[FIC] The Adventures of Jolee Bindo

[Renegade Puma]

And yet again Ladies and Gentelmen, Jae amazes us with two more awe inspiring chapters! Great job JO, keep it up!

[Jae Onasi]

^

 

The flight home was long (4 hours on 1 leg, 1 on another), so I had plenty of time to get that last chapter done right after the previous. At least until the laptop battery died, at which time I had to switch to writing notes on my boarding passes because the muse didn't care one iota that the battery died.

[JediMaster12]

Teehee. I guess that means we will be seeing another chapter soon. This...good...thing...co...WE ARE SORRY YOUR CONNECTION HAS BEEN SEVERED DUE TO THE BATTERY DYING

[The Source]

@Jae - Very true... Very true.

[Jae Onasi]

I was in a romantic mood, since today is Jimbo's and my 16th anniversary.

 

Edit: This is a revision of the original chapter 20. Enjoy. Thanks to Emperor Devon and Jiara for the betas. I appreciate it!

 

If you can't stand romance, skip the section from the asterisks until the second to last paragraph. (and Hallucination, no hunky chests in this revision. )

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Chapter 20: Healing

 

“He will recover,” Master Supat stated as we watched Dycen’a float unconscious in the kolto tank several days later. The Ithorian Master adjusted some of the settings on the tank and then swiveled his head around to us. “The only reason he survived your attack was your immediate stasis field. It took five master healers to stabilize him. He’ll likely have some permanent damage, but it shouldn’t be too debilitating.”

 

“When will he able to tell you anything?” asked Jolee.

 

“A few more days, and then we’ll be able to question him.”

 

“He was apprenticed to a Sith Lord. He’s bound to know something. Let us know when you find out anything, Supat. I need to go talk to Vandar a bit, so I won’t hold you up any longer. I know you wanted to see Talin and Jae as well,” Jolee said.

 

“I did. Come with me, please,” Master Supat motioned to us to follow him.

 

“Meet me in my quarters in three hours,” Jolee instructed us, and we nodded.

 

Master Supat evaluated me briefly and declared, “All minor injuries, which you healed well.”

 

Talin was leaning against the wall waiting to see the Master healer next. He crossed his arms over his chest and frowned. “Master Supat should know that you acquired those injuries in a Class fifty tornado.”

 

“The scale only goes up to five, Talin,” I laughed.

 

“Li’adin’s a special case. Their tornadoes start at five and go up from there. Were you planning on letting him know any time soon?”

 

“Sure, when he asked.”

 

“Is he supposed to divine that through the Force? He can’t help you properly if you don’t tell him anything.”

 

Master Supat turned to look at Talin, lifting an eye ridge wryly. “I didn’t need to ask. Jolee already gave me a report of what happened on Li’adin. He knows that Padawans have a tendency to understate their injuries.”

 

“He knows this, eh? How well?” I asked.

 

“Quite well. I saw him often enough here when he was a Padawan. He tried to tell me one time that his rib fractures were ‘just a couple bruises’ and that he could go back and finish his lightsaber practice with one of the other Padawans—Andor I think.”

 

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Talin shook his head slightly.

 

“Because it’s Jolee,” I grinned.

 

“Master Supat, is there a cure for ornery old Jedi?”

 

He snorted in amusement. “There is no cure for Jolee. He is terminally ornery. Now come, Talin, let me take a look at you.” Talin sat down for the evaluation. “A good healing, Jae. Usually I find something that needs adjusting, but not today.”

 

“Jolee did a lot of it.”

 

Talin captured my gaze. “Jolee’s not the one who rescued me from becoming one with the Force. You did.”

 

“Hmm, Jolee was not very descriptive about that. Please tell me what happened,” Master Supat said.

 

I stood there until Talin looked away to Master Supat, then I found my voice. “When Talin’s vitals crashed, Jolee and I could feel the ebb in the Force. He told me ‘go get that boy’, so I went. I found him wandering, and I told him it was not his time yet. We cared about him and wanted him to come back. He decided to return.”

 

“That was all that happened?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That was extraordinarily risky. The two of you already share a small connection because of your injury, and that connection likely grew stronger with this incident. If Talin decided not to come back and you couldn’t break the link, you would both have been lost to us.”

 

“There was no acceptable alternative, Master Supat. He would have died if I hadn’t gone, and he is too important to the Order--” I stopped. Talin arched one eyebrow. “—and to Jolee and me.”

 

He smiled slightly in satisfaction.

 

Master Supat said, “Indeed. Every Jedi is important. Such powerful experiences can create Force bonds. Has that happened?”

 

“A bond has formed to some degree. We haven’t fully explored the extent,” Talin replied, looking over at me.

 

“What do you think, Jae?”

 

I regarded Talin for a long moment. So many different feelings! “I can feel the link, but I’m unsure what to do.”

 

He acknowledged that with a fractional tilt of his head.

 

“Hmm. Well, it’s not like you’ve had much time to assess it. While you’re in your meeting with the other Masters, I’ll find some data on Force bonds for you. How is your study of the Scourge defense going?”

 

“Slowly. Too slowly. I’m concerned that I won’t master it in time.”

 

“Let the Force guide your learning and it will come more easily. We are researching the Scourge itself, and we might learn something more once Dycen’a has recovered enough to speak. With all of us working together, we will stop it. Now, I declare both of you healthy. Do try to stay out of harm’s way, though that is rather like asking a Selkath to stay out of water.”

 

We both replied, “Thank you, Master Supat,” then gave him a slight bow as he waved us kindly from the room. We walked out of the Jedi Temple’s infirmary, away from the clinical scents and bustling activity.

 

“We have some time before meeting Jolee. Do you want to go anywhere?” I asked. The vague feeling of being watched crept through my consciousness. I looked around quickly and saw nothing unusual.

 

“What’s wrong?” Talin said, eyes darting around, searching for trouble.

 

“I don’t know. I just had a sudden feeling that someone’s watching us, but I can’t find the source.”

 

“I didn’t sense it. Maybe it was someone in the infirmary.”

 

“I don’t know. I only felt it for a brief moment.”

 

“We’ve been dealing with some very dangerous people. Do you want to go to Jolee’s quarters to wait? It might be safer.”

 

I glanced around another time and reached out with the Force to find the source, but the feeling was gone. “I’m not sensing anything now. I’d like to see a little of Coruscant. There’s so much to do here, and never any time to do any of it during the apprenticeship. I’ll keep an eye out, though.”

 

“Let me show you the public gardens at my family’s compound, then. A couple hours’ tour won’t do it justice, but it’ll get us away from anything remotely medical. Especially the smell.” Talin wrinkled his nose so dramatically in distaste that I laughed. He grinned. “Come. It’ll only take a couple minutes to get there.”

 

* * *

 

I gazed at the profusion of colorful blooms, breathing in the aroma of moist earth and perfumed flowers. “This is exquisite.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that look of amazement on you before.”

 

“It’s an Ithorian masterwork. I’ve never seen so many different varieties from so many different planets.”

 

“I think the gardener studied on Ithoria for awhile.”

 

“Beautiful.”

 

“Yes.”

 

A breathy quality in his voice made me look up at him. His eyes were on me, softness in the blue. I couldn’t breathe--the desire to care battled the fear and the old ache. We stood like that for a long moment.

 

His quiet voice broke the spell so I could breathe again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

 

“I’m just not sure how to handle all these emotions.”

 

“The Council’s stance?”

 

“That’s part of it.”

 

“Neither of us can deny the bond that formed, nor can the Council.”

 

“No, we can’t,” I said, giving him a small smile that he returned.

 

“I won’t ask for any more than you want to give.”

 

“I appreciate that.” We walked in silence for a bit.

 

“Do you want to see if there’s anything from Onderon?”

 

“I’d like that, yes.”

 

We followed a tiny stream through the various displays until he found the right section.

 

“Oh, my…” I said as I caught sight of the Onderon blooms, one with perfectly transparent red petals. Roben loved these, too…I pushed the pain away.

 

“What is it?”

 

“A glassflower. The petals become clear as they mature. They’re very difficult to grow off Onderon, and here there are so many.”

 

“You should have it, then.” He reached down to pluck one.

 

I held a hand out to forestall him. “Talin, I don’t think--”

 

“Hush. I’m family. I’m allowed to pick a flower at least once a year, particularly if it’s for someone special.” He grinned for a moment as he handed the glassflower to me.

 

“Thank you. It was—is—a favorite.” I looked down at it, swallowing hard against the lump that formed in my throat.

 

“Talin tipped his head slightly, looking confused. “Was? Ah, Roben.”

 

I nodded, watching the clear flower petals rotate as I turned it in my hand. The trickling of the little stream filled the silence. My vision blurred as the tears started to well.

 

“There was nothing you could have done differently. Master Kavar couldn’t save him, either.”

 

“I know. It was his time.”

 

“Look at me. Oh, Jae,” He gently brushed away the tear that escaped. “Why do you do this to yourself? If Roben was the kind of man you’ve described, I know he wouldn’t want this.”

 

“You’re right, he wouldn’t.”

 

“What would he want?”

 

I turned to watch the water bubble over the rocks. Talin put an arm around my shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. “He’d want me to stop pushing people away because I was scared.”

 

“Scared of what?”

 

“Scared of getting too close and then losing them.”

 

“Them?”

 

“Jolee…” I took a deep breath. “You.”

 

He drew me in closer. “I can’t promise I’ll be alive in fifty years. I can’t even promise five minutes. I do know that some things are worth the risk of that pain of loss, and I know I’d like to spend time with you, know you better, make you happy. Tell me, would you rather have had time with Roben or no pain?”

 

“Roben, of course.”

 

“So, you’d do it all over again?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Don’t miss the joys in life because you fear the pain.”

 

I watched the light glint off the glassflower petals. I buried my nose in the blossom and inhaled the sweet scent, then lowered the flower into the stream. It bobbed up and down as the water carried it away out of sight. My hands trembled as I wiped the last of the tears away. I exhaled away the emotions except one. “Do something for me, Talin,” I whispered.

 

“What’s that?”

 

I looked up at him. “What you’ve been dying to for the longest time. Kiss me.”

 

Hope and uncertainty flashed across his face. “Jae, are you sure--”

 

I brushed my fingertips against his lips to silence him. “I’m sure.”

 

His mind touched mine and the wave of warmth washed over me. He leaned closer for the kiss, and my heartbeat quickened.

 

The scent of the garden changed abruptly. It was that ozone smell that follows on the heels of lightning strike, the smell of the superheated air around a lightsaber, and it filled the area. The hair on the back of my neck rose. “Talin, down!” I grabbed him by the back of the head to pull him out of the way. A blade of angry red light slashed through the now-empty space. I dodged to the side and ignited my lightsaber. “He’s Sith!” I whipped my blade around, catching his. Talin ducked and rolled, then came up with his saber lit.

 

The Sith and I locked gazes, blades crackling as we pushed against each other. His eyes sparked his hatred. “My master doesn’t like what you did to Dycen’a.”

[Hallucination]

He removed his shirt

I thought you were gonna try to avoid Memoirs of a Lusty Jedi.

 

Another Jae-arrific chapter, and happy anniversary.

[Jae Onasi]

He was taking off his shirt for a medical exam.

 

Thank you!

[Hallucination]

There is a fine line between a clinical admiration of well-designed anatomy and frank appreciation of a physique. I didn’t even realize I’d crossed that line until Talin looked up and saw my eyes unconsciously evaluating his chest.

That says otherwise.

[Jae Onasi]

^

[gag warning for those not into mushy stuff]

 

What can I say. Hubby, great love of my life, inspired me today.

[Hallucination]

Ewww.........

Come for the check-up, stay for the Male Jedi Strippers!

[Char Ell]

Talin’s mind touched mine through the Force, and the wave of warmth and caring washed over me. My heart started to beat faster as he leaned over, inching his lips closer to mine, prepared to back up and give me time if I hesitated.

 

The scent of the gardens changed in an instant. An ozone smell, that smell that follows on the heels of a lightning strike, filled the area, and the hair on the back of my neck raised as I sensed the danger.

 

“Talin, down!” I yelled, grabbing the back of his head and pulling him down out of the way.

Oh so close. So painfully, agonizingly close. Blasted Dark Jedi getting in the way of some good lip lock. I hope Jae and Talin quickly slay his butt and get back to more important matters.

 

Oh yes, Jae Onasi, happy belated 16th anniversary to you and the one with the well-muscled upper body that inspires your writing.

 

@ JediMaster12 - please correct me if I'm wrong but you are a female, yes?

[Jae Onasi]

@Hallucination-- Oh, my, goodness! The Jedi Med Centre "Quote" was hilarious, especially ironic with your signature on Puritanism.... And that's why I gave the gag warning. I guarantee there will be no naked people here! Besides, bare male chests are rated PG or G.

 

@Cutmeister--Thank you and I'll pass on your wishes to Jimbo.

 

Yes, there's nothing worse than a Dark Jedi ruining that special 'Moment'.

 

And good luck on finals, if they're not already done!

[Jae Onasi]

As always, I am grateful for betas from Emperor Devon and Jiara.

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

Chapter 21: The Chase

 

“Your master is going to be very disappointed,” I said, stepping out and shoving the Sith's crimson blade to the side. It melted through one of the metal rails and sliced effortlessly through some of the shrubs. The superheated wood smoked and burst into flames. Sentients screamed and scattered in all directions.

 

He wheeled around and charged with a flurry of blows, pressing me back away from Talin, who had rolled away to escape. Our sabers blurred into circles of light, humming a lethal cadence. So fast! Focus, focus.... He swiped at me and the tip of his blade nearly grazed my hip as I twisted away. The Force became a flood, slowing my racing heart, pushing away the wave of fear. I countered his blow, circling my blade down to trap his. We strained against each other's strength, our sabers moving back and forth as we fought for control. My arms shook with the effort.

 

He narrowed his eyes, a predator smiling over his prey. “You're wearing down. I'll have you in a moment.”

 

Talin ran to us and drove his blade down toward the Sith, who stopped it just before it sliced into his head. Their sabers crackled together. Talin whipped his blade down for another attack. I slashed my lightsaber around, snapping through the rain of attacks. We pressed him, and he retreated, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

 

Two more focused on us! “Talin, duck!” I jumped away, rolling as blaster bolts peppered the ground where we were standing, making plumes of dirt and plants. “Snipers!” I shouted over all the noise.

 

“Stay with me on the one with the saber. We'll take them all together,” Talin called back.

 

The Sith leaped at me. I jumped up and ran to put him between the shooters and me. Talin deflected the rain of blaster fire with small arcs of his lightsaber and dashed to my side. He launched a hail of blindingly fast blows. The Sith took quick angry breaths as he struggled to keep pace with both of us. Talin attacked his head, drawing his guard up. I slashed at his side, making a surgically clean cut completely through. His eyes widened in shock and then rolled back as he dropped to the ground in two halves. The shooters backed away, still spraying us with red bolts. I threw my lightsaber after them, dropping one. The surviving sniper turned and ran.

 

“Nice throw!”

 

“Better be. Jolee made me practice it enough.”

 

Talin grinned back and we sprinted off after the gunner. I turned the corner and ducked back as a blaster bolt hit the wall above my head, showering me with chunks of debris. I felt for him with the Force. “He's running again, Talin.”

 

“Let's go! Keep your guard up in case he does something funny.”

 

I took a quick look around the corner and saw him running away. We followed him to the end of a landing pad. He stopped short and looked over the edge at the chasm below, eyes darting about.

 

“There's no escape,” I said to him.

 

“We don't want to hurt you. Just drop the blaster and we'll take you in safely,” Talin added.

 

“Look, it's a long drop from here,” I said.

 

“You're old enough to have heard of jetpacks, sweetheart.”

 

“You jump from here and you'll be jumping into all that speeder traffic. It'll be suicide. Let's stop all this right now. We can protect you,” I urged him.

 

He laughed. “Sure. Like I'm supposed to believe anything a Jedi says.” He activated his pack and shot off a line of cover fire. Talin and I snapped our sabers around to deflect the bolts. One of the energy rounds ricocheted and hit his pack, sending him spinning down, away from the platform.

 

I sucked in my breath in fear. “He's going to get killed in all that traffic!”

 

“Jae, don't--” Talin held out a restraining hand.

 

I jumped, using every bit of Force power to span the distance. Time slowed as I flew through the air reaching out for him. I caught him around the neck. He grunted at the impact as we twisted wildly through the air, and then he blinked. “What? How? Damn Jedi.” The shocked look lasted a moment before he grinned. “Any other time, sweetheart, you could be my wildest fantasy.”

 

“Any other time, you still wouldn't be my type.”

 

His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply. I looked back. A speeder raced towards us, lights flashing in warning. I twisted to the side to shift our weight, and the pack turned. A line of speeders screamed by. I pulled down on the pack to dodge more aircars.

 

“Land this thing! Now!” I shouted over the wind.

 

More speeders flew towards us, and I leaned against him to tilt us away. One of the vehicles grazed the back of the pack and sent us spinning across the lanes of traffic, speeders beeping and dodging around us, creating chaotic swirls. My stomach lurched, and I fought to regain control and slow the spinning.

 

“How about I kill you first?” His free arm reached for the lightsaber I'd clipped to my belt.

 

I concentrated, feeling the Force rush out towards him. I worked through the dark recesses in his brain and found the right center. His body went limp and his head lolled as the Force knocked him unconscious. “How about 'no'?” I muttered, reaching for the controls. The button was melted where the blaster bolt had hit the pack. It jerked again as I tapped my comlink, and it nearly slid out of my hand. “Jolee! I have a little problem here....”

 

Jolee's voice crackled from the tiny speaker. “Let's see. The scenery's not romantic enough. No, wait. Talin's terrible at smooching. Remind me to give him some pointers later.”

 

“Jolee, I'm hanging on to a merc strapped to an out-of-control jet pack! I need some help here!”

 

“You know, that's not one of your brighter ideas.”

 

“Come on! We're in the middle of traffic and we're about to crash into a building....Oh geez, it's the Senate!” I twisted again to avoid another speeder.

 

“That'll make their day more exciting. Don't worry, you can't hurt it.”

 

I leaned back to slow the dizzying spin. “Jolee! How do you stop a jet pack with broken controls?”

 

“Can you open the panel above the controls?”

 

I looked at the side of the pack and pulled up the plastic door. “Got it. I see a couple power chips—one of them is shorting—it comes on and off.”

 

“There's a spare chip at the very top. Pull the bad one out and put the spare in.”

 

“Great, so I can have no control instead of partial control while the chip's out?”

 

Jolee snorted. “Where'd you learn to be sassy like that?”

 

“You.”

 

“Hehe, you have a good teacher. Just trust your old master and do what I say.”

 

I pulled on the shorting chip. It broke off in my hand. The pack went out, and the sniper and I plummeted down. “I have a BIG problem. The chip broke off in the socket. I can't get the new one in!”

 

“Well, use the Force, dammit. It's not there just for you to throw things at Talin's head. Feel the air around you, just like Reeca did. Imagine decreasing gravity and making the air thick so it slows you down and acts like a pillow.”

 

I closed my eyes and felt the air rushing past me, wind whipping my hair on my face. The molecules seemed to rush in under us, cradling us as we fell. Our descent slowed. We fell hard to the ground in a graceless heap. I blew out the breath I'd been holding and wiped the sweat streaming down my face.

 

“You know, an update would be nice so I don't worry that you're a messy splatter on the ground,” Jolee called over the comlink a few moments later.

 

“Sorry, Jolee. I had to catch my breath. We're down. We missed the building, and the sniper's out cold.”

 

“Congratulations on surviving Coruscant traffic. I'll come with help.”

 

After assessing the soldier for injuries and finding nothing serious, I sat down to regain my spent energy. Jolee and the emergency transports arrived at the same time.

 

“You made it down in one piece. Good job,” Jolee said.

 

“It wasn't a pretty landing.”

 

“You're alive. What more do you want? You're not hurt, though, right?”

 

I nodded no. “I'm fine, but I had more close calls than I like.” I tilted my head towards the soldier, now surrounded by medical and security personnel. “He'll be out for awhile. I stunned him hard.” Jolee raised an eyebrow. “Well, he compared me to his greatest fantasy. What was I supposed to do?”

 

Jolee chuckled, then glanced away for a moment. “Look, Talin's coming. I'll let you two chit-chat. I'm sure he'll want to convince himself that you're not imminently dying. Then let's grab Handsome here and get him back to the Temple.” Jolee walked over to the emergency team to give them some instructions.

 

Talin hurried to me. “You okay?” He held out a hand to help me up off the ground.

 

I took it, giving it a subtle squeeze. “I'm fine. It was scary, but we're all in one piece.”

 

He kept possession of my hand as he looked me up and down, then nodded relieved agreement. “You don't look hurt, thank the Force.” Then he smiled. “I'd hate it if I never had the opportunity to fulfill your request.”

 

I grinned up at him and pushed the damp hair back out of my face. “I'll need a good cleaning, first.” I glanced over at Jolee, who I caught looking at us, amusement dancing in his eyes. I gave Talin's hand one last squeeze before slowly pulling away. “We don't need any prying eyes, either,” I said, tilting my head a fraction towards Jolee. “I hope he won't be mad.”

 

Talin looked over at Jolee, who had looked away and made himself busy with the sniper again. “I have a feeling he's not going to mind too much.”

 

“I don't know how he's going to react to the news. This affects so many things.”

 

“I wouldn't wait too long. He's not an idiot, and it won't take him long to figure it out.”

 

“I'll tell him soon, don't worry,” I sighed, and we followed Jolee back to the Temple.

 

* * *

 

We stopped at the medical facility briefly to discuss the shooter and his injuries and report on the Sith and the merc. Master Supat absorbed all the information and returned to his work, but not before cheerfully needling us with a comment about how quickly those Selkath got back into the water. We walked to Jolee's quarters to await the call to meet with the Masters.

 

His window offered a view of the courtyard of the fountains. I gazed down at all the water making airy dances, trying to center myself.

 

“You're going to wear out your collar pulling on it like that,” Jolee said.

 

I glanced down at my hand and let go of my robe, then turned to the two men. Jolee sat back, making himself comfortable on the soft couch. Talin sat straight in a chair, legs crossed, hands draped elegantly over one knee. “I'm just concerned about what they're going to say about the vision. I imagine they'll want to know what happened in the Kayl Gardens, too.”

 

“Is that all?” Jolee asked. “You seem kind of nervous for someone who's just had a bad dream and a little scuffle with a Sith.”

 

I glanced at Talin, who gave me a tiny nod.

 

Jolee lifted an eyebrow at him and looked back at me. “You know, if there's something you need to tell me, now would be a very good time.”

 

The door chime rang. I answered it and motioned in a fidgeting youngling gripping a holodisk in both hands. “Master Jolee! A messenger brought this to the temple for your padawan. He said it was urgent.”

 

“Come in, son. Jae, let's see that disk.”

 

“What is it?” Talin asked.

 

“Someone sent me a message. I hope it's good news,” I said, putting the disk into the player. I clicked it on and inhaled sharply. It was the black-robed figure of my nightmares. My stomach roiled.

 

Jolee asked the young boy, “Son, is the messenger still here?”

 

“No, Master Jolee. He delivered it, said it was urgent, and left immediately.”

 

“Did you notice anything else, son?” Jolee asked.

 

“He was from Coruscant Messengers, least that's what his uniform said. His badge said his name was Im'ran. But that was odd, Master Jolee.”

 

“Why was that?”

 

“It is a Twi'leki name, but he's human. He didn't speak like a Coruscanti, either,” the youngling replied.

 

“Very good observations, son. Run and tell security we'll need the vids from his stop here to see if we can find any other clues,” Jolee instructed.

 

“Yes, Master!” The boy scampered out, closing the door behind him.

 

Jolee stood and walked over to me. “Jae, how about you quit staring at that thing like it's about to bite you, and play the transmission?”

 

I pressed the play button. The shrouded figure's voice was grainy. “Good day, Padawan. I see you met my minions. I'll get down to business. You've taken something of mine, and I was rather fond of it. I'm quite angry about that, but I've decided to show you some mercy. Bring the holocron to Telos Citadel Station, and I'll allow you to continue your pitiful existence.” The shrouded figure's grainy voice had a sinister softness that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

 

Jolee snorted. “Oh sure. We believe that.”

 

I managed a tight smile at his quip and glanced at Talin. He frowned in concentration at the tall image.

 

The Sith Lord continued, “If you try to chase me, I will hunt you, and when I capture you, I assure you that you will wish you were dead. Instructions are on the datacard. My agent will contact you in two weeks. Don't keep me waiting.” The image faded out.

 

Jolee rubbed his chin, then said, “My, he's cocky. This guy must be nuts if he thinks we're just going to go to Telos with our hands in the air saying 'Hey, Mr. Sith Lord, come and get your toy, we trust you.'”

 

Talin grinned, but a shiver rippled down my spine.

 

Jolee looked at me and put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Jae, take a deep breath. A little fear is healthy—helps us keep our edge. A lot of fear's no good. Makes you stand there paralyzed like an Ithorian on spice. Trying to get a spiced Ithorian to do anything but stand around staring into space is about as easy as convincing a Cathar to go vegetarian. You just have to accept the fear's there and let it flow out. Focus on what your next action should be, not the fear. The Force will tell you what to do and when to do it.”

 

I nodded and took a deep breath.

 

The comm beeped. “Master Jolee, Talin, Jae--the Council would like to see you in a few minutes.”

 

Jolee said to us, “About time. They've been missing all the fun discussing some useless mumbo-jumbo, no doubt. Let's go.”

 

At the High Council doors, I adjusted my robe once more, smoothing the folds in place.

 

Jolee leaned over and said quietly as we entered the chambers, “Don't forget to play it up for Vrook.” He winked and I grinned in return as we went in to meet the Masters.

[Char Ell]

What's this? Writing on Mother's Day, Jae Onasi? I thought you would be surrounded by adoring husband and children catering to your every whim. You know, breakfast in bed, foot massages, flowers, songs, cooking all the meals and cleaning the whole house, stuff like that.

 

Oh well, so Jae and Talin didn't get an opportunity for smoochin'. There is still hope...

 

So none of the dark side force adepts Jae and company have encountered thus far have proven to be very skilled. I'm thinking their dark master isn't training them too well, heh-heh-heh. Another reason to join the Jedi instead of the dark side.

[Jae Onasi]

^

Heh, Mother's Day, with my dear adoring husband and children spoiling me rotten, is why I had time after church to lay in bed either napping or with my laptop cheerfully typing away.

In fact, bless their hearts, they are making dinner right now.

It was too rainy this week/weekend to plant any flowers, which is my usual Mother's Day activity. There is nothing like roses, heliotrope and salvia sylvestris (the big huge one) to perfume the air on a warm summer night. Hopefully later this week I'll get to go play in the dirt.

 

The Big Bad Boss has not revealed himself yet, and is sending out what he has. One dark Jedi is never good odds against a skilled lightsaberist, a master, and an older Padawan combined.

 

Talin and Jae will find their moment.

[Diego Varen]

Great Chapter for yesterday.

[JediMaster12]

Two marvelous chapters Jae. I can see cutmeister is really holding on to the thought of a good kiss.

I thought Chapter 20 was nice and a bit romantic or leading up to an eventual kiss or two. Jolee as always made me chuckle at his personality. Terrific job Jae and happy belate anniversary

 

@ cutmeister: yes I am a female. Can't you tell I am a sucker for good romance?

[Jae Onasi]

I can see cutmeister is really holding on to the thought of a good kiss.

 

I think a few others are, too.

 

happy belate anniversary

 

Thank you! We had a nice dinner out to celebrate (with kids because both of us forgot to call a babysitter! But it's ok, we like to spend time with them, too.). The rest of the evening we just vegetated, because sitting around doing nothing more important than just being together is actually a luxury at this point in our lives.

[Jae Onasi]

A little longer than the usual, but I think you'll enjoy the extra length anyway.

[Force Persaude] @ Hallucination: Just skip those last 10 paragraphs. Nothing for you to see there....

 

Edit: Thanks for the betas, Jiara and Emperor Devon!

 

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Chapter 22: The Meetings

 

“Come, please,” Master Vandar motioned to the three of us. Masters Vrook, Kavar, Vash, and Supat sat in their customary places in the circle of chairs. Sunlight streamed through the lofty windows that soared to the top of the spire. The rays glinted off metal, warming the amber carpet and ivory colored furnishings, lighting up everyone except Vrook. Jolee strode past the tall white center stone and we followed, stopping in the center of the group of Jedi. We all bowed slightly to them.

 

“Happy to see you, too,” Jolee quipped at the stern Master.

 

Vrook waved a hand irritably. “Let's get to business. Master Jolee informed us of the visions you've been having, Jae, and Talin's claim that this Sith Lord is using the Xi-ro form.” Vrook scowled at Talin. “Any good student of mine would remember how little it's used, and how very unlikely it is that any Jedi is still using it, much less a Sith Lord.”

 

“I understand your concerns, Master, but it's the only possible conclusion I can make for that particular pattern of moves,” Talin said.

 

Kavar noted, “Enough Jedi fell to the dark side in the last forty years that it's entirely possible that form has been passed on. Not that many have ever learned it, however. We might be able to track the Sith Lord this way.”

 

Vrook snorted. “We'll see. Show me this form, Jae.” I wove through the complex pattern, lightsaber whirling. I stopped and repeated moves as Master Vrook directed. He rubbed his chin in thought, then said, “Well, it is Xi-ro as you thought, Talin.”

 

Jolee said, “I don't like this one bit. Xi-ro's a dangerous form. Nasty, nasty moves. Hard to defend against, too, since the high-powered strikes come so fast.”

 

“Jae's form is terrible, too, though to be fair, she's only learned it through a vision. Jae, you'll work with me on it, then.”

 

“I'm not sure how long we're staying, Vrook. We just got a summons from our nemesis to return his toys.” Jolee held up the holodisk with the message.

 

Vandar pressed a button on his chair and a holoreader appeared. “Let's see this message, please.”

 

Jolee walked over to the reader and inserted the disk. The faceless black-shrouded figure appeared. He laughed low, oozing evil. A chill ran down my spine. “Really, Jolee, I would have expected you to remember such a simple message....”

 

Images flashed before me. The Sith Lord laughing low. Toying with parts of the disk. White flash!

 

I ran to the holoreader and slapped the control to eject the holodisk. I grabbed it and dashed to the window, holding my hand up and sending a wave of the Force out. The tall window shattered, and I threw the disk away as hard as I could. It exploded in a brilliant white light. The sonic force rattled the windows and pounded through us as I ducked. Then there was silence, and I opened my eyes again and saw only a large cloud of smoke. There was no damage to any other structures. I let out a deep breath in relief and turned back to the other Jedi. Worry flickered momentarily through Talin's eyes as they met mine. I smiled slightly at him and looked over to Jolee. He walked over to me, looking me up and down.

 

“I'm fine,” I assured him.

 

“Quick thinking, there. I could kick myself for not anticipating a trap like that,” Jolee said.

 

Vrook got up and joined me on my other side. The breeze fluttered our robes as he squinted up into the sky and then peered at the courtyard below. “Hmph. Looks like everyone is safe and there's no other damage. Next time, Padawan, just open the window.” He walked back to his seat, sitting down and arranging his robes around him while.

 

Jolee rolled his eyes. “Vrook, you have a funny way of saying thank you to someone who just saved you from a butt full of shrapnel.”

 

I choked back a laugh and grinned at Jolee, who grinned back. “Actually, Jolee, I 'saw' the Sith doing something to the disk and then the explosion. I thought I'd better get rid of it before it blew.”

 

“Well, the message he sent on the holodisk told us he wanted us to meet him on Telos. Obviously the real message is 'I want you dead,'” Jolee told the group as we returned to the center of the room. “We know he's working out of Telos. We need to fly out there and see what we can find.”

 

“I'm sure my uncle would like to help, too,” I said.

 

Jolee quipped, “I'm sure Carth will want to lock you up in a stateroom to keep you out of harm's way, too.”

 

Kavar sat still, frowning thoughtfully before looking at me. “This Sith Lord is aggressive. He acts and uses Xi-ro aggressively. Defense is often lacking when someone is constantly on the attack —use that to your advantage.”

 

Vash nodded agreement. “You need to go quickly to Telos and take him out before he can gain do any more damage.”

 

“I have a contingent from Dantooine arriving in a couple days, so I can't go to Telos to fine-tune Xi-ro with you,” Vrook said. “Talin will go with you then. His skills in Xi-ro are adequate enough to teach you. However, you will have to work hard with him to learn it well, Jae.”

 

“Yes, Master Vrook. I have plenty of incentive, believe me.”

 

“I'm sure you do,” Jolee drawled. I shot him a sideways look which he ignored.

 

Vandar turned to the Ithorian healer. “Master Supat, any information from your patients?”

 

He slowly shook his large head. “No, not much. Dycen'a will be in kolto for several more days. The only thing we could get from the mercenary, even after his mind was opened, was that he'd been hired by Norelden and the Exchange on Telos.”

 

“That meshes with the information our science team has gleaned from the data you brought from Li'adin,” Vash said to us. “Dycen'a made jumps in time to just before the Ossus supernova. He also made stops at Li'adin, naturally, as well as Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, and Telos. We sorted the data and cross-checked it with all ship dockings to see if there were any other ships coming in at the same time--he had to have met with this Sith Lord. We didn't find any matches, but there were about 20 suspicious registries. You should be able to find more about the Telosian ones, at least, when you meet with Captain Onasi.”

 

“The Sith Lord probably changed his ship registry,” Jolee mused. “Mik'oth might be able to help with that, too”

 

“For a price, no doubt,” growled Vrook.

 

“I'll tell him to send you the bill,” Jolee retorted, and Vrook rolled his eyes.

 

Vandar said, “We'll interview Dycen'a as soon as we can, but don't delay leaving for Telos for that. Jae, you'll study Xi-ro with Vrook while here the next couple days, and then with Talin on your journey. All three of you must concentrate on the Scourge defense. We'll contact you with any additional information the moment we have it. All of us sense great danger with this Sith Lord, but everything is still shrouded in darkness and the future is very unclear. Use great care when you contact him. May the Force be with you all.”

 

We bowed and left the Council chambers.

 

Jolee rubbed his belly. “I'm starving. I think we ought to take a little trip over to the Eloni Cantina.”

 

“Talin's in for a treat,” I grinned.

 

Talin lifted an eyebrow. “Oh? Should I be concerned?”

 

I grinned even wider. “You'll see.”

 

“I think I should be scared now.”

 

“Fear leads to the dark side, Talin,” I said.

 

Talin shook his head before smiling. “It's never a dull moment with you two.”

 

* * *

 

As Jolee opened the doors of the Eloni Cantina, the music pounded and the laughing chatter rushed past us. The gem-colored lights whirled and flashed as we stepped into the warm, night-dimmed main room and searched through the crush of sentients for Mik'oth. We found him and waved when we caught his eye. He waved back, then pressed his way past the patrons of many different species. There were Zeltrons in neon colors, brightly-dressed humans and Arkanians, and the sensual Twi'leks in glittering outfits as they all danced on the dance floor or moved around their tables or the main bar. He smiled and said a few words to many of them before he finally reached us.

 

“Ah! Lekku-less wonder! How wonderful you're here! What kind of trouble do I need to extricate you from this time?” Mik'oth exclaimed over all the noise.

 

“Ha! I'd have to rescue you!” Jolee retorted, giving the blue Twi'lek a bear hug.

 

Mik'oth looked over at me and his face lit up. “My favorite Padawan! Come, let me greet you properly!” He took both my hands and made a great show of kissing both cheeks loudly. “My cantina is blessed with your beauty. I hope you're staying for awhile, though I might have to beef up security to keep your many admirers at bay.” Talin looked at me in amusement and I just shook my head at Mik'oth, smiling broadly.

 

Jolee said, “Mik'oth, this is Jedi Knight Talin Kayl. Talin, Mik'oth.”

 

Talin bowed slightly to the Twi'lek. “A pleasure to meet you.”

 

“My pleasure, to be sure. Friends of the Lekku-less wonder are always welcome here.”

 

Jolee looked Mik'oth up and down. He was wearing a shiny navy suit with glowing green stripes, and sported fluorescent green rings, vest, and a silk tie to match. Jolee said to him, “You're dressed sedately today.”

 

Talin coughed back a laugh.

 

Mik'oth gave him an airy wave. “Well, you know, when the tax man comes, you have to dress conservatively to make a good impression. I decided to turn off the dancing light feature on the stripes and just go for a solid glow to avoid looking gaudy. But you didn't come here to admire my superb taste in clothing.”

 

“I never underestimate your ability to make an impression with your wardrobe,” Jolee grinned.

 

Mik'oth tucked my arm under his, patting my hand. “Come, my dear, only the best table for you. Everyone should see how blessed we are with your presence.” He started to weave his way through the brightly-dressed crowd of sentients who were laughing, drinking, or dancing to the fast-paced music.

 

“Mik'oth, a more secluded table might be in order. I have some business for you.” Jolee sniffed the air and closed his eyes in appreciation. “A little of whatever that amazing food is that I'm smelling would be terrific, too.”

 

Mik'oth was the master of the Twi'lek pout. He sighed dramatically. “All right, if I have to squirrel you away, we'll use my office suite. You know the way, Jolee. I'll go find us some dinner.”

 

Jolee led us up to the far more sedate office seating area, done in deep, understated tones and rich fabrics. A large, extravagant desk filled one corner with only a few datapads breaking the smooth surface. The darkened mirrored windows lining one wall allowed a discreet view of the main room below while maintaining privacy. Brightly colored Twi'lek art hung on the other walls, preventing the room from being somber. Jolee sat down on one of the small dark leather couches. I sat across from him on another, and Talin slid into the space next to me. “Mik'oth will just have to settle for sitting with Jolee,” he said to me.

 

“He'll be disappointed,” I smiled.

 

“No doubt he will.”

 

Mik'oth walked briskly into the office, closed the door, then perched on the sofa next to Jolee, fingers laced over a crossed knee. Jolee settled back into the couch, an arm draped over the back, and looked back and forth at Talin and me. “So, what really happened? I've been around the galaxy enough times to know that when a man and a woman go walking around in romantic gardens, it's not generally to study pollen measurements.”

 

I put my head down in my hand. “Nothing happened,” I groaned.

 

“Nothing?” Mik'oth asked incredulously, eyes wide.

 

After I shook my head, Jolee sighed. “Talin, you take my Padawan into a beautiful garden and nothing happens? What is wrong with you, boy? Are you waiting for Hoth to thaw or something?”

 

Talin flushed and cleared his throat. “Well, the Sith happened before anything else could.”

 

Mik'oth had a confused look on his face, so I explained the events at the garden.

 

Jolee said, “I suppose that does put a bit of a damper on things. Then we had the meeting with the Jedi Masters.”

 

“Oh, they're just beyond stuffy with their silly rules that suck the joy out of life,” Mik'oth replied. Then he looked over at the Talin and me for a long moment. We glanced at each other and looked back at him. Mik'oth rolled his eyes. “Oh, for heaven's sake.” He got up and walked over to us. “Give me that hand, Talin,” he commanded, holding out his. Talin slowly raised his hand and Mik'oth grabbed it. He pointed at me next and waggled his finger for me to give him my hand as well. He made a great show of putting our hands together. “Now, stay that way,” he ordered. He returned to his perch on the couch.

 

I felt the warm flush creep across my cheeks and looked at Talin, who returned my gaze with a small smile.

 

Mik'oth sighed to Jolee, “Ah, young love. It's a beautiful thing.”

 

“Maybe it will be, some time this millennium,” Jolee snorted.

 

“Well, now, you didn't come to my humble cantina for me to solve Jedi love problems, Jolee. Tell me why you're here.”

 

“I have something for you, Mik'oth,” Jolee said, pulling out a datacard and handing it to him. “We can't get any information through official channels. The ship registries don't match anything in the government records, and we have about 20 each to go through from Coruscant, Nar Shaddaa, and Telos.”

 

Mik'oth slipped the card into a datapad. “Obviously they're not going to match anything. You avoid 'official' entanglements by using a false registry. The Senate could clamp down on this kind of thing. Of course, then our good galactic citizens would learn about their little jaunts to their mistresses or spice resorts. So, they'll never enforce the rules. All the better for us, then!” Mik'oth skimmed the data. “Most sentients make the mistake of only using one fake registry. It makes them very easy to track. The true professionals have multiple registries and change them often. I'll have my contacts nose around and see what they can find out. Let's enjoy dinner in the meantime.”

 

Later, one of the well-built, scantily clad serving girls brought us all caffa and handed a datapad to Mik'oth. He waggled his eyebrows at her as he thanked the green Twi'lek girl, and she winked as she left the office. Mik'oth reviewed the data. “Well, aren't you lucky. Three ships fit the data best.”

 

“That's lucky?” I asked.

 

Mik'oth peered over at me. “You're lucky that it's only three. Two are from Telos, one from Nar Shaddaa. Looks like the Telosian ships have docked at Norelden's base several times. The Nar Shaddaan ship is part of Vogga the Hutt's 'unofficial' fleet.” Mik'oth handed the datapad to Jolee.

 

I nodded understanding. “Ah, stolen.”

 

Mik'oth poked Jolee in the ribs. “She learns fast, in spite of having you for a master.”

 

“Hilarious, Mik'oth. It's a wonder you never survived stand-up comedy.”

 

Mik'oth made an obscene hand gesture at him. “How was I supposed to know those Rodians had no sense of humor after their credit clips disappeared? I ran out of jokes to tell them.”

 

Jolee chuckled. “On that note, we need to get going. We have a lot to do before leaving for Telos. We appreciate the help very much.”

 

Talin and I got up, fingertips lingering together a moment longer before we reluctantly dropped hands.

 

“Sometime you'll have to come in just for pleasure rather than business, you know.” Mik'oth turned to me, took my hand, and kissed my cheeks once more. “As always, my dear, you are welcome here. Talin, you'd better watch out for her. I get very upset if any of my ladies are treated poorly.”

 

Jolee nodded his head gravely. “Trust me, Talin. You never want to see an angry Mik'oth.”

 

Talin gave the Twi'lek an indulgent smile before looking at me. “I assure you, I'll give you no reasons to be concerned.”

 

* * *

 

Jolee slipped the Accipiter out of Coruscant's orbit and turned it over to autopilot for the duration of the hyperspace jump.

 

“I need to meditate some on the Scourge defense, and you two need to work on Xi-ro. I’ll leave you to the sparring for now and join you later.”

 

Jolee went to his room to relax, and Talin and I went to the sparring room.

 

“All right, let’s work out the sequence slowly,” he instructed. “It starts with defending the left side head, then circle the blade over and attack the leg, then thrust to the chest....”

 

We worked on the sequences over and over until each move burned itself into the muscle memory.

 

“There are still a few rough spots as we get farther into the form.”

 

“I'm trying not to miss that one block.”

 

“Trying won't do any good if you miss that block with the Sith Lord, damn it. Let’s work on those in particular, full speed.”

 

Once again the lightsabers glowed, swinging around with loud hums, crackling with an electric hiss as they came in contact with each other. Talin attacked relentlessly with fierce quick slashes. As fast as the Sith Lord.

 

“You're slowing down. Move it, Jae! I know you can do better than that!”

 

I grit my teeth and increased my speed again to keep pace as we repeated the form over and over, lightsabers making fiery arcs of light. The image of the Sith Lord striking down on me flashed through my memory, and I turned the wrong way, missing a block. I ducked instinctively.

 

He yelled “No!” as he pulled up his saber to keep from slicing across my back. It skimmed just above my head and shoulders, then there was silence. I reached for the back of my neck, feeling the fire of the burned skin.

 

“Oh Force! Are you okay? Let me see!” he exclaimed. He dropped his lightsaber, grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled the neck down and away, then shoved my hand aside to look at the injury.

 

“Talin! You're choking me!” I gurgled, trying to pull the neck of my shirt off my throat.

 

“Oh! Sorry!” He gave it some slack and I could breathe again.

 

I'm fine, Talin. You didn't hit me.”

 

“I pulled up as soon as I saw you missed the block, but I almost didn't make it in time. You've got some pretty good burns just the same. I’ll go get Jolee,” he said, turning to leave the room.

 

“No! I’ll be fine in a bit. As long as I'm not dying, all he’ll do is give me guff about learning the hard way and tell me to heal it myself.”

 

Talin chuckled, relieved. “That he would. At least let me help. I can’t heal like you or Jolee but I might be able to take away some of the pain.”

 

I nodded, and his hands cooled the fire in my skin. “You have more skill than you give yourself credit for,” I sighed in relief and reached back. The blistered skin had smoothed out and returned to normal. “I think you've healed it completely.” I put my hand on top of his.

 

He turned me around and gathered me into his arms tightly. His voice was roughened with emotion, “You have no idea how close I came to hurting you badly. Maybe even killing you.”

 

Circling my arms around his waist, I returned the embrace. “I know how close it was, but we powered down our sabers for sparring.” I looked up at him and saw his anguish. I assured him, “I’m all right, now. So are you.”

 

His blue eyes, darkened with emotion, held mine. The worry in them gave way to a longing look. He brushed a stray lock of hair off the side of my cheekbone with the back of his hand, and I closed my eyes, savoring the gentle touch. He leaned down, and with a gossamer touch his lips met mine for a brief kiss. My heart beat faster and I sighed deeply as the pleasure shivered through me. He kissed again, this time with an insistent passion that made it hard to breathe.

 

“Jae, I have a thought on this Scou--” Jolee walked into the room, looking down at a datapad.

 

Talin and I both stopped and looked over at Jolee. When I made a move to break away, he tightened his arms around me, saying softly in my ear, “Please, stay.”

 

I relaxed in his arms as Talin cleared his throat.

 

Jolee looked up. Open-mouthed surprise was followed by a knowing half-grin, half-smirk. He snorted, “About damn time. Carry on!” He turned on his heel and quickly left the room.

 

I laid my head down on Talin’s shoulder and dissolved into laughter. Talin chuckled, arms still around me.

 

“I’ve never seen that particular look on his face before,” I said once I caught my breath.

 

“You know, I was thinking that we should really follow his instructions.” He tipped up my chin with his hand and captured my mouth with his once more, holding me close.

[Char Ell]

The noise made Jolee look up. The look on his face was priceless—open-mouthed surprise, a re-evaluation that yes, he was seeing what he thought he saw, and then a knowing smile that was half-grin and half-smirk. He snorted, “About damn time. Carry on!” He turned on his heel and walked back out of the room.

Yes, by all means, carry on!

 

WOO-HOO!!!

 

Nicely done, Jae Onasi. A masterful job at creating another opportunity for Jae and Talin to connect, albeit an alarmingly dangerous one. It just makes it more exciting though. The long-awaited liplock has finally occurred and isn't it cool that Jae has a master who isn't stuck on the "no emotional attachments for Jedi" dogma. The Force is sometimes kind.

 

EDIT:

@ cutmeister: yes I am a female. Can't you tell I am a sucker for good romance?

Why yes, I can. I don't remember where exactly but it was some other thread where I remembered thinking that you must be a woman based off what you posted. But due to the nature of the forums one can never be sure...

[Jae Onasi]

Yes, by all means, carry on!

 

WOO-HOO!!!

 

 

Nicely done, Jae Onasi. A masterful job at creating another opportunity for Jae and Talin to connect, albeit an alarmingly dangerous one. It just makes it more exciting though. The long-awaited liplock has finally occurred and isn't it cool that Jae has a master who isn't stuck on the "no emotional attachments for Jedi" dogma. The Force is sometimes kind.

 

If you practice any kind of martial art long enough, you're going to get hurt.

Anybody who says otherwise either is lying or isn't teaching it right. It's just a matter of when and how bad.

I had to go to the ER to get an x-ray of my arm because I thought I might have had a minor fracture--poor technique when trying to break a board on my black belt test, though I did break the darn thing on the next try. Anyway, I had to tell my little story 4 or 5 different times (...I hit the corner of the board first instead of center...), because the ER staff a. could not quite believe a woman of my ample size could have earned a black belt (especially with a bad knee) and b. were very suspicious of abuse due to the location of the bruise. My doctor just shakes his head every time I call and say "You see, I was in taekwondo class, and I got hurt....

 

I've had the 'About damn time. Carry on!' Jolee quote sitting in my head for the last 4 or 5 chapters, just waiting to come out at the right time. Drives me crazy when a great quote pops into my head and I can't use it for awhile.

Heh, the Force does move in mysterious ways, doesn't it.

[Diego Varen]

I knew it! I knew Jae was related to Carth in some way, I just didn't know how. Good Chapter as always. And Jae is being a bit bad. Falling in love with Talin. Tsk-tsk-tsk.

 

Can't wait to see more. You should PM Mach for a Review.

[Renegade Puma]

“Talin, you take a beautiful woman into the most amazing gardens in the galaxy and nothing happens? What is wrong with you, boy? Are you waiting for Hoth to thaw or something?”

 

LOL LOL LOL!!!! I laughed so hard at that statement! The last 4 chapters have been great Jae. I am so glad that Jae and Talin have finally jumped in with both feet. The kiss was very well done.

 

On a different not, I have a theory about your plot. Dycena was traveling back in time about 40 to 50 years. I am going to go out on a limb and say that The Sith Lord in this story is actually Exar Kun himself. I am thinking Dycena started going back in time for his own interest, met up with Kun, Kun corrupted him, Dycena brought him back to this time and walla! Instant Sith Lord using an Old lightsaber form.

 

I know that you won't say wether this is the plot or not, as we will have to wait and see, but that is my "out there" theory for now. Keep up the great work Jae!

[JediMaster12]

Yes another great chapter Jae. Finally the big kiss. I kind of think the garden scene would have been a lot better for a kiss but this was good. It was another Bindo moment as well.

I catch your drift on injuries. I suffer from tendonitis but I have to engage in physical work that is detrimental to my hands. My hands have been cut, stabbed and nearly crushed. I still have the scars from my last encounter with sharp objects. My knee is like crap because I had a wipe out on a scooter. I know what it's like

I have to admit that I was laughing at Mi'koth's dialogue. He is so funnyand I am glad I wasn't drinking milk. It would have been coming out of my nose. I think I might do a sketch of him in his pimp daddy navy blue suit and green lining. What do you think?

[Jae Onasi]

Yes, I laughed at Jolee asking 'what are you waiting for?' And no, I won't give the plot away. Mainly because I'm not 100% sure of all the details myself yet.

 

The garden certainly would have been a more romantic setting, but I wouldn't have been able to have Jolee walk in on them and tell them to 'Carry on!' , then.

 

"Pimp Daddy outfit" Too funny! Yes, I'd love to see a sketch. He likes expensive, well tailored clothes that go well with his blue skin. If they happen to be bright, even better.

 

When I started writing this, Mik'oth wasn't even a thought. For ch. 6 I needed someone that Jolee could go to 'out of the regulation loop' for underworld info, and I had a vision of something along the lines of Quark from DS9, but a bit less cynical and a little more lighthearted, but definitely just as smarmy. Up popped Mik'oth, who has taken on a life completely of his own. All I have to do is follow him along and write down what he says to put it in the story....

I may write the Ukatis adventures when I finally finish this one (which is at 115 pages and 62,000 words--never thought I'd be able to write that much!). I'm betting that when Jolee and Mik'oth are actually teamed up together, they're going to make huge amounts of trouble (and laughs).

 

The 'put the hands together and tell them to stay that way' actually happened to Jimbo and me. Jimbo's mother, some of our friends, and we were eating dinner at a pizza joint one night when Jimbo and I were in college. Jimbo and I had been writing and calling each other for about 2 months (we lived about an hour apart at that point), and we were definitely 'in cute.' He wanted to introduce me to his mom (who told him later that night she thought I'd make a terrific daughter-in-law!), so she came over for the pizza dinner. Jimbo and I sat next to each other, and across from us sat his mom and our mutual friend Claudia. Claudia, a drama major who was one of my classmates at college, had heard me talk about Jimbo's letters, so she (and the rest of our friends) knew where this was going probably long before Jimbo and I did. About 4 other of our friends sat farther down the table, and all of us were talking and laughing and having a good time. His mom beamed at us, we beamed back at her, we beamed at each other with cutesy eyes, and finally Claudia just couldn't stand it anymore. She rolled her eyes, shook her head, and said "Oh, for God's sake!" She got up, came around the table, stood behind the two of us, grabbed my hand, grabbed his hand, held them up for everyone to see, made quite the show of putting the two together, and pointed at us and commanded, "Now stay that way!!" loud enough for the entire table to hear, if not the whole pizza joint. Then she walked back around to her seat and sat down with a very self-satisfied smirk at her success at making us actually touch. His mom laughed, Jimbo made cutesy side glances at me, and I blushed furiously and made cutesy little side glances back at him. And we held hands the rest of the night.

Truth is stranger than fiction sometimes.

 

 

Edit--if you all could say a little prayer/have good thoughts--my dad had to go in for emergency surgery today for in intestinal obstruction. The surgery itself is usually relatively easy (compared to other surgeries, that is), but he has a bad heart, so general anesthesia's always dicey. He's in surgery now so I won't know anything for a while yet.

Thanks!