Awakening

(Aayla Secura)

I come too slowly, feeling like a band of Bith is playing inside my head. Sowly, I open my eyes.

'This is an unfamiliar ceiling', I can't help but think to myself. As my focus begins to return, a face enters my view.

"Hey you, you're finally awake."

"Qui…Gon?" My eyebrows furrow as I wonder why he's here. Though I do vaguely recall seeing him while Master and I were scouting our target…

Then the memories come rushing back. The mission, the raid, the strange group we encountered. And my Master's fall.

I lurch up, the band in my head intensifying their playing. "Master!" I shout looking around rapidly. Not seeing him, I begin to panic, but Master Qui Gon raises a hand and reassures me.

"He's ok, just recovering in the infirmary."

I place a hand on my chest in relief, letting out a sigh as I do. Then I let out a wince as my headache refuses to be ignored anymore.

Seeing this, Master Qui Gon holds out a small injector filled with a near translucent liquid. Taking it from him, he gestures towards my neck and I use it as directed.

Immediate relief flows through my head and I let out a sigh of relief. I stare at the injector in admiration. Afterall, the one thing bacta isn't suited for is mental injuries. Meaning, as far as I know, only headaches. A brief thought of… something flickers through my mind so quickly that it's gone before I can latch onto it. Shrugging at the odd occurrence, I turn my attention back to Master Qui Gon.

I fire off questions, not waiting for answers before asking the next. "What happened? Where are we? And what was that liquid?"

Master Qui Gon's chuckles stop me from pressing him for more information, and a slight blush colors my cheeks.

'I'm acting like a padawan fresh out of the Academy! If I ever hope to ascend to Knighthood I must conduct myself with the dignity of one.'

Unaware of my strengthening resolve, Qui Gon begins answering my questions.

"You and Vos were captured after you battled with the acquaintances of some… interesting people I encountered. At the moment we are on their ship. Don't worry," he says as my panic begins to return, "we are guests. Not prisoners. From what I've been told, the ones you and Vos encountered are merely…" He searches for the right word to describe them. "Competitive in comparing strength with others."

My eyes widen as I recall one of them. "The mandalorian! He injured Master Vos!" I'm about to rush out of bed and search for him before I feel a gentle pressure from the Force originating from Master Qui Gon.

"Be calm. I've already said that he is fine. They simply wished to attend to his wound; a precaution I wholly approve of given the strange nature of the mandalorian's weapon."

I nod my head slowly in reluctant acceptance as I slowly get to my feet. It's hard to believe that the people who decided to fight us would be so diligent in regards to healing us, so I would still like to check on Master Vos myself.

Seeing my resolve, Master Qui Gon sighs and rises to his feet. "Very well, let us check on him. He should be awake by now."

Beaming, I follow him out of the room and down a hall. We turn a corner and I bristle as I see two of the people who attacked us sitting on a couch while someone unfamiliar seems to lecture them.

As my eyes focus on the unfamiliar man, I feel something. My surroundings seem to drop away as the man takes up my entire sight. Around him, an aura appears. Two colors, red and blue, intermix. Neither seeming to be more than the other, equal in presence as they flare around him. I don't know why, but they seem familiar. Almost like I know them. Like I've touched them. They give off a sense of…

Balance.

Before I can pursue that thought, a hand on my shoulder shakes me from the vision.

"In here, Aayla." Master Qui Gon says.

Shaking my head to clear my mind, I follow him into the small side room, casting one last glance back at the man. As I do so, unbeknownst to me, he looks at me as well.

'Interesting', is his only thought.

Inside the infirmary is Master Vos, sitting up and seemingly arguing with a bald old man with a mustache and goatee.

"I'm telling you, I must see to my padawan!"

The old man snorts. "And I'm telling you that you can't go off gallivanting all over the ship like a pyjak. Just wait and when she wakes up she'll come to you."

Before they can get further, Master Vos sees me. "Aayla! You're ok!"

I get a warm feeling in my chest at the obvious concern in his voice. Even if I know that Jedi aren't meant to have any attachments, I can't help but feel that Master Vos is like a father to me. Especially since I don't remember my father.

"Of course Master, I was just knocked out. But what of you? Master Qui Gon tells me you were wounded."

He looks confused for a moment. "Qui Gon?" Only then does he seem to notice his fellow Jedi Master next to his padawan. "Qui Gon! What are you doing here?"

He sighs and begins to explain once again. Unlike me though, much to my chagrin, Master doesn't interrupt and simply listens to his explanation. After Master Qui Gon finishes, Master speaks.

"Well then, how about we talk to our generous host? Hopefully he's more reasonable than the three we met."

Master Qui Gon smiles. "He certainly seems that way. He's planning to aid Queen Amidala in defense of Naboo."

Me and Master blink at him. "...What? Did something happen at Naboo?"

He pauses. "Ah yes, you wouldn't know, having been on assignment for the past week. Well, Naboo-."

"WAR!" His words are interrupted by a loud shout from outside the room. We all pause in surprise for a moment.

The silence is broken by Master Qui Gon's chuckling. "Yes, it is at war."