."
Apparently Pao'l couldn't lie any better than Kira could. Sure, it was possible to sense another being across many star systems but it usually happened when there was a close connection. Kira and Pao'l didn't know the other existed until recently. Pao'l began explaining his side of the story but Kira couldn't focus on his words, all she could see was Mace's eyes shift to look at Pao'l. For a moment she thought he might have believed them but for a long moment but when his eyes turned back to look at her she saw it in his eyes. He was not falling for it at all.
Kira had a sinking feeling in the pit of her gut when his eyes met hers. He wasn't the kind of master to call her out for her mistakes in company but she knew in private she would have a lot to explain and all of it she preferred to keep under wraps. She was certain she would be expelled. Mace was so by the book that there was no way she could conceivably get her way out of this without some sort of miracle.