This story is dedicated to Tina Ivlev and Cameron Monaghan. You are wonderful actors and I really hope we will get Jedi: Fallen Order 2.

PART ONE - TOGETHER

"It's ready", Cal said cheerfully from the cooking area. Merrin was waiting for him at the kitchen table, wondering what was the surprise meal Cal made for her. He turned, coming toward the table with a big, transparent glass containing something relatively dark coloured. Sitting in the chair next to her, he placed the glass carefully in front of her.

"What's this?" Merrin asked looking wonderingly at the glass's content. It looked like some sort of cream, she noted.

"It's called chocolate mousse", Cal said." It's my favourite desert, but it's appreciated on dozens of worlds." He handed her a spoon and took one for him as well. "Try it. It's very tasty."

She took a little of the chocolate mousse and hesitated a second before she brought the spoon into her mouth.

As she ate the bite chocolate mousse, she frowned.

"Curios taste," she said. "I've never eaten anything this sweet."

"What did you use to eat on Dathomir?", Cal asked.

"Mostly animal flesh like bura fish and various fruits and vegetables. Our meals don't include "deserts" and none of our food is as sweet as this", she explained, gesturing toward the glass with mousse.

"Well, there are a lot of dishes you can try, sure you'll find some of them a little different from what you're used to."

"Perhaps," Merrin said. "But before that I'll have more of this chocolate mousse." She took another spoonful from the glass and this time she didn't frown. Cal chuckled and gave her a smile as he took a bite as well. She returned the smile and they continued eating.

After a couple of minutes, Greez, the captain of the Mantis, came in and glanced toward Cal.

"So, ah, you cooked something kid? Well, what is it? I'm curious."

"Sorry, Greez." Cal replied. "It's just a light dessert I made for Merrin and I. I know you're not really a fan of chocolate mousse."

"Chocolate mousse?" the captain repeated, his voice and expression looking like somebody had just shot him. "I'll never understand how you humans can eat something with that much sugar." He turned back toward the cockpit and headed out of the room, saying, "You know we're I'll be if you need me.

"He doesn't seem to be one who enjoys this kind of food." Merrin said, a smile contouring her lips.

"Yeah", Cal said, smiling again. "He is firmly set on what he eats."

"I'd hoped he would have made something more elaborate and less sweat than chocolate mousse", Greez said disappointedly as he got back in the pilot's seat. "Y'know, I think there's something going on between him and Merrin."

"It seems that way." Cere, Cal's Jedi mentor, concluded. "However, feelings like this always lead to attachment, which is perilous, especially for a Jedi. I've learned that the hard way…"

"Well, I'm not really an expert on Jedi stuff, but they look cute together. Anyway, we're a little short on supplies, so we need to stop to a planet nearby to pick some up."

"How about Bespin?" Cere suggested, looking over at her displays.

"Yeah, Bespin's good. It's close enough and the Empire keeps a low profile there. Plotting the course now."

"Then I'll tell Cal and Merrin that we're going there." she said, standing up and walking through the door.

Cal was telling Merrin about his childhood in the Jedi Temple and in turn, she was detailing her life on Dathomir before the Separatist attack.

"Hey, Cere." Cal said, interrupting himself in mid-sentence.

"Hey," she returned the salute, nodding. "Since we need to pick up more food along with fuel and spare parts for the Mantis, Greez and I decided to stop by Bespin."

"I don't suppose we'll have trouble with the Empire there." Cal said."Sounds good. When will we arrive?"

"In about three hours." she answered.

"Ok", "it'll be nice to show Merrin the surroundings there."

"Indeed, I'm sure you'll find the planet and its cities interesting."

"I am curious." Merrin said." I look forward to seeing the planet."

As Cere left, Merrin turned to Cal.

"Bespin? Tell me more about this planet."

"It's truly beautiful". 'Just like you' he almost said.

"It is a gas giant and the cities there are built in the skies and give you an incredible view. The architecture is impressive. The weather's mostly sunny and the population consists mostly of humans and Ugnaughts."

"I've heard of Ugnaughts before, but I've never seen one. Aren't they porcine humanoids?" Merrin asked.

"They are. Also, they're pretty short so it's easy to stumble into them. We should watch out." he said, almost laughing. Merrin smiled at the joke and then asked, "Have you ever been to Bespin?"

"No,not really. But I've seen holos and pictures with it. Master Tapal and I have never been dispatched there during the war." He paused, suppressing a sigh and she could sense the words came out with difficulty. "Bespin hadn't been attacked for the most part. There was a battle there, once, at the beginning of the war, but other Jedi were sent there." For a few seconds they both remained silent. Cal looked at her and, without thinking, he took her left hand with his right. A millisecond later, he realised this and swore to himself. He was about to draw his hand back, but then remembered he shouldn't second guess his instincts, especially after how they had served him after he left Bracca.

He thought Merrin was going to withdraw her hand, but instead she smiled at him. He smiled back, no need for words from either of them. Still, after a short time, he asked, "So, would you like me to teach you a little how to understand BD?"

"Sure, I'd like that." BD bipped cheerfully from one corner of the room and started toward them.

The Mantis came out of hyperspace in front of the light orange gas giant surrounded by endless, bright stars. Around them, about a dozen ships were coming and going from Bespin. As Greez eased the ship into the atmosphere, they were contacted by traffic control.

"Identify yourself and state your purpose and destination, S-161 XL luxury yacht." an authoritarian voice came from the comm as two cloud cars came into view, one on each side of the Mantis.

"This is the Stinger Mantis", Greez answered, maintaining a neutral tone. "We're here to pick up some supplies from Cloud City. Food, spare parts and fuel."

"Do you have a landing permit?"

"Yes, I do."

"Permission granted to land on Platform 178." The two cloud cars repositioned to the Mantis' bow and led the way to the landing pad.

When they landed on Platform 178 in Cloud City, Greez showed his permit to the Bespin Wing Guards stationed there and with that, they were on their way in the city.

After they left the pad, Cal said, gesturing toward Cere and Greez "Is it ok if you two get what we need and Merrin and I go for a walk around the city?"

"Yes, we can manage." Cere responded.

"Yeah, go ahead and have some fun.", Greez added." We'll meet you back at the Mantis in a couple of hours."

"Thanks a lot", Cal said as he and Merrin walked away from the other two.

Greez waited until they were out of earshot to say, " Yep, there definitely is something going on between them."

It was a warm, sunny morning on Bespin and Merrin could see that, as Cal had said, Cloud City offered a magnificent view of the ocean blue skies and the pure white clouds. The sun shone high above the city, its rays reflecting off the windows all around them.

"It really is beautiful", she said as she took in these unfamiliar surroundings. " It's very… different from my home."

"Yeah, the government earns a lot of money from tourism. More than five hundred thousand people visit this city every year." They stopped by an open area at the edge of the city with a long railing running along its edge. Leaning over the railing, arms supported by it, Cal and Merrin admired the skies.

"I've been alone for years", Merrin began, melancholy in her voice. "I really missed having somebody I can enjoy spending my time with."

"I'm glad you enjoy spending time with me", Cal said and gave her a smile. She smiled back, and he could see a lot of warmth in her eyes.

"I've been alone, too, for a long time. I mean I had friends, but nobody I could fully trust or who could actually understand me. It's nice to have that."

He again took her hand, this time without regrets and they both remained silent for the following minutes.

Shortly after, they continued their walk and they passed an Ugnaught.

"This is an Ugnaught, right?" she whispered to Cal.

"Yes, they work in the Tibanna gas industry mostly, but also mostly everywhere else in the industry."

"Are there other inhabitants on Bespin besides humans and Ugnaughts?" Merrin asked.

"Well, there are some Lutrillians and a few others like Sullustians and Rodians. You know, it's too bad we have to go back to the Mantis in about an hour. We could've gone to a restaurant."

"We could do that another time. I'm enjoying our walk without food."

"Me too." He replied.

After a dozen metres, they reached an area enclosed between some flats of apartments with a small park in the middle and a fountain. But not these surprised Cal as he blinked twice in disbelief: standing in this enclosed area were three Haxion Brood bounty hunters and bounty droid. There was also another bounty hunter acting sniper in a balcony overlooking the small park.

Cal immediately ignited his double-bladed purple lightsaber as he and Merrin took battle stances.

"They are bounty hunters from the Haxion Brood." he told Merrin as he glanced at her, contempt in his voice as he recalled his other entanglements with them. "A crime syndicate to which Greez owes money to. They followed and attacked me many times, including on Dathomir."

"Yes, I recall seeing you fight a similar droid and bounty hunters." she said, green mist coming out of her hands as she prepared her magick for battle.

Abruptly, the bounty hunters and their droid opened fire and the two of them began dodging and parrying the blaster bolts.

"If they're here for Greez one of us should go help him and Cere." Merrin continued as she shot green bolts of mist at the enemies as well as used the magick to block their fire.

"I'll stay." Cal said, rolling to one side as the bounty droid fired it's laser cannon at him. "But first, I need a lift to that balcony." She nodded and as he double jumped toward the sniper's position, she used her magick to augment his jump and sent him right next to the sniper on the wide balcony. The bounty hunter took a millisecond to recover from Cal's presence a metre away from him- he had chosen that balcony specifically because he thought a Jedi couldn't jump that far. He hastily brought his sniper to face Cal, but the Jedi quickly sliced the weapon in half and kicked the man off the balcony. With a scream, he crashed on the permacrete of the city.

As Merrin ran back the way they came, she got about ten metres away when three Haxion Brood commandos and another bounty droid cut her off. Cal jumped from the balcony and, as he landed, the three bounty hunters ducked out of the way and fired at him simultaneously, accompanied by the droid's blaster cannon. He deflected the shots and jumped again, somersaulting in mid air. He landed in a crouch and stood, continuing to deflect the bolts. Merrin rolled away from the mercenaries attacking her. As they fired at her, she used her magick to block their shots.

She got close to one commando and kicked him. He blocked her hit with his shield and tried to shoot her. She crouched again, evading the shot. Taking advantage of the fact that his shield was still held in a higher position, she spinned on the ground, right leg held out as she used it to hit the commandos legs, tripping him. The man hit the ground and Cal called to her, "We just want to immobilize them, try not to kill any."

"Got it", she said as she yanked the blaster from the man's hand and kicked him in the head to make sure he wouldn't get up too soon.

Cal threw his lightsaber at one of the bounty hunters. He fired his jetpack and was propelled upward, escaping the lightsaber. Cal grabbed his weapon with the Force and brought it back around. The bounty hunter fired at him along with the rest. He used his lightsaber he cut his jetpack. Smoke billowed from it and the machine took the man in an uncontrolled spin, leading him in a violent strike of a nearby building. A small explosion marked the bounty hunter's death.

Merrin grabbed one commando with her magick and threw him toward the bounty droid. It punched him out of the way and he screamed in pain. The bounty droid fired a powerful salvo at her. She sprinted away from the firing arc, and turned back toward the droid, coming on its right. It tried to shoot her at point-blank, but the green mist from her hands extended, enveloping the weapon and crushing it. The droid brought its hands together and tried to deliver a powerful hit at her. Merrin jumped and its hands hit the permacrete where she had been standing a moment earlier, crushing the pavement. She landed on top of the droid and sent the mist along its plaiting, crushing all the circuitry simultaneously. As its processor was taken out, the bounty droid's photoreceptors began blank and it came hard on the ground as she

moved toward the remaining commando.

The two bounty hunters came both from Cal's left and from his right, their blasters furiously spitting fire toward him. He expertly deflected each shot and started closing the gap between them. One of the bounty hunters threw a flash, as did the commando Merrin was facing.

"Stay out of its way and try to shield your eyes!" Cal yelled over the noise of blaster bolts. Powerful, blinding light covered their surroundings, masking the bounty hunters shots and positions. Merrin used magick to protect her eyes and enable her to see through the blinding light, continuing toward the mercenary. Cal rolled as far away from the grenade as possible and stood in a guard position, lightsaber in both hands and eyes closed, opening himself to the Force. He sensed shots coming from free directions. He blocked one of them and and rolled to his left as the other two passed harmlessly beside him. The light cleared and he found himself facing the droids blaster cannon. He used Force Stasis to hold the droid in place as he leapt for one of the bounty hunters. Blocking his shots, he pulled him closer with the Force and as the bounty hunter fired an overcharged shot, he jumped high behind him and slashed at his right leg. The mercenary screamed and stumbled to the ground and Cal cut his blaster as well. The green mist from Merrin's magick gathered around the remaining commando's hand, holding his blaster and breaking his bones. He dropped the weapon and she pushed him hard into the wall.

As Cal Force Pushed the last bounty hunter into unconsciousness, he shifted his attention toward the droid.

It tried to punch him and, as he quickly ducked, he spun around and cut its arm off. Then, he could see the green mist forming around the droid as Merrin was breaking it from inside out. Electricity flickered on the droid's plates as it was deactivated and Cal Force Pushed it a couple of metres away.

"Thanks", he said, looking at Merrin. "You did a great job with those commandos."

"You weren't so bad yourself", she answered, smiling.

"Let's go", he said, turning serious."Cere and Greez are in big trouble."

They found Greez and Cere in a market near the pad where they'd left the Mantis. They took cover behind some crates, firing their blasters towards the Haxion Brood commandos attacking them. There was a single bounty hunter leading three commandos. Another commando lay motionless on the ground between the crates and his other companions. Cal was almost sure Cere had used the Force on the man, but was trying to restrain herself from surging deeper.

He again ignited his lightsaber, the sun light as well as the blaster bolts reflecting off the purple blades.

"I'll take the ones closer to the crates," he said, glancing toward Merrin.

"Then I'll handle the other two," she responded. They split up, approaching the mercenaries and Cal thought what a great team they were: first against Malicos on Dathomir and now against the Haxion Brood. The only other person he fought like that alongside had been Master Tapal…

As they saw them, Cere and Greez got out of cover and moved forward, closer to the criminals.

The bounty hunter and the commando immediately turned toward him, raising their blaster. The commando stood behind and threw another flash grenade, as the bounty hunter tried to ram him while flying. He rolled to his side up, jumped high, avoiding the sizzling blaster bolts aimed at him as he pushed the flash grenade toward the commando. As he was blinded by the grenade, Cal parried the bounty hunter's shot and used Force Stasis on him. This gave him enough time to reach the commando, who was recovering from the grenade launched back at him. He tried to fire a desperate shot, but the Jedi spinned 360, avoiding the bolt and slashing at the man's cybernetic right arm with the blaster than delivered three quick Force enhanced punches, and a blow to the head, knocking him out.

Cal ducked just in time so the bounty hunter's overcharged shot missed his head by mere centimetres. He felt the powerful heat of the blast and turned just as his enemy was coming around with his jetpack for another shot, and threw a shock grenade.

Merrin yanked one of the commando's blaster as she avoided grenades thrown by both of them. The one closer to her, without a blaster, took a

out a vibroblade and charged toward her. He tried to impale her twice and aimed another hit at her head. Merrin dodged with her fast reflexes, spun around to her right and grabbed his hand holding the blade at the forearm and forced it in his leg.

"Aaah!" the commando yelled as she impaled him with his own weapon. Kicking him one in the stomach, she turned her attention toward the other one.

The bounty hunter barely had enough time to discard his about-to-explode jetpack as a result of his furious and precise, simultaneously fired bolts Cal reflected right back at the piece of equipment. He rolled toward the Jedi, now sporting to hold-out blasters in favour of his A280C blaster rifle. Firing methodically, shifting his aim with each shot and rolling and ducking the reflected shots, he tried to take on Cal.

"You're mine, Jedi!" came Atticus Rex's voice from behind the KX-series security droid faceplate he used as a mask. Cal didn't respond at his verbal challenge, but continued to parry his bounty hunter launched a cable at him from a gauntlet on his left arm. The cable attached itself to the lightsaber hilt and Atticus twisted his gauntlet hand violently, snatching the weapon from Cal's hand. He quickly widened the distance between them and fired hastily at him. The Jedi evaded the shots and grabbed the attacker with the Force. He hurled him into some crates half a dozen metres behind him, head first. The man passed out and dropped Cal's lightsaber.

He glanced toward Merrin to make sure she was ok and saw the last Haxion Brood hitting the ground hard, noting with appreciation how skilled she was.

Cal turned back to the assassin's limp form to retrieve his lightsaber as BD scanned his ID card and told him the man's name was Atticus Rex.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the commandos lying on the ground regaining consciousness and aiming his blaster at Merrin. Cal's reflexes immediately took over and, knowing his lightsaber was too far to grab on time and she was as well out of range of his Force Push, he leapt toward her with all his speed.

"Merrin, get down!" he managed just before he pushed her to the ground, below the blaster bolt. The shot didn't get Merrin, but it scorched Cal's back badly. He grimaced with pain and let out a shout as he was hit, falling on the permacrete beside her.

"Cal!" she yelled as she saw his wound. Turning toward the commando, her face contorted with anger, she held his arms and legs with the green ichor.

"What the-!" the criminal began as Merrin kept him on the ground and began applying painful pressure to his skull."

"Ah! Aaaah!" he cried as the magick was squashing behind his helmet through his metal augmented skull and blood vessels. Greez and Cere were also about to shoot him.

"No!" Cal said."Merrin, don't!" At the sound of his voice, realising he was alive, she let the mercenary go, but she pulled the blaster away from him.

"Cal, are you alright?" she asked, kneeling beside him in a crouch and studying the wound.

"I'll live", he said and gave her an encouraging smile. Merrin's tensed features seemed to relax at the gesture, but just slightly. She helped him get up, slowly putting one arm around his back, beneath the shoulders to support him.

"Get him in the ship!" Cere said as she and Greez hurried over.

"Just a moment." Cal interrupted, struggling a little with the pain. He slowly turned to face the commando who shot him and gestured to Merrin to help him toward the mercenary.

The man tensed and tried to get up, but after a warning glance from Merrin decided to stay were he was.

"Tell Sorc Tormo," Cal began, trying to ignore his wound which hurt even more when he spoke," that the next time he sends mercenaries after us, neither one will return to him. Now most of your buddies are just wounded, but next time whoever he sends won't be so lucky." He could feel that, even if he was a merciless killer, the commando was afraid. He looked around at his incapacitated comrades and got up slowly. He turned and started as fast as he could toward the ship. Cal was sure a wounded man hadn't scared the commando, but rather he was scared of Merrin. He found himself enjoying that knowledge in spite of himself. He pulled his lightsaber in his hand and watched with the others as a medium-sized dropship lifted off from a nearby platform and quickly disappeared between the clouds.

As Merrin carefully helped him to the ship, Cal threw Greez a sideways glance.

"You really should pay your debts." he said, little if any amusement in his voice.

"I know, I know. I'm so sorry, Cal. Really thought they let it go. Do you think they'll come after us again?"

"I doubt it. Sorc Tormo has already lost enough of his enforces to us to send any more. He could bring us in with enough men, but he won't risk assembling a sufficient force by pulling them away from their shady duties."

They entered the Mantis and after they received clearance from traffic control, they were off, travelling between the dense clouds overlooked by the shining sun. As the stars emerged and the sky blackened they jumped to hyperspace.

PART TWO - THAT WONDERFUL FEELING…

Cal and Merrin were sitting on the crew lounge as she was studying his wound.

"I am grateful for what you did for me. You sacrificed yourself to save my life, even though you could have easily died. The wound is serious enough, but you will be alright." she said and smiled encouragingly at him.

"Well, you saved me on Nur and also from Malicos.

It was the best I could do to return the favour."

He smiled back and, for a long moment, their gazes remained locked. Cal felt his brain cease all thought abruptly and his heart take over. He wanted to kiss her. That wish grew more fervent in him with every moment. He could feel Merrin's emotions were the same. Their lips a bare centimetre apart, Cere came abruptly into the room and they pulled back from each other, violently waking up from their unspoken exchange of mutual feeling. Great timing… Cal thought, a little angrily to his shame, as the former Jedi Master strode toward them, a med-pack in her right hand. Merrin's features tensed, but just a moment, as she, too, would have preferred that Cere hadn't come in and… disturbed them. As he saw the rectangular container, he remembered strangely he was wounded and the realisation came with some pain from the burn on his back. Merrin made him forget about everything around him, especially pain. He knew how that feeling was called…

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Cere asked, a note of understanding and perhaps a little sarcasm in her voice.

"No", Merrin and Cal said at unison, exchanging subtle glances.

"A painkiller and some bacta bandages will be a good start for your blaster burn", Cere said, opening the med-pack. As she lowered her head toward the small container, Cal noticed she barely suppressed a smile.

"Ah, actually," Merrin began, "this medication will take some time to heal him…", she shifted her attention back toward Cal. "If you want, I could help you recover in less than an hour." She was talking about magick. As much as he felt what he knew he felt for her, he still didn't like the idea of magick. Anyway, he really trusted Merrin and also, he didn't want to make her feel bad by rejecting her offer of help. Cal glanced at Cere who, he knew, wasn't happy about this idea either. He smiled gratefully at Merrin and said, "That'll be great," he lied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "Thanks." Cal put his shirt back on, oblivious to the wound.

Cere hesitated, now her displeasure starting to show.

"Ok," she managed closing back the med-pack. "I'll be in my quarters if you need me." That meant I'm ready to jump in if something out of place happens with the magick. Apparently, Merrin knew that as well. She reached out to him with her right hand, placing it gently on his left.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to turn you into a Klatooine paddy frog." she said, chuckling. Cal couldn't resist laughing at the joke. In a corner of his mind though, he thought: Even though she is a Force-user and therefore she knows what others feel, she understands how I feel. He almost let out a sigh thinking about how pretty much no one understood his feelings. But in a fraction of a second he put the thought aside, the temporary melancholy replaced by happiness and gratefulness that Merrin cared about him and his emotions. Neither of them said anything, but from the look in her eyes he realised she knew what he was thinking and that she was there for him. It was very comforting, Cal had never had anyone in his life who gave him the feeling they were there for him and cared. Only Master Tapal, but that had been completely different since it was a Master-Padawan bond, rather than the openness, the freedom of expressing one's feelings. And with her, there were special emotions…

"Let's go to my cabin", he said, his hesitation toward her use of magick almost gone. They took each other's hand and headed to Cal's room. Passing the kitchen area, they both glanced toward the terrarium on the opposite side. He noticed a slight touch of sadness on her face as she saw the mushling, a plant native to Dathomir. Cal realised that as she understood him, he also understood her. He squeezed her hand a little to let her know he was there for her. She squeezed his hand in return, sadness leaving her face and she muttered a "Thank you." Merrin had also found someone she could rely on and share her feelings with.

As they entered the cabin, Cal closed the door, making sure that, even if they didn't kiss or anything, they still wouldn't be interrupted like earlier. He also knew Cere might comment the gesture, but he didn't care. Know, Cal thought pretty much only about Merrin. Again, their gazes locked, longer this time.

"You'll need to take off your shirt again." she said, smiling a little shyly. Cal did just that, putting the shirt on the floor, near his bunk. As she saw him wearing only his pants and shoes, both of them blushed.

"Thank you again for taking that shot for me. I'll never forget it." Merrin said, appreciation and gratitude filling her voice. Cal studied her beautiful face with delicate features and then he looked her in the eye, the colour of the blush barely gone from their faces.

"I'd walk through fire for you," he said with all the sincerity from his heart and soul… That feeling was called love. Merrin shivered at those honest words and the partially subtle declaration of his feelings for her. She remained speechless, her eyes flickering with warmth and shining like the most amazing stars. She jumped in his arms and kissed him meaningfully, love radiating from her heart and body.

Cal embraced her and answered the kiss with an equally heartfelt one. As they both pulled back, just like a few moments ago, she was careful not to touch his wound.

"I know you're not exactly... fond of my magick, but I promise this will help you." Abruptly, Cal realised he no longer cared that the dark side was used in magick. After all, how could such a sincere gesture of help from someone who cared deeply about him hurt even in the slightest.

"It's fine" Cal said, his voice low."I know you can help me more than any bacta or painkiller. The magick isn't unsettling to me anymore, if it's used by you."

She fought back tears as she figured that a Jedi, whose entire life was built on rigid rules of using only the light side of the Force and who always fought the dark side with powerful devotion, was keen on letting her using magick. After they had defeated Malicos and Cal introduced her to Greez and Cere, he told them "I trust her." She had known this to be true, but only now did she realise how deep his trust went, mimicking her own trust in him.

She put her right hand palm on Cal's chest, and he felt himself flooded with warmth and passion from and for her.

"Lay down", she said gently. "I'll take care of your wound." He eased himself on the bed on his stomach. She set down beside him and carefully put her palms on his wound. He stirred at her touch, not because it was unpleasant or because she was touching his wound - just the opposite: Never had he felt such gentleness and warmth and energy. This gave him goosebumps as he shuddered. The temperature seemed a lot higher and he began sweating. Her affection toward him was almost palpable from the love she had sent through his body. No one and nothing had ever made him feel like that. He was in love with her. She was in love with him. And right then, Cal knew, they were both thinking the same thing: they were made for each other, meant to be together.

"That… that felt great." He whispered, not trusting his voice won't break.

"I know ", Merrin whispered back in his ear. "We both feel it." He couldn't see her face from his position on the bunk, but he could literally feel the smile on her face. She easily took her hands of his back, a few centimetres from the blaster burn.

"This will take a few minutes", she said, closing her eyes.

"Honestly? I wish it took hours." Cal replied. Another smile on her face as warmth surged through her heart. Green mist, ichor, Merrin had called it, started to form around and between them as she began chanting for the healing ritual.

"Aam jaat atad tee-Lur yo choto Am… " Suddenly, he noticed his would didn't hurt quite as much.

"… Gaa mrash taduu yuou gruud…" Seconds ticked by and with every moment, he felt less and less pain. Also, the ichor was expanding in the room.

"...Ru-chat veh ban-Toh fad..." Cal hurt even less and, after a few more seconds he realised his pain was completely gone. Merrin ended the chant and opened her eyes as the mist dissipated.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Great. You healed my burn entirely. Thanks a lot."

"I'm glad you feel alright." she rubbed his back with her palm, knowing how good he felt the first time, and the goosebumps returned. He started sweating with emotion as he felt very, very hot. If he hadn't known better, he would have said he was on Tatooine. The hottest day on Tatooine.

"The burn is gone." Merrin said cheerfully in a tone that made him feel like he listened to the most aristocratic music. She took her hand off, easily, and stood. Cal got up as well and reached awkwardly to his back with one hand, searching for the burn. It was gone. His skin felt all the same in every place. They heard steps outside the door, barely perceptible. Cere had heard the chant and considered coming in to see what was happening. The two of them exchanged anticipatory glances just when the sound of steps on the floor returned. Growing fainter and fainter. Apparently, Cere trusted Merrin and knew better than to doubt Cal's judgement on this. His mentor was walking toward the cockpit. Taking his shirt back on, he smiled at her.

"What would you say about some chocolate mousse?"

"I'd love some." she answered. They again took each other's hand and exited the room.

As Cal put the glass of the finished chocolate mousse in the washer, he turned to Merrin, smiling.

"Maybe I can show you how to make the mousse these days."

"It's ok, I think I've seen all the ingredients." she answered, returning a smile.

"I have an idea," Cal said, heading out of the kitchen area to the cockpit.

"What is it?" she asked, curiosity showing on her face.

"It's a surprise, " he said, half turning back. "I'm sure you'll like it."

Only Greez and BD were in the cockpit, with Cere in her room.

"What's up, kid?" the captain asked, swivelling in his chair to face Cal.

"Merrin and I had a snack." he said, anticipating Greez's contempt of human made deserts.

"Nice," he said. In his tone and body stance, the young Jedi could see Greez was about to ask a question he had been having for some time.

"So, I know it's kinda not my business, but is there something going on between you and Merrin?" he regretted asking the question as soon as it left his mouth. BD beeped accusingly at the pilot. "Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't have asked," the Latero apologised as he noticed the other blushed. An awkward silence covered the room. The temporary silence was about to stretch to an unbearable half minute, when Cal finally broke the silence.

"I've got to ask you a favour, Greez ."

"Spill it out."

"Since you brought up Merrin, I'd like to take her someplace nice. Sunny, with lively nature: plants, trees, animals and hills and mountains. Alderaan, maybe."

"Well, since it's one of the Core Worlds, it's not by far the kind of place where you can lay low that we need and after those brutes from the Haxion Brood attacked us, neither is Bespin. But, like Bespin, there's not much in the way of Imperial military there, mostly just politicians. The problem is, the security force of Alderaan sure has a wanted list with your name on it. Probably Cere's too."

"We'll manage," Cal assured him. "But I'd like to spend some time there," with Merrin he thought, but no need for him to tell that to Greez. "Less than a day, of course."

"You got it," the captain said. "We'll reach Alderaan in less than five hours."

"Thanks, Greez." Cal said with a nod and he left the cockpit.

From her intent expression, Cal knew Merrin was curious about where they were going. But she also knew he wouldn't tell her until they arrived. He sat down beside her and they looked into each other's eyes. After a few moments, Cal bent a little, his hands on his thighs and began, "When I first came to Dathomir, after the encounter with Malicos, I sat down and meditated in the Kujet's Tomb. I had flashbacks with how…," his face became tensed as he lowered his tone. He hesitated a moment before continuing, "...with how Master Tapal and I were betrayed by our troops. The Jedi used to lead and fight alongside armies of men cloned from the DNA template of a bounty hunter. We trusted them and they also trusted us. They'd saved us many times, just like we had saved them. When,... when they aimed their blasters at us, I was shocked, bewildered, scared. They attacked with no mercy or hesitation. I befriended most of them. I just never thought someone I trusted that much would shoot me in the next second… " Even after his test on Dathomir and his acceptance of his Master's death and that it wasn't his thought,the words and especially the memories came out with difficulty. Though telling Merrin this eased the pain temporarily. He needed someone who could just listen to him. Cal felt through the Force how she was trying to ease his pain of loss, just like she healed his wound. She was sending warmth, affection, alienating thoughts to his mind and heart. She was also sending him love. He could feel it. Radiating love was coming from her heart to his. Cal stirred as the powerful emotion flooded him. He really felt good. Having Merrin next to him felt good. It felt great. He turned to again look into her beautiful eyes, the sparks in his telling her how much he appreciated her and enjoyed being around her. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled. Smiling back and gently touching the hand on his shoulder, he said,"All I want to say is it's nice having someone I can trust beside me again. And someone who listens." His smile grew wider as he replied, "I'm here for you. I know what you've been through. Our pasts are very similar. And now, neither of us is alone. Not anymore."

"I'm here for you as well," Cal said. "And I am more than happy to listen." They hugged again, tightly and they held the pose for a couple of minutes until letting go.

"I miss my sisters…" Merrin began. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about them. And I know the images of the massacre will never leave my mind. Sometimes, it's very hard for me to sleep. I can hear their anguished screams when I lay down in my bed. "

Pausing briefly, just like Cal had done when talking about his Master, she resumed, her voice heavy, her pain palpable," When I close my eyes, I often see their faces contorted with pain, suffering and horror." Besides her sadness, he could feel that opening herself to him soothed her emotional scars.

Now, they both felt a little better.

The Mantis descended slowly into Alderaan's atmosphere as the sun was reflecting off its hull. Gazing through the viewport, Merrin looked amazed as she saw the surroundings: tall, dark grey mountains with snow covered peaks overlooking dense forests with trees full of lively green coloured leaves. There were also many grass fields covered with a variety of flowers whose petal colours formed an almost rainbow. Numerous lakes traversed the ground hastily forming small islands here and there.

Aldera, the capital of the planet, was on the ship's portside. Its tall buildings rose above one of the lakes and they quickly caught Merrin's eye.

"This planet is truly beautiful. There's so much life here. So much tranquility and beauty. Thank you, Cal, for bringing me here." She hugged him tightly and he could sense how happy she was.

"Well, actually, ah, I'm the pilot." Greez said jokingly.

"Thanks, Greez. I appreciate it." Merrin answered in the same non-serious tone, smiling. Cere and Cal exchanged glances, both of them trying not to chuckle at the exchange.

"Don't mention it, " the Lateron said, suppressing a laugh.

"That's a nice city," Merrin continued, pointing towards Aldera. "It sure shows how wealthy some of the people here are."

"It does, " Cal said. "It's the capital, Aldera. It is one of the most frequented vacation sites in the Core Worlds. It sure is impressive."

They passed a huge field near the lake on which the city had been built.

"You could land here," the young Jedi told the captain. Turning to Merrin, he said smiling, "I think you prefer the nature, rather than that crowded city, right?"

"Yes, I do, " she responded smiling back at him. "There are busy and agitated people everywhere, but the natural environment shows the true beauty of a planet."

As the Mantis settled on the wide grass field, Merrin and Cal were waiting at the portside boarding ramp. Greez turned off the engines and opened the ramp.

Cal let Merrin exit first and she smiled at the gesture. As he got out of the ship, she said,"You're an old fashioned gentleman. I like that." He smiled back, saying,"Jedi younglings are educated from an early age. Thorough education is the key to discipline, which is essential in our lives."

They started on the field, admiring the flowers, the trees, the birds and the buildings of Aldera city in the distance.

"I've been here once," he began. "Master Tapal and I were once tasked to escort a senatorial envoy from here to the Outer Rim."

"I assume you didn't have much time to look around?" she asked.

"No. We were close to the end of the war and could barely make it here from the Battle of Aradun. We were in quite a rush. But I'm glad I'm here with you now."

"Me, too." she said. They both looked meaningfully at the other, taking each other's hand. Hands together, they continued their walk, going slower this time. Glancing at Merrin, he could see how the sun rays gently bathed her beautiful face and climbed down her hair. Holding her hand, he felt how soft her skin was, how kind her touch. He felt sweat trickling down his neck. He tugged at his collar and, just like when she healed his wound, touching him on his back, he felt the temperature raise. She could easily sense this and she squeezed his hand, giving him a kiss on his right cheek. His jaw dropped just a few millimetres and he easily touched the spot where she gave him her wonderful kiss.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"You're welcome," she answered with a chuckle.

They maintained their stride for about another half kilometre until they reached a spot of grass, covered by sunlight and surrounded by a rainbow of colourful flowers. Cheerful bird songs came from a couple of trees. They settled down, admiring the sky with its bright sun and the nature all around them. After a few more minutes Merrin started to speak, "Thanks again for bringing me here. This planet is truly amazing. And its energy is so… peaceful. Being here is very relaxing. Being here with you is even better." She squeezed his hand tighter and he did the same before both let go.

"I'm glad we came here. Together. "They again held their gazes on the trees with their varieties of fruits and flowers. Some nearby branches were bent downward around them, giving Cal the impression that the trees wanted to give them a private spot. He turned to face her and began,"You know… I've been alone for a long time. Without anyone I could rely on. I mean I can trust Cere and Greez, but…", he paused, "not open myself to them in the way I do with you." He put all his passion and honesty in these words and especially in what he said next, "I love you, Merrin." His eyes sparkled with the feelings he had for her. Her eyes were glowing with the same emotions and determination.

"I love you, Cal Kestis, " she said and jumped into his arms. They embraced in a very tight hug and began kissing passionately. From both of them emanated the love they had for each other. Cal's left arm was holding her back and his right was held around the middle of her body. Merrin's left arm was squeezed around his shoulders and her right was positioned just like his. It was a wonderful feeling. It was the best sensation in his entire life. He had never experienced anything close to this. His heart and mind were united with Merrin's inseparably. Cal felt so alive. He was truly happy and knew that she was having the same experience as him. They both left their pain aside and everything else besides the present moment and emotions. Their souls were fully open to each other and connected in an incredibly powerful way. The young Jedi felt the sensation of rising temperature again, a lot wilder this time. He felt at least four times hotter than when she had healed him and noticed that her lips were also very warm-she was feeling the same temperature rise.

They kept kissing for minutes, Cal didn't know for how long and he didn't care. He never wanted this moment to end and could feel that neither did she. He had no idea how much time passed until the stopped. Eventually, they parted their lips slowly and, while they were still hugging, their eyes met with fresh intensity. Their gazes remained locked for some time, until they continued admiring Alderaan's landscapes and listening to the birds' songs. Nature, especially on this planet, was very silent and calming. The area around the field where they were sitting was very serene. After a while, Merrin fell asleep in Cal's arms. He looked again at her beautiful face and soft features. She slept like a child, her expression so calm and peaceful. Her breathing was slow and regular and, since he was holding her, he could feel her body moving with every inspiration and expiration. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met, Cal thought. I'm so happy that you became a part of my life. Some of her hairs were covering the right part of her face. He removed them carefully and arranged them over her temple, just like how she always wore her hair. Cal then placed his hand on the top of her head and began caressing her gently and stroking her velvet soft hair. A few minutes passed until he realised that the silence and tranquility around them was also making him sleepy. As he lay down on the grass, Merrin next to him, he took her hand and closed his eyes.

When he woke up, Cal saw it was night on this part of the planet. Guess we were asleep quite a while, he thought. The stars shone high in the sky and, turning around, he saw the Mantis was landed a couple dozen metres from where Merrin and him had spent the latter half of the day. He stretched his arms and neck a little and, gazing down at her, he saw she was still sleeping. He reached toward Merrin and, slipping one hand beneath her shoulders and the other beneath her knees, lifted and carried her toward the Mantis. Cal again saw her peaceful expression, which filled his heart with warmth. As he reached the ship's ramp, he looked inside. Greez and Cere were talking on the crew lounge and BD was sitting next to them. The little droid was the first one to spot Cal and Merrin. Beeping cheerfully, he got the other two's attention.

"Hey, buddy," he said toward BD. "Hey, Cere, Greez."

"Good morning, kid." Greez said jokingly. "We were a little worried 'bout you two and came here. How was your little nap." He insisted on the word 'little'.

"It was fine." Cal said unashamedly. "How long have we been sleeping?"

"Well, we've been here for three hours." Cere said. "Probably an hour or so after you fell asleep." Both Cere and Greez were looking at Merrin who was asleep in Cal's arms.

"Is she ok?" asked Greez.

"Yeah, maybe she's just a little tired." Cal thought back to when Merrin had told him she sometimes had nightmares of her sisters' deaths. Also, now he was sure that both Merrin and him were more than ok. Actually, they were better than they had ever been.

"Thanks for coming and waiting for us. I'll take her to her bunk." Cal said and headed toward Merrin's room.

As the two left, BD turned toward Cere and Greez and beeped.

"Yes, both of them have been feeling happy for the past few days." Cere acknowledged.

"After all each of them has been through, it's nice they can be happy now." Greez said.

Settling Merrin gently on the bunk, Cal put a blanket over her body, took her hand for a couple of seconds, glancing at her face, and left the room.

On the way to his own quarters, he thought, Meeting her is one of the best things that happened to me. I realise now that we're meant for each other.