Kijani smiled fondly at Master Yoda when he startled awake. She had caught him ‘resting his eyes’ standing up more than once. When she had asked to learn how to sleep standing up, Yoda had sent her on a two mile hike of Dagobah, promising that she would sleep afterward. She hadn’t asked again after that.

She too, took a place near the fire, warming her hands before settling in.

“Assume my father has told me nothing. Because he has not.” Kijani tried to keep the anger from her voice, but knew she still sounded terse.

“Your arrival is a surprise to me.” She quickly backpedaled. “A welcome surprise, to be sure, Prince Eskel. But a surprise nonetheless. Please tell me why my father has sent you here.”

Eskel lowered his hands into his lap, trying once again to look proper and put together. It was a little hard to do, of course, while half covered in swamp mud and sitting in a chair three sizes too small, but he tried anyway.

"I know that I'm sometimes removed from what happens in the galaxy, but I want to change that. I've seen the vids, and if the real thing is half as bad as what they say, then the galaxy needs to right itself."

Eskel then got from his chair and approached Kijani. "This was has to stop, one way or the other. Otherwise the galaxy will tear itself to pieces. I want to help, and the best way I can see of doing that is by uniting our houses."

The prince knew that this was all probably not what Kijani was planning on hearing today, but he was in too deep now.

"With House Organa and House Veruna, we can unite all of our resources against the Empire. We could end this war."

Kijani was surprised that he had come all this way for something that could have been said from a distance. Maybe he wanted to prove his seriousness in the matter. All she could do was respond with the truth.

“It is worse than they say, Prince Eskel. The small things don’t make the vids. The constant loss of life and livelihood of the smaller rim planets, the subtle propaganda takeover of the common channels. The Empire is everywhere, and more insidious by the day. If – ”

She shut her eyes, centering herself. “If you really want this, if you’re truly ready to wage war, you have to know that this will come first for me, always. Once my training is complete, I fully plan to head back to the seat of the Rebellion and bring the Empire down with everything we have. It has to be soon, otherwise…” There was the usual twist in her stomach. “There will be more Alderaans, and worse.”

She stared him dead in the eyes, subtly reading him. What Yoda had discovered was that she could glean surface thoughts and intentions from people if she focused on them, and had been doing that the majority of her life without training. He admitted that this was not something he could fully train her in, but gave her as much guidance has he could.

“I will ask you to search your heart and soul. If you truly mean for this union to work, you will also have to wage war. It’s not about resources, it’s not about being a figurehead. I will be asking you to do battle, in person. I will ask you to fight. I will ask you to kill.”

“Prince Eskel, please take the evening to determine what you truly are capable of, and do not give me an answer until you have.”

"I..." Eskel said, trying to find words after Kijani told him what to expect. He tried not to let his fear and disappointment show. "I understand." He finally said, setting resolve on his face. "I'm not much for violence, but I will think on what you have said."

With that, he rose from the table and bowed as deeply as he was able in the confined space. "I will return to my ship for now. I hope to speak with you again in the morning."

Once he was out the door, Yoda came to sit at the small table near Kijani. "Fine young man, he is. Means well he does." With a wry smirk, he looked to his Padawan.

"Wish for him to be Adam, perhaps?" Yoda said teasingly.

Kijani watched Prince Eskel leave, and sighed faintly. She was glad he was listening, and hadn’t made a rash decision. She almost didn’t hear Master Yoda, simply nodding along to his comments.

“Wait a min – what?”

She looked down at her diminutive Master, who was smirking ever so slightly. “Do I wish he were Adam? Wha - no - I mean, why would I want that? Adam is no prince. If he was, I probably wouldn’t like him as much as I do…”

As what she said passed her lips, she blanched. “Attachment is – you said I can’t – I’ve been focusing so hard on training, I haven’t had time to – ”

Realizing she was stammering and making little sense, she took a deep breath.

“I need a walk, Master. I’ll be back.”

With that, she left the hut and set off at a jog. Away from Eskel. Away from Yoda and his prying questions. She moved through the swamp, paying very little attention to where she was headed. Without meaning to, she found the largest tree in their area of the planet. With weak knees and a heavy heart, she sunk under it and shut her eyes.

The next thing she was aware of was the cold. It seemed to seep into her bones as she got up and started to walk. There was no sound but her own footsteps, as she moved on what seemed like water. Her feet seemed to be leading her somewhere, and so she simply walked.

The rushing of water hit her ears. Before she could blink, she was surrounded by water, covered in it, consumed by it. Everywhere she turned was dark and wet, and she couldn’t find the way up. Shutting her eyes, she let the Force guide her. She swam on and on, lungs burning, and somehow she was looking up at the surface. Three faces looked down at her, hands out stretched to receive her.

They were all her.

The first was dressed in queenly robes. Her dreadlocks fell down her back, and she had an elegant and ramrod posture. She was older, and somehow looked very much like her mother. Her golden eyes were resolute and stern. Eskel was behind her, hand on her shoulder.

The second was robed like a Jedi Master of old. The robes were soft white and tan, and her lightsaber hung prominently from her belt. Her chin was raised, gaze earnest and calm. Adam was behind her, hand on her shoulder.

The third was dressed in black. Her hair was shaved to a short black fuzz, and she held a dazzling deep burgundy lightsaber in her hands. Her eyes were bright, too bright, almost manic, and she was smiling. There was a leather gloved hand on her shoulder, and as she looked up -

Vader came into view.

Kijani awoke – choking, shivering, drenched in a cold sweat. She coughed hard, as if clearing water from her lungs. Her heart thundered in her chest as she got her bearings. Even her clothes were somewhat damp, as if she had truly been trapped underwater.
She knew that dream, that vision, had been very important. Her choices had been laid bare.

She set back off for home at a run, bursting in the door.

“Master Yoda! Something happened…” And she started to explain.

When Kijani pushed the door of Yoda's small hut open, Yoda already had some more tea brewing. Yoda smiled and offered Kijani a seat and a blanket.

"Strong in the force, this planet is. Shows much, it does. To those who see answers." he said, offering her more tea. "Three paths before you, it seems. A choice that only you can make. Your future, this choice represents. So, what will it be?"

As he spoke, Yoda laid out a few more blankets, none of which were exactly sized for Kijani. "Stay here, if you like. Run back to your camp freezing, you need not."
----

Prince Eskel returned to his ship, this time without mishap. He was tired, dirty and a little disheartened. He was no coward, but he didn't know how to fight like Kijani wanted. He was really impressed by this girl, but how could he win this woman over having never even thrown a punch?

He pondered this as he laid in his bunk after a nice long shower. He nearly felt the grip of sleep take him when he heard the door open to his cabin. He didn't know exactly who it was, but judging from their shadowy outline, it looked like one of his guards.

"Sorry, my lord, but we have orders." said the man in the door. After that, all Eskel could see was the pulsating blue circle of a stun bolt.

Kijani wrapped herself up in as many of the small blankets she could, sipping at the warm tea. Thank the Force for her gentle-hearted Master.

“I… I feel like I still don’t know. I haven’t a clue as to why or how Vader comes into things, but that doesn’t even bear thinking about. So my choices are between Eskel and Adam. Between duty and… my heart.” Because she had come to some very startling conclusions between her vision and coming back to base.

One: She was in love with Adam.
Two: She still didn’t feel worthy of love.
Three: He had probably long since gotten over it and moved on.

It was the second she needed to work on.

“I’m not sure I should be telling you this, Master Yoda, but Adam confessed that he loved me before he left. I turned him down, because for one thing I don’t know what he could possibly see in me. I still don’t to be honest. But now I realize I made a mistake. I… I just don’t know what to do.” She drank more tea, staring into the rough earthenware mug like it held all of the answers.

“Did I mention I had to face down the swamp beast to rescue Prince Eskel earlier? Heh. I can do that, but I can’t make a simple holocall to someone I’ve been dying to speak to for weeks.”

"Another, please." said Adam said, putting his glass down, which the droid filled up with whatever it was they were calling booze. He thought he had seen a few of the mechanics making it in the cargo holds out of motor oil and battery acid.

Rebel frigates were generally lacking in creature comforts, but at least the Courageous had a functioning bar. The Nebulon B class had been the home of Raptor Squadron for at least a few weeks now, serving as a place to rest between raids against the Empire. The raids were good for morale, but even Adam knew that they weren't even inconveniencing the Imperials. For every ship they destroyed, there were always a dozen more to take it's place. Despite his success and recognition, Adam had never felt more miserable. Too many botched missions and lost friends, not to mention the lack of sleep.

Every time Adam tried to sleep, he dreamed of Kijani. They were pleasant at first, but recently became more... sinister. Maybe it was the force, telling him something. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Either way, he had tried to contact Kijani's father at least three times to talk about it, but to no avail. He was always not around or busy with something important.

"Did you shave?" said a voice from behind him. Adam didn't even need to turn his head to see who it was.

Sheydin Freuta, Raptor Leader, was a Mirialan woman, a few years older than Adam. A career pilot, she had applied for the Imperial Academy three times and was rejected without any reason given. As the Rebel Alliance gained strength, she signed up, just to be happy to fly. Adam and his commanding officer had become good friends over the last few weeks, sharing a drinks and stories more than once after a successful flight.

Adam sheepishly touched his chin, finding it completely bare. "It was bugging me." he said, quick to think up an excuse. Sheydin just rolled her eyes and took a seat next to him.

"I heard you got denied by Bail Organa again. Maybe he just wants to ignore you?" she said as she ordered her own drink.

"Yea." Adam said. "I wish I could just go to Kijani, but I don't even know if she wants to see me. And I can't call her on the comm, since the high command put in it's security protocols."

"Well, what's stopping you from just getting in your fighter and just going?" Sheydin said, mischievously. Adam laughed just laughed.

"Are you kidding? Leaving the squadron without orders? I'd get labeled a deserter!" The Jedi quickly downed his drink. "Besides, I don't even know if she wants to see me. Our last conversation did not go great."

"Well, in that case..." Sheydin said, taking a drink and sitting up straight. "Lieutenant Skywalker! I order you to regroup with Kijani Organa and do not return here without a detailed report! Is that understood?"

Adam bit his lip to suppress his laughter, but snapped off a salute. "Yes, mam!" said Adam before leaving the bar and heading to his X-wing.

"For eight-hundred years, the Grandmaster of the order, I was." said Yoda, looking down at his feet. "Perhaps, for too long, it was."

He then turned his eyes to Kijani, full of an emotion that not even the old Jedi could recognize. Sorrow? Disappointment? Shame? Yoda had spent so long here on the planet, alone with the Force, and his own thoughts. Though the Jedi teachings generally frown upon dwelling on the past, there wasn't much else for the Jedi Master to do.

"Thought we knew so much. Perhaps, wrong we were. About many things. Love, even. Where we failed Anakin Skywalker, may have..."

Kijani didn’t like that look on her Master’s face, but she didn’t know what she could do to fix it. “What do you mean you were… wrong? What were you wrong about? And… wait a second.” Her brain was catching up. “Did you just say Skywalker? Anakin Skywalker? As in… someone related to Adam?” Now she was curious, but had an odd sense of foreboding.

“...Master, will you please share the burden? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Yoda nodded at his Padawan, closing his eyes before speaking.

"Our finest Jedi, he was. Forged in the fire of the Clone Wars. Command the Force he could, but control his heart, he could not." he said. His attachment was denied to him, and it destroyed him. And the order itself. Failed him, perhaps we did. His son is more grounded, I hope-"

The old master stopped speaking and his ears began to twitch. "A ship has come. Many ships." Soon after, the sound of winding engines could be heard. Once the noise reached it's peak, the sound of durasteel boarding ramps thudded into the soft earth of Dagobah.

"SPREAD OUT!" said a synthesized voice that could only belong to an Imperial Stormtrooper. "ELIMINATE ALL HOSTILES!"

Kijani tried not to let her jaw drop. This was vital information, and Adam wasn't around to hear it. Before she could ask more questions, however, she too began to hear the engines. Drawn, she went to the window to hear the Imperial command, and yanked the curtains in a hurry.

"No, no, no... this is awful, how could they have found me?" Kijani whispered, her face wan with fear. "Master, I saw a lot of stormtroopers. I've gotten better with the saber, but there's no way I can fight them all by myself." Then she had an idea. One that could hopefully save them.

"Stay here and hide if you would, Master. I'm the one they want anyway. I'll go to find Prince's Eskel's ship. He has a security force, we could have a good chance of victory with some help!"

WIth that, Kijani snuck outside. Weeks of being on Dagobah made her steps light and quiet. She also knew exactly which places wouldn't hold her weight, and if they wouldn't manage her, no way could the ground hold up a stormtrooper in full armor. Already she could see a few of them struggling, their white uniforms being caught in the brown muck. That would be a good distraction. Time for another. After managing to sneak and travel around, she knew exactly where she was. Even here, the Stormtroopers were spreading like so many insects. Kijani reached out with the Force, tugging at the largest rock she could.

"What the-"

She dropped it right into the water, soaking the small squad of Stormtroopers in water and mud. And then a roar sounded as the Dragonsnake burst from it's watery lair.

"Oh crap, shoot it, shoot it!" As the shooting and roaring started, Kijani darted past behind the fray, making tracks for Eskel's vessel.

Adam casually checked his instruments again as his fighter flew into the blue vortex of hyperspace. They were all fine, of course, but he didn't know what else to do. Throughout the entire flight to Dagobah, Adam couldn't stop shaking with anxiety. At first, he thought it was from seeing Kijani again, but as the endless blue stretched out before him, he realized it was something else. The Force, so long dormant in his mind, was warning him. About what, Adam did not know.

A beep from his droid told Adam that they were coming up on Dagobah, and the pilot eased the controls out of hyperspace. After a few quick button presses, the empty black of space was suddenly laid out before him.

The young Jedi almost didn't notice the pair of Gozanti-class cruisers in orbit above Dagobah, and did a double take when he did. Adam had to assume that the crews of these ships were doing the same thing he was, and Adam was in a better position to attack then they were. Adam's training immediately kicked in and his X-wing went into the attack. He knew he only had a few moments to cripple these ships before their shields went up.
----

Eskel woke up in cuffs and a blindfold. All around him, the prince could hear the stomping of feet on steel. "Cover the door!" he heard one of his former guards say. "She's almost here!"

Kijani kept up the offensive, driving forward with as much speed as she could muster. Eskel’s guards fell at her feet, though she tried to leave them crippled but alive as much as possible. “Eskel! Prince Eskel! Shout if you can hear me!”

She had a burn on her arm from where she’d misdirected a blaster bolt. It had gone straight through the sleeve. Her heart hurt from all the destruction around her. And she was almost desperate to find Eskel alive. If he was dead, how would she explain it to his family?

Then again, he could be in on the whole thing. Though he seemed so kind and thoughtful, she wouldn’t put it past anyone. Someone from Eskel’s ship had to have informed the empire. Why not start at the top?

She ran through steel corridors, dropping guards with flashes of her golden saber. At one point, she was stuck at a crossroads, metal paths all around her and no indication of which was correct.

“...I am one with the Force. The Force is with me.” Kijani slid her eyes shut, trying to block out sounds of boot on metal, of blaster fire, and the roaring of one still pissed off beast outside.

Something in her said left, and so she went. The ship seemed to be getting fancier. Fine carpets, small sculptures and decorations. This had to be Eskel’s corridor. A sign on one of the doors confirmed as much, and she bolted forward, shoving the door open with a wave of power.

“Open fire!” Said one guard. They did, to very little impact. Kijani deflected bolt after bolt, getting closer.

“Bad idea.” Kijani darted forward, and in two quick slashes, both guards fell. She stood there, shaking for several moments, before coming out of it and kneeling to Eskel.

“Prince Eskel, it’s me. Hold still.” She removed the blindfold first. Then she started to search the guards for a key.

Prince Eskel recognized Kijani's voice and began to relax. Whatever the hell was going on, at least he had a trained Jedi to back him up.

"Thank you!" he said once the blindfold was off and Kijani began searching the guards. As she searched, he looked around the room with his former guards laying in heaps on the floor.

"I've known these men for years. My father assigned them to me when I was a kid. Why did they do this?" he said, his voice barely over a whisper.
-----

Adam pushed his X-wing as fast as it could go, knowing that he didn't have long to act. As he suspected, the imperial cruisers were slow to pick up on him, and were late in bringing up their shields. Much too late.

The x-wing emptied it's entire payload of torpedos into the two ships, and Adam was very grateful he brought them. The damage was immediately evident as both cruisers began to drift. Inspite of his victory, Adam's scopes could tell that a few smaller signals were already on the planet. They could only belong to fighters.

“I don’t know, Prince Eskel.” Kijani murmured, searching the guards one by one. Finally, she found a small key fob on one’s belt. She pressed it, and Eskel’s cuffs popped open. “Perhaps the empire got to them.” But what could they have offered – or threatened – to remove their loyalty so completely?

Giving Eskel a moment, she searched the guards for further clues. Unfortunately, she found little. Sighing softly, she pulled a blaster from one of them, and examined it carefully for any damage. After a test shot, she looked to Eskel.

“Do you know how to use one of these? I’m going to need some backup.” Indeed, her infiltration had not been perfect. She had several blaster holes in her clothes, and what looked like some burns on her cheek. She gave him time to decide, holding the blaster out carefully.

As she did, she shut her eyes and reached out to the Force. She knew a losing situation when she saw one. Eventually, she would run out of strength, and be captured or dead. If there was anyone, anyone at all able to help, she prayed that they would show up soon.

Eskel took the blaster with a sigh. He had some basic training with weapons, but thankfully never had the need to actually shoot anyone personally. "There's a first time for everything." he said to himself, griping the blaster firmly.

"It sounds like there may be more of them outside. Do you think master Yoda is going to be alright?" he asked Kijani. Sure, Yoda was a Jedi, but how strong could be be?
-----
Adam locked onto the first TIE fighter and lined up his shot carefully. After a few quick blasts, the imperial fighter vanished in a cloud of smoke and fire. Knowing full well that the other fighters would soon be on him, he put more power to the engines and gave himself a boost of speed.

As he flew, he could feel something pulling on his mind from the Force. For so long, he had ignored it. But now here it was, trying to speak to him.

"Kijani, I'm here to help." he said to himself, hoping that she heard him somehow. Once he was done, he could see the other fighters coming at him. For now, it was time for him to do what he did best.

Without thinking, Kijani adjusted Eskel’s grip on the blaster to be more secure. “It’s not made of glass, and it will kick a little when it shoots. Be careful, and aim for center mass. That usually means the chest.” She exhaled softly as he asked if Yoda would be okay. “He had better be.” Master Yoda had to make it through this. For one thing, her training wasn’t complete. For another, he was like a short, stern but kind grandfather to her. Something she had never voiced out loud, but felt deep in her head.

“He’s still alive. I feel it. I think if he died, I’d feel that too.” Then her head turned toward the sky. It was cloudy as usual, with added smoke from blaster fire and battle. There was nothing to see. And yet…

“Please hurry, Adam.” It was barely even a whisper, just a moving of the lips. But she knew her dear Adam was out there, somewhere, and on his way.

"Okay, Eskel... here's the plan." She began to outline a basic idea of how to get out of Eskel's ship and regroup with Yoda.

Another TIE erupted in a fireball, and Adam saw that the skies were now clear of imperial fighters. He quickly found a dry place to land and set his X-wing down.

Once he was back down on (relatively) dry ground, he could hear blaster fire coming from deeper into the swamp. With a shock, Adam realized that it was coming from Master Yoda's home. Igniting his lightsaber, he ran off into the swamp, hoping he wasn't too late.

Eskel, for his part, understood the plan. Sure, it was dangerous, but it was time to prove that he wasn't a coward. As Kijani lead the way through the swamp, Eskel nearly opened fire on a figure close by. Thankfully, he came to his senses when he realized that stormtroopers don't carry blue lightsabers.

As the trio approached Yoda's house, the sound of blaster fire had completely stopped and white-armored bodies were strewn around Yoda's front yard.

"Your time, you took." said Yoda, putting his own green saber away.

Kijani let out an exhale of sheer relief when she noticed her Master was unharmed. She shut her saber off finally, rubbing a wrist that was starting to become sore. “You’re alright, Master. I’m so glad.” She paused, seeing the stormtrooper count at his feet. “Uh. And evidently had no need of my help at all. Good to know.”

With that settled, she spun to face Adam. “I don’t know how you knew to be here, but it’s very good to see you. Very good indeed.” Her voice was measured. Calm. Even her words had been carefully chosen. But she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him – as if he would up and disappear like fog. There was something just underneath the gold of her eyes. Was it fear, or hope?

“Right, where are my manners. Introductions.” She stepped out of the way between the two men. “Adam Skywalker, Prince Eskel of Naboo. Prince Eskel, Adam Skywalker of Tattooine. Gentlemen, you are officially acquainted. Now we need to figure out how to get out of this mess.”