I stumble into the training room, half-awake and completely out of breath. My hand scrabbles for the lightsaber hilt at my waist. I look up to see Master's veiled face, calm and poised.

Should not... have stayed up... so late...

"Master," I pant. "I apologize for being tardy."

"You are late," she snaps, her tone the only thing betraying her annoyance. "The Council summoned us twenty minutes ago!"

I shake myself awake, surprised. "The Council?"

Master heads for the door, the ends of her decorative veil rising as a result of her speed. "Yes, the Council. A mission is to be assigned to us." Each word sounds bitten down and razor-sharp.

Master throws out a hand and the Force slides the door open for her. She strides out and I race after her.

☆☆☆

Master flings the door to the Council Room open and marches right in. I scuttle in behind her.

The Jedi Council is already gathered there, each seated in their place. Their gazes flash to Master from the second she enters. A Tholothian Jedi is standing in front of them, and beside her...

Again?

Round brown eyes rise to meet mine, the very same ones I see every night when Immorri is fast asleep in our dormitory. Haris's lips quirk in a restrained smile, clearly struggling to keep up the contained expression in front of the Council.

"I apologize for my tardiness," Master says immediately, before anyone has a chance to speak up. "My Padawan experienced some... female issues."

The whole room is silent, and all eyes land on me, especially Haris's. Mine however, darts to Master's figure in front of me.

Did she just say...?

Master Ki-Adi coughs, and everyone turns back to the matter at hand. "We understand, Master Nituth Giwol. Now, as I was saying, Mon Cala has been invaded by the Separatists-"

"Yes, yes, we know that," Master interrupts, her veil cutting through the air. "What is our mission?"

I stare at Master's back, astounded by her apparent insolence. I expect Master Ki-Adi to at least look offended, but all he does is wave a hand at her, as if it has happened so many times that he does not bother about her manners anymore.

"Your mission is to travel to Mon Cala and liberate the enslaved Mon Calamari from the Separatists."

Master Saesee brings his fingertips together. "The ruling Mon Calamari King recently passed away under suspicious circumstances, leading to a power wrestle between the Mon Calamari and their neighbours the Quarren."

"As of now, the Quarrens have sided with the Separatists and taken the Mon Calamari hostage, but we have received news that the Mon Calamari Prince Lee-Char is safe and in hiding." Master Windu adds.

My first mission!

Unfortunately, Master does not seem to share my enthusiasm.

Her fingers twitch in anger. "There is a war brewing out there. The Order is already outnumbered and you ship four Jedi to an ocean planet in the Outer Rim Territories?"

Master Alva Zelzash moves to stand beside Master. "I second that. The Jedi Order needs as many Jedi as we can spare."

Master Plo Koon sits up straight in his seat. "On the contrary, this mission may be more impactful on the civil war than you may realise. The Mon Calamari are supporters of the Galactic Republic. Their liberation from the Separatists would be a message that the Republic ensures the safety of all its allies."

Master refuses to back down, her fingers now quivering with fury. "I demand to fight in the war. I am no stranger to the lightsaber, and my Padawan is more than adept. I see no reason why our skills should be wasted freeing a conquered planet."

Master called me 'more than adept'!

Hidden from view behind Master's form, I allow myself to smile, struck by the sudden urge to pump a victorious fist in the air. Praise does not come my way often.

"Do our part, each of us must. Important in desperate times, everything is. Assure a faster liberation of the Mon Calamari, your skills in combat will," Master Yoda voices out, ever the peacemaker.

"I accept the mission," Master Alva Zelzash declares, bowing to the Council. Master's head jerks so quickly to face her that if Master had eyes, they would have glared lasers at the Tholothian.

I peek to my left to see Haris's reaction. His pupils immediately dart away the second I catch him staring, his face contorting as he tries to remain impassive.

"I... accept the mission," Master echoes, defeated. Her hands fall to her sides and her fingers have stopped twitching. "When do we leave?"

"This evening," Master Windu replies.

☆☆☆

"You are leaving on a mission... with the Unclothed One?" Kela whirls on me with unmasked horror, as if I have just informed them that I would be exiled to Dagobah.

I settle next to her on the floor of my dormitory, where all of us have gathered for a small farewell right before sundown.

"It won't be just me and Haris, Kela. Our Masters are coming too," I reply, attempting to soothe her.

"Your first mission lands you on the battlefield with the Separatists, Joey. It's what all of us can only dream to experience. Kick those Separatist behinds for me." Immorri lays a supportive hand on my shoulder. "But be safe."

"Of course she will be safe," Lee-Ara says, comfortably lounged on my bunk. She winks at me. "Haris will make sure of that, mind you. The Radulan is too far into liking her already to let her die in battle."

Kela lets out a blasphemous gasp.

Immorri shoots Lee-Ara a death stare. "I thought we agreed that further encouragement of Johari should cease, Ara. And your words reek of your damned persuasion."

I quirk an eyebrow. "Johari?"

"Joelle and Haris. Johari." Lee-Ara smirks at me, her persuasion growing stronger with each word. Her head jerks toward Immorri. "She came up with it."

"Regardless of circumstances, Joey must abide by the Code, as should he, no matter how influential his family is," Immorri states, desperately trying to sound matriarchal while ignoring Lee-Ara's accusation.

Kela needs to recover, else Immorri will not be able to hold herself like this for long. I want the old version of my friends back, not the Psychotic Jedi and Kela D-2. Also, what is Ara trying to persuade us to do?

"Everything is well between me and Haris. He is a fine Jedi and I am sure that he and Master Alva Zelzash will fight well in Mon Cala."

Lee-Ara whistles. "There she goes, singing praises of him now." I notice that the persuasion in her voice has disappeared.

Kela reaches for my hand. "Do not get trapped in the same room with the Unclothed One again-"

She stops at the end of her sentence, sensing something. All four of us swivel to the door, the Force telling us of a presence there.

KNOCK!

I stand up to open it. "That must be Master. I think it is time for me to leave."

I answer the door, prepared with apologies and excuses on the tip of my tongue as to why I have not exited my dormitory to the hangar yet. Instead, my mouth becomes dry when I realize who it is.

"Our Masters sent me to call you," Haris says, grinning. "Johari."

I narrow my eyes at him. "How much did you hear?"

How did I not sense him earlier? How did none of us four sense him sooner?

Kela's eyes widen in shock. "He knows. The Unclothed One knows of the ship name."

I involuntarily step back from the door as Haris leans into the room. He looks straight at Kela, who seems ready to scream. "I apologize for that incident, in the lightsaber crafting facility. I... needed an immediate, change of clothes and the facility was, the nearest refuge which I thought empty and sought out. I did not know that Jo was there."

Kela looks pointedly at me. "So you were not fibbing."

I smile at her angelically. "Of course I was not."

"We should go now, my Wildcat." Haris steps back from the door and I dash out of my dormitory, waving a quick goodbye to my friends before they realize anything.

"Wait, did he call her Jo?" Kela's worried voice echoes down the corridor as Haris and I walk away from my room towards the hangar.

"My Wildcat !" Immorri exclaims, her tone more excited than concerned. After her, I hear Lee-Ara making purring sounds. I grin to myself.

All is right again in the world. Kela is back, and so is Immorri.

Haris nudges me, the same cheeky grin still plastered on his face. "You think the Unclothed One is a fine Jedi?"

I frown at him as we resume our pace. "Just how long were you standing outside my door?"

☆☆☆

Once we near the hangar, I instinctively latch onto Haris's arm, my fingers digging into his flesh as I dread a tongue-lashing or even worse, the silent treatment from Master. Haris peers down at my hands, amused.

He lets out a small chuckle. "Wildcat betul," he murmurs, gently prying my fingers off. "The Masters can see us, Jo."

I drop his arm like a hot stone.

Haris's shoulders shake with restrained laughter, but his face has reverted to its signature shell, making his gaze all the more piercing. We approach the decent starship which will bring us to Mon Cala, and both our Masters come into view, boarding the spaceship. They barely spare us a glance.

The starship starts prepping for take-off right after Haris and I step into it, its blasters roaring up and beginning to lift into the air.

Eep... they were waiting for me.

As we settle ourselves on board the spacious ship, it becomes plain to see that our Masters are not getting along. Every now and then, Master will scowl at Master Alva Zelzash, who plainly ignores her.

She blames her for giving in to the Council.

Master's hands are curled into fists, the sole indication of her dissatisfaction. The rest of her moves fluidly, as smooth as the movements of her veil.

Haris busies himself by studying his lightsaber hilt and refolding his roughspun cloak repeatedly. He takes no notice of the mounting tension between our Masters, even daring to whistle to himself as he smoothes down his cloak and reconstructs his lightsaber.

I sit next to him at a suitable distance, not quite knowing what to do. I had originally planned to fiddle with my lightsaber and roll up my cloak, but now that idea was out the window.

It would seem suspicious if we were to be doing the same activity. 

As I perch on the chair like a doll, I can feel my signature discomfort stream into the room and envelop those around me. Unlike Ara's persuasion, my discomfort was much more powerful and much, much harder to control.

Get rid of it, Joelle, say something... I have no clue what to say...

Master Alva Zelzash appears to take the brunt of it, her movements becoming increasingly erratic and more attuned to the awkwardness.

Eep.

Finally, Master slams her fist on the table and storms out of the room. Master Alva Zelzash follows suit, though for everyone's sake I hope that she does not end up in the same room with Master again.

Now that both the Masters are gone, I swivel to Haris, who is thumbing the button of his lightsaber with utmost nervousness.

Oh, now I have something to talk about. Of all times!

"Why didn't you knock?" I demand.

Haris looks up from his lightsaber, brows furrowed. "Knock...?"

"The door. You stood there and eavesdropped for a good amount of time, I recall."

Haris shrugged, his brows maintaining their position. "I do not know. I wanted to, but then I... I felt like I should listen."

My eyebrows shoot upwards. "Felt like?"

Haris nods, massaging his left temple with two fingers. "Yes. Like I was being... asked to, very insistently."

Ara, after this mission, you are so going to get it.

I pretend to not know anything. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

Haris's eyes bulges in alarm. "Are they going to kill me? E-Even after I said I coincidentally needed a change of clothes?"

I decide to leave his questions unanswered, choosing instead to throw my hands in the air. "You called me 'Jo' and 'Wildcat' in front of them!"

"Those were... accidents. Slip of my tongue."

What should I say in response?

I exhale and blink at him.

Haris chuckles, his arm raising to point at me. "Cat got your tongue?"

I open my mouth to attempt a reply, but I am saved by the Captain's voice echoing throughout the vessel.

"This is your Captain speaking, we are now entering Mon Cala's atmosphere. I repeat, we are now entering Mon Cala's atmosphere."

A/N: I'm really sorry if this part sounded really frazzled, because that's how I'm feeling right now. 13th December aka Doomsday is fast approaching, and I'd rather face the Separatists than that.

On a brighter note, as of this chapter, Star Paws: The Meow Awakens has exactly 69 reads! The magical number has arrived!

Scarlet out.