Yery nodded, having risen quickly out of bed to follow Kyle and Master
Kelso. The past night had not been eventful, silence giving her peace
instead of restless anxiety. She wondered what this mysterious secret
was that she and Jana were in urgent need of knowing. What could it be?

Exile. A soft voice, a command. Do you hear me, Yery?

Yery stopped dead cold. She thought that the voice she had heard
before could only be heard in her dreams, but apparently not. This
presence wanted to speak to her, even in the waking hours, though
it risked Yery spilling its secrets. Who was this soft-spoken phantom?

My name is Kreia, the voice replied. I am a Jedi Master,
though I have long since ceased taking Padawans. That is, until
you were so suddenly inducted into our hallowed Order. Tell me,
was it Master Vrook that sent you on this suicide mission, child?

"Must...keep...walking," whispered Yery as quietly as she could.
"Paying attention."

To the voice, however, she responded, Yes, it was. He banished all of us.

Not knowing who your enemies are, reproached Kreia, has cost you
dearly. Better is a rebuke from a friend than a kiss from one who would betray
you. You trusted Vrook with your life, child, and now look what he's done to you!
Jana has fallen unawares into his trap, like a gullible gizka. As for Kyle and Master
Kelso, they are threats to him, yet they do not know Lamar Vrook's
true nature.

What is it? Yery asked the voice, now known as Kreia, another Master.
Vrook's nature, I mean? Is it of the Dark Side? I've always suspected...

Not now, warned Kreia, but you shall learn it in due time. For now,
however, I want you to concentrate on the bond that you and this Jana share...

Bond? thought Yery, rather alarmed. What bond?

They had arrived at the cargo hold. Kelso turned around and adressed the two apprentices.

"We've sensed a bond between you. Something rare for two persons who aren't blood-related and have known each other for such a short time, and we've decided that it's important for you to learn how to use this to your advantage."

He paused to let Kyle explain what they would do.

"Thank you, Master." aid Kyle and he stepped forward and began:
"As you may already know, bonds are formed between Masters and Padawans, and it takes quite sometimes to do it... But you two are not only Padawans, but you also developed the bond faster before you could say 'Ardroxian Flu'."
"Bonds are mostly things that could help you sense each other and maybe see what the other person sees. But in your case, you two can even sense each other thoughts. This can be either a gift... Or a curse. In our case we wish that it becomes a gift. So let's begin with..."

Kyle suddenly stopped. He heard someone else in Yery's thoughts The Voice Kyle thought. He then asked, clearing his throat: "So... Shall we begin?"

((Posted at the same time...))

As Kyle explained, Kelso secretely communicated with him.

Heard it too?

Yes I heard it... It's here... It is calling... Kyle replied secretly.

"To improve the bond, you will first have learn to trust each other. That is the first and most important thing to do when developing a bond. I believe that there is no need to check if this isn't developed?" asked Kyle peculiar.

"You're right," said Yery, "and I do believe we need to check to see if we
do indeed have a Force Bond. Jana, are you willing to let me use one of
the few Force Powers that I know on you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"As long as it's beneficial," said Jana with a wry smile, "then you sure may!"

(Sorry for the character control here, Jana, but I wanted to do something
rather interesting with this 'trust each other' exercise. :) Now we continue...)

Yery thrust her arms into a Jedi pose as the Burst of Speed Force Power
flowed through her. If she and Jana Drake did indeed have a Force Bond
between them, and also if Yery did have the Dvukhsotniy ability,
then Jana would not only start moving faster, she would be traveling at
Master Speed, since Jana already knew the basic Burst of Speed Power.

Yery's theory was correct! Jana moved throughout the vessel as a blur
of color, whizzing ultra-fast as she tried to maneuver around obstacles.

"Whoops!" Jana suddenly crashed into B3-D3, the startled protocol droid,
and the resulting collision drew a long gash across the Padawan's arm. It
was bleeding, and Yery immediately felt her stomach fall into her shoes.

"I'm sorry, Jana!" Yery cried, rushing to help her comrade, who had fallen
backward after stumbling into B3-D3. "Let me get you to the medbay."

"Yery, it's okay," said Jana. "You don't need to do that. I--" But too late.
If the Padawan had been on the surface of a gravitational planet with
hospitals instead of aboard the Krasnaya, she would have had to
receive stitches for the gash she'd acquired. Yery knew this already, and
that was why she lay Jana down on the metallic cot inside the medbay.

"I hope and pray that the Masters won't hear this." Jana's eyes grew wide.

Yery continued, "I've sensed something--through the Force, faintly, barely
a hint. You have some skills that I don't have, and they are Force Powers.
Jana--let me feed you, please, and take back the vitality that the accident
stole from you. I don't know much about life, or about the Force, being a
lowly Padawan with weak skills at a lightsaber. However, I do know that
I trust you, even though you might not trust me. Will you--this once?"

Fearful and yet yearning to reach out to Yery, Jana stretched her hand
forward and used a certain Force Power upon her. One that the Jedi
would call evil, yet one that the Sith called their bread and butter.

Drain Life.

Yery smiled and hugged Jana once the deed was done. "If the donor
of a draw, as I like to call it, is willing and wants to heal its recipient,
can that be of the Dark Side if the donor doesn't know the Cure power?"

"I hope not," Jana answered quietly. She glanced around. "You must tell noone of this... exchange. And now that you have given me through my taking what was not mine to take, have a little added energy, yourself."

Jana stretched out her right hand, waving it vaguely in Yery's direction. As she did so, she murmured a few words in a strange language. Soon, Yery felt more strength return to her than had been taken. And Jana seemed no different.

"Vrook says I learn too quickly," she whispered. The thought seemed to amuse her and she gestured for Yery to follow her back to where the Masters were waiting.

Hmmm...The voice is gone, and there was only one this time. We'll see if it comes back. thought and communicated Kyle with Master Kelso. Suddenly Yery entered, Kyle relieved began:
"Oh, there you are. I was a bit worried tha..."
Kyle jumped in surprise when he saw Jana bleeding
"What the hell happened to you?!" asked Kyle surprised.

Kelso's reaction was contained, but his eyes betrayed his shock. He did, however notice one thing Kyle did not. The wound seemed to have healed partially, but there were no marks of bacta or stitches. He decided not to tell Kyle yet. He'd ask Jana about it first, before raising Kyle's suspicions even higher.

"Just had a little too much fun," Jana said, subconsciously putting a hand to her arm. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Asked Kelso

Jana stared at him and while he watched, her arm healed completely. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Kelso nodded. "All right."

"Something bothering you?" Jana asked Kelso, still staring at him.

"An injury in your arm could impair your ability to fight." He said. "It can also develop an infection, rendering you effectively defenseless."

"Did you not notice the cut is gone?" Jana asked, holding her arm up for him to see. "Completely gone."

Kelso examined the wound. It had indeed healed completely.

"So you know how to heal wounds then?"

"Among other things," Jana answered.

"That will be useful." Said Kelso. This time, however, he did sense a lie. "Just on yourself or on other people too?"

"Others also," Jana answered. She tilted her head to one side and continued to stare at him. "You're suspicious."

Kelso shrugged. "It's a skill far above your level. You told us you were advanced, but I don't think you're that advanced."

((Vlad, the wound had already healed))

((Sorry, I just noticed))

"Well be careful next time, or I'll make sure that it doesn't repeat again." Kyle pointed out.

Yery desperately wanted to change the subject. She hated concealing
information from the Jedi Masters, and especially lying in order to further
that concealment. However, if Master Kelso and Kyle knew about Jana's
secret, they would surely chastise her for using Drain Life upon Yery.
Even though Jana only did so at Yery's insistence, Dark Powers were
forbidden to all Jedi. Perhaps exile was now a fitting punishment for them both...

Kyle noticed that Yery didn't seem to be comfortable. He rasied an eye at her and turned to her:
"Is something wrong?"

Jana glanced at Yery and said, "If I had to say, it's probably how advanced I am... up to now, none of you knew what I could do... what I can do."

(See you Wednesday, everyone! Business trip! :))

((Have a nice trip. Hopefully, we will figure out what to do while you are away.))

"Stunned speechless, aren't you?" Jana said with a smile after a very long silence.

((In other words, speak up! :p ))

((Hold your horses. :p ))

Kyle arched an eyebrow towards Jana:
"'How advanced you are?' You better get rid of that attitude or you are in for big trobule."

"It's not an attitude," Jana answered patiently. "I'm a quick learner and I know more than the average student my age. I just healed my own arm, or did you not notice that? I'm in less trouble now than I was when we left and I'll be in less still after further training."

She shrugged. "So now it's up to you. Are you going to be as suspicious of me as the Masters or are you going to train me further, faster?"

"If you believe that I am suspicious about you then you are wrong." said Kyle coldly "You might be advanced; but that doesn't mean that you can think of yourself only in that way."
"You must endure modesty." began Kyle "Or you will become just like the Jedi Masters: Vicious, Disrespectful, Proud and Arrogant. You must remember this." he ended coldly.

Jana's eyes widened slightly. "I meant no disrespect, Master Kyle," she said quietly. "A fault of mine is that words come too quickly from my mouth. Forgive me."

She bowed her head slightly, looking at the ground.

"Well, acctuely, I should be apologising to you; instead of you to me." Said Kyle and patted her on the shoulder "I apologise."
"So, shall we get under way?"

Jana nodded, looking as if she still felt she should've apologized and was glad she did. "Yes."

"Good. Now since it is obvious that you two trust each other a lot and that you have developped the bond quite well if you ask me; I suggest that we start with sharing some emotions: Calmless and Hope are the only two I think that you should try to learn to share when required. First of all, you will need to learn to communicate with each other first. Let's begin: First, close your eyes."

Yery closed her eyes, hoping that neither Master Kelso nor Kyle Soran had
noticed Jana's reticence and reluctance to reveal anything more about the
"exchange" in regards to her wound. Instead of concentrating on this, even
though her mind so desperately wanted to do so, Yery focused upon the
lesson at hand. What would Kyle teach her and her Padawan friend now?

"Now, try to remember something that makes you feel strange and very intense, Yery."

"Jana, do you know what is Yery thinking?"

Yery let herself feel intensity, feel passion, feel all of the emotions that
the Jedi Code warned against. "There is no passion, there is serenity,"
it stated. However, the young Padawan let all of that go for a moment.

She remembered the last time she felt such strong feelings that they
almost took control of her, forcing her hand in a desperate situation.
Before she had entered the Jedi Enclave upon Dantooine, she had
been part of a group of teenage female smugglers. The Silver
Streaks, they were called, and they were captured on that
same planet where the Jedi hid themselves from Sith vision.

At this time, Yery was being interrogated by one of the Jedi's
protocol droids. She had been presented with a hard bargain:

"At this present time, I have gathered the information that you
are not the leader of this smuggler gang. Do you agree, prisoner?"

"That's true," Yery replied sadly. "I am not the ringleader." She had
tried to keep her voice cold and detached, but Yery had failed miserably.
"I am merely a confidante and assistant of those who do lead the Streaks."

"Then perhaps you will deign to tell me the identity of said ringleader." A
pause from the droid, which Yery thought uncharacteristically human. "If
you reveal the name of the female who leads the gang, you will receive
only one year in prison. Hard labor will not be required of you. However,
if you do not, you will receive five years, and you will be put to work."

Yery shut her eyes, wishing, praying, hoping that this was all a bad dream.
"I cannot tell you her name," she had told the droid. "Even I only know her
pseudonym, but I cannot tell you that. I don't want her to come to harm."

Then the young girl had done something she knew she shouldn't have. Ever.
She stunned the protocol droid with a rudimentary form of Stun, the basis
for the true Force Power that she would eventually learn. The droid shattered
into metal fragments, and Yery turned on her Stealth Generator and slunk away.

That was why Vrook always doubted her. That was the true reason for her exile!

Kyle saw that Yery had started to shake. He came to her quickly and shook her:
"Yery! Yery! Wake up! Are you all right?"

Yery was startled back to reality by the sound of Kyle's voice.
"Oh, yes, yes! I only hope I haven't done Jana any harm by
showing her my thoughts." She glanced at her red-haired
colleague. "Is she all right, Master Soran?"

Jana had dropped to her knees at seeing Yery's thoughts, but she now stood quickly. "I'm fine, Yery. Thank you for your concern." Her voice was emotionless as was her face.

We really have to train them individually communicated Kyle with Master Kelso.
"You are both unstable. You should ready yourselves first and then we will think of training your bond."

Agreed.

Kelso looked concerned. "Jana, come with me."

Jana nodded obediently and said, "Lead the way."

"All right." said Kyle clapping his hands. "Now, let's see what you can do with the Force." began Kyle "First, try and pull that cyllinder over there towards you." said Kyle pointing at the cyllinder in the corner.

Kelso led Jana back into the lounge. He made sure there was no one listening, and spoke quietly.

"I know you're lying to me." He said simply.

"In reference to what?" Jana asked, hardly seeming surprised by the question.

"About knowing how to heal yourself, and what happened back there." A pause, and Kelso continued on a gamble and a hunch. "And about the barrier in your mind."