Sitting in the pilot's chair, Synyc watched the haze of blue go by in Hyper Space. I could stay here forever, he thought to himself. He enjoyed the peace of it all, as well as being alone. He couldn't relax fully though. Evander's plethora of guilt, mystery, and sadness were clouding all his senses. Not to mention he could actually feel those emotions because of it.

It was in his nature, as a Zeltron, to make people happy. To try and fix everything. Unfortunately, Evander wasn't the type of person to let just anyone in. That wasn't about to stop him though.

He seems to trust Alda most of all. Maybe she can help.

As if on cue, Alda came walking into the cockpit.

"Alda? Why are you awake?"

She smiled a little, finally showing her tired, worried eyes.

Synyc frowned, understanding what she was trying to say. "Evander. Right..."

She sat down beside him in her old spot. "Synyc, I know how he can be. I was just hoping to maybe clear some things up for you."

Synyc nodded and looked on with soft, expectant eyes.

She sighed, remembering a darker time. "I first met him when we were 17. We were the founding members of our Exploration Crew. Now we're 25 so it's been a while. They assigned us to do that since we failed our trials. Flint eventually joined for the same reason," she shook her head slightly,"I'm getting off topic. Anyways," she hesitated,"Has he told you anything about his backstory?"

Synyc furrowed his brow in confusion,"No."

"I- I really can't tell you much of anything then..," she smiled sadly,"I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you."

"It's okay. I should hear it from him anyways. Whatever it is."

Alda smiled,"You remind me of Jolie."

"Is she really as powerful as Evander has said?" He smiled like a giddy fanboy,"Stopping a ship at top speed? Holding up a river? Escaping a palace full of guards and jumping through a glass window?"

Alda laughed,"Yep. Pretty wild," she frowned,"It's just too bad it hurt her so badly to do those things. If it didn't, she could've helped so many people."

He frowned,"What exactly happened? Evander's never gone into specifics. he never wants to talk about it much."

"Horrible headaches. Flint said she told him her ears would ring at a piercingly high pitch, her vision went all blurry, she just hurt everywhere," she smiled,"But she still endured it to save us on more than one occasion."

He smiled to himself,"I can't wait to meet her."

Alda stood and put a hand on his shoulder,"Just remember, betrayal changes people. She's no exception," she took a step back,"You go sleep. I'll hold down the fort until morning."

Evander broke off from the Corellian Way to refuel the following morning. Flint and Alda went to go find some breakfast from the neighboring town while Evander and Synyc stayed back with the ship.

"Pass me that screw driver," Evander instructed as he was reeling the fuel pump out.

Synyc did as he was told and when Evander reached the ship he unscrewed the fuel vault. He blandly sat down, staring at the hazy, morning sky.

"Something wrong?" Evander asked.

"Just tired," he replied.

Evander looked over,"Don't lie."

Synyc closed his eyes and let out a sigh,"If you won't tell me what's wrong with you, why should I?"

They glared at each other for a tense moment, but were interrupted by a beeping from the fuel tank.

"We'll talk later," Evander said dryly as he got up and walked over to check the machine.

Synyc stood up and took the opportunity to walk away.

"Back with food!" Alda yelled as Flint and her approached with some boxes. "Where's Synyc?" She looked around and didn't see him.

Evander pointed to the ship, not taking his eyes off the screen he was punching numbers into.

Alda and Flint winced a little at each other. "He's in a mood," Flint muttered.

Alda nodded,"Today is officially gonna suck."

They walked onto the ship and set the boxes of food down on the table. "He must be in his room," Alda said as they looked for Synyc in the main living area. Sure enough, that's where he was.

Why is he so difficult? Synyc asked himself frustratedly. I'm just trying to help him and how does he repay me? He acts like a massive hypocrite. He took a deep breathe, breaking away from his vengeful thinking. He must really be hurting. But why?

Evander got the ship back onto the Corellian Way seamlessly. The vessel shook as they entered hyperspace. Synyc winced when he heard a knock on his door and sensed Evander.

"Come in."

Evander walked in and quietly shut the door. "What's bothering you?"

You are, he thought to himself. "I'm just tired."

Evander crossed his arms,"Synyc?"

He rolled his eyes,"I swear to you, I'm just tired. This is all new and crazy and," he stopped his rambling to take a breathe,"I'm tired. Okay?"

He sighed and gave his student a worried look. "Alright," he opened the door and paused,"Food's gonna get cold."

        "Who wants the night shift?" Evander asked the group when they finished dinner.

Flint was putting plates into the sink and tried to quietly slip away.

"I think Flint does," Alda said with a sly smirk and a laugh.

Evander laughed and pointed to Flint,"You're up in the cockpit in an hour!"

Flint sighed dramatically and laughed,"Great."

Sure enough, an hour later Flint reported to the cockpit so he could take over the flying for the night in order for Evander to get some rest.

"Thanks, Flint. I know it's boring being here all night but don't fall asleep or we could all die in a fiery hyper space induced ship crash," Evander said dryly as he stood up, offering the seat to Flint.

He laughed and sat down. "Hey, uh, I don't know exactly how much Synyc has told you, but have you researched the Zeltron species at all?"

Evander looked at him, clearly puzzled. "No?"

"You should. It'll give you some insight."

Evander nodded,"Will do."

He retired to his room and changed from his old explorer outfit to his loose fitting tunic. It was the most comfortable thing he owned. And he forgot to pack pj's.

Once he was situated and sat down on his old bed, he revealed the Holocron. He didn't know exactly why he'd packed it, but he was glad he did.

He closed his eyes and opened his mind, picturing each individual piece of the crystalline relic unlocking.

He opened his eyes when he heard the delicate click of the Holocron opening. The room illuminated in a bright blue. Evander spent a solid ten seconds just staring at the wonder before his eyes.

"Okay, now how do I use this thing?" He muttered to himself. As soon as he began thinking of something, a seemingly endless resource of information, history, and stats appeared before his eyes.

"Holy kriff," He marveled in disbelief. "No wonder Jolie stole this thing."

He began to picture Synyc. His fuchsia skin, electric purple hair, and strange abilities.
Then he began reading about the Zeltron species.

"In tune with energy flows... can sense other people's emotions clearly... it is in their nature to try and reverse any negative emotions in those they care about."

Evander let the Holocron fall gently into his lap and it closed, the intricate pieces clicking into the original cubic shape.

All in that moment, things became clear to him. A part of Evander truly thought he was fooling the boy. That part of him believed that his padawan could never feel his emotions like he'd been told. But that part of him was purely wrong. He knows what I'm feeling. He feels what I'm feeling.

         The next morning Evander relived Flint of flying duty.

"I hate flying," Flint said gratefully as he stood and walked to his room to get a nap in before breakfast.

Evander just laughed and sat down. "I told you we'd fly again," he said with a smile as he gazed around the controls. It looked exactly the same. So far, it had been untouched by the Clone War... minus one gun turret above the ship they installed.

He kept cruising for a while, peacefully getting lost in his infinitely extending surroundings. He loved the freedom of being in space. However, he also loves food.

His sense of smell was working well when he realized Alda was making some food. He eagerly stood and waltzed into the main area.

"What's chef Pax cooking today?" He asked Alda as he eyed the oven.

"Muffins, per Synyc's request," she replied with a chuckle. "He's a really neat kid."

Evander smiled,"Yeah."

"How old is he?" She asked. "He's so wise."

"Sixteen."

Alda nodded and kept cooking. "If you're not gonna fly the ship, at least be helpful," she said sarcastically, gesturing to the cabinets.

Evander rolled his eyes and walked back to the cockpit. "Probably best I make sure we don't crash."

When the food was done, Evander ate it while he flew. They only had a few more hours until they arrived on Zhar. When they reached the half hour mark, Alda called everyone into the main area. They huddled around the table.

"We need something resembling a plan for If or when we find Jolie," Alda said.

"First of all, what if she's turned to the dark side like Evander saw?" Flint asked.

"It's not that far fetched considering the only organization of Light Side-ers betrayed her like nobody's business," Evander added.

"Maybe we can remind her of the good that still exists in the Galaxy. Plus, she does like most of us. Quite frankly, her and Evander don't get along, but she's not a violent person." Alda explained.

"This all seems premature. We haven't even seen her or this planet," Synyc chimed in.

"He's right. I think we may have to just trust ourselves and cross that bridge if we get to it," Flint said.

Alda nodded. "That's fair. Flint, what do you know about Zhar?"

Flint pulled a map of the planet up in the Hologram. "It's a mid class, peaceful, civilized planet. Mostly just civilians trying to stray away from the drama of the inner-rim worlds like Corascaunt. According to scanners, there should be a small town at these coordinates," he pointed to a spot on the planet as the Hologram zoomed in. "I say we start there."

"Sounds alright," Evander said confidently.

"Any more visions?" Alda asked him.

He shook his head,"Nope."

"Let's just hope that's a good thing," Flint said.

"As far as I'm concerned, the less I see of creepy Jolie the better," he glanced back at the cockpit and stood up,"I'm gonna take us down."

        The planet was peaceful. Something the group of young Jedi hadn't felt since the war began. Even though the war was relatively new, it was already brutal.

Along with peace, the planet offered something the contrasted with the cities of Corascaunt. It's smog, smoke, and filth that was hidden by extravagant buildings and money. Instead, Zhar had vast plains of grass complete with tall, limber animals jumping above the tops of it. The forests were beaming with life and balance. Bodies of fresh water were speckled throughout the surface. It was beautiful.

Flint marveled at the display they were approaching. "This is definitely a place she'd come to."

Evander scoffed,"If you mean that it's too perfect for comfort, then yes. Just like her."

Alda glared at the back of his head and offered Flint a sympathetic look. "I'm gonna wait by the ramp. I need to get the bag anyways."

Flint stammered for a moment,"Yeah, erm, me too." He followed her hastily, trying to escape the awkward situation.

Synyc watched the two leave and envied then greatly. It took a lot to bear being around Evander nowadays. As much as he wanted to stick by his side, ever since Jolie had reentered the picture, he'd grown even more distant, hostile, and rude than usual.

After a few moments, he quietly slipped out as well.

"I don't know what to expect, so be ready for anything once we land," Evander said, presumably to his student.

He didn't hear a response so he briefly turned his head, only to see he was alone.

        The group disembarked the ship near a small, rustic town. Most of the buildings were wood with the only metallic materials being used as support.

"There's a general store that way," Flint said as he looked up from the Holo-map coming from his wrist-comm and pointed down the path.

"Let's ask if they know anything, but we better hurry.  Not gonna be long before it gets dark," Alda said as she waved for the others to follow her.

They walked through the town, getting some odd looks from the citizens. They looked completely different. The townspeople were dressed in borderline archaic clothing. Hand knit, sewn, and made. Very simple, very functional. They, on the other hand, had a combination of Jedi attire and Explorer attire. But they did share the functionality factor.

The aroma of freshly baked goods and fresh air entered their senses as they walked through the town. Everyone seemed to smile. But the four of them, Synyc in particular, couldn't help but sense some sort of darkness somewhere on the planet.

A bell above a door jungled as they entered the store. Like any general store, it sold food, drinks, and all sorts of random stuff. Something was different about this place, though. Unlike Corascaunt, everything was made on Zhar, for Zhar. They were completely independent and flowing with resources. Making them the perfect target for the Separatists when they discovered this little place.

"Hi there folks, how can I help you?" An accented, hearty voice emerged from behind the register and smiled at them.

They walked over, Alda taking her position in the front. "Yeah, this may seem strange but do you know a gir-" she was going to say girl, but it had been five years. She was no girl anymore. "-younger woman named Jolie Peregrine?"

He frowned,"Blonde hair, rather nasty attitude?" He caught himself and he shook his head,"That was uncalled for, I apologize. I suppose you're friends of hers?"

"Yeah, and it's no worries. We haven't seen her in a long time," Alda said. "Do you know where we can find her?"

He pointed out a window out into the distance. "Rumor has it she lives in the forest. She rarely comes into town anymore, so it's hard to say."

"We'll check there. Thank you," Alda said with a smile, despite her worry.

As they left the counter, Synyc turned briefly and smiled,"Have a nice day."

The man smiled and waved,"You too, young one."

Alda smiled at the boy's kind nature. She so badly wanted to slap Evander for not seeing that. He somehow managed to convince the council to let him take on an apprentice. It was most likely due to their decision to classify all the old Service Corps members as Knights, despite their major failure to pass their trials. That didn't matter. He has an incredible individual training under him.

He's lucky enough Synyc isn't pushing back. He's kind, no matter what. Maybe that's what Evander needs.