'Your mother is brave to do this.'

Paul looked up from the dates in his palm. His mother had been taken into the cave by the women who wore veils over their heads. He could only imagine what was going in there, but from his experience with the Bene Gesserit, Paul assumed it wasn't comfortable or pleasant.

While the ceremony happened out of sight, the Fremen settled in the sand beside the rock formation. They set up shade cloths, propped up by sticks, and discussed amongst themselves on whether the off-worlder would survive the poison.

Chani had chosen to sit with some of the women, while Sidra had made the bold choice of sitting with Paul. The Jedi could hear the small laughs and chatter to her left, but ignored it.No one wanted to sit with the two off-worlders under their shade cloth, so their closest conversation partner was Stilgar.

Leaning against one of the rocks, Stilgar had been sending some hushed prayers. Some of the Fremen around him were doing the same, creating a direct divide between those who believed something more was at play, and those who thought it was all stories and false hope.

'She was going to be a Reverend Mother before she had me. This isn't anything different,' Paul said, resisting looking at Sidra next to him. While he sat cross-legged, Sidra leaned on her palms behind her with her legs stretched out.

'I've read about the Bene Gesserit. All the Great Houses have an alliance with them, right? They believe that they will create the perfect specimen with generations of genetic breeding.'

Sidra realised that she was rambling but couldn't help it. When a subject she had read about was mentioned, she went into an excited recital. The archives inhabited her mind, filling it with knowledge of thousands of planets, histories, cultures and beliefs. The idea of so many diverse corners of the universe thrilled Sidra, and it made her so reliable as an educated and informed Jedi Padawan.

After her short ramble, all Sidra received, was a hum. She looked away from the cave and eyed Paul's side profile. He didn't look as thrilled as she was from the information, and Sidra felt foolish.

She knew enough about the Bene Gesserit tradition to see how it could cause discomfort for Paul. His mother was given the task of creating a female for House Atreides, where they would go on to repeat the process. This would continue until the Bene Gesserit believed that the time was right to create a male; the subject for a superior being. 

But it was obvious that Lady Jessica had fallen in love with Duke Leto Atreides, and produced a male too early. Paul was aware of this and had been treated as such his whole life. He was the heir to the Atreides throne but was a mistake on behalf of the almighty Bene Gesserit.

'I'm sorry...' Sidra pushed herself up to mirror his posture, guilty and feeling the need to fix what her ramble had caused. 'If it makes you feel any better, I sense that your mother is nervous, but okay.'

Paul turned his attention to the Padawan with an easing frown. This allowed Sidra to see the fading concern in his eyes, and the sagging of his intense shoulders. She liked the see his pale face light up with some colour, and his eyes sparkle at the mention.

'Really? You can sense that stuff?'

'We can sense anything that thrives with the Force. Some Jedi can sense things from planets and systems away.'

Sidra felt her chest inflate as Paul looked at her in awe. He looked almost cute with his wide eyes and parted lips. His black curls were a perfectly-styled mop over his ears and Sidra wanted to reach out and feel how soft they were.

A fidgeting feeling overcame her fingers and her cheeks grew warm. She became aware of the nasal tube on her lip, making her reach up to adjust it. Sidra wanted to appear casual in front of Paul while her nerves were over the edge. The overwhelming jitter came over the Jedi like when she stuttered in front of the Jedi Council, yet, Paul was merely looking at her.

How was the boy doing this to her? Sidra had only just met Paul, yet she was nervous and near trembling under his stare.

'What about your parents? Do you see them while on Coruscant?' Paul asked, intrigued by Sidra's talk of Jedi and the Force. This gave her something else to focus on other than Paul's sparkling hazel eyes.

'Oh, no I don't remember my parents. I came from Kalist VI, a planet in The Core. But the Order took me in when I was barely a youngling.'

Paul's eyebrows shot up. He only knew about the parts of the Jedi that a young boy would be interested in; their lightsabers, their ability to bend the Forces and their devotion to serving the Galactic Republic. The hologram films about the warriors were a favourite of his younger self, even watching them with his father when the Duke wasn't swamped with work.

'The Jedi took you from your parents? You haven't seen them since?' Paul asked, but was surprised at Sidra's comfort with the subject.

'No. The Order don't believe in attachments. They think it leads to the Dark Side of the Force, where the Sith find their power,' Sidra recited like it was a test. 'But I don't think about them much; my parents, I mean. You can't miss what you don't remember you had.'

'But... your last name's Chihari. Aren't you ever tempted to find your family?'

Sidra shrugged and shook her head. Despite her unaffected demeanour, Paul felt bad for Sidra. He loved his parents. They were a large part of his life and he wouldn't have made it this far without their support, comfort and knowledge. To think that Sidra grew up around the belief of emotion and attachments being taboo was sad. She was nurtured to be a warrior and had likely never felt the unrestricted love of a mother, father, or close friend.

Paul remembered his dream in the night. The vision of Sidra covered in blood flooded his mind and Paul looked at Sidra's fidgeting hands. With his ungloved hand, Paul felt her skin against his for the first time.

Sidra tried not to appear shocked, but her neck almost snapped from the speed she turned her head. Paul's slender fingers had taken hold of hers. She was amazed at how smooth his skin was, while hers were rough and indented from the constant use of her lightsaber. His finger nails were clean and trimmed, showing his noble background.

Through her shock, Sidra managed a smile. The softness of Paul's hand made her giddy and the heat from her cheeks grew ever more. She watched as a similar smile grew on Paul's face, and the two sat with their hands together in a comfortable silence.

But it didn't last long, as the Force twinged with a swift turn of events. Sidra let out a gasp and yanked her hand out of Paul's reach. The action made him jump, but the look on Sidra's face stopped him from questioning if he had done something wrong.

'What is it?' Paul rushed, looking towards the cave where his mother had been taken.

Stilgar and the Fremen turned to the two, pausing their prayers and laughter. Chani even got up from her place and went to stand beside the shade cloth. Stilgar and his praying men awaited the words from the Jedi who was beginning to fit their prophecy more and more.

'There's been a change in the Force,' Sidra gasped, unconsciously holding her breath. She blinked as the Force throbbed with the events of the cave. With a crease of her forehead and the thickening of her tongue, she looked to Paul, who hung on to her every word.

'You didn't say that your mother was pregnant...'

---

Lady Jessica Atreides emerged from the cave the Sayyadina. Her eyes dawned the Fremen blue and she held the Reverend Mothers before her in her soul, mind and voice. Continuing the lineage that had been on Arrakis for thousands of years, Lady Jessica was hailed as the Fremen's new religious leader.

With the successful initiation from The Water of Life, the talks of the prophecy resurfaced. Stilgar and his men bowed their heads as their new Sayyadina exited, and Chani had rolled her eyes for the hundredth time.

'The mother of Lisan al-Gaib,' Stilgar said. 'Our time is coming.'

Sidra felt grateful to be able to witness such a ceremony. She stood with the Fremen as Lady Jessica was guided past them, and she noticed the new signature that surrounded the woman. The Force was simmering with the events from the cave and the new signature had an edge of intensity to it.

While Paul was relieved to see his mother alive, there was still the concern about Jessica's unborn baby. He asked Sidra if she could sense if his baby sister was still healthy, and the Jedi almost didn't want to look for the possible disappointment. But while his mother walked ahead with women huddled around her, Paul was practically stuck to Sidra's side with a thirst for reassurance.

'Yes... I sense there is still life,' she said after seeing the smaller flame inside of Lady Jessica. It all seemed worth it when Paul's forehead smoothened from its worry and his white teeth beamed through his smile.

Sidra had to stop herself from mirroring his grin. Seeing Paul light up made everything in the universe seem at peace. Sidra was convinced that the clone wars would order a ceasefire over Paul's smile, or that the Arrakis desert would finally experience rain at the sight of it. 

His smile stretched across his chiselled face and his heavy eyelids lifted to reveal the smooth colour of his irises. Paul Atreides held the strong structure of his mother in his face, but the kind, softness of his father in his eyes.

Seeing Paul's resemblance of the late duke, Sidra was reminded of why she was with the Fremen. She remembered why she was in the Arrakis desert, and why she was having the opportunity to be beside Paul Atreides. It was to settle the conflict that had come from a great massacre.

On the walk back to the sietch, this put Sidra into a foul mood. She couldn't ignore the idea that the Harkonnen had killed Paul's family. She also couldn't ignore her guilt from being part of the peacekeeping team from Coruscant.

From what she had seen in their short time on Arrakis, Sidra was beginning to realise that the Fremen had already compromised. They hid in rock formations with limited water and had nothing but their stillsuits and their ancient beliefs. 

While the Harkonnen sat in their cold complex with the baron on his Spice empire, the Fremen were looking for their saviour. They dreamt of paradise, and the arrival of Paul, his mother and Sidra, appeared to be a large step towards it.

But what happens when the Harkonnen get their benefit, and the Fremen cease their attacks? There was no compromise on the Harkonnen side, as all they could agree to was to leave the Fremen at peace. House Harkonnen would live in a false harmony with their billions of solari while the Fremen still ration their water and wonder when their paradise will come.

Sidra just hoped, that for the Fremen's sake, that their prophecy had some truth to it.