Return of the Atlantean Jedi

Note: This ties in to both Adria's Tales and Aaron Lightblades, thus this has been posted on both pages.

Return of the Atlantean Jedi

She took a deep breath of clean, fresh air and smiled. It felt good to be on-planet again. Much less a planet where she wouldn't be considered some sort of pariah or near-god simply because of what she was and what she could do. As if by reflex, she tugged at the sleeves of her shirt. Realizing what she'd just done, she had to laugh. It had been a long time since that self-conscious action, and even more ludicrous since she didn't need to do it here. She wasn't home, but she was at someone's home, and that was good enough.

Striding forward, she knocked on the door of the sprawling ranch style house. A servant opened it, eyeing her with distaste. Human, dressed in immaculate dark tunic and breeches that were the barest hint of formal, he pursed his lips as he addressed her.

'Yes, miss? How may I help you?' It was obvious he thought she'd lost her way.

'I'm here to see Allondra.'

'Mistress Allondra is not accustomed to receiving unknown and unannounced visitors, miss.'

'Oh, please. Just tell her that Adria is here, you overstuffed nerfherder. Better yet, I'll tell her myself.'

Shoving her way past him into the house, she heard him move swiftly. Rather than stand there spluttering, as she'd half expected him to, he'd quickly snatched a well cared for bastard sword from a stand hidden in a niche inside the door. Before she could react, he held it at her throat.

'My apologies, miss, but I'm afraid we cannot tolerate this sort of intrusion.'

Turning carefully, she felt the edge of the blade slice a thread thin line across the skin of her throat. No weapon for show, it was intended for use, and the man holding it knew how to use it.

'I'm impressed,' she admitted. 'But I will see Allondra.'

'I have no wish to do you harm, miss, but I will if forced.'

'No,' she replied with a sigh. 'I don't think you will.' With a gesture, he froze in place even before the expression of surprise made it all the way to his face. Gently, she divested him of the sword and placed it back in it's rack. Then she tipped him against the wall and shut the door.

'Wouldn't do to leave that open,' she told the immobile man with a roguish grin. 'You never know who would just wander in. Don't worry, the effect is only temporary, but more than long enough for me to find the 'mistress of the house'. Good day to you, my fine fellow.' After a mocking bow, she continued onward into the house. Rather bitchy of her to treat him that way, he was only doing his job, but her bouyant mood was making her mischievous.

The furnishing were fine indeed, and ranged from far and wide in the Three Galaxies. There were some of a style even she didn't recognize.

I may have to rethink my vision of the horse breeder she married...she thought to herself, drinking in the taste and cost of the décor. Naturally, she'd heard of the Tintallins, but as she didn't get to this part of the megaverse very often, she didn't know much. They were enemies of the Splugorth, and that had been good enough for her. It never pertained to any mission she was currently on, so she never asked for more. Powerful family, involved in the politics of many worlds, affiliated with the megaversal conglomerate Horukin Enterprises. One of their number had been elevated to Weapon of Light by what passed as gods. This Gambit fellow was supposed to be successful, with a very select clientele for the horses he bred. She'd paid less attention to this, considering she very rarely rode horses. Her chosen occupation didn't allow for it very often.

She figured she had at least five minutes before the butler came out of stasis and raised the alarm, but be damned if she could make her way through this stupid house. It was worse in layout than the Ebon Hawk. Gods, she hated the layout of that ship...

Eventually she found a side passage that seemed to go somewhere she hadn't been before. Unfortunately, her mapper wouldn't work in this world, so she was forced to trust her memory to make sure she wasn't going round in circles. But the furnishings here didn't look like anything she'd seen yet, so she moved on.

Sure enough, a set of open double doors led into a massive room, round in shape with low settees and divans piled with cushions and pillows. Silky, sweeping fabrics hung on the walls, and an enormous skylight in the roof gave the impression that the room was open to the elements.

Lounging on one of the low sofas, surrounded by scrolls and nibbling on the end of a quill, was the object of her search.

'Allondra, it's about damn time. What is with this house?'

The woman jumped up, scattering parchment and ink. 'Adria?!' she demanded incredulously. 'By Elric, I can't believe it! Where have you been?'

Half accusation, half concern, Adria stopped and eyed her cousin. 'Where I've been is my own concern, but it seems you've been getting fat and happy after your fortuitous marriage, cousin dear.'

Surprise rapidly turned into indignance. 'Fat? I am not fat. But,' she added, 'I am happy. Come on in and sit down. You look like the opposite of what you accuse of me, you're whipcord and sinew and not much else. Have you gone fey?' Allondra looked much like Adria, same height, same long black hair, sapphire blue eyes, and olive complexion. If her curves were a bit more rounded, it didn't take away from her overall beauty.

The banter brought a smile to Adria's lips as she did as Allondra bid, coming fully into the room and choosing a low-legged chair to flop into. The twin lightsabers dug into her hips, and she had to shift about a few minutes before finding a truly comfortable position.

Allondra crossed the room and tugged on a velvet cord. Immediately following that, a woman came puffing into the room, two rapiers drawn. 'Mistress, there is an intruder on the grounds! She used some sort of spell on Marin and--' spying Adria sitting languidly, she stopped. Adria wiggled her fingers at her by way of hello.

'This is my cousin, and manners were never something she was famous for,' Allondra reassured the woman, who was obviously waiting for some sort of explanation, but secure in the knowledge that this visitor was deemed acceptable, otherwise Allondra would have taken care of it herself. 'I'm sure Marin isn't hurt,' Allondra went on, giving Adria an 'or else' look, which was returned with wide eyed innocence. 'Just tell him not to feel bad, no one would have expected him to be able to stop her. Although I will be speaking to Gambit about a few extra protections. Oh, and would you bring us afternoon tea, Kiranda? That is all.'

With a slight bow, the woman left the room.

'Did you absolutely have to molest my servants?' Allondra demanded as she gracefully set herself on the divan across from her cousin.

'I didn't molest him. Besides, he was rude. I'm surprised you would employ such taciturn servants.' Adria replied airily, stretching and crossing her hands behind her head, staring up through the skylight.

'I'm sure he was no such thing,' was the half-laughing response. 'You're not exactly dressed for the level of status we've reached here, but I'm positive he wasn't rude to you.'

'Well, annoying, then.'

A vast silver tray was brought in by Kiranda, no rapiers in evidence this time, and set down on a squat table between the two women. Allondra thanked her and told her she would pour out herself, and the woman gave a painfully correct bow and exited. Allondra gave her a quizzical glance as she disappeared.

'It seems that your arrival has caused my servants to be on their best behaviour. We don't stand much on formality around here.'

'That surprises me,' said Adria, accepting a mug of tea. 'I'd think you'd be afraid of getting that sword slammed down in front of you if you used the salad fork on the dessert at the dinner table.'

Allondra chuckled, stirring her own mug and settling back into the cushions. 'Okay, tell me why you're here. I haven't seen you for nearly fifty years. And you're carrying lightsabres. Light or dark?'

'Light, of course, like you had to ask.'

'With you, one never knows.'

'I suppose that's true enough,' Adria replied, staring into her tea. Then she shook herself. 'I guess I could get right to the point. I was informed that a very important member of the side I'm fighting for went missing. I investigated the area and found evidence of a random rift that led to a dimension not far from here, so to speak. It's Splugorth territory, so I came here hoping you could help me out a bit.'

'Well, I think I can say you came to the right place,' Allondra said. 'Where did the rift lead to?'

'Your old stomping ground, Rifts Earth.'

'Then you definitely came to the right place,' Allondra said with a wide smile. 'We have very strong ties to Rifts Earth and can get you there quickly.'

'Excellent,' she took a sip of tea. 'I need to get there as soon as possible. The dimension I've been to is very advanced technologically, but very behind in dimension hopping. They've been using hyperspace travel for twenty thousand years without a single improvement. I'm afraid the one who's been taken will freak out and do quite a bit of damage. She's quite powerful.'

'If she's shown up anywhere the Tintallins hold sway, I can guarantee the damage would be minimal.'

'Oh, really. Would the Weapon of Light show up?'

That earned her a quizzically sardonic look. 'Of course not. What are you talking about. The Tintallins can take care of themselves.'

'Sure,' Adria waved a hand around the sumptuously appointed room. 'I'm positive they can, with the army they'd be able to hire.'

That caused Allondra to burst out laughing. Adria just lifted her eyebrows and waited for what she'd missed.

'You don't know anything about the Tintallins, do you?'

Adria filled her in on the bit she did know. 'And that's pretty much it. I'm beginning to guess that's the tip of the iceberg.'

'That's a snowflake on the tip of the iceberg. The Tintallins are vastly powerful. They'll have no problems confining one lone Jedi.'

'You don't know this Jedi. Still...she does have a habit of being easily overwhelmed when surprised...Okay, I'll take your word for it. The Force would most likely have plonked her down in a safe area, so she's probably with your Tintallin friends now.'

Allondra gave her an odd look. 'The Force? You mean you really believe in that? Not just play acting?'

With a crooked smile, Adria said, 'Oh, I do more than believe it, cousin dear. I'm a Force Adept. Who would have thought a True Atlantean could do that? I'm currently a Jedi Knight of the Republic, thank you very much, and I'm damned good at it.'

'But, it's just psionics, isn't it?'

'That's what I thought,' Adria said, shaking her head. 'But it's not. The Force is real, a thing of its own, and it's alive. It has a will to itself. It's a lot like the Anvil and the Hammer, that the Cosmoknights talk about so much. I can use it, when it lets me, and it uses me, whether I want it to or not. It's very disconcerting at times.'

'I believe it! You always were a no destiny kind of person!'

'I don't know about destiny, but I do know that the Force will do whatever it wants with no explanations, leaving us poor mortals scrambling to figure out what in the Hell just happened.'

'And the dark side?'

Adria shrugged, meaning it to be nonchalant, but it was uneasy all the same. 'I'm of two minds. One says that there is one Force, one 'being', if you will, and the dark side is just something that those looking for a quick answer to all their problems uses. The other is saying that the dark side...is an entity all its own. Kind of like Ravenloft. Or the One Ring. It's the flip side of the Force, needing people to use it, draw on it, so it can take them in and twist them to their own ends. It's incredibly powerful, Allondra. I've never encountered anything like it before.'

'You...did you...fall?'

'Me?' Adria looked up, startled. 'No. But it's been damn close a few times. I've had...friends...though...'

Allondra was more than surprised at the cloud that lay on her cousin's face. The Adria she knew had been quick witted, quick reflexed, and even quicker to scoff at just about anything. Something had touched her deeply in her latest round of adventures, something she obviously didn't want to talk about just yet.

They were saved from any awkward pause in the conversation when Gambit walked into the room, deep in conversation with Akirinol. Upon seeing the newcomer, they stopped.

Adria gave them both the slow appraisal, and wasn't disappointed in what she saw. She also noticed they were doing the same to her. Knowing they most likely wouldn't be disappointed by what they saw, she wasn't too concerned. She was tall, about six foot one, and despite Allondra's comments on her phsyique the curves she had were not hidden by the dark blue Jedi Knight robes she wore. Long black hair, pulled back into a tail, with tendrils that constantly escaped and fell around her high-cheekboned face. Strong, pugnacious jaw, sapphire blue eyes that tilted ever so slightly, thick yet well defined brows. Lips that were normally set in a somewhat sardonic smile, but were full and pouty. She was beautiful, and she knew it, and she used it when she needed to.

They weren't too bad, either. Both tall, strikingly handsome, the delicacy of half elven heritage offset by the strength of human parentage in one of them, the other's was simply strength of will. The shorter of the two had long brown hair, the other wheat blond. Blue within blue eyes stared out at her, set in large tapering sockets. Their pointed ears were liberally decorated with long earrings set with feathers and small charms. Both were dressed as befitted a casual day for this world, lace up leather tunics and leather breeches. Adria thoroughly appreciated worlds where leather was still used. And these two men wore it extremely well. She hadn't seen a build like that since Canderous. The shorter was also the younger, and she could see tattoos through the lacing of the tunic.

'Well, hello,' she said in a low drawl.

'Hello, back,' said the brunette with a wolfish grin. The blond had one equalling it. Adria's thoughts at that point had nothing to do with the dark side of the Force, but definitely with things to do in the dark. Or in the light. It didn't really matter much to her.

The blond moved over to Allondra and they exchanged a kiss. 'Are you going to introduce us, wife?'

'If you all will quit ogling each other long enough for me to get a word in,' Allondra replied, laughing. 'This is my cousin, Adria. Adria, I'd like you to meet Akirinol and Gambit,' she said, nodding to the brunette and the blond in turn.

Akirinol crossed the room and took up Adria's hand, bowing low over it, he kissed the back of it with a firey, feathery touch and said, 'It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, mistress Adria. If I can ever be of service to you, in whatever capacity, please feel free to call upon this humble Tintallin.'

Adria gave Allondra a sidelong look. 'Oh, he's good.'

'He should be,' Gambit said with a chuckle as Akirinol straightened. Far from being chastened, the grin was wider than ever. 'He's my protégé.'

Adria met Gambit's eyes squarely, and was surprised to see that the initial heat she'd seen when he'd first laid eyes on her had not dampened in the slightest. Another glance at Allondra, who was looking wickedly amused, and Adria figured it out. Oh, ho, she thought, it's like that, is it? Excellent. Maybe that stupid git Bastila getting herself lost won't be so bad after all...

Allondra briefly explained why Adria was there and where she was from. Gambit shook his head while Akirinol found Karinda and ordered more food. A lot more food.

'I'm sorry, Adria, but I can't tell you much. I haven't talked to Denver in a few days. Kiri?'

The brunette also signalled in the negative. 'Me neither. I was going to head there after checking in here.'

'Well isn't that a lucky break, then,' Gambit replied, settling himself down on the couch next to his wife. 'Kiri can take you with him when he goes. I'm sure you'll lack for nothing while in his care.'

'I should hope not. I expect to be afforded every service while accepting the hospitality of the Tintallins,' she replied, which caused everyone to chuckle. The game was on, and everyone was enjoying it. They'd sent out the signals, she'd sent out her own. There was no miscommunication and now everyone could relax and have some fun.

'So tell me about the Republic,' Gambit said as Karinda came in once more, this time with a tray overflowing with food. Akirinol quickly relieved her of it and set it down in front of him. With some surprise, Adria realized that the young half elf had ordered all of that for himself.

'Well, it's still there,' she replied, leaving off her study of the brunette. 'Thank God. By the time the wheel turns again, hopefully the Republic will be better prepared for it. Nothing but a force from within will be able to destroy it, once they set up the proper safeguards, and the event of that happening is highly unlikely.'

Everyone else in the room exchanged enigmatic glances.

'What?' Adria demanded. 'What am I missing?' With their contacts on Rifts Earth, it was more than likely they knew a great deal about the future of the Republic.

'Nothing,' Akirinol replied around a mouthful of sandwich. Swallowing, he continued. 'Don't worry about it. What else?'

Giving them all a 'You haven't heard the last from me on this' look, she kept talking. 'Exar Kun happened sixty years ago, the Mandalorian Wars ended about eight years ago, and the Star Forge Threat about four years. Right now we're in the process of rounding up the remnants of Darth Malak's fleet. It's not easy, they're entrenched in a lot of the planets around the Outer Rim, and digging them out has been costly. Aa--Revan and Malak were most careful in training their Sith troops this time around, and considering how weakened we were by the Mandalorian Wars...Still, we're getting the job done. I have got to find Bastila, though. Her job is more important than ever. She's got powers that save the lives of thousands of Republic soldiers and Jedi. It's paramount I find her. The Council has no idea what happened to her, or me, for that matter. Not that it matters what happens to me, really.' There was a sudden sadness in her voice, but it was quickly gone. Respectfully, the others pretended not to have heard it.

'Well then, I guess we should get you on your way,' Gambit said. 'As soon as Akirinol is done stuffing his face--'

'Hey, you try having a metabolism that processes seven times faster than a normal Tintallin and see how you like it!' was the retort. Gambit ignored him.

'He'll take you to the Gateway and from there you'll go straight to Denver, which is our base of operations for Rifts Earth. Sound good?'

'Marvellous,' Adria said. 'This is better than I had hoped. Will I be able to see you again, Allondra? I would like to talk to you more about family, if I could.'

'Oh yes,' Allondra waved her hand. 'It won't be a problem. I get to travel to Denver all the time for family business. I'd go with you now, but I still have this paperwork to deal with,' she finished, gesturing to the scrolls she'd been reading when Adria had walked in.

Gambit didn't wait for Adria to answer. Eyeing the Jedi boldly, he responded, 'Take all the time you need. Akirinol needs to say goodbye to Talia anyway.'

Allondra chortled and shook her head. 'All right you incorrigable lout,' she said, levering herself up from the divan and dropping a fond kiss on the top of his head. 'I'll be back in a while.' Gathering up the parchment, she strode out, still chuckling.

Akirinol finished up his meal and departed soon after, giving Gambit a rueful look, which washed over the elf like blaster fire off an energy shield.

Adria sipped her now cold tea and watched Gambit with the same impudence he was staring at her.

'Tell me about yourself,' he finally said.

Another shrug. 'Not much to tell. True Atlantean with a case of wanderlust.'

'How did you get to the Star Wars universe?'

'The what?' Adria burst out laughing. 'Now that's got to be the single most absurd name given to a dimension I've ever heard. Star Wars, indeed!'

Gambit gave her an apologetic smile. 'Sorry, that's what we call it. The Republic, then. How did you get to the Republic?'

'I was investigating the Sunaj. They're assassins who work for our enemy, the Splugorth, have hunted us for millenia.' He nodded. 'A few hints here and there in the Three Galaxies led me to believe they were tied to the True Atlanteans. I was following one of them when he popped through a rift. When I followed, I found myself in the middle of an epic battle between Dark and Light Jedi. I got knocked out and rescued by the lightsiders, who then informed me I had a great feeling of the force about me, and trained me.'

'Despite your age?'

'The Jedi Council read me, and realized I was no ordinary human, and where I was from. Rather than starting an uproar with it, they kept it to themselves and trained me.'

'After no little convincing from you, I'm sure.'

'Well...it didn't take much. They needed all the help they can get. Aa--Darth Revan had just emerged as the traitor he was, with Malak at his side, and they had this massive force behind them. Directly following the Mandalorian Wars, no less. Planets snatched from the teeth of the Mandalorians were snapped up by the new Sith incursion. Very dark days indeed. All hands on deck, that sort of thing. I've been fighting Sith for four years, it's very satisfactory. Besides, I'm still hunting that Sunaj. What about you?'

'What about me?'

'Horse breeder, indeed. And I knew that the Tintallins had some influence, but Allondra was talking like you're the ruling class.'

'We are.'

'Pardon?'

'In Aquilonia, we are the ruling class. My brother married the queen. You're lucky, I'm the least flamboyant of my brothers. I like puttering around on my ranch. They're the ones with grand ambitions and fleets of underlings.'

'M-hm. Somehow I have trouble seeing you up to your armpits in muck.'

'Come on, I'll show you,' he said, getting to his feet and offering her a hand.

'Oh?' she asked, eyes twinkling with amusement as she stood. 'You're going to show me you up to your armpits in muck?'

His nose wrinkled. 'Not if I can help it. But you never know, there are some mischievous buggers here.'

'Good help is hard to find?'

'Who said anything about the help?'

Without further ado, he took her out the back door of the room and eventually out into the main yard. It was a large squarish affair, closed in on two sides by enormous rows of loose boxes, one side with a split rail fence that led to one paddock, and the other with a massive barn. To Adria's surprise, she saw several of the horses were simply ambling around on their own. And they were enormous.

'Gods, they're huge!' she said, not being able to help admire the huge animals with their glossy coats, long, lean muscles, and magnificent manes and tails.

'Aye,' was the contented response. 'Those are my specials.'

Taking a second look, her surprise increased. 'Those are megasteeds!'

'They sure are. And don't make the mistake of thinking I own them. I do not. We have a partnership. I also breed standard horses, but the megasteeds are what makes me really happy. Some of them are pranksters, but most of them are level-headed, and play a mean game of go.'

She cast a sidelong look at him. The pride in his voice overlooking his lands and the denizens was unmistakable. He had an obvious love for what he did, and who he did it with. It had been a long time since she had heard it from anyone.

'Come on.' He still had her hand, and she didn't protest as he pulled her along behind him. Instead of taking her to the paddock, which she had expected, he headed for the barn, where the gigantic doors stood open wide. Inside, the building was tidy. Bales of hay and straw were stacked neatly in one corner, the door to the tack room was closed, but she saw rows of gleaming leather and brass. The so called 'normal' horses were in here, row upon row of glossy head and shining eye nosing over their doors at the approach of the man who cared for them. He stopped at every one, rubbing a forelock, offering a lump of sugar or a carrot that he magically produced from somewhere. His voice when he talked to his charges was butter soft and deep, and it made her electrically aware of his presence.

While he made the rounds, she drank in the clean, fresh scent of horse, hay, and hard work. The sunlight was slanting in through the doors open at the other end and the loft window, motes of dust and chaff dancing in the golden beams. Barrels of corn, oats, barley, and other grains were also against one wall, along with an anvil and assortment of smiths tools. She assumed the actual smithy was somewhere less flammable. Roaming around, she moved to the doors the sun was coming through. Beyond lay a quaint country road, leading into a wood. The wood was not so thick that she couldn't see a pile of stone and rocks at least thirty feet tall, and the twinkle of water at the base of it. To her left, stretched the fence that marked the boundary of his land. To the right was the fence that hemmed in this side of the main paddock.

Gambit finally finished with the horses and rejoined her. 'We have winter stables, as well, for my more delicate charges. And I invested quite a bit into the magic that allowed me to keep my manure heaps odorless. Pretty copper piece, let me tell you, but it was worth it. Keeps biting flies away, too. I told you that my brothers were the ones with the grand ambitions and fleets of underlings, but I guess, in my own way, I have the same thing, right here. The work here is never done, there's always an improvement to be made or mistake to be rectified. The megasteeds and I get along quite well, and they help out with 'lad work. I employ a total of twenty four two legged individuals, and right now I have six megas. One hundred fifty-six horses are currently in my care, most of them yearlings waiting for next year, when their training will be completed and they'll be ready for the sales. I have a dozen or so two year olds, whom are not to be sold for one reason or another. You should have been here in the spring. The paddocks would have been filled with colts and fillies. Or in the autumn, when the breeding starts. The breeding sheds are behind the loose boxes.'

'It really sounds like something.'

'It is, primal urges at their most base. Kind of reminds me of a family reunion,' he said with a chuckle.

'That bad?'

'I'll tell you more about it later, if you're still interested. Let me show you where the megas like to go.'

After waiting for her nod, he took her hand in his again and set off down the lane. The woods looked exactly like an enchanted forest was supposed to look. The trees were green and arched majestically overhead, the floor was remarkably free of bracken, and was full of little rises and niches where occasionally a rabbit would stick its head inquiringly. Logs, furry with moss, lay as if arranged by an artistic hand. Shafts of sunlight speared down through the canopy overhead, highlighting small areas in sparkling amber. Butterflies and colourful birds swooped around them.

'It's beautiful,' she said, staring around her in awe. 'I'd forgotten how special magical worlds could be. The techonological ones can be so cold, even the ones left wild.'

'This isn't a particularly magic wood,' he told her. It was obvious he was trying to be deprecating, but the delight at her observation still came through. 'The druids would have a field day if I claimed anything sacred. But we do have a few dryads and fauns, and at least one faerie ring that I know of. I leave them alone and they leave me alone. The megas like them, too.'

While the road had wound into the wood, it had turned into little more than a deer path that meandered through without too much of a hurry. The entire place had a feel of serenity to it, it was a place to just be. With a shock she realized that this place was also strong in the Force. It shouldn't have surprised her, but it did all the same. And nowhere could she detect even the faintest hint of darkness to it.

The path finally opened out onto the edge of a small lake, the glint of water she'd seen from the barn. The rockpile jutted up out of the center of it, looking like a couple of stone giants had gotten into a boulder piling contest. A waterfall cascaded down from a crevice near the top, splashing and tinkling its way down the stones with a laughing sound. The lake itself was clear and deeper than she would have thought. Iridiscent trout could be seen darting in its depths. It was nearly a perfect circle, the grass thick and shaggy all the way around it. There were several troughs and furrows in the emerald green carpet, and lots of huge hoofprints.

'That's where the megas like to roll after they've had a swim,' he told her, pointing to one of the smudges. 'I try to get them to come back to the paddock first, but they just won't listen. They say they're all dry by the time they get back, so what's the point of having a good roll, then?'

She'd expected them to stop when they reached the pool, but he continued to lead her around the edge, until they were on the other side. There, she saw that the rocks actually formed a small grotto-like area out in the lake, complete with mysteriously inviting cave. Freshwater coral grew in abundance, giving the underwater appearance a dazzling rainbow aspect. The light reflected off the water onto the interior walls of the overhanging rocks in a ethereal dance.

When she came back to herself, she realized he was waiting for a reaction. Finding a hint of her voice, she breathed, 'Enchanting...' Hardly enough for what she was feeling, but he seemed to understand and practically beamed.

'There's more, but we have to swim.'

'The cave?'

He nodded, the impish gleam in his eyes bright. She took up the challenge.

'But...I don't have any swim things. All I have are the clothes on my back.'

'Hmm...that does present a difficulty. But then, I didn't bring any of my swim things, either. We could go back to the house and change.'

'No, that would take too long. I'm impatient by nature.'

'And you're a light Jedi?'

'I've managed to curb that particular aspect when it's important.'

'So what do we do then?'

For an answer, she reached to her waist and unbuckled the heavy belt she wore, that contained more than one utility pack and both lightsabres. Carefully she lay it to one side and sat down on a nearby rock. Holding up one leg, she arched an eyebrow.

'Help me with my boots, would you?'

'Glad to see you up,' she turned with a start, having just gotten up and stretched. Visions of the past flashed through her mind with startling speed, another voice, another planet, but she shook them off and turned to the owner of the deep and musical voice.

'Where did you go?'

'There's a wildberry thicket just beyond that bank. I thought you could use a snack,' he said. Held between his hands were her Jedi robes, and when he set them down she could see the basket he'd made of them was full of bright red berries. Settling back down to the lush grass, he took a handful and popped a few into his mouth. 'Help yourself, there's plenty more.'

'Thanks,' she said, reseating herself and drawing the silken blanket he'd left her around her shoulders to ward off the playful breeze that kept nosing her. 'So is there really anything in the cave?'

'Not a thing but a view. It's a nice little picnic spot, but nothing spectacular.' For some reason, he hesitated as he looked at her. 'Do you mind?'

'Of course I do. I'm offended,' she said in a flat voice. 'Get away from me.'

He tossed some berries at her, she laughed and warded them off with her forearm.

'That's not what I meant.'

'I know what you meant,' she said lightly. 'You wanted to know if I was having regrets, considering you're married, and to my cousin, no less.'

He turned those blue within blue eyes on her. 'Do you?'

'Nope. Not all cultures view marriage the same way. While my people have monogamous marriages, not everyone does. When in Center, do as the Centerians do.'

'I'm glad to hear that,' he told her. 'The Tintallins have a genetic flaw that we haven't been able to correct that makes us this way. Get out there and propigate!'

'On a more serious note,' she continued after gathering some of the fruit for herself. 'Thanks for the tour. It's nice to be outside to just be outside.'

'Been going long and hard, hm?'

'Yeah. Mission after mission. It's hard to get time off when you're one of the few Jedi willing to engage in guerilla tactics.'

'I can imagine. So who was Revan really?'

The question caught her totally off guard, which she figured was what he'd been trying for. But she'd been infiltrating enemy planets for the last eight years, so she wasn't unprepared.

'No harm in telling you, I suppose, since the Star Forge Threat is over with. Revan is also known as Aaron Lightblade, ironically enough. Once a Jedi of great reknown, he began investigating something to help him defeat the Mandalorians, and the want overcame him. He fell, hard, and took his partner with him. Eventually that apprentice, Malak, attempted to kill him, the Jedi happened to have a team there trying to capture him. Malak failed, barely. The Jedi didn't.'

'Then what?'

'They tore down his mind with the Force and rebuilt him, using the foundation of who he'd been before he started training. All they had to work with was the memories of a six year old boy, but they did a good job. You see, he knew how to find all the pieces of the puzzle, and they hoped that with enough of his subconcious remaining, he'd lead them to the complete picture.'

'Doesn't sound very nice.'

'The Jedi, for all that they're the good guys, are not nice. I'm betting you Tintallins aren't all a bunch of chaste pleasurers, either.'

Gambit snorted with laughter. 'You could say that.'

'So they set him up as a soldier in the Republic with the powerful Jedi who had saved his life in charge, and hoped to catch up to the Sith.'

'Why do I get the feeling this is where you say, 'but it wasn't that easy'.'

'Because you're psychic. The Sith attacked the vessel when they were in transit back to Dantooine after a minour encounter. It just so happened that the Jedi in charge of the mission was also number one on the Sith hit list. They wanted her, and they wanted her bad. They took out the ship, only a few survivors in escape pods making it to a Sith held planet below. I was one of the survivors, so was Bastila, the Jedi in charge, and so was Aaron. We and a handful of others got off Taris as it was being oblitherated from a space bombardment. Bastila took me into her confidence as we finally made it back to Dantooine, and forbid me to speak of it, by Council order. The only reason she told me was because an unexpected bond had formed between her and Aaron, due to the intimacy she'd shared with him while saving his life, and if for any reason she couldn't maintain her objectivity, I was to take matters into my own hands.

'That was a hard admission for her to make, we...well, let's just say we don't see eye to eye on most things. We made it back to Dantooine. The Council saw the bond between Bastila and Aaron, and decided to risk training him in the ways of the Force. He may not have remembered who he was, but he still practically glowed with the Force. Leaving that untrained, with his subconcious still in there...'

'Revan all over again.'

'Yes. And with Malak still out there...but Revan had been the driving force behind the Sith. A tactical genius. He could make any strategy against any odds, and make it work. The Mandalorians all but bowed down in worship of him when he defeated them. It was the Council's desperate hope that not only would Aaron lead them to the secret of the Sith's power, but also return to fighting against them. His expertise was badly needed. The fact that he'd made it off Taris without actively using the Force a single time proved that the brilliant mind was still there, something the Council hadn't counted on. Bastila and I, along with the others, were to remain with Aaron. We were to keep up the lie. I argued my ass off with the Council, trying to get them to change their minds. I despise using that kind of deception with friends. It burns inside me. The Council argued me down. As I had sworn to do their bidding in order for them to train me, and in order to keep with the mission, I remained with Aaron and the Ebon Hawk, our ship.

'It was a good thing I had. Bastila and Aaron's relationship quickly went beyond that of being teammates. In order to become a great Jedi, one must have powerful insight, and Aaron had more than his fair share. He saw right through her arrogance and her airs, and got her to open her heart to him. At least, I assume that's what happened. I can't fathom a man loving her the way Aaron did unless he saw something none of the rest of us did.

'So off we set, to finish finding the puzzle pieces. We got captured, tortured...' Her eyes clouded, and Gambit knew she wasn't seeing the trout leap out of the water to catch their evening meals. He knew she was leaving something out, something important to her, but he didn't press her on it. This seemed difficult for her as it was. Swallowing, she focussed back on the present and continued. 'We managed to escape, thanks to a clever little droid that was with us, but we ran into Malak while getting back to our ship. It all came out. Malak had gotten an eyewitness report from Taris, telling him all about Revan still being alive. Poor Aaron. And Bastila's reaction told me that her objectivity had indeed flown. She was crushed. Malak caught us unawares and cut Aaron off from us, engaging in single combat. We could watch, but not participate.

'Aaron was still too powerful for Malak to take on face to face in an even fight. Aaron was about to deal the killing blow when Bastila broke free and jumped between them, using the Force to seal the doors between us, telling us to get to the Ebon Hawk. We had no choice but to leave her behind.'

'But she lived, right?'

Adria laughed bitterly and choked down a mouthful of berries. 'Oh yes. Malak wouldn't kill her if he didn't have to. And he didn't have to. He played her like a harp. Homing in on every weakness she had, he wore her down. Kill her? He did worse than kill her, he turned her. There'd been something she'd said to Aaron, straight to his face, I was amazed at her gall. 'What better weapon than to turn an enemy to your cause?' Well, now she was a weapon in our enemy's cause. Her power that had won us so many battles, her Battle Meditation, was turned against us. That, coupled with the power of the Star Forge, shook the Republic to the Core Worlds.

'But we still had no choice but to continue our mission...the crew of the Ebon Hawk was quickly told...quickly found out that Aaron had been Revan. Believe it or not, most of them accepted it pretty easily, and my and Bastila's part in the deception. Most of them...' Again that cloud. It passed quickly as she went on. 'We found the source of the Sith power. The Star Forge. Bastila was there...nearly turned Aaron, using his love as a weapon. He was still stronger, and eventually turned her instead. We won the fight, destroyed the Star Forge, and actually managed to find the race that had originally invented the Star Forge. The Republic had turned the tide, and now all that's left is mop up, and retaking the planets we lost. A new Sith rose to take Malak's place, and there were still many, many of the Star Forge created ships and Dark Jedi to contend with.'

'What happened to Aaron, and Bastila?'

'They tried to stay together, but the Council, seeing that Bastila's inability to control her passions had gotten her captured and turned, decreed that they separate. That was very hard on Aaron. For all of us. It should have been the happy ending, and it wasn't. He threatened to quit being a Jedi altogether, but Bastila would have none of it, and left the planet before he knew what was going on.

'I ran into her some months after that. Let's just say there wasn't a lot of peace or serenity going on in that room. I ripped her a new one. Aaron is a good man, he deserves more than that. She's a coward in a lot of ways.'

'Sounds like you care deeply for him,' observed Gambit.

'I do. He's my best friend. I still can't believe he forgave me for deceiving him so long. I don't know if I could have in his place. He even knew the whole truth about me. Only one other person outside the Jedi Council did. That's why I'm here. He knew Bastila had gone missing, and he came to me asking if I could find her. He's scared. He's never stopped loving her, even after all this time. I don't think he ever will. He couldn't come, himself. He's back in charge of the Republic Fleet, directing the sweep ops.'

'So, now what aren't you telling me?'

A rueful smile twisted her lips. 'Shame you're not very strong in the Force, you'd make one Hell of a Jedi.'

'I'm too full of raging passion to make a good Jedi. And quit changing the subject.'

'Okay. I'm not going to tell you. How's that?'

'Straight and to the point, I can live with that.'

'Good thing.' Standing, she stretched again, the blanket slithering to the ground. Gambit was not shy about admiring her long, lean form. 'I do need to get going, though. No telling what that sanctimonious git is up to.'

'If she's in Denver, I bet she's up to the same thing you are.'

'God, I hope so. If there's ever a woman more in need of a guilt free tumble, I shudder to imagine.'

Leaning over, she picked up her robes, now berry stained and crusted with dirt and grass. 'Ick.'

With a wave of his hand, he cleaned the garment with a cantrip. Another wave and he mended his clothing as well. They dressed in easy silence, a few murmured jokes causing quiet laughter between them. Hand in hand, they made their way back through the wood and to the house. Before they entered the barn, though, he pulled her to a stop.

'I want to see more of you.'

Her brow creased. 'I don't know if that would be wise. Let's just keep this casual.'

'Why?'

'You already have one Atlantean wife.'

'I could handle two.'

'But I couldn't.'

'And there's that other little matter, isn't there.'

Her puzzlement deepened. 'Other little matter?'

'The fact that you're in love with someone else. It's not Aaron, so I'm assuming its one of the crew of the Ebon Hawk you neglected to mention.'

'I have no recollection of that, Senator,' she said with a perfectly straight face.

'You say that like you have practise at it.'

'I told you, guerilla Jedi. I have to tell the Republic Senate something when one of my less sanguine operations is found out.'

'I suppose so. Well, keep me in mind, will you?'

'Try to stop me,' she replied with a grin. In easy accord they finally made it back to the house.

'This is...something,' she said, looking around the vast Reception Chamber of the Aquilonian Embassy. Trade between Denver and Aquilonia was booming, and not only were Denverites walking around, but also were Indcan, Frystaaters, and Galadians. 'Looks kind of like Coruscant, actually.'

The Gateway hummed blue behind them as she and Akirinol and Talia moved forward, the half elf presenting their visas and other paperwork to the guards. Quickly waved through, they moved through the crowds towards the exit.

'I suppose I don't have to go into the whole 'Denver can be a shock to the uninitiated' speech, do I?' asked Akirinol.

'I doubt there's much left that can shock me after seeing jawa dancing girls and terentanek mating rituals.'

'Right, let's go then.'

'To where?'

'The Keep.'

'I'm in your hands.'

The look he gave her told her he knew she was being mean, knowing he couldn't reply with the retort he wanted because Talia was there. She just batted her eyelashes and gave him a simpering smile in return.

Denver was indeed spectacular, and she was amazed at the level of industry, and yet at the amount of space. Most planets in the Republic that were this far advanced quickly ran out of room, the only way left to build being up. The lower levels of Coruscant were ripped straight out of the bowels of Hell. Here, everything was open to the air, only a few skyscrapers blocking the view, and even those seemed only to add to the grandeur of the mountains around them, rather than detract. A very ergonomically built city, the care taken in its construction was obvious.

Of course, from what she understood in the crash course of Denver History she'd undergone the previous night, they hadn't been around very long. Most of the planet was still wild, victim to ley line storms, wild magic, and random rifts, not to mention the depredations of the less than savoury beings in residence on planet. Space travel from Earth itself was impossible, thanks to a dense network of killer satellites in orbit. However, the Tintallins and Horukin Enterprises had quickly found several powerful magic users able to control rift magic, and soon, they no longer needed space travel within this particular galaxy.

The City-State of Denver, in what was formerly known as the American State of Colorado, was one of only a handful of places on the planet that was protected enough to support a decent way of life. It had started out the same as most inhabited areas, maybe a bit larger than most. A town constantly beset by bandits and at the mercy of the random gateways that opened to other areas without warning, where anything could come through, from anywhere, or anywhen. The coming of Stormshadow Tintallin and Tomokata Horukin had changed all that. They, and two others had been mercenaries. However, Tomokata was more than just a gun for hire, and began wisely investing all of her gains in the town. Stormshadow started taking advantage of his status as a well known mercenary to begin negotiating with various peoples in the area.

Between the two of them, they got first the dimensional refugees the Frystaaters, a massive race, and the Galadians, a race of cyborgs, to permanently settle in Denver. Then Tomokata negotiated a treaty with the IndCan nations, using their technology, magic, and knowledge to augment what already was there. Stormshadow built The Keep, an enormous, towering fortress on the highest mountain that ringed the city, and Tomo built Horukin Enterprises, a conglomerate of all the businesses she'd bought out and helped over the years.

Denver, with the protection afforded to them, prospered, and so too did Stormshadow Tintallin and Tomokata Horukin. Through her affiliation with the Tintallin family, she was granted Immortality, and her financial empire blossomed. Stormshadow Tintallin soon moved most of his family to Denver, handing over the Keep to his brother Michael, a.k.a. Angel. When the Pantheons of Light all but forced him into the role of the Weapon of Light, most of his family was living in or frequently commuted to Denver.

Aquilonia, where Gambit lived, was the land that Stormshadow had been born in. Solely a magical world, technology more advanced than a firearm would not function, but the two countries, Denver and Aquilonia had much to offer each other. Treaties were signed, and another ally was added to the roster.

Over the course of many years, magical protections had been put in place that prevented rifts from opening up in Denver proper, and the use of teleportation as well. An extremely powerful energy shield could be lowered over the entire city at a moment's notice, in case of outside attack. They'd only ever had to use it once.

Beings that came through the rifts, known as dimensional beings, or d-bees, were often as not simply bewildered innocents who had been at the wrong place at the wrong time. D-bee Registration Centres were located all over Denver, and a small milita force called the Denver Rangers policed the area, helping any unfortunates they came across. The DRC's provided temporary food and clothing, lodging, and education to those who found themselves stranded in a strange new world. After a period of acclimitization, they were offered either transportation to somewhere more their liking, or assistance finding employment. Because of that, there was a guild of Shifters, mages who controlled Rifts magics, who were for hire helping those stranded back to their home dimensions.

All in all the City-State of Denver defied the odds of Rifts Earth, growing stronger and withstanding the magical maelstrom that enveloped the world.

As much as she respected the Jedi, she couldn't help but think that magic was something best left out of their sphere of knowledge.

The Force was strong here, it pulsed in the very city streets. Both light and dark were powerful, although to the east she could feel a particularly strong beacon of the light. It pulled like a magnet.

It was a joy to simply be in this city. Completely unselfconscious, she stared around like a country bumpkin, pointing out items of interest to have either Akirinol or Talia explain it to her. At her request, they were walking from the Embassy to Horukin Enterprises, where they'd get a ride to the Keep. She'd been cooped up on space vessels for far too long, having been involved in ship insertions and sabotage for the last six months. Just stretching her legs in scenery that changed was glorious.

Over there, a gargoyle was arguing with a hill giant, up above two dragons sailed by, deep in conversation. A pixie messenger, small courier pouch slung around her diminutive shoulders, swore like a sailor as she fought a headwind. A centaur and one of the android Galadian Charlies, a felinish looking robot, strolled by, discussing the current meeting of the Denver Parliament. A fountain in the centre of a traffic circle sprayed not only water, but liquid metal that flashed and shone in the sunlight.

For the first time in years, she truly relaxed. No one to worry about finding out about her true identity here. No one to fight. No one to keep secrets from. It was a burden who's weight she hadn't truly realized until it was lifted. She felt metric tons lighter.

At Horukin Enterprises, they were met cordially by Talia's father, Sam, who was also Head of Security for Horukin's Denver Operations. An elf just entering the golden age, he met Adria with a great charm that meant nothing more than he was a friend to be counted in times of need, ensconced her and Akirinol in a limosine to the Keep, and Talia in his own car to home. Akirinol and Talia clung together for just a moment before separating, both their expressions stating that this was painfully routine.

Soon she and Akirinol were on her way. She had quite a good time pointing out the windows and asking about various things, which Akirinol was amused to give detailed explanations of.

'So what's the deal with you and Talia? I thought you lived in Denver?' she finally asked, as the limo was stuck in traffic and they made progress an inch at a time.

'No, actually, I live in another dimension we call Heroes Unlimited.'

'Unlimited heroes, hm? Sounds boring.'

He laughed. 'No, far from it. Not only do we have unlimited heroes, we have unlimited villains to go with them. I'm a costumed agent of the law over there.'

'Like in a comic book?'

'Oh, you know about those? Good, it's a pain to get people to understand. I'm Spiderman.'

'Spiderman? You remind me more of a wolf.'

There was a thwiip! and one of her lightsabres was being tugged out of its holster by a long, sticky thread of silk, which came from the underside of Akirinol's wrist.

'You were saying?'

'Got it. Haven't run into a wolf that could do that.'

'Only because they don't want to, according to my mother,' he replied with another baritone laugh. She liked his laugh. It was rolling and easy, washing over her in a wave of uncomplicated mirth. He released the webline and helped her pull it off her lightsabre. She studied it for a bit longer. For all that it looked delicate, it was stronger than the chorosis line she used for her grappling hooks, and lighter. Only the end of it proved to be sticky. The rest of it was soft and easily handled.

'It'll dissolve in about an hour,' he told her. 'Which normal spiderwebs don't do. I also have several types, and I'm working on different uses all the time. I can also stick to walls and sense incoming danger, things like that.'

'You sound eminently useful.'

That set him off laughing again. 'I don't think I've ever been described quite like that, but I'll take it.'

'It was a compliment, believe me, after some of the rancor-brains I've had to work with.'

'I've never seen a rancor, what are they like?'

And so they passed the time with him asking interested questions and her answering him with her usual dry wit. They were both in stitches by the time they made it to the Keep.

'And here I had intended to jump you on the way here,' he semi-complained as they climbed out of the car in the vast parking lot.

'I know, but I didn't want you thinking about Talia while you were with me. When I'm with a man, I want it to be all about me,' she replied with a smirk.

'So it's like that is it? Well, next time I promise you I'll devour you with attention.'

'You'd better get the devouring part right, anyway.'

The banter continued between them, light and humourous, reminding her strongly of times with Aaron. He'd like it here, in Denver. Maybe she'd break a few rules and sneak him here when she could spirit him away from the fight for a few months.

When they climbed the stairs to the front door, she immediately drew her sabres. As they blazed to life one of the guards was sent spinning around three feet off the ground with a gesture, the other was fumbling for the blaster at his side. Akirinol grabbed her, pinning her arms to her sides, shouting for her to stop. Realizing it was him and not an enemy, she stopped struggling, but didn't put the lightsabres away.

'Stop! It's okay! They're not stormtroopers, they work for my uncle!'

'I don't know what in the Hell a stormtrooper is, but they look a lot like soldiers in modified Sith armour to me,' she said, brilliant blue highlighting her face as she raised the lightsabres into a defencive stance. The remaining guard was uncertainly pointing his blaster at her. The other one fell to the ground with a thud and pulled off his helmet, retching.

'I knew these stupid uniforms would get him in trouble one day,' Akirinol muttered, releasing her. 'Look, we've seen some of the stuff from the future of your dimension. My uncle really liked this armour, so he uses it for his guards.'

'I see,' she said, the lightsabres vanishing. 'You could have warned me!'

'I didn't think about it, they're always here!'

'Now I look like a complete idiot! You knew I'd been on the front lines fighting Sith for the last six years! I nearly Force Waved your ass when you grabbed me!'

'I told you, I didn't think about it! They're my uncle's guards! They're always at the Keep! I see them all the time, I don't give it a lot of thought!'

Finally she fell quiet, studying him for a moment. 'You would make a terrible Jedi,' she finally announced.

That sent him off into gales of laughter. While he recovered, she apologized profusely to the guards, who were definitely giving her the hairy eyeball. Still, she cranked up the charm and managed to get in their good graces by the time Akirinol had them open the doors and took her inside. Force Healing the one with the coddywobbles didn't hurt, although she couldn't do anything about the taste in his mouth but offer him a stick of gum.

'Angel said to take you straight up to his office,' he told her, leading through the corridors. She was reminded strongly of the interior of a freighter class starship. People in various uniforms hurried past them, intent on unknown errands. She tried not to, but everytime one of the guards, stormtroopers, she reminded herself, came into view, she tensed. Akirinol could apparently sense it and slid an arm around her shoulders while they walked. All the better to keep her battle-heightened reflexes from snapping in charge again, and to help contain her if they did. His strength when he'd grabbed her had flabbergasted her. She'd never imagined someone could have such sheer strength. Her few tattoos may have had to come into play if he'd decided to attack. And she hadn't used those in combat for years.

Eventually they made their way up an elevator and into a lushly appointed office, where a beautiful blond woman told them with a cheery smile to go right in. Go right in they did.

In an even more affluent room, she saw an elf who bore a striking resemblance to Gambit behind a desk, in a very sharp business suit. Sitting in front of him was another elf, who again bore the family resemblance, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and in a chair next to him was...

'Bastila,' she said, nodding her head.

'Adria, I see you've found me.'

'The Republic was worried.'

They shared a look, knowing it wasn't the Republic that had sent her on this mission, and that the Republic wouldn't have condoned it if they had even known about it.

'They needn't have,' she said haughtily. 'I think I've more than proven I can take care of myself.'

'Yeah, and I'm a gizka in disguise. Let's go, princess.'

'Must you insist on calling me that ridiculous name.'

'Only when you most heartily deserve it. Your royalness is needed back at the front. Let's go.' Damn but this woman rubbed her all kinds of wrong way.

The three men in the room watched the exchange in silence up to this point, but now the one behind the desk stood up.

'You must be Adria Teksuni, Allondra's sister. Welcome to Denver. I'm Angel Tintallin.'

'Nice to meet you,' she said, remembering her manners. Leaving off glaring at Bastila, she shook the hand that was offered. 'Sorry for the cold front that just swept into your office. We Jedi are all on the same side, but sometimes we don't act like it very much.' After a moment, she did a double take at the other woman. 'What are you wearing?'

Finally Bastila looked flustered, plucking at the thigh high skirt and leather halter top she was clad in. 'My Jedi robes were all but destroyed upon my arrival here. I had to find other clothing.'

'You didn't find much of it. Has a tyraxian moth wave hit this city?'

'It is considered suitable attire here!'

'Oh please. You think it makes you look hot. Nothing wrong with that, honey, just admit it once in a while. It'll lower your blood pressure.'

The men were hard pressed at this point to conceal their grins, so she left off needling Bastila, which, she admitted to herself, she shouldn't be doing anyway, and returned her attention to them. 'Again, you have my apologies. Now that I've found our wayward Jedi, we'll be leaving.'

'So soon?' Angel asked, disappointment obvious in his voice. 'I was hoping to talk with you both. I haven't had the opportunity to talk to real Jedi before. They're something of a cult icon around here. We know you exist, but we've never actually encountered any before.'

The honest entreaty in his voice made her pause. 'Well, it's true that we've hit a lull in hunting the Sith. Intelligence is still looking for their base in the Quaarang System. Not much for us to do until then...'

'Then please, do us the honour of being our guests for a little while.'

'I do think I might have something to say about this,' Bastila interjected.

'Shut up, princess, I outrank you now, remember, Padawan Bastila? Do we have to empty the lake again?'

As expected, that shut her up. The men looked mystified. 'Long story, and not mine to tell. I would be more than glad to take you up on your offer, Master Tintallin.'

'You must call me Angel, please.'

'Angel,' she acknowledged with another nod. 'Call me Adria, after all, we're family, right?'

'What do you mean,' burst out Bastila. 'What are you talking about? What ties do you have to these people, Adria?'

'Oh, didn't I ever tell you? I'm Atlantean. My cousin is married to his brother.'

'You--you're not human?'

'Never have been, don't see a reason to start now.'

'Did Carth know?' she demanded.

There is no emotion, there is peace, she chanted silently to herself. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. That and counting to ten got her to simmer down.

'That is none of your concern, Padawan. And I would suggest you remember your place.' Adria's voice had gone icy and cold, and Bastila heeded it.

'Yes, Knight Teksuni,' she murmured, eyes downcast. They both also knew that the only reason Bastila wasn't Adria's to train was because Adria had turned down every offer of Master. The Atlantean knew that as soon as she accepted, Bastila would be hers. 'Better to train you both with the control of emotions, it will,' Master Vandar had said. 'For control them you can when you truly need to, Knight Teksuni, ignore the Code you do when suits you.'

Yuck.

Still, she and Bastila went through the same exact song and dance every damn time they encountered each other. Bastila never forgot that Adria had been a Padawan under her command on the Endar Spire, and it was difficult for her to understand why the Atlantean had been granted Knighthood while she remained a Padawan.

'Now that the fight for dominance has been settled, do you have a hostel or somewhere we can stay?' She didn't miss the look exchanged between Bastila and the still seated blond elf.

He now rose and approached her, his manner noticably cool. 'My name is Warhawk Tintallin, High Lord Priest of Elric, Battle Mage of Dweomer. I have been most forunate in that Bastila has consented to be my houseguest during her stay here. I'm sure other accomodations can be made for you.' In other words, she thought to herself, you don't want to deal with two fighting kath bitches under your roof. She couldn't blame him.

Adria shrugged. 'One less thing for me to worry about. I think it will do her good to be with this family. Maybe one of you can get her to lighten up. So, about where I'm staying...'

'You're more than welcome to stay here at the Keep,' Angel quickly put in. 'We have an extensive guest wing you're more than welcome to.'

'My thanks again.' She fixed a gaze on Bastila, and this time it was as Jedi they looked at each other. 'Three weeks, then we will have to return. We took heavy losses in the Tubari System, where we lost you, Bastila. That was a fortnight ago. They will need us when they find the base in the Quaarang.'

'What of the main fleet?' she asked, and they both knew she was asking about Aaron.

'Untouched. Most of the casualties were in the initial conflicts.' She saw Bastila relax slightly at the news. 'The Ebon Hawk was shot down. The crew survived, but with injuries. They'll be fine, however. The main force with the medical frigates was right behind him...them.'

Bastila nodded. 'Three weeks. Anything in particular you would have me do?'

'Remember your training. Use this time to refresh yourself so when we do get back, you'll be stronger than ever.' Adria refrained from saying something about getting the cork out of her ass.

'Yes, Knight Teksuni.' She stood and moved towards the door with Warhawk. 'I--I'm glad that the Ebon Hawk is all right.'

Adria shrugged. She needed to get away, find somewhere quiet, and meditate. As usual, meeting up with Bastila had caused great turmoil for her.

'I'm forced to apologize again,' she told Angel after Warhawk and Bastila had made their goodbyes and left. 'I'm suddenly fatigued, and I need somewhere to rest.'

Angel studied her with eyes that told her they didn't miss any nuance of a conversation. 'Of course, you've journeyed far. Akirinol, would you take her to the guest quarters? Suite 17 is available.'

'Yes, uncle,' murmured the brown haired elf.

Before she could turn to go, Angel captured her hand and bowed over it, planting an electric kiss on the back before turning those piercing eyes on her. 'I look forward to our next meeting with unbridled anticipation.'

'As do I, Angel. My thanks again.'

She was quiet as Akirinol led her through the labrynthine hallways and more elevator rides. Finally he touched a pad on a wall and a door slid open to reveal a sumptuously appointed room, with several other rooms leading away from it. An enormous window stretched the entire length of the wall, showing a magnificent view of the mountains and the city.

As she turned to say goodbye to Akirinol, he startled her by enveloping her in a bear hug.

'You'll be fine,' he whispered. 'Denver will heal you.'

She returned the hug. 'I was wrong,' she breathed. 'You would have made a fine Jedi.'

With a chuckle he disengaged, waved, and disappeared, the door hissing shut behind him.

Adria crossed the room, sank down into a chair that afforded her a view out the window, sank her head into her hands, and wept.

She tossed in her sleep, muttering under her breath. Too much of the past had been stirred up today, and her subconscious leaped on the chance.

She was standing in a spartan room, a single bed, a small console that was desk, chest of drawers, and computer station all in one sat to one side. The only real luxury was the wide window that opened up onto the view of the highest level of Coruscant.

A man stood in front of her, auburn hair brushed back with two stubborn tendrils that refused to stay in place, constantly sweeping forward over his eyes. Passionate brown eyes looked out from a ruggedly handsome, unshaven face. The Republic uniform still looked strange on him, even after a month back at the Council's headquarters.

'What else have you been hiding from me,' he asked quietly. 'I thought there weren't going to be anymore secrets between us.'

'I told you that I wouldn't keep anything back from you that the Council had condoned. There's a difference,' she said, decidedly uncomfortable with this entire conversation.

It wasn't until after she had returned to Coruscant that the danger had manifested itself. Here, she was constantly in conference with various masters, being True Atlantean, they used her knowledge of various cultures and her different perspective in a wide variety of tasks and studies. She'd been unable to hide it from Carth, and hadn't even thought to until the suspicious looks began everytime a new master descended upon them.

'Look, I know there are things you can't tell me, things that the Council has deemed as high security, but this is something different. It has nothing to do with a mission, I can tell. So talk to me, tell me what's going on.' His voice was puzzled, and somewhat hurt. She knew he was fighting not to fall back into old patterns of mistrust.

'We're due to leave for Telos in three days, why not just think about seeing Dustil again?'

'That's something I'm trying not to think about,' he replied with a wry grimace. 'And quit trying to change the subject. We haven't been able to get two minutes alone together since we got here. You're constantly on call.'

'You knew it would be like this.'

'Sure! Some of the time. But even Bastila got a week's leave after our return. Once they were done debriefing Aaron, he got a break, too. Why not you? You're just a new Knight, what makes you so different?'

'I--I can't tell you...'

'Adria,' he said softly. 'I love you. I want to be with you. I know I'm getting on in years, but a family is not that out of the question. With you, I feel like I have a chance to start over, fix the mistakes I made. After we're finished rounding up what's left of the Sith Fleet...I want to marry you.'

And she hadn't even seen it coming. So much of the last several months had been about now, she'd given no thought to the future beyond the Star Forge. It was enough that she and Carth had finally admitted their love for each other. She should have realized what the next step would be. Marriage, children...things she could never give him.

'What is it?' he asked, suddenly concerned. 'What's wrong? Am I moving too fast? After what's happened between us, I thought...'

'No,' she said, tears in her voice. 'It's...it's not you...'

'Don't you...don't you want to marry me?'

With a soft explosion in her stomach she realized she did want to marry this man, this human. Visions of them together, laughing, fighting, making love, carrying his child in her womb, close to her heart beneath her breast. Making him happy, frustrating him with her teasing...She wanted it, with a hunger she never realized she could possess outside of hunting her enemies. But it could never be.

'I do want to marry you, more than anything,' and there was a hint of wonder in her voice as she said it. 'But I'm afraid...'

'Afraid of what, the Council? They shouldn't object too much. After all, you managed to come through all of this okay. Not like--' he cut off. Even after the happy ending, they still didn't like to talk about Bastila's falling. 'Anyway, we're a good match. You've seen them when we're together, they smile and all but pat us on the head! If they thought it was wrong, they would have said something by now, wouldn't they?'

They had said something, but only to her. It took some extremely fast talking on her part to get across the fact that despite her strong feelings for Carth, she could still function as a Jedi, impartially and unemotionally. They reviewed the logs of the Star Forge Threat in minute detail, and concurred with her.

'No, it's not the Council, it's me.'

'You look fine to me,' he said with a leer, wriggling his eyebrows. When she didn't chuckle and reply with sarcasm, he sobered quickly. 'It's hurting you. Tell me. You've helped me overcome so much, helped me see there was more than Saul, helped me come to terms with my wife's death...Now it's my turn.'

'I--I can't--'

'Has the Council forbid it?'

'Yes...'

'But that's not why you won't tell me.'

'I don't know why I don't want to tell you.'

But she did. Where she came from, inter-racial marriages were not exactly commonplace, but they were accepted with little or no thought. However, in this dimension, she hadn't seen a single one, and guessed it was considered an abomination. A few careful inquiries, and she'd found out she was right. You can fool around with whatever race you wanted to, but you did not marry them. Period.

And as far as children went...she could only procreate with another True Atlantean.

'You're afraid, I can see that.' He moved to embrace her, but she turned away. 'Adria, please. Let me help you. Talk to me, dammit.'

With unsteady steps, she approached the window and looked out over it, gripping the sill with white knuckled hands.

'I'm not human,' she said, but her voice broke and it came out incoherently. Spinning around, she straightened and said in a louder voice, 'I'm not human.'

His expression turned cautiously incredulous, he was obviously uncertain whether or not to take her seriously.

'Not human? We seem compatible enough.'

'Please don't joke, not now.'

'I don't understand. Of course you're human.'

'No.'

Crossing his arms, he looked at her with amused indulgence. 'Okay, I give up, what are you then? The first Jedi Hutt? A bald twi'lek who couldn't cut it as a dancer?' He snapped his fingers. 'I know, you're a wookie who was involved in a horrible depillatory accident!'

'Why won't you take this seriously!' she demanded, restraining the urge to smack the smirk clean off his face. 'This is hard enough as it is without you turning it into a circus!'

He held up his hands in a supplicating gesture. 'Hey, relax, I was only--' Again she swung away and faced out the window, unable to look at him. 'You really mean it, don't you. But you must be--I mean, you can't not be--'

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and faced him once more. With one hand, she pushed back the sleeve of her dark blue Jedi robes, revealing the tattoo emblazoned on the inside of her wrist.

'I told you this was a family crest, but it's more than that. It's a Mark of Heritage,' she knew he heard the emphasis on the name. 'It identifies me as a True Atlantean, and what clan I belong to. I'm one hundred eighty of your years old. I'm from another dimension. I came to this one while chasing an enemy of my people. That was six years ago.'

As if unable to properly feel his legs, he wobbled over to the bed and sat heavily. 'I can't believe this...'

'When I arrived in this dimension, it was in the middle of a battle between light and dark Jedi. The lightsiders won. They discovered me and brought me here, where the Masters ascertained I had a strong affinity for the Force. Rather than unleash the secret to the universe that creatures from other dimensions could come and go as they pleased, they decided to train me instead. I've been using the missions they send me on as cover to find the one I'm looking for ever since.'

'No, no, I don't believe this. People don't just pop in from another dimension! There's no such thing. The Sith did something to you, or--or the masters did, like they did to Revan--'

'No, Carth,' she said sadly. 'This is who I am, and who I've always been. Your dimension is just one of an infinite number. My people wander the megaverse, since our home is lost to us. We constantly search for a way to take back what is rightfully ours.'

'You're a spy, sent here to ferret out the uses of the Force?'

'The Force isn't even used in the dimensions I inhabit the most. No one is attuned to it. There are other powers, though...'

'Oh, like what?' he scoffed. 'Magic?'

'As a matter of fact, yes.'

Resentful disbelief settled in his eyes. 'Adria, if you don't want to be with me, just tell me. You don't have to go through this...this farce in order to let me off easy. I'm a big boy, I can take it.'

'I do want to be with you, Carth, that's why I'm telling you this.'

'All right then,' he said defiantly. 'Let's see it. Let's see some magic.'

Bowing her head, she took another grip on the sleeve of her robe and pushed it up to her shoulder. On her arm was another tattoo, a rampant lion, mane flared, roaring his superiourity to the world.

'Carth...I love you...forgive me...'

She touched the tattoo.

It leaped off her arm, rapidly growing in size. A blink after she'd touched it, the giant cat padded around the room, then stationed himself next to Adria, the top of his head coming up well past her waist. Reaching down, she lay a tremulous hand on top of the thick tawny mane.

'Do you see now?' she asked gently.

He stared as if his eyes were going to fall out. Then he shook his head violently. 'It's not real. It's a Jedi mind trick of some sort.'

'No, no Jedi trick,' she said, sending the lion forward with a thought. It moved towards Carth, the powerful muscles rippling beneath the golden fur. When it reached the pilot, it lowered its head and snuffled his hand. Carth jerked it away as if burned. Staring into the lion's eyes, which were like liquid amber, his mouth worked soundlessly. Tentatively, he reached out one hand and touched the lion. The great cat began to purr. Carth recoiled.

'Make it go--make it--make it leave--'

She made a gesture, and quicker than thought, the lion was merely a tattoo again, looking for all the world like a well done rendition in ink on flesh.

Carth stood and blindly made his way out. She called his name, but he didn't pause or turn, instead wrenching the door open and staggering through it, gasping as if he'd been lacking for air.

And then he was gone.

The door chimed, and without losing her focus, she used the Force to have it open. She could sense rather than see Akirinol enter the room, staring around with lifted eyebrows. He set a bag down on the floor and sat quietly.

Cross-legged, arms resting loosely on her thighs, she floated in the middle of the room, various articles of furniture floated around her. A basic meditation excersize, one that she sorely needed after the rough night she'd had. The Force filled her, cleansed her, washing away her fears and her pain. For a while, anyway. It was light, and it was good. That was enough, for now. It never lasted, but it aided in getting her through.

Not hurrying, she finished the excersize and set everything neatly back in place. Sinking back to the thickly carpeted floor, she opened her eyes.

'Hi!'

'Hello yourself,' he replied, looking her over.

She felt most definitely odd, dressed in the fashions of Denver. Still, they were among some of the most comfortable she'd ever worn. A sports bra and a pair of shorts were her only items at the moment, her long hair back in it's customary knot.

As for Akirinol, he wore what she recognized to be cut off jeans and an A-shirt. 'Thought we might go for a swim,' he said, toeing the bag open. Inside were towels and a great assortment of squeeze bottles.

'Sounds heavenly. Come and help me, I have no idea what to wear.'

'You don't go swimming in the Star Wars Universe?'

She couldn't help but chuckle, the absurd title just made her laugh. 'Well, I do, but it's usually alone, in the wild, and in the buff.'

'I see,' standing, he made his way into her bedroom. The closet doors were flung open, as they had been when she'd awoken that morning. To her surprise, they were filled with clothing of every colour and variety, and all in her size. She hadn't questioned it, and had played dress up for a while, giggling her way through the reasonable to the absurd to the downright scandalous.

Rummaging about in it, he pulled out a hangar upon which very little fabric was hanging.

'I'm supposed to wear that how, exactly?'

'If I may be so bold.'

'Oh, please, bold away.'

Taking the strings off the hangar, he held it up to her so that two triangles of material fell over her breasts, one her crotch, the whole thing held together with what looked nothing more than silken twine tied in strategic locations.

'Looks like something the Hutts have their slave girls wear.'

'Only not in bronze.'

'Huh?'

'Nevermind. I think you'll figure out the rest.' He turned and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Undressing, she managed to wrestle the bathing suit on where she thought it should go and got it tied. Surveying herself in the mirror, she liked the end result. Although it left very little to the imagination, it was quite flattering, showing off her toned curves. It also showed all but one of her tattoos, and she had to forcibly remind herself that it was okay.

Flinging open the doors, she struck a seductive pose.

'Well, what do you think?'

For an answer Akirinol mimed wiping drool of his chin.

Laughing, she entered the living room. 'If any of my Jedi compatriots saw me like this, they'd swallow their tongues.'

'I can imagine! Come on, let's head out to the pool.'

Grabbing the duffel bag and her hand, he pulled her out the door. As they walked through the halls, she enjoyed the looks given to her by the men, another luxury she'd denied herself for a long time. It was nice to be reminded that she was beautiful that was not somehow related to seducing information or resources out of someone.

Up the elevator they went, and eventually he led her to a vast deck that had an incredible view of the City-State and the surrounding mountains.

'Shouldn't it be cold up here?' she asked, knowing that the Keep was built on the highest mount.

'Magic,' was the simple reply. 'And we keep the pool heated.'

The sun was shining and only a few wispy white clouds chased each other around the sky. Every now and then a lone eagle could be seen on level with the deck, gliding on a thermal.

'It's gorgeous.'

'Isn't it, though? Stormshadow worked hard to get it just right. We have a lot of parties here.'

'How could you not?'

She saw several chairs and chaise lounges scattered around the pool, but they were all empty. They had it all to themselves.

'A lot of the workers use the pool before or after their shifts. It's usually abandoned this time of day,' he told her while they walked towards a couple of lounges.

'Can you read minds?'

'No, body language. It's essential for fighting crime,' he told her.

'I see.'

'Suntan lotion?'

'Suntan what?'

'Lotion, it keeps you from getting sunburned.'

'I don't get sunburned.'

'Lucky you. I still burn, it just peels faster than on normal people,' he said with a grimace. 'It's disgusting, I look like I'm molting.'

With a laugh she agreed to help him spread the lotion on his back, and found herself reveling in the feel of her hands running across the bunched muscles. After he'd stripped off the shorts as well, showing a brief bathing suit of his own that left as much to the imagination as hers did. She was impressed.

The application of the lotion on him was so sensual, she went ahead and asked him to put some on her, too. With a gleam in his eye, he quickly agreed.

'Mmm, you have magic hands,' she told him.

'Comes from all that webslinging,' he told her.

'Oh, so you use your webbing as a mode of transportation, too?'

'Yeah, I found a bunch of pre-Rifts comic books in the Keep one day, and all my misfit abilities just clicked into place.'

'Misfit?'

'My people are barbarians. We don't live in Rifts Earth, we live in a world a lot like Aquilonia. Only instead of the soft green land that Gambit lives in, we live in the high north, on a glacier.'

'Barbarian elves,' she murmured, relaxing under his gentle ministrations. 'Now I have heard everything.'

'Why does everyone say that? My father, Wolverine, is very large, very nasty, and my mother is worse. The Wolf Clan are a very strong clan, and hold the largest chunk of claimed glacier.'

'I didn't mean anything by it! So touchy!'

'Sorry, it just gets old after a while. Not all elves are into that whole stardust and gossamer bit.'

'I'm beginning to figure that out...'

'I'm the youngest, I have eleven brothers and sisters, all of whom are protoges of various family members.'

'My respects to your mother!'

'Yeah, and I'm the runt! I resemble my mother more than any of the others. I also have the distinction of being the only brunette Tintallin-by-blood. Nearly everyone else is blond.' He chuckled, which vibrated all the way down to his hands, it made her shiver.

'I think my mother had had enough 'typical' Tintallin children and just had to have one different. There you go, all done.' He said, standing up and wiping his hands on a towel. 'You want to get in now or just wait until later?'

'Later, natural sunlight, coming from one sun, is nice.'

'You got it.'

They stretched out on the lounges and simply soaked up some rays for a long while. A woman quietly approached them after a bit and diffidently asked them if they'd care for a drink. Akirinol asked for lemonade and it was quickly brought in tall icy tumblers.

'Talk about service,' Adria commented, sipping.

'Only the best for Angel and company.'

'I'm beginning to see that, too. I do have some other questions.'

'Fire away.'

'How do you know about the Republic? Or the 'Star Wars Universe', as you like to call it?'

'Well...way before the Apocalypse happened, there was a series of movies, the overall title was Star Wars. They were about Jedi and the fight between the dark side and the light side of the Force. My uncle is an archaeologist, and uncovered a cache of 20th to 23rd century media.'

'Movies? As in, entertainment vids? Are you kidding me?'

'No. Our theory is the creator, George Lucas, was actually a d-bee, from the Republic, and the Star Wars films are actually a history of his dimension.'

'Makes sense,' she mused. 'And it explains the stormtroopers. And the silly name.'

He began fidgiting. 'It also has the future, if it is true,' he told her. 'We don't know for certain. It could have just been stories made up about his world.'

She held up a hand. 'Either way, I don't want to know. I'm not interested.'

Relief highlighted his handsome features. 'Whew. Had me worried there for a minute.'

'No, I've been caught in time paradoxes before. They're not fun, to say the least.'

'Well, I will tell you that overall, it's got a happy ending.'

'That's a relief. Nice to know I'm not fighting for nothing.'

'Far from it.'

'I think I'm ready to get in the pool now,' she said, standing with a graceful stretch. 'I'm not really good at swimming, I've spent most of my life travelling, one way or another, and never really got the opportunity to learn.'

'I'll teach you,' he said, and smoothly dove into the pool. Resurfacing, he wiped hair out of his face and beckoned for her to join him.

Looking uncertainly in the pool, she did a very unelegant leap and plopped into the water. Snorting and gasping, she made her way back to air.

'Are you laughing at me?' she asked between gasps and trying to get water out of her nose.

'Not at all,' he chortled.

Rearing back her hand, she splashed a bucketful of water in his face, and the fight was on. Later, neither could say who cheated first, but he surrendered after she Force Pushed half the pool at him in a minour tsunami.

After the high spirits had died down, he began teaching her how to improve her swimming technique. Just swimming technique, although they both thought about other things.

'You wanted to see me?' she asked, coming in and shutting the door behind her. Today she was clad in something similar to her Scout garb, dark brown leather pants, dark brown leather vest, and matching gloves. But instead of the normal light coloured long sleeved shirt, she wore nothing beneath the vest, it lacing up the front rather than hanging open loose as was the typical style.

Angel was sitting in his desk, which was neat and orderly, he himself impeccable in a crisp, dove grey button down shirt, open at the throat, and tan trousers.. Leaning back in his luxurious chair, he steepled his fingers and nodded at one of the sumptuous leather chairs in front of his desk. 'Yes, thank you for coming. At our last meeting I intimated that I would like to talk to you more about where you've been in the--er--Republic Universe. Is now convenient?'

'As convenient as any,' she replied with a shrug, taking the proffered seat.

'I've had more than one talk with my cousin since I arrived here, and I've come to believe that your family can be trusted. You may or may not know, but I don't form those kinds of beliefs easily, but once I do, it takes a lot to shake them. The same goes for when I decide someone is not to be trusted,' she added, eyes darkening for a fraction of a second. Like Angel missed it.

'So you trust me?'

Adria didn't answer immediately, giving him a long, appraising look first. 'I think you are a very dangerous man, perhaps the most dangerous I've ever met. I won't attempt to guess at your motives and agenda, except perhaps to say that anything I tell you will be used to further your primary goal of keeping your family safe. But this doesn't answer the question.' Her eyes narrowed as she continued to stare at him. 'Yes. I do trust you.' The serious expression faded away, replaced with a crooked grin, one side of her full lips quirking upwards. 'But I don't think I'd want to hear any details of something you'd do for what you consider to be the greater good.'

His return gaze was impressed. 'You gathered all of this from being in my presence for a grand total of about fifteen minutes?'

'I have other resources besides intuition to draw on. The Force, Empathy, and cousin Allondra.'

That elicited a chuckle. 'I think the last one would be the most reliable.'

'You think right. So,' she said, reaching for the box of cigars on his desk and lighting one for herself. 'What would you like to know?'

'Tell me about the Jedi Council.'

'Which one? There are several.'

'The one in charge of training.'

A great plume of blue smoke poured out of rounded lips, and she made an indelicate sound. 'The Jedi Council...they do their best, I suppose. But there are a lot of their methods I distinctly do not agree with. It's why I was a Padawan for so long, although I had no master with me. Many of their beliefs are alien to me, beyond my understanding. They just don't make sense.'

'Like what?' he asked, interest obviously piqued. 'You have a very unique viewpoint, part of, yet separate. I want to know what you think.'

'Be careful what you ask for,' she told him with a wry grimace. 'You may get more than you want. It's prickly with me.'

'I think I can handle it. You've met my wives.'

A throaty chuckle. 'This is true. Okay, here goes. I haven't said what I truly think of Code and Council, because in the Republic, it would undermine what they do, and they do very important things. The trust in the Jedi must remain inviolate. Here, however, I feel it's important for me to be totally honest, so you know what you're in for if you pursue relations with them. Also,' she tapped cigar ash into a convenient ashtray. 'Maybe it could help Bastila.'

'Ah, yes. Warhawk's latest wounded bird. Let's talk about her before we go back to the Council. What does he need to mend her and make her fly again?'

'Again?' she snorted. 'She never has flown.' Getting to her feet, she began to pace, long strides carrying her back and forth over Angel's expensive carpet, taking deep drags of the cigar, occassionally remembering to deposit another load of ash into the appropriate vessel. 'You'd have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to miss the animosity there. Everyone assumes that it's just two females who don't get along and dismiss it as such. I am content to let it be so. The core of the problem goes right back to the Council, however.' She stilled, and faced Angel, eyes and face hard. 'I don't trust her.'

'Bastila is vastly powerful, and the Council all but fawned over her in her youth, creating a very confused child. One minute being told she could do things no other person in the galaxy could do, the next minute being told she was the same as everyone else. No, less than anyone else, because a Jedi must be humble, and willing to serve. You can imagine what that would do to a child who'd been torn away from her family. Arrogance and a total lack of self-esteem all in one package.

'She doesn't use the Code to live by, she uses it as a shield, to hide from herself and the real world around her. The Council constantly preaches at these children that the Dark Side is a temptation they'll never quite be strong enough to face, it's the boogeyman under the bed, it's the monster in the closet. Only closing your eyes and hiding beneath the covers won't make it go away.

'The Dark Side is real, yes, and it is actively seeking out Jedi to turn, to make itself stronger. I'm not quite sure what kind of entity it is yet, I haven't run into any like it before, not even among the beings called gods. It is insidiously evil, however. The Council are right to warn of it, it's how they do it that leads to disaster for so many. You'd think the Great Sith Wars would have taught them something, but nothing has changed.

'They are frightened old men, who grew from frightened little boys. They perpetuate the cycle because...well, I'm not quite sure why. Maybe they're afraid to try anything new, maybe they don't know any better. They teach that passion is evil, love is worse, and emotion is something you must never feel.'

'You're kidding,' Angel said, his voice flat with disbelief. 'They ignore it in the hopes it will just go away? Are they mad, or just stupid?'

A helpless shrug. 'I don't know. They are wise, in certain things, but they are also victim of the very arrogance they preach against. Instead of taking these young, vulnerable children and teaching them how to deal with their emotions, their passions, and their fears. To tame them, and realize how integral they are a part of them, and to make them their own, they instead slam a wall down between them and this part of their basic makeup. Feel happy, and it turns to guilt, feel anger, and it turns to self-loathing, feel hatred...and one either gives up, realizing they'll never be a true Jedi, or they go in a cycle of despair. And they do this to children, who's life is nothing but emotional highs and lows...it breaks my heart, to tell you the truth.'

And sure enough, he could see tears glimmering at the edges of those large, sapphire blue eyes. 'Need a drink?' he asked softly. At her nod, he got to his feet and went to the bar.

'Not that the alcohol does anything,' she sighed, 'But I think I've gotten the psychosomatic part of how a drink will relax me down by this point. I've been working on it for decades.'

The jibe fell flat, the turmoil in her voice destroying the attempt at humour. Still, he gave her an encouraging smile as he handed her a tumbler of scotch, and sat back down to nurse one of his own.

'I have to tell you, I never suspected anything like this. From what little we have, and not knowing how much of it is true, we always thought the Jedi were strong and capable. Now I learn that they are fallible, weak, and misguided.'

'You're hearing all of the worst, that's been pent up inside me for a couple of years,' she admitted. 'There is comfort, discipline, and strength in the Code as well. I've gained immeasurably from it. It has in fact given me a center of peace I lost long ago when I joined in my people's never-ending hunt to reclaim what is ours. It's given me a core of peace, of serenity, I can call upon. And comfort, when I need it. I have new structure to my thoughts, and I'm more organized, better equipped to deal with what I must do. But I use the Code the way I think it should be. When it says 'there is no emotion, there is peace,' I take that to mean that you master your emotions, you control them, rather than the other way around. The Council takes it to mean you must not feel anything, at all, that would quicken your pulse or send a thrill down your spine, good or bad. When the Code says 'there is no passion, there is serenity,' I take it to mean that your passions can fuel you, drive you, give you endurance and vigour, but they don't overpower you. When they become too strong, you can find your oasis of calm, and look upon your situation with fresh eyes. The Council sees that to mean the all passions stem from the same source and lead to the same end, and therefore all are evil.'

'No wonder they lost so many Jedi to Exar Kun,' Angel mused. 'And when Revan sent out his call, many must have seen this as a way to finally indulge in what they'd been repressing, bottling it up inside of them until they either loosed it, or it exploded.'

Adria nodded sadly. 'Yes. They gravely miscalculated with Revan. Rather than tell him everything, they held on to their precious secrets until it was too late. Then Revan turned, and took so many of us with him. It wasn't a few slipping away at a time. It was a mass exodus. Young Jedi throwing off the shackles of ignorance the Council tried to bind them with, only they did it for the wrong reasons, and they fell to the Dark Side.'

'What would have been the right reasons?'

'According the Council, there weren't any. If you ask me, I say honestly questioning yourself, and anything that doesn't feel right, in a controlled environment, is the right way. There are a few Masters who have taken it upon themselves to explore the Dark Side, rather than hide themselves away as everyone else does. They push themselves to the limit, trying to learn what it takes to get a Jedi to turn, and how to recover once that happens. These are the Masters I admire the most. They are not afraid of their passions, they embrace them, they thrive on them, for all that they can teach. And yet, these few know that it is they who are truly the masters of themselves, their emotions, and their passions, and they strive to rule them, rather than the other way around.

'That's what leads to the Dark Side. Not passion in and of itself, but the uncontrolled expressions of those passions. The curiousity about the Dark Side, it can seem so inviting to just let yourself go, forget the crushing responsibility of being A JEDI, and simply feel. If the Council would just understand that in order to keep these fresh young minds theirs, they need to give them the tools to discipline themselves, they wouldn't have lost so many to Revan. They possibly wouldn't have lost Revan, himself.'

'The Jedi Masters sound like fools,' Angel snorted. 'They wouldn't last a second against a truly organized mystic force, like the Bene Gesseritt, or my family.'

'I know, and that's what scares me. I fell through a rift to that dimension, what's to keep the Splugorth from doing the same? Can you imagine if the Splugorth allied themselves with the Sith, and taught them how to control themselves?'

'The Republic would fall,' answered Angel. 'Forever. There would be no coming back from it this time. Thousands of worlds enslaved. There wouldn't be anyone there who could possibly resist.'

'Exactly,' she replied with an emphatic nod. 'That is my greatest fear, the one that wakes me up in the middle of the night.'

'I can see why it would. And how does Bastila fall into all of this?'

'I told you how I thought she became the way she is. You know she fell to the Dark Side and was redeemed. But the reasons for her turning are still there, burning as brightly as ever. She wasn't seduced to the Dark Side, she nearly ran to it. So repressed, she yearns to fully explore her passions, her desires. And yet, she feels guilty about wanting that, feels weak. Idiot,' she spat. 'If the little git would just realize how much stronger she could be, if she would just look at that part of herself instead of making it into some huge dramatic act, she would dominate it and rule it, instead of alternately hiding from it and embracing it. She is weak, too weak. And yet on her the Republic stands or falls. She won't listen to me, she made that clear upon my promotion to Knight. Despite my rank, and my honest desire to help her, she doesn't believe I attained the rank through merit, but only because of my part in the Star Forge Threat. It galls her that I was raised and she wasn't, and is contemptuous of me because of that.'

Angel tapped his lips with a forefinger, his eyes far away. 'I must not Fear. Fear is the mind killer,' he murmured. 'Fear is the little death that brings total oblitheration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has passed, I will turn my inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.'

'Yes,' Adria exclaimed, slamming her fist down on Angel's desk. 'That's what's missing, that's the key to everything. Fear! It is fear that the Jedi embrace, fear of who they are, of what they could become! Through their fear they refuse to understand anything! They revel in it, they hide behind it, and they teach every generation that comes after to do the same!'

'Perpetuation of weakness,' Angel said. 'Imbeciles. Fools. There aren't words strong enough.'

'You see it, don't you,' she asked curiously, relaxing. 'You see what she could be, the power she could hold, and the peace she could have.'

'Of course I do,' he replied. 'It's blindingly obvious. I can do that, you know.'

'You can?'

'Yes. It won't be easy,' he grinned suddenly, fangs much in evidence. 'For her. Not at first. But it can be done in say...' he tapped his fingers on the desk top. 'A week, maybe? And I know just who I can get to help me...'

'What are you going to--nevermind. I don't want to know.'

'You probably don't. I don't think it's my place, particularly, to clean up the Council's messes.'

Adria shrugged, then finally remembered the cigar. It had gotten crushed during her tirade, and she tossed it into the ashtray. 'We be no better or worse off if you didn't. Hell, if you guys could just get her to loosen up a little bit, that would be better. She's wound so tight I'm surprised her skin doesn't pop off at times.'

He laughed. 'Well, exploring her passions hasn't been too much of a problem.'

'Yeah, here she can pretend. She's in fantasyland. It will all be conveniently forgotten and stuffed into the place where she represses everything else when we get back.'

'A condundrum, don't you think?' he asked her, eyes lit with a strange internal fire. 'And I do so love riddles.'

'Whoah-whoah-whoah, there, girl!' the battle scene around her faded to nothing and she swiveled, panting and streaming blood from a variety of wounds, to look up at the control station for the Danger Room. 'Are you trying to kill yourself or just destroy the room?' A human male was up there, fingers flying as he rapidly pressed switches and flipped levers.

Puzzlement wrinkling her brow, she looked around what should have been a bare, cavernous room with smooth steel-looking walls. What she actually saw were piles of half slagged metal, scorched circuits, and smoking wires hanging out of ripped open conduits, sparking from ceiling, floor, and walls.

'Feth!' she snarled. 'They told me I couldn't hurt this room!' Already the pain from several fractured ribs began to fade as her bioregen kicked in.

'They told you wrong, I think,' the man said. 'Give me a minute and I'll come down there to see what's coming out of your paycheck.'

Adria deactivated her sabers and reholstered them, then wiped her forehead with the back of one rapidly purpling hand. The last week had been hell, despite the ready relief offered to her all around by the male, and female (though declined), members of the family. Angel had indeed taken Bastila under his...care, and the Force tumult that had erupted since then had been nearly unbearable. Add to that the memories sparked by seeing the Padawan at all, and Adria was not, in truth, in a very good mood.

Inquiring about facilities where she could fully work out using all of her abilities, a friendly Ranger had told her about the Danger Room, and it had been a simple inquiry to obtain the codes to use it and program her own scenarios. They'd said that the room had magics and technology to keep any real damage from being done, even to yourself, if the safeties were on. They'd said that she couldn't hurt anything. So she'd come in, taken the tutorial, made her own scenario, a battle on the Outer Rim against Sith, turned off the safeties, and plunged in.

Now she was looking at a wreck of a room.

Hell, she thought, and damn, and shit!

The doors hissed open, causing a shower of sparks to fall on the man who came through them. He was a few inches shy of six feet, with short brown hair in a military cut, a wiry build, ruggedly handsome, and human. Pewter-coloured eyes surveyed her with amusement. He was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt that said, 'Bomb Disposal Expert. If you see me running, try and keep up' in red letters.

'They heard explosions so they sent me to investigate. What in the hell did you do here? I'm impressed.'

'I didn't do it on purpose!' she spat. 'I told you. They told me I couldn't do any real damage in here.'

'Under normal circumstances. Don't feel bad. About once a month we have to rebuild because some new power comes in and wrecks the place.' While he spoke he was scanning the damage. 'Well. Nothing I can do here. You obviously weren't using explosives. Now we have something else to give the programmers fits, hm? Oh, I'm Decker, by the way. What's your name, beautiful?'

Despite herself, she winced.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' he said, the natural flirtatiousness in his eyes dying down. 'I guess I'm too used to the women around here. Don't mind me, it's just my way.'

She didn't have to be psychic to guess that her expression had gone from pained to stricken, and wondered where her control had fled to.

'And I make things worse. Where's the famous Decker charm when I need it?' With a roguish grin, he moved forward and gently took her wrist. 'Come on. You probably want to get cleaned up.'

She could only dumbly nod, not resisting as he led her out of the wreckage and towards the area of the Keep where she was staying.

'You're one of those Jedi, right?'

Another nod.

'Which one?'

'Teksuni, Adria.'

That garnered her an interested look. 'Military?'

Finally she began regaining hold of herself. 'Not exactly,' she replied, shaking her head. 'I work with the military a lot, though. I don't hold actual rank in a military organization.'

'Well, I guess the Jedi don't count as military, but it's close enough. Do you need a healer?' he asked her, stopping dead in the corridor, seeing her for the first time under working lights. She could only guess at what she looked like overall. Her Knight robes shredded, enormous welts, bruises, cuts, and slashes liberally decorating her skin. Due to her regen, they had gone from the early preliminary stages to the ugly purple black stage within minutes.

'Looks worse than it is. I've got healing.'

'Great. Still, if you need someone, I know a great psychic.'

The grin that she felt tugging at her lips was unexpected and welcome. 'Thanks, I'll pass. I just need to get to my rooms.'

'Let me get you there, no need for you to slip on your own blood and break a leg.'

She didn't have much of a choice, it turned out, he chattering away cheerfully about nothing during the walk to her suite, and inviting himself in for a drink while she cleaned up.

After securing her bedroom doors, she stripped off the ruined garments and shoved them into the incinerator chute and moved towards the shower.

As the hot water blasted onto her skin, she hissed but endured it, preferring the physical discomfort to the mental she was avoiding. After a bit, the blood, sweat, and most of the bruises were gone, her ribs mended nicely, only a couple of the deeper gashes that would need a few more hours to mend, one right through to the bone. Stepping out of the stall, she wrapped herself in a luxurious bathrobe and returned to the living room of her suite.

He was sitting on the couch, a tumbler of amber liquid and ice in one hand, a cigar in the other, contentedly puffing away and watching the sunset colours emblazoned across the sky outside her window.

'Damn but I like it here,' he said without preamble as she moved to the bar. 'Oh, I would have fixed you something but I didn't know what you'd like.'

'Just a beer will work, thanks though.' She retrieved one and then sat on the couch opposite him. Even the timber of his voice, after long exposure to elven males, caused her stomach to roil. He watched her sit gingerly down, and she missed the shrewd light that lit in his eyes.

'So, how 'bout a bonk, then?'

It took a full five seconds of open-mouthed staring before she burst into laughter. She ended up doubled over, and he had to rescue the beer before it ended up on the floor. Finally she got control again, and sat back, wheezing and sniffling. After a gesture from her, he handed back the beer.

'I'll take that as a no,' he said, but it was without disappointment. Just the opposite, in fact, the satisfaction was hard to miss.

'Is that why they keep you around?' she asked him after taking a stabilizing swig of brew. 'Because you know the right thing to say at the right time?'

'Oh hell no. They keep me around because I like to blow stuff up and I'm good at it. More often my shoes end up in my mouth than a cigar, to tell you the truth.'

'Not that time. Thank you.'

'It didn't take rocket science to figure out something spooked you, I took a chance.'

She imagined what would have happened if he'd tried the same tactic with Bastila, and had to stifle another onset of giggles.

'What did I miss?' he asked, watching her, enjoying her mirth.

'Just imagining you doing that to a certain colleague of mine. She's a tad bit uptight...'

'Would have ended up with something other than my shoes in my mouth, hm?'

'Probably the couch you're sitting on.'

'I'll have to meet her.'

'I don't think she'll be like that when I see her again,' she said, voice falling. The chaos in the Force was still ongoing, the physical extreme she'd just put herself through hadn't dulled the sensation one bit.

'After all that, you think I'm going to let you get all spooked on me again? Get dressed. I'm taking you out.'

'What?'

'I'm taking you out. Dinner, dancing, the whole nine yards. Come on.' Getting to his feet, he moved to the door.

'You're probably just hoping to get laid.'

'Not hoping, babe,' he said over his shoulder. 'Counting on it.'