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_"The Force flows through us, from us, and around us. But most importantly it flows _** between ***_ us."_*

~Jedi Master Bran Surnahm

Every morning that Locke woke up to from slumber was a morning that was cold and dull, and gray, and lifeless- the consequences of spending so much time on a star destroyer. The only solace he could find in waking was in holding Keris in his arms when he could sleep no longer. The vixen made every miserable evening one he could endure, her bare body, warm fur, and genuine love shielding him from the negative thoughts that assaulted him nightly. Not even Voyde could break his spirits as she nuzzled into his neck while they slept.

She was not in his arms this time. But he still felt a comfortable warmth nevertheless, calmer than he'd ever known without her. It accompanied the soft feel of a comfortable mattress beneath him, the top half raised at a slight incline.

His eyes flickered open, staring at a ceiling consisting of prefabricated composites, a simple plant growing from an overhead pot, it's leaves shuddering slightly from a light breeze. He turned his head to the left, hissing softly as blinding light obscured his view, forcing him to wince and attempt to open his eyes slowly. His vision accepted the light after a few moments, and he became aware that he was looking out an open viewport, gazing down a slope of ancient, mossy stonework that towered over a vast expanse of jungle. It was unlike anything Locke had ever seen, and he found himself staring deep into the vast forest, suddenly becoming aware of how rich with life it all was. His tail started to wag unconsciously, and it was well over a minute before he noticed.

Eventually, he looked away, passive movement to his right diverting his attention. Despite being in an unfamiliar place he found it easy to keep calm as his eyes fell on a rather attractive-looking Mon Calamari, who was regarding him cautiously. She managed to give him a calm smile, although he could sense she was hesitant to approach him.

"Sith Knight Locke?"

He cleared his throat. The title felt... filthy for some reason. "Just... just Locke, if you please. And who might you be, may I ask?" he asked politely, remaining still with the intention to put her mind at ease.

"I'm Cilghal, chief healer here in the Great Temple of Yavin 4," she responded, approaching carefully. "I've been monitoring you over the night since you and your friends returned from Katarr."

Mentioning his friends caused his heart rate to quicken, yet he remained still. "Are they well? I recall being rather... rough, with Kajex- and I seem to remember sensing Syrra on the receiving end of Force-generated lightning."

She nodded, putting a finned hand on his midsection and analyzing his health. He raised his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as he looked past Cilghal's arm and realized he was completely naked beneath the sheet he was under. This did not trouble him, though he found it slightly unusual. He said nothing of it, content to let Cilghal continue. "Captain S--... _Sentinel_Surnahm, suffered several fractures to his ribs, two shallow lightsaber wounds and a few bruised organs; and despite using a Healing Crystal of Fire, he mended himself poorly, though obviously well enough to get back into the fight. He came back a bit later than the others, but I made sure to treat him right away- he was released last night. Your friend, Miles Lohess, suffered an abrasion on his forehead, but he is fine; your apprentice, Keris, emerged the battle unscathed; Padawan Syrra suffered fractured ribs and minor burns from Knight Ulfric, but also made a full recovery; and Talrik Lye only accrued a few minor bruises."

Locke sighed in relief. All of it was good news. "Thank you. They mean quite a lot to me; I admit despite being on the brink of death I worried about them."

Cilghal smiled slightly, peering at him curiously. "Kajex and Syrra were right about you. You are unlike any Sith I would have expected. I agree with them now that your binders were unnecessary."

"What binders?" Locke asked, attempting to sit up.

He felt a tug on his wrist as he tried to lift his right arm. The Sith Knight looked down, staring impassively at the copper-plated reinforced binders that secured his arm to the bed. "... I see," he said softly, feeling strangely sad; it was one thing to not be trusted by other Sith, but after so much trust between him, Kajex, Syrra and Talrik, it was unusually painful to not be trusted by the Jedi, either.

Cilghal stepped back, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry, Locke. Praxeum security thought it would be best to keep you secured in the event that you attempted to escape."

He nodded dully. "It's quite alright. I understand the situation." He managed to smile. "Thank you for your treatment. I suppose I should ask if _I'm_well, then."

Cilghal nodded. "You sustained a direct stab through your stomach and spinal column. It should have killed you eventually, but the potency of the Healing Crystal is... remarkable, to say the least. There's almost no trace of your wound in your body, it's as if it never existed in the first place. As far as I'm concerned, you have a clean bill of health- the only person around here who can supersede my analysis is Master Skywalker himself, and he agrees."

"He knows I'm here?" Locke asked apprehensively, watching as the healer started going through a nearby storage container.

"He does. He also agreed that you did not require a shackle, though relented when it was argued it should be done to put people's mind at ease. Word of your presence has already reached everyone in the Praxeum," she explained. "The only Sith our order have encountered are generally the ones that try to kill us- and they also tend to come back from the dead, like you nearly did," she noted dryly as she handed him a pair of trousers.

"How long was I out for?" Locke asked, taking the trousers and struggling to put them on with only one free paw.

"You've been in intensive care for a full 24 hours. To be honest, you were good to go even before then, but after hearing everything I determined it would be best if we allowed you to have rest." She set a tunic down for him. "After you woke up, I was told I was to have security escort you to the hangar."

Locke cocked his head. "Am I to be transported off-planet? I... I was assured that at least Keris and Miles would be allowed to stay," he said uncertainly. Alarm ran through him- he had no reason to believe Kajex would fail to uphold his end of the bargain if he were able, but now he wondered if his Jedi counterpart's wishes were also being ignored.

Cilghal smiled warmly. "And you _are_being allowed to stay. Master Skywalker has no intention of denying you asylum." Locke relaxed, sighing with relief. "Capta--..._Sentinel_Surnahm, doesn't have his own quarters in the Praxeum, he prefers to stay on his ship, located in the hangar. Syrra and Talrik do as well, they're practically as close as family. We're meant to have you escorted to his ship so you can stay there for however long you or him intend to be on Yavin 4. It may be the better option- it's out of the way, and as I'm sure you're aware it's also a fairly comfortable vessel."

Locked nodded, gratitude for Kajex building in his chest. "I see... thank you for informing me. I'll have to thank Master Skywalker as well- assuming he sees fit to grant me an audience."

Cilghal cocked her head. "I don't see why not- he'll be there with you as well."

He blinked. "Why?"

"Because Kajex insisted that he tell the truth to everyone he deemed it important to tell to- and that includes you and Master Skywalker."

Locke paused. He had nearly forgotten that Syrra had reacted negatively to the news of Kajex being a Jedi, and it only now occurred to him that she and Talrik might not be the only ones to whom this was new information. "Is he in trouble for his deception?"

Cilghal paused, looking curious herself. "... I don't think so. I do know Syrra was a bit unhappy about it, but my understanding is that she is still with Kajex in a romantic capacity. Master Ka-- ... _Kyle_Katarn, our academy Battlemaster, was aware of Kajex's identity; as was I, I'll add. We agreed to keep his identity secret- though now Luke has suggested he reveal everything. We intend to inform everyone else eventually, as Kajex agreed." She walked to a nearby wall communicator. "Security?"

"... Is the prisoner ready for transfer?"

Cilghal frowned. "... The _patient_is ready to be escorted to the Sentinel's ship."

"We'll send a team immediately. Standby."

She turned to the wolf, regarding him carefully. "I must caution you, Locke- do all it takes to remain calm and do as the security says. We don't want anyone to get agitated."

Locke smiled blandly. "I'll do my best... for a wolf stuck in a lion's den."

"Hi, Syrra."

"Hi, Kajex."

The wolf swallowed, feeling nervous. "... Did you sleep okay?"

She shook her head. "I slept awful. I missed you," she said baldly, sadness in her features. "... I want to come back."

The wolf sighed and nodded, holding his arms open as Syrra approached and embraced him. "I'm sorry, Syrra... I thought we needed some time apart to just... _absorb_everything. To have time to ourselves to think without distraction."

She nodded, nuzzling him. "My answer hasn't changed, Kaj. I still love you, and I'm not going to leave you." She gave him a tremulous smile. "I still want to be a part of your life, and I still want to be your student."

His nervousness evaporated as she snuggled and purred into him. His paw ran down her back, soothing both her and himself as they shared the moment between them at the base of the ramp leading up into the Gold Rush. She sniffled. "Fuck... love hurts like a bitch when you're a Jedi..." She looked up at him, wiping her eyes and smiling. "But then you start to remember how great it is, too."

Kajex pressed his nose against hers affectionately. "I know you well enough to know you'll overcome that pain. You were right- we're stronger than a well-meaning lie. And I intend to reveal the truth from now on."

She nodded, sighing. "... Is everyone else already here?"

He shook his head. "We're still waiting for L--" He cut himself off, his eyes staring at the other side of the hangar as a group of people approached. "... Locke." He let go of her, taking her paw and frowning as they neared the ship.

Locke was surrounded by no fewer than 6 heavily armed guards and 4 Jedi Knights, his hands cuffed together while a thick collar was fitted around his neck. The mid-morning hangar staff paused from their work to watch the entourage cross the hangar towards the Gold Rush, fear and awe on their faces as their eyes fell on Locke. Cilghal had followed them, looking very irate as she trailed behind them. As soon as she saw Kajex at the foot of the ramp, she ran forward.

"Sentinel, I apologize! I told them this was _completely_unnecessary, but they insisted!" she said, glaring at the lieutenant in the group.

The human ignored her. "We've brought the prisoner, Captain."

Kajex glared at him. "... What in the _fuck_is this, Lieutenant?" he asked, feeling very cross. "Why do you need 10 people to escort my friend to my own ship?"

"He's a Sith, sir," the security officer said, as if unsure why this was even a question. "It's for everybody's protection."

"... And what the hell is _that_around his neck?!" he snapped. He knew what it was as soon as he got a closer look at it, and the way Locke's ears were folded back in fear, Kajex was certain his albino counterpart knew what it was, too. But right now, he wanted the officer to say it out loud.

"An explosive collar, sir," the officer replied. "For insurance. If he tries to escape, I trigger the explosion and boom- his head comes off."

Kajex froze and Syrra groaned in exasperation. "Where is the trigger, Lieutenant?" the wolf asked quietly.

The officer took his hand off his weapon and pointed at the device strapped to his belt. "Right here, sir."

There was a full minute of silence as Kajex looked between Locke, Cilghal, Syrra, the lieutenant and the bomb collar trigger. Then an explosion_did_occur- when Kajex exploded in a rage.

"...ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!? WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" the gray wolf snarled as the officer backpedaled away in confusion and apprehension. Everyone in the hangar froze and looked in Kajex's direction as his voice echoed in the hangar, easily drowning out the sound of machinery.

"I.. I don't--"

"Was this your_stupid idea, Lieutenant? Did you even _think_about this for a moment? Surrounded on all sides by Jedi, many of them untrained and more than a few of them likely entertaining the idea of killing an unarmed Sith, and yet you _still_put a fucking _bomb collar on my friend and left the trigger on your belt like some kind of moron?! All it would have taken is someone with just enough disregard for sentient life to use the Force and flip the fucking switch and blow us the fuckup! Did you factor _that_into your genius idea?!"

The officer's eyes went wide, as if this hadn't occurred to him. "... But... I mean--"

Kajex growled warningly. "Take it off."

The security guards looked at each other.

"...NOW!!!"

The lieutenant flinched, quickly complying with the order and deactivating the bomb collar. Kajex glanced at Locke, seeing relief in his features as the security officer fumbled with the clasps, eventually unhooking the device and returning the inert bomb to his belt before standing back.

Kajex breathed in. He was angry, and very aware of it, but he was also in control. He glared at the officer. "I may not be a Jedi Master, and I may not have been properly knighted, either- and I don't expect to be treated with any respect until I am. But that's not going to stop me from being incredibly_disappointed in you all. You, all four of you-" he gestured to the 4 Jedi Knights that had accompanied the security guards. "I can't believe you allowed this to happen. For fuck's sake, you guys are _Jedi!_You're supposed to be _better_than this! Putting bomb collars on a detainee-- no, a _refugee, even if he _was_Sith-affiliated... that's _not_what Jedi are supposed to do."

The Knights looked between each other, looking fairly abashed as they stepped back. "We... we apologize, Sentinel Kajex... you're right," one of them said ashamedly.

Kajex flinched at the title. "Don't call m-- you know what...?" he sighed. "Forget it... just gonna have to live with a title from now on." He gestured to Locke. "Now, if someone would _please_release my friend from his cuffs. He doesn't need them."

The security guards looked as if he had gone mad.

"Please be so kind as to fulfill Sentinel Surnahm's orders, Lieutenant," a calm voice said from behind them. Kajex looked around, seeing Master Skywalker at the base of his ship's ramp; looking calm as usual, though also slightly disappointed. The lieutenant swallowed and nodded, quickly unlocking the white wolf's binders and stepping back. "I'm told Knight Locke is exceptionally gifted in dominating the minds of others through the Force. If he had any intention of escaping, he would have taken every possible opportunity as soon as he had woken up. You may return to your duties, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir," the officer said quietly, saluting and moving away from the wolf.

"And Kajex, I understand your anger, you have every right to call them out on their error- but calm yourself. Don't immerse yourself in that anger too deeply. I realize the last few days have been a strain on you, but you need to center yourself," Master Skywalker advised.

Kajex nodded, calming himself with several deep breaths. "Yeah... I'll keep myself in check, Luke." He returned his attention to Locke, his shoulders slumped and his ears folding back as the Jedi wolf approached.

"Kajex... thank y--" He stopped short as the Sentinel stepped forward and embraced the white wolf tightly, causing Locke to tense up.

"I'm glad you're okay, buddy. Gave me a hell of a scare back there," he said quietly, his tail wagging contentedly. He pulled back, watching as Locke swallowed, a look of pained gratitude on his face.

"... I'm glad you're alright too, my friend," he replied quietly.

"C'mon, let's get you inside, everybody's waiting," Kajex said, guiding Locke gently to the ship.

"Anybody hungry? Thirsty? Bored?"

Kyle Katarn looked up with a dry smile. "Are you trying to stall for time, kid?"

Kajex sighed as he got into a seat at one end of the holotable. "First of all, Kyle, I'm nearly a decade older than you are, even if I'm only about 32 in the technical 'being actively alive' sense- so don't call me 'kid'. Secondly, I'm asking because if I'm going to sit here and tell everybody the truth, it's going to take a pretty long time- I just want to make sure everybody is comfortable."

"We're fine, Kaj," Garrett said from the opposite end of the holotable. "Everybody here used the refresher before you came back onboard."

"And you, Locke?" Kajex asked politely. "If you need to grab a bite to eat..."

"I'll be fine, Kajex," the white wolf said quietly, his eyes flicking to each person at the table. Seated among them was Kyle, Luke, Garrett, Simetra and Moarn on one side; Keris, Syrra, Miles, Talrik and Ranger Captain Barrn on the other. Locke was seated directly opposite of Kajex; and off to the side, behind Luke, was a blue and white utility droid.

Kajex stared at the droid curiously. "What's with the astromech, Master?"

"I brought Artoo along so that, with your consent, I can have this discussion recorded for future reference. Any insight into the old Jedi Order would be valuable information, and an interview into the life of an old Jedi Order student would be interesting, to say the least. Of course, if you'd rather not..."

The wolf sighed, nodding. "It's fine." There was a silence as he struggled to start. "... I'm sorry, it's just... difficult."

"Calm yourself, Sentinel," Moarn said sympathetically. "You're not here to be judged- you're here to be heard."

Kajex nodded, taking a deep breath and beginning.

"... I was found near an orphanage on Corellia around 31 BBY. Cliche, I know- pretty much the standard 'baby-in-a-basket' story, without the basket or accompanying note. I was taken in and spent a few weeks in their care until my Force-sensitivity manifested itself. I'm told that I had been floating a series of construction blocks for my own amusement. Not unusual for Force-sensitive children, but that's how it was. As per Republic law, my blood samples had been taken and registered with the Republic Medical Database, and despite my being a member of a completely unknown species, they were able to quickly determine that my midichlorian count was substantially high. Not groundbreaking- but promising. So within a week of my demonstration, a Jedi 'Recruiter' visited and had me taken to Coruscant."

Syrra's ears went flat, her face sad. "You were 'kidnapped', as you've described in the past."

He nodded. "And like I said back then- it _technically_wasn't 'kidnapping'," he responded dully. "Republic law gave the Jedi Order 'legal rights' to take any child that demonstrated Force-sensitivity, to be trained as Jedi. Since I had no parents or legal guardian or representative to dispute the claim and fight on my behalf, assuming they could even win the case, I was taken without argument."

He paused. "The 'reasoning' behind this law was based on the Jedi belief that a child's sensitivity to the Force somehow constituted as that child's 'informed consent' to be become a Jedi- that somehow, an infant that couldn't form coherent thoughts or demonstrate rationality was telling everyone 'hey, I want to become a Jedi' just by being lucky, or unlucky, enough to be a Force-sensitive. Think about that. A religious order that argues that a supernatural element of the universe, one that even _they_didn't completely understand, is speaking on your own behalf and robbing you of any choice; that argues that because you won the Force lottery, you get to live, train, grow and die in the service of an order that concealed itself from much of the rest of the universe." There was a hard note of bitterness in his voice as he spoke, which was reflected in his golden eyes.

"Anyway... I was too young to even have an opinion on the matter when it happened. I did what most children in the Jedi Order did- grew up, went through the same training and suffered the same childish abuse that happened just as frequently inside the Temple as it did in the rest of the galaxy, all because I was an anthropomorphic wolf alien. It wasn't so bad for some- a lot of the other non-human races were treated the same way. They grew out of it, though, because others of their kind resided in the Order, for the most part. I didn't. There was nobody in the Order that could tell me of my culture or species."

"So while I did manage to get through initiate training a bit quicker than my fellow students, I was still severely isolated and lonely. It didn't help that I was quickly becoming noted in my clan, Wolf Clan; not because I exemplified teamwork and unity, the qualities of our clan, but because I somehow possessed a 'reputation' for being 'violent', which I guess is what happens when you put a little too much time focusing on lightsaber combat so you can protect yourself from the bullies that the Jedi Order didn't think we had. Even the Jedi Masters there treated me with caution, their bias and inability to dig a little deeper preventing them from gaining a better understanding of the person I am."

He paused. "All of that, the abuse, the loneliness and distrust from my own Masters, coalesced into a strong desire for something... more."

"What was that?" Talrik asked.

"... Family." He sighed. "Fun fact- every Padawan that ever stepped into the halls of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant had, at one point, sneaked out of the Temple to experience the streets of Coruscant." He smiled ironically at Moarn. "I bet you did, too, right?"

The Trandoshan hesitated a moment before nodding. "... Yes, I did. We all did, it's true."

"And most of us would learn something different while we spent as much time as possible not being caught. I think the longest record was 13 days."

"14," Moarn said, smiling nostalgically. "Eli Pordin, from Malastare. He was in Dragon Clan, with me. He ended up having to spend a full month cataloging new Jedi archive data. I must admit, he _did_demonstrate Dragon Clan's propensity for tenacity by lasting so long."

"I lasted 5 days," Kajex continued. "Not a bad length of time for someone who forgot to bring ration capsules with him, but between the kindness of beggars selflessly giving me food and watching non-Jedi children with their parents, sharing in love and companionship that you can only get from a family... well, let's just say that kinda stuck with me and I never really forgot it. Yet, like Eli Pordin, I was eventually caught and punished. For me, the punishment was being forced to undergo the Initiate Trials immediately without any preparation, a year ahead of schedule. I suppose their intent was to make me regret my actions and remind me I wasn't ready to go out and mingle with the rest of the universe. But the lesson was never learned, because I ended up passing easily. I think I gained a bit of animosity from some of the Masters as they attempted to punish me; and failed when I succeeded."

"All the same, there were other barriers to my progress. I still had a reputation for being 'unbalanced' and 'violent'. I was known for being a bit more emotional than other students- not hateful or abrasive, but I think I sympathized a little too much that they thought it was making me ineffective. Add that because I was an unknown species, it was harder for most to get a good read on how my mind worked compared to other sentient races. So despite having passed the Initiate trials at the age of 6, I wasn't chosen as an apprentice. I tried to rectify that by joining the annual Apprentice Tournament to demonstrate my lightsaber skill."

Moarn nodded. "Clever. It was a common way back then for Padawans to draw the attention of Masters, particularly those who made it into the top 8 bracket."

"I took _1st_that year... and I wasn't chosen. That usually doesn't happen, the winner of those tournaments almost always gets paired with a Master. So I changed tack and tried to learn new Force abilities without the aid of a Master, reading up on the archives and eventually settling on learning _mechu-deru_on my own. It was a way to distract myself, spending time tinkering and fixing things; and even at a young age I was good at it. I did it without being asked because..." He paused, swallowing. "... Because I was lonely. And if there was one thing I hate and fear more than anything else in the universe, it's being alone. And for about half a year, until I was 7, I _was_alone... until I met Master Bran."

"Your 'father'," Syrra said softly.

"Yeah..." He cleared his throat, looking down and saying nothing for a few minutes. Nobody coaxed him into speaking, as everyone at the table could see him trying to struggle to continue. He appreciated their patience as a deluge of beautiful and terrible memories flooded back to him. When he finally spoke, it was with a slight hitch in his voice.

"... He caught me sniffling in the back of the Temple hangar, after having been scared out of my wits by the speeder pool caretaker. I had climbed into one of the vehicles after spotting a ruptured power converter that could've blown the speeder apart had it been activated- he had shouted at me and scared me badly. Keep in mind, I was only 7 at the time, and more emotional than a lot of the other students there, so when Bran found me I was little more than a shivering ball of fur clutching a power converter and a toolset."

"But Bran didn't come to me accusing me of doing something wrong, asking me what I was doing, what race I was- the last of which I was almost always asked. He didn't look at me as a Padawan who had recently gotten into trouble and needed to be reprimanded; he saw me as a scared, miserable pup who was trying to make things better. The first thing he asked me was my name." He paused. "... When I told him, he asked me... 'are you okay'?"

There was another pause, in which everyone seated noticed the tear that ran down the wolf's face- he wiped at it impatiently, embarrassed as he attempted to master his emotions again, trying not to feel like the pup he had once been so long ago. "That... that was the first time I remember ever being asked that. The first time I could ever remember someone giving a damn about me. I mean... how fucking _sad_is that? To spend 7 years without being asked about your well-being? I remember freezing up for about 10 seconds just staring at him like I couldn't believe it- and then breaking down suddenly and bursting into tears, bawling for about an hour in his arms, telling him how scared and miserable and so fucking _lonely_I was- how I was afraid I would be banished from the Jedi Order, or never having a Master, or failing further trials, or falling to the dark side because I was too emotional; and the entire time I poured my heart out to him, a complete stranger at the time, all he did was hug me close and listened, until the tears were gone and only the snuffles remained."

He closed his eyes, taking several deep, steadying breaths before continuing.

"Once I'd stopped, he started talking to me. He told me it was okay to feel these emotions, that as a sentient being I just wanted the same thing everyone else in the universe wanted and needed- companionship. Then he asked me if I needed a friend. Not a Master, or teacher- but a friend. I'm not sure, really, but I _think_that was the first time in my life my tail started wagging. I said yes, and then he asked me, like a friend, if I could demonstrate_mechu-deru_for him, so we could bring the converter back to the speeder pool. Feeling a lot calmer, I fixed it up in pretty short order, and impressed him." He sighed, looking to Luke. "And I'm sure you can see why Jedi Council considered that a problem."

Syrra frowned. "Why? What is mechu-deru, for that matter?"

Simetra answered. "It's a Force technique that allows the practitioner to gain a deeper insight into mechanical systems. With it, they can sense machines, electrical currents, robotic constructs- they can even use it to influence droid programming similar to how Jedi can trick people by altering their senses, perceptions or thought processes; though most of the time it's used in mechanical repair, damage analysis or detecting irregularities in droid programming."

Garrett's eyebrows were raised in interest. "That actually sounds really useful. So why would that be considered a problem?"

"Because it's a so-called 'dark side technique' created by the Sith," Locke answered, staring at Kajex with a sympathetic expression. "Very few Jedi practiced it as a rule because of the 'potential' for abuse, though I have always felt there is nothing inherently malicious about it. True, one could_use it to rend machines apart, or create biological constructs trapped in mechanical shells- but at the same time the applications could be used to repair life-support systems and machines that people use daily, which I would consider _noble. I wonder if it was only prohibited by the Jedi because it just so happened to be one of the few positive things the Sith ever came up with."

Kajex nodded, his voice thick as he continued. "I kinda figured that was the case, too. The fact that I was so skilled in it at such a young age made my instructors worry that I was treading down the path to darkness. Nobody wanted to take on a Padawan like me, burdened with an unconventional child of an unknown species that had gotten pretty good at an esoteric, 'dark side' technique. They were satisfied stewing in the fear that I was something I actually wasn't, to the point they didn't bother figuring out who and what I really was."

"That's... not fair," Syrra remarked with a look of sympathy.

The wolf nodded. "No, it wasn't." He smiled a little. "But Bran...? He was one of the few Jedi who didn't see me the way others did. He was fairly unconventional himself. A 'Gray Jedi', as they used to be called; it's kind of a derogatory term for a Jedi who possessed more unorthodox views about the Force that didn't always align with typical fundamentalist Jedi teachings- if they aligned at all. He was more open to concepts of emotional display, forming attachments and using unconventional methods to complete his assignments. Sometimes_he skirted near the line where the law was drawn, but only if he saw no other way. Alot of people on the Council, especially Master Mace Windu, didn't like his view of the Republic being too corrupt. He wasn't exactly _unpopular, mind you, but his opinions and approaches made it difficult for most of the rest of the Order to take him seriously. So, when he approached the Council and requested that he take me as his Padawan, half the Council thought he was joking, while the other half thought he had gone completely insane. Almost the entire Council refused his request... except the one who mattered most."

Luke smiled serenely. "Yoda."

The wolf nodded, his own smile broadening at the name. "Yoda. The Grand Master sensed that Bran and I had already formed a positive connection, and he personally saw me as no threat. And although it wasn't a secret he didn't agree with Bran on a few things, he recognized that assigning me as his student could only be beneficial for the both of us. So he overrode the Council's decision and I was made Bran's Padawan that day. One of the best days of my life," he added wistfully. "Sure, it meant my life was going to become more difficult, but it didn't matter to me. For 2 years after that, I trained under him and fought beside him, and we grew closer. He insisted I never call him 'Master', told me to call him by his name instead. And even though I've always thought of him as my teacher, he was mostly my friend, and while I quickly stopped seeing him as my Master... it wasn't long before I starting seeing him as the father he really was to me. He wasn't _meant_to be my father... he simply _became_my father."

"'Him... and his partner'," Syrra said, echoing words he had spoken to her half a year ago. "Kane."

"At the time," Barnn interjected, "Kane had been an Antarian Ranger who worked closely with Bran over the years. They worked so well and accomplished so much that even the Council noticed- impressive, when you consider that for the most part the Council treated the Rangers with... indifference, despite the fact that many of us lived and died in the service of the Jedi. Not that we minded, of course- we received plenty of gratitude from Bran and most contemporary Jedi we worked with at the time. We resonated really well with Knights we were actively working with. I remember being in a squad with Kane about a year before the Clone Wars officially started, after a close shave on Telos. You were there, Kajex, remember?"

The wolf nodded, chuckling softly at the memory. "Yeah, I was there. Ray, too. Kane was fretting over Bran because Bran had taken a glancing hit to the hip and was bleeding, and Kane confessed that he loved Bran and asked him on the spot to marry him. You and Ray and everyone on the transport started cheering the moment they kissed."

Brann chuckled. "Yeah... it was really great seeing them together like that, finally. And none of us breathed a word to anyone else when they had their union a few months later- not even to the Jedi Order. We respected them too much, supported them enough that we kept it secret on their behalf."

"How did their relationship pan out?" Talrik asked.

"Positively," Kajex responded. "They were able to hide it very well, while still being able to spend a lot of time together. Kane liked me too, and it wasn't long before I had to articulate which 'dad' I was speaking to when we were together on missions. They both started me down the path of the Jedi Sentinel, Bran's path, preparing me with civilian skills from throughout the galaxy, teaching me mechanical repair, jury rigging explosives and computer systems, slicing, security, infiltration- Kane taught me how to move quietly and stealthily, how to use Teras Kasi to shield my mind from anyone trying to find me through the Force; Bran taught me how to minimize my presence _using_the Force."

"Which is how you've been able to conceal yourself so well," Moarn said, nodding. "Although there were moments when your abilities lapsed."

Kajex nodded. "Which is why you told me that I hid myself well. You didn't know until that little hiccup after Syrra kissed me in the hangar, when you were actively analyzing me. Thanks, by the way, for not ratting me out."

Moarn nodded. "We'll discuss that later, Sentinel."

An expression of dawning comprehension filled Locke's features. "That's why I found it difficult to detect you on AS-303, isn't it? You were hiding yourself both physically and mentally, through infiltration techniques and the Force."

"To be fair," Kajex replied dryly, "it's not hard to perceive yourself as small and out of sight when you're trying to squeeze through dusty utility access tunnels."

Syrra shifted a bit, realization brightening her face. "I thought it was a bit unusual that I could still sense you, though... it seemed a little distorted. I guess because you and I just shared a close emotional bond that you _couldn't_hide from me completely."

The wolf nodded again. "Spot on, kitten. All but the most skilled of Jedi would be able to peg me out for who I actually was." He gestured to Luke, who inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Anyway... 22 BBY, the Clone Wars started. When it did, I started to see a lot more combat than I ever had before, even though I wasn't meant to. I'd had the fortune, or lack thereof, to be placed in situations that didn't _seem_risky on the face of it, only to find myself tested to the limits of my abilities. I only survived and accomplished what I did because I had two people there to train me well, teaching me to develop talents outside the Force; encouraging me to consider unconventional and clever options; fostering my creativity instead of suppressing it in favor of more trite, traditional methods; and allowing me to try my strengths, trusting me to take care of myself."

He paused for a moment, a frown on his face. "The Clone Wars reached its most critical stage 3 years later with the Battle of Coruscant, when Chancellor Palpatine was 'kidnapped' by the Separatist Fleet and later rescued by Master Kenobi and his apprentice. As a result of the attack, many less-critical Jedi were called back to the Temple to be reassigned. Sensing that the end of the war was closing in, Bran and I were put on standby, waiting for work to come our way- Kane accompanied us as we waited. Bran was uneasy, he knew something awful was on the horizon. And one late afternoon, while we were talking in the hangar, we saw a certain Jedi Knight talking to Master Windu, informing him that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was, in fact, a Sith Lord."

He stared directly at Luke. "Your father, Anakin Skywalker. Now, I never knew him personally, even though I've since learned what he had become afterwards, but I'll say this- he was a hero. And he was a good man, even if he had his flaws. It wasn't him we were worried about. Bran and I were far more concerned with the reaction Master Windu took. At the time, it had been suggested by some in the Council that Palpatine should be removed from office if he did not give up his emergency powers, which was reasonable- but Mace, blind to the animosity the public possessed for the Jedi Order, insisted that the Jedi should take control of the Senate, to ensure a 'peaceful transition', as he put it."

Locke frowned. "That's certainly not what _I_heard. Perhaps it's only because I was a Sith, but I had been told Master Windu and his Jedi went in with their lightsabers at the ready."

The gray wolf looked away, nodding his head sadly. "Which is _exactly_how it happened, Locke. The Sith were at least telling you the truth about that. There was no dissemination of information about Palpatine's allegiances or connections to the Sith. No attempt to demonstrate a case against him using evidence and testimony to reveal him in court. Mace Windu acted _exactly_as Palpatine had expected him to- rushing into battle to arrest, or more likely assassinate, a student of the dark side of the Force. And when the dust settled, Master Windu and 3 other Jedi Masters were dead, Anakin Skywalker had become Darth Vader, and Palpatine had his final justification for issuing Order 66."

There was silence as he paused again, steeling himself. "Bran, Kane and I were still at the Temple when we saw the 501stLegion's dropships deposit hundreds of Clone troopers at the foot of the hill to the Jedi Temple. Kane immediately left to warn other Jedi, to tell them to escape. Some did, but many didn't, and a few who _did_believe us decided to hold the line instead. Bran and I spent what little time we had collecting information from the Temple Archives. Even then he was thinking ahead, concerned about my continued education, feeling some part of the Jedi should persist through its teachings. He opted to extract a handful of historical texts, selections of music, literature, classic holovids from hundreds of cultures..."

"... And lightsaber form instruction holovids," Syrra finished. "That's where you got them."

He nodded. "That wasn't all. We briefly stopped in the Medical Wing of the Temple to destroy a very important artifact." He grabbed his pendant and lightsaber, putting both on the table.

"Healing Crystals of Fire?" Talrik asked.

He nodded again. "He destroyed most of the Crystal properly. You can tell when it's no longer functioning because the shards will ultimately lose its entire glow. Using a Crystal will sap it of its Force energy and make it dimmer until it recharges, but it'll still generate light until it's too damaged to function- at which point, it goes dark. He had immediately found two active pieces and told me to hold onto them, which I did. After that, we left for the hangar. By that point..." He stopped, shifting in his seat uncomfortably with a shudder. "... I didn't hear every scream... but I did_feel every death, even those of the children in the Temple who were unfortunate enough to be in the way- children, mind you, who were_forced_to become Jedi. I thought I would pass out from the pain and anguish, but Bran carried me the rest of the way to Kane's ship- the _Rushin' Roulette. I'd been on it hundreds of times, knew the ship inside and out, but... when I boarded it that evening, I knew it was going to be my home, probably for the rest of my life. We shot out of the hangar moments before Republic starfighters closed in, and made a jump into hyperspace. Bran and Kane knew exactly where to go. A backwater planet, near the Tingle Arm border of the Wild Space regions, in the Trian system."

He stared at Syrra, smiling.

"Ekibo. Your home- and mine."

He was silent for a minute, reflecting on what happened next.

"We were safe there. We tried to make contact with other Jedi that might have escaped, but what little contact we were able to make, we lost soon after. After a couple of months we just... accepted it. Started a new life. Not as two teachers and a student... but as a family." He chuckled softly. "We... see, none of us had surnames. Bran was not part of a family estate any longer now that he was a Jedi, Trianii typically don't have surnames unless they own land, and me...? Hell, my _name_was derived from my orphanage case file, KJX-1175. The Masters just added a couple of vowels and left it at that without giving me a last name. So we did the stupidest thing ever and made up the name 'Surnahm' instead, and used it to inform others that we were a family, even if we didn't share the same blood. We rolled with it without a care in the galaxy... and we loved it."

"I grew up with two fathers who loved me, who taught me everything they could. We took up work as... 'philanthropist mercenaries', as Kane used to call us, hired guns and allies to the Trianii Rangers and a couple of other local authority factions and other groups- we picked a decent time, seeing as conflicts against the Corporate Sector Authority were just starting to flare up. The money was always tight, but I never wanted for anything else- I was happy, content. And for the first time in my life I started thinking about a future that was_free_from the burden of being a Jedi."

"I mean, I was still studying lightsaber combat and Force abilities, and it was around the time I was starting to grow my wings and learning to pilot a starship. I'd used one of the Healing Crystals and turned it into a focusing crystal when I constructed a lightsaber to replace the one I'd left at the Temple, while Kane had the other shaped into a gem and fitted into an old Trianii pendant." He gestured to both on the table. "But my training was more relaxed, and possibilities had opened up. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I was lucky? I could find someone in life, a man or a woman with whom I could settle down and spend the rest of life with- maybe even find a member of my own species, fall in love with them, and if they were female, have children of my own. I mean... I didn't get my hopes up, but now that I wasn't really a Jedi anymore... I could dream."

The light in his eyes seemed to die out.

"Then, after 3 years, I turned 15... and the dream ended. When it did, I ended up sleeping over a decade." He took his longest pause, as he recalled the worst period of time in his entire life.

"... At the time, we had no idea about the CorpSec's connections to the Empire, nor that they had been contracted to aid in the Jedi Purge by keeping an eye out for Jedi or Ranger survivors. We didn't expect them to be able to track us into a region where they held no authority, but they did. They came disguised as mercenaries, but we already knew who they were when they made landfall- as if they thought an uncommon occurrence like mercenaries landing on a backwater planet like Ekibo made any sense, when Fibuli was just a short jump through hyperspace away. We attempted to leave but we were forced to fight it out when a mag-pulse warhead struck the ship and put the _Roulette_out of commission, deep in a forest far from the eyes of the local Trianii."

"There was no Sith. No Darth Vader. Just a few dozen Dark Jedi and assassin droids trying to take our lives, all for the approval of their new Sith Master. Halfway into the battle, Kane's arm was severed and he was knocked off a cliff into the shallows of a waterfall, and didn't come back up. It was just Bran and me. I'd become so accustomed to fighting people using blasters that it was a challenge to cross lightsabers again, but I managed to hold fast, even while I was reeling from losing Kane. And we had nearly fought out way out whe--"

He choked, his voice catching in his throat as he closed his eyes, unable to continue.

Luke and Kyle stared at him solemnly; Talrik, Locke, Keris and Miles regarded him with silent sympathy; Syrra reached out, grabbing his paw and squeezing his paw gently, and he opened his eyes. Her blue eyes were filled with understanding and sadness, and tears.

"... That's why you were worried about me, wasn't it?" Syrra asked as tears rolled down both their faces. "Back at the hangar on Fibuli, and then later on AS-303, when you pleaded for me not to leave you, so you could protect me...? You were thinking of Bran, remembering how you had lost someone close to you to the Empire because... they just happened to be a Jedi."

He said nothing, but there was no need. She had understood perfectly why his reaction had been so strong back then. It took a long time for him to compose himself, wiping his face dry and sniffling slightly, his voice husky when he finally continued.

"... I remember pleading with him to not die, to stay with me so I'd have at least one father remaining in my life. I wasn't ready to lose him. If it had been my Trial of Flesh, I would have failed it by not being able to let go and accept loss. He told me to be safe, to keep the crystals hidden in my pendant and lightsaber, to continue my life without him and to be hidden and happy, to remember everything he and Kane taught me. And then he used whatever time and energy he had left in his life to pacify me. Completely. He forced me into a coma, forced me to face my own Trial of Spirit- a veritable hell, trapped inside my own mind for 14 years."

Keris' eyes widened. "How? What did he do that put you into a coma for_that_long?"

"Morichro."

Everyone turned to face Master Skywalker, save for Syrra, who had started to rub the wolf's shoulder comfortingly. "It's an obscure, risky and potentially lethal technique that was taught to very few Jedi. It allows the practitioner to go into a deep trance, suspending their bodily functions for extreme periods of time, sometimes decades or even centuries, without the need for food, water, or considerable amount of oxygen- his heart-rate, breathing pace, cognitive processes and even his aging would have been almost completely suspended. On the outside, and even to those using medical scanners, it would look as if Kajex were dead. Only somebody knowing what to look for would be able to tell the difference, and I would hazard a guess that the Dark Jedi or droids sent against his family thought that he had perished as well."

He gazed at Kajex thoughtfully. "Turning _morichro_against someone else is effective in subduing them for long periods of time, but it's also potentially dangerous- even in that form of stasis, Kajex would still have needed at least an intravenous source of nutrition and water, and only a Jedi could have awakened him, if Kajex hadn't done it himself. Bran, unfortunately, lost his life- which means..."

"Kane had survived," Kajex said simply, wiping his eyes. "He told me later that he found me laying on the ground with Bran shielding me with his body, having embraced me as he died. But even though he wasn't Force-sensitive, he understood what happened immediately- that Bran had given the Empire the impression that all 3 of us had been killed in battle. So he buried Bran with his lightsaber in an unmarked grave next to the waterfall; disposed of the bodies and droid wreckage littering the fields with a thermite incendiary charge; and then spent the next 14 years of his life watching over me as I slept, trapped in my own mind and facing my own fears."

"What did you fear?" Syrra asked, though she looked as if she already knew the answer.

"Being alone. Which is exactly what I was, completely isolated in my own mind. It was a brutal test that nearly drove me insane, although I perceived the length of time that passed as amounting to many months instead of many years. It was a while before I finally accepted the truth of what had happened- that Bran had effectively imprisoned me, preventing me from facing the horrors and cruelty of the universe around me until I could come to terms with my fear and my own loss; to show I could accept my fears and move past them; to accept that I will sometimes, maybe even always, be alone, but that there's solace in the memories and attachments I had formed that would never truly go away. It took me 14 years to realize that. And when I finally did, sitting alone in the darkness of my own mind, drawing on the happiest moments of companionship with my family... I woke up. Passing my Trial of Spirit had been the trigger that roused me."

He sighed. "And despite accepting my loss, I spent the first 24 hours mourning something that had happened over a decade before. Kane allowed me that time to grieve, but afterwards we celebrated me passing my Trial and we visited Bran's grave. Sad as I was then, it gave me a little peace and I was even a little happier. Afterwards, I started thinking about what I wanted to do, how to go about honoring Bran's promise without having to draw exclusively on Jedi teachings, to avoid being targeted by the Empire again. I wanted to remain a Jedi Sentinel, but not have people know it on the face of it. So to that end, and despite being older and less active, Kane taught me everything he knew about Antarian and Trianii Ranger battle tactics and fighting techniques; how to handle a blaster effectively; how to rig explosives; how to interrogate suspects and use a combination of charisma and speaking techniques to hide my motives and infiltrate gangs- things that would help keep me hidden, but active. And for a while, things were... better. It wasn't the dream I wanted, and it meant living on after losing someone I loved, but... I was starting to find peace again."

"Yet it was a peace I was going to have to enjoy alone, in the end. Kane's health had been spotty when I had awoken, but about a year after the Battle of Yavin we... we both realized that his time was nearly an end. He had picked up a form of heart cancer that he couldn't get legitimately treated due to him being an Antarian Ranger- going to a registered physician would have alerted the Empire the moment his name showed up on the repository. The best I could do was give him painkillers and dull his perception to the pain through the Force, so... we returned to Ekibo and spent the last 3 months of his life as father and son. As bad as it sounds... I was actually really happy. There were times when it was like he wasn't in pain, just laughing and drinking, telling stories and sharing fond memories we had with Bran, his adventures as a Trianii Ranger and how proud he was of me... and then one day, I walked into the lounge and saw him reclining on the old couch, having passed away peacefully in his sleep with a smile on his face."

"I buried him with his Ranger badge, next to Bran, and left his grave unmarked. I grieved, but the pain was far less intense. In the end, I'd given him what he wanted. When I had suggested using one of the Healing Crystals, he had refused. He..." Kajex paused, voice hitching. "I honored his wishes because I understood what he wanted. He wanted to be with Bran again. He didn't want me to heal him. The only reason he hadn't taken his life after Bran had died was so that he could look after and train me, even though every day he was separated from Bran was a day of torment to him. By letting him die, hopefully letting him become one with the Force, I though maybe... just... maybe.... they could be together again, in whatever afterlife awaits us, the way they should have been."

The wolf steadied himself, clearing his throat. "Without him, I was alone again. I hated it, but I put up with it as I continued his and Bran's work. I ended up developing a new fear, though- not of being alone, or dying, but of forming close relationships and those relationships leading to the deaths of people I cared about simply through association. The Empire thought I was dead, but I didn't want to take a chance going anywhere close to the Outer Rim, so I just hung around the Wild Space regions and helped the Trianii and other locals with pirates and CorpSec shenanigans, all while keeping people an arm's length away. I didn't want people to die just because they knew me, or fought alongside me."

"Is that why you found it so hard to trust people?" Talrik asked quietly.

"It was one of the reasons, yeah. I mean, it wasn't enough for me to be strong in the Force. I didn't fear the concept of turning to the dark side because I felt I was stronger than that, but that didn't mean my Force-sensitivity couldn't be a liability. I suck at medically treating myself, and being unable to go to civilian medical service providers meant that I had to find alternative treatments of healing. More importantly, it could make me a target if anyone found out, along with anybody else I knew personally. I ended up turning away a lot of allies and potential mates just to keep them safe, at least until after the after the Battle of Endor."

"Wasn't it safe to tell people at that point?" Garrett asked.

"No, for a couple of reasons. After having an opportunity to slice into the Imperial high-security servers- which, I might add, is so simple even Syrra could do it--"

"Hey!"

"--I found out even to this day, the Imperial Remnant keeps active files on their Jedi watchlist to ensure that no survivors pass on their teachings- even ones that are believed to be KIA are kept active, on the off-chance that they might still be alive. Granted, I had heard absolutely nothing about the Jedi Praxeum until Aarn and Iaora contacted me with a job and then told me about Syrra, so there was nobody I _could_teach, assuming I even wanted to- but I was still ranked in the top 100 of their threat rankings, which they sorted based on ability."

"What put you up so high?" Kyle asked with mild interest.

"My skill in mechu-deru, for one. Maybe they thought I could use it to figure out how to destroy one of their Death Stars, which is stupid since _mechu-deru_doesn't work that way. But probably what put me up so high was my skill in battle meditation, which the Jedi Order noted and cataloged to make it easier to know where to assign me on missions."

"You're capable of battle meditation?" Simetra asked, her eyebrows raised. "That's an incredibly useful ability to posses."

"For armies and in short doses, it is. And I can perform it on a small scale, yeah. Came in handy while working with my dads."

"What_is_battle meditation?" Keris asked.

"A Force technique which boosts the morale of multiple people, allowing them to become more efficient in combat," Luke said. "The insane clone of Jedi Master Jorus C'Baoth utilized it during the Thrawn campaign, before I officially started the Jedi Praxeum. It was the key reason why the Grand Admiral was able to win what appeared to be unfavorably-matched conflicts successively- though that's not to say he didn't already possess exemplary leadership and tactical skills, either. Emperor Palpatine used it as well, right up till his death during the Battle of Endor." He looked to Syrra and Talrik. "For someone who is closely bonded with a Jedi, the kind of bond you both share with Kajex, your natural fighting ability would be increased. Did you ever, for example, sense moments in combat where you experienced greater clarity? Perhaps moments of inspiration and confidence when it seemed like all odds were against you?"

Kajex shook his head. "I only used it twice with Syrra and Talrik around. The first was on Fibuli with Syrra, during our hangar fight, and the second was on Central Rock, when we all had to fight off Ulfric's assault. I learned very early on from Bran that overusing battle meditation is dangerous, and if you need a perfect example of how, all you have to do is keep in mind that Emperor Palpatine used it constantly, up till the Battle of Endor. The moment Palpatine died was the moment the battle shifted in the Rebellion's favor. His moronic army and fleet had been relying on it so much and for so long, that when he perished at Endor those same admirals, captains and commanders found themselves floundering without direction, even while they still had the numbers advantage. I never used it extensively, no matter how good I was with it." He smiled at both his pack members fondly. "You guys are so much better than that. I trust you both, in your abilities and loyalty, and you've never once let me down. I only ever used it when I was trying to save your lives, to give that little extra push to drive you towards survival."

"Anyway, I never used it in the Clone Wars, since I was too young to be put on the frontlines. I used it for small squads in missions that didn't directly involve the war, but that was about it. I don't know the limits of how many people I can affect with it, but I do know I'm good at it when it comes to smaller strike teams." He looked to Barrn, then to Syrra. "Back on Southern Star Station, Ray mentioned the Jedi, Bastila Shan. Syrra had mentioned that she was a capable leader and tactician."

Moarn nodded gravely. "And she was, but that was not her only talent, was it Sentinel?"

"She was a _master_at battle meditation, using the Force to win major victories against Darth Revan until he was captured- it was powerful enough to change the direction of the entire Jedi Civil War. And it's the kind of power the Empire and Sith would _kill_to either have again, or prevent others from having. Not figuratively- literally. If the Empire had known I was still alive, I figured they would've sent as many Dark Jedi and assassins to capture me or put me down, and in the process put _everyone_I care about at risk. And that's not even considering that I was still carrying around two Healing Crystals," he added, gesturing to his pendant and lightsaber again.

"So when I met Syrra and learned that there was a New Jedi Order, my first impulse was to stay as far away from possible from it and not go anywhere near Yavin 4. I didn't want to put the Order at risk when they were doing so well helping others."

"I'll bet my initial abrasiveness didn't help either," Syrra added guiltily, her ears flattening in shame.

The wolf smiled. "Well, no, it's true your bitchiness didn't impress me. But after you started loosening up and I fell in love with you, my intention was to keep it to myself to prevent you from being a target by association. I didn't trust in my abilities, or yours, to keep you safe if my identity had been blabbed about. Even before then, the amount of people who knew what I was was scant. Rik, Retsa and her family, that was about it."

"If Rik knew... why didn't you heal him after he was shot?" Syrra asked timidly.

The smile faded. "I'd been carrying both my lightsaber and my pendant at the same time, when Retsa's hatchling and the other children were healing me. Both crystals were rendered temporarily inert once I was restored. It takes hours, sometimes days for the crystals to recharge. By that point, there was little they or I could do to save him. But at least I got to say goodbye," he added, managing to smile again.

"You were talking about why you kept it secret," Talrik reminded him.

"Right," Kajex said, returning to the topic. "I kept it to myself even though I hated myself for doing it, hoping there'd be a point where I could see you become adept enough that I would have to worry about losing you. It was... selfish, yeah, but that's what I felt. Then... well... the incident between you, me and Master Moarne happened."

"To which I offer my sincerest apologies, to both of you," the Trandoshan said quietly, bowing his head. "I intend to tell you why later."

Kajex nodded. "So anyway, I got sent to the infirmary and had a blood sample taken- Kyle, Cilghal and Luke found out. I told Luke not to tell anybody and he only asked why I remained hidden. I didn't tell him everything, just enough so that he knew that revealing who I was might put you at risk. He agreed not to tell and told Kyle and Cilghal to keep it secret." Kyle nodded in acknowledgment. "Then I was made an offer, one that would give you an education and me a reason to stick close with you while keeping the fact I was a Jedi hidden- to serve as your 'civilian instructor'."

He paused, hesitating a moment before addressing Syrra. "That's not to say that I didn't use the Force while I was with you, though. I kept using it while working solo, when I needed to. When I could get away with it, I even used my lightsaber a few times. Even when we were together, I kept using it. Apart from a couple of moments with battle meditation, I continued to train myself whenever you were in the Temple for group studies or archive research; I used it on AS-303 to push the heavy crate off the smuggler's storage, once I had the good sense to stop using my arms and start using my head; and because it was virtually impossible for you to detect me using the Force among over 100 other students doing the same thing, I would even do it when Talrik was in another room or otherwise not looking, doing meditation or grabbing a bottle of lube from my room while his back was turned, anytime he and I were in the mood t--"

"Okay, okay_,_too much information, Kajex!!!" Talrik yelped, hiding his cherry-red face as Keris, Miles, Syrra and Garrett snickered.

He smiled. "The point is that it wasn't difficult to hide my Force sensitivity on a planet _loaded_with Force sensitives. I only really needed to worry about someone nosing into my own business and asking certain questions."

"Which, I imagine, is where your ability to lie honestly came into play," Locke noted with a dry smile.

Kajex grinned sheepishly. "Well, what can I say? Kane taught me well. I corrected people calling me a Jedi Master or Knight by honestly telling them I was neither. I'm nowhere _close_to being a Master and I was never officially knighted by the Council. You usually can't detect a lie if the lie is honest. And when people made comments assuming I was not a Force-sensitive, I didn't bother disabusing them of that notion."

"But why did you do it?" Syrra asked. There was no anger on her face, nor hurt- just curiosity. "Beyond keeping all those things a secret, if it had just been between us, why not tell me?"

Kajex hesitated. "When Moarn delved into your mind- which I know you're sorry for, Master, I'm not trying to inspire animosity," he added, to which the Trandoshan bowed his head solemnly, "- it reminded me of how easy it could be for a Sith to do it. I didn't want you to suffer just because you might have had certain information that would've led your capture. More pragmatically, though... _you_needed to be the Jedi in our pack, more than anybody. Bran and Kane taught me the skills to survive, taught me to think outside the box and then encouraged me to be creative, clever and try my own strengths alone so I could progress. I did the same, and watched you grow from it. I wanted you to be a badass whose paw I didn't need to hold, and damned if you didn't prove it time and time again." He smiled proudly at her. "The ironic thing is that you were growing so fast that I was quickly running out of excuses to keep everything a secret."

"Was that really it, though?" Talrik asked, frowning. "It's just... I'm not sure I buy it all. Before that point, you told us you were doing your work solo, even though you said you hated being alone. I'm glad that changed, but... I think you were holding on to something else, weren't you?"

Kajex hesitated, then nodded. "I felt deep down that if I revealed what I was... I would've made Bran's death in vain. He told me to be safe, to remain hidden and be happy."

"You held on too tight," Talrik said softly. "Kaj... I don't doubt you for a single moment when you say you loved your dads. But it seems like the way you chose to live your life after they were both gone.... well it seems like it _did_make their deaths in vain, at least a little. Can you honestly tell me and Syrra that you were happier before you met either of us? That the only reason you ever connected with Rik and Retsa was so that you wouldn't go mad from loneliness?"

Kajex opened his mouth to speak- only to realize he had nothing to say, forced to nod in acknowledgment.

"You were miserable, weren't you?" Talrik said sadly. "I mean, I can understand why you kept it hidden- you survived the Jedi Purge, you had every reason to be paranoid enough not to draw attention to yourself. You're right, the Empire would_send assassins to take you out if they had known you were alive, and if you'd revealed yourself and it ended up becoming known to them, you probably would've put me and Syrra in danger. By hiding who you were, you kept us safe. You're our _Alpha, Kajex, and we're your pack- and you did what was necessary to keep us protected because that's what your job is. I'm sorry you felt like you had to hurt yourself through isolation just to keep other people safe, and I'm sorry you had to endure so much pain. It's not fair to you. But I don't think it's what Bran or Kane would've wanted either, and I'm glad that it changed in the end, and that you feel there's no reason to hide it anymore."

"Why_did_you finally decide to reveal yourself, Kajex?" Locke asked.

The wolf hesitated. "I did it because you needed me to, Locke. You contacted me, and I knew you were going to try to attack me. I knew Syrra would try to intervene, and so I asked Luke for my lightsaber back. I'd given it to him for safekeeping. Syrra had told me she knew if anyone could convince you to come with us, it would be me, and I'd been doing thinking after she and I... well, I mean..." He blushed slightly. "We... had a moment of intimacy before you contacted me, and the topic of marriage had come up. And all of that happening in succession reminded me of a lesson Bran had taught me that, on the way to Katarr, I realized was going to have to employ in order to reach out to you."

"What lesson was that?"

"My father, Bran, used to tell me this from time to time. That the Force flows through us, from us and around us- but most importantly it flows between_us. If it didn't, there would be no connection between people, and no point in being a Jedi in the first place, to practice altruism and kindness and compassion. He used to argue that attachment shouldn't be banished, the way the old Jedi Order demanded, but encouraged; that attachment isn't just beneficial for life, it's _essential. And restricting it just cuts us off from the best part of the Force- each other. And to that end, he believed that we needed to actively be a_part_of the universe, instead standing apart_from_it- that the Jedi Order fell because it was so out of touch from people that nobody trusted it. It's part of the reason he chose to become a Jedi Sentinel, because it allowed him to keep himself connected to the rest of the universe by drawing on their knowledge and companionship, fostering trust and alliances instead of animosity and doubt."

He glanced at Syrra for a moment before looking to Locke again. "That connection between us, where we saved each other's lives- I never forgot that, and neither did you, I'm certain. I wanted to draw from that connection to appeal to you directly to come with me, so I could help keep you, Keris and Miles safe. So I revealed myself as a Jedi and hoped that you seeing the both of us being more alike than I had led you to believe, would convince you that you weren't the monster you said you were, though it didn't work like I had planned."

Locke looked away, his face filled with shame. "It gave me a little hope, yes... perhaps if I hadn't been so stubborn and emotional..."

"But then I accidentally stabbed you, and your life was in danger. At that point it didn't matter, I could take you with me and you wouldn't fight back- I was willing to fight hell itself to help you, and I more or less did. I guess I just needed to fight a little harder than I thought I would to bring you with, didn't I?" he said, smiling.

Locke lifted his head back up, returning a grateful smile in response. "I suppose so."

There was a few moments of silence, during which Kajex rubbed his face with his paws. "So... I guess... that's about everything, right?"

Syrra half-smiled. "Not so fast, 'Master'," she said, grabbing his wrist. "I've forgiven you, and I still love you- but what happens next?"

Luke stood, regarding Locke pleasantly. "Indeed, we have 3 refugees among us whose fates we need to decide. And as they came at your request, they are therefore _your_responsibility."

Kajex glanced at the former Sith trio. Locke seemed calm, even happy, but Keris and Miles looked apprehensive."I can't make you guys stay," he started to say with a sigh.

"I'm staying, Kajex," Locke said abruptly. He smiled broadly, looking quite unlike the tormented wolf Kajex had seen only a few days prior. "After all, your plan was, I recall, to transport my 'sorry, stupid ass to Yavin 4', so you could look after me."

He smiled back. "Well... that's one person settled. Keris and Miles, you guys are welcome on my ship too, for as long as you guys want."

"Thank you Cap-- Mast--" Miles chuckled, grinning dryly. "You know what, can we just call you Kajex?"

"Please, I'd prefer it if you did," the wolf sighed. "Everybody _else_is going to be calling me 'sir' or 'Sentinel' or 'Jedi Master'."

Kyle grinned. "Now you know how _I_feel, kid."

"Oh shut up, Katarn..." he replied with a whine. "Anyway... just to be safe I think it would be best if you three stick close. Everyone here knows you mean absolutely no harm to the instructors and students here, but we can't expect everyone to be so understanding. They already know your former allegiances."

"Fair enough," Locke agreed. "Is there anything I might be able to do to ease whatever tension there may be?"

Luke seemed to consider the question thoughtfully. "You might consider telling us what the Circle's intentions are. We know very little, anything you might be able to tell us to shift the odds in our favor would be greatly appreciated, and we can easily offer you and your companions amnesty for your unfortunate circumstances."

Locke nodded. "Done. I can tell you whenever you would like, even now, if you're ready."

"No, that's fine," Luke assured him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll give it a week for you to prepare. New Republic Intelligence is going to want to send a representative to log your information and assess how bad the situation is, which will take time. Besides, it seems like you and Kajex need time to discuss things, and I'd prefer not to cut into that. However," he warned gently, "I must ask you and Keris not to spread Sith teachings among my students while you are here, regardless of which lessons you believe are positive. We've already had numerous incidents in the past with Sith spirits and teachings influencing them with severe, often fatal consequences."

Locke nodded gravely. "You have my word that it will not happen. As far as I'm concerned, I'm done with them in every respect, beyond helping put an end to them."

Keris grabbed his paw. "Same here."

Miles smiled. "Agreed- and I'll keep Imperial propaganda to myself, it's mostly moronic."

Luke smiled back, then turned to Kajex. "I would suggest that you and Syrra talk more. I'm glad your relationship will continue, but it doesn't hurt to have a private dialogue." He clapped his hands together. "Well! I think we've made some progress here today. Kyle, Simetra, Moarn, thank you very much for coming and hearing Kajex out; Kajex, thank you kindly for finally being forthright with all of us and telling us about yourself." He turned to the forgotten droid in the corner as all 3 Masters and Garrett stood. "Artoo, did you get all of that?"

The droid beeped out an affirmative.

"Good work. Now as far as I'm concerned, you and Syrra will remain assigned to each other, I think it's best we keep it that way. I'll keep you updated on Circle and Remnant movements, but consider yourselves on break for a while- with Knight Ulfric completely dead and more than 20 Dark Jedi defeated, I think we may have blackened the Circle's eye quite a bit. So for now, I need to speak with Kyle, Simetra and a few other people so we can set aside an impromptu date to bring a good showing of students and instructors together."

Kajex cocked his head. "What for?"

Luke raised an eyebrow, looking amused for a moment before heading out of the lounge towards the ramp. "Why, your knighting ceremony, of course," he replied, leaving the wolf with a dumbfounded expression.

"... Wait, what?"