Three girls of somewhat simir age were huddled together in one of the iemples’ hidden ers. The girls mentioned were her than Barriss, Kalifa, and Lily. Not far from their current position was a visible staircase that lead down to the lower levels of the temple. It was what the girls were supposed to protect…

  At least, that was how they inally imagihis heroic mission. As, while they were preparing to defend their temple to the st kind of imagining themselves as temple guards, a new order arrived which overwrote the inal one.

  It stated that they should immediately move down into the tunnels if the invasion of the temple indeed repeats itself. It was ly the order they wao hear. Especially not Kalifa and Barriss. Maybe for that reason the earlier mentioned decided to pin loudly just about that.

  -Oh, damn! I ’t accept this! Why should we be the only ohat are left out of the a!?

  Barriss looked at her friend with a scrutinising gander.

  -Didn’t you had already enough of this a st time? I still remember you pining about how helpless you felt while fag a bunch of es, and… I was feeling like that, too.

  Kalifa looked at Barriss, fresh annoyance glinting in her eyes. She stated gloatingly, while slightly raising her owards the sky, her hands pced on her hips in haughty manner.

  -The only reason I felt like that was because we had to defend all those kids. In different circumstances, if I had been allowed to unleash my power, they would have no ce but to flee in utter terror.

  Barriss rolled her eyes, dismissingly. She was already used to Kalifa’s boastful nature at least as mue could get used to it. Still sometimes it retty annoying, but this level she could fidently handle.

  In the meantime, Lily, the addition to their little click, had been silently sitting nearby, staring into nothingness. It was not an unusual sight, and by this time, after spending a few days in each other’s pany, the others have already learo accept and ignore her antics.

  In fact, they have already uood that even when Lily seemed pletely lost ihoughts, the reality couldn’t have been farther from the truth. She robably more aware of her surrounding theher one of them, and because of this uanding, they actually know that she was keeping track even on their stupid little argument.

  Kalifa decided to step away from Barriss, as she could sense her dismissive attitude towards her earlier statement.

  -Humph.

  She sharply looked aside… showing her distaste.

  Of course, she khat what she said was a bit of an exaggeration, but still, there was no reason to give that annoying attitude towards her. She hated to admit it, but Barriss, even with her seemingly meek behavior, was better than her with both force manipution and lightsaber bat.

  Yeah, she adawan for much lohan she was… but it still annoyed her to no end when she beat her so dismissingly in their practice matches.

  It was how she learhe truth about Barriss’ actual nature. The girl was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She was pletely different from what she allowed us to perceive of her. Her meek act was but a way to fool her enemy, make them uimate her and then hit them where it hurts the most. She was also fooled by this, but that won’t happen anymore. Her butt still hurt from their st fight, the bastard kicked her in the ass, literally.

  Now that she uood that Barriss was actually a very petitive, ing and at times even a bit cruel person. I mean… she loved to rub in every single victory of hers… That was really annoying, especially that she only did that when nobody else could hear… and now that she uood all of that, seeing her act like some lost loth cat kitten made her blood boil even more. Barriss was simply too greedy! She was s, yet acted cute all the same… yes… definitely she was way too greedy! How infuriating.

  In the end, it all es down to her, to teach a lesson to this greedy girl! Unfortunately, it is not the best time for such daydreams.

  They were reading the most ret military reports, which they had special access th their jedi -links. The reports oter state that forces of the separatist army began their ground assault. Detag rge groups of droids to attad take crucial positions on the ground. It was no surprise then that the sounds of battle and gunfire around the temple have tio grow over the st half hours.

  The temple itself was clearly one of those crucial points to take over. The droids now were already engaged in a fierce battle with the ground forces of the sed army.

  Kalifa was listening to the sounds of war with a frustrated body posture.

  -Argh… it is not fair that we are the only ones ordered to not participate in the defence of our own home! When we are supposed to fight if not in this type of sario?

  Barriss sighed, while listening to the endless flow of pints. She apparently had enough of Kalifa’s delusions and said in a grumpy tone.

  -Speak only in your name, Kali… I would rather be here than going out there in this chaos.

  Kalifa raised both of her eyebrows, making a shocked expression.

  -What are you even talking about? It’s the war of the tury happening around us, and we ’t take our share of the glory? Yet you are not bothered by it, not even the slightest?! Are you pletely crazy? Are your blood veins only holding sugar-water or what!?

  Barriss immediately jumped up as if she was bitten by a bunch of felu red ants.

  -A jedi is not supposed to dream about glory… especially not glory achieved through acts of violence.

  Kalifa blinked disbelievingly, seeing and hearing the righteous but empty sounding phrase that was robotically burped up by this annoying green skinned mirian.

  -HA! Don’t make me ugh! This is what makes you so liked by the masters, always reciprog those bullshit in front of them… However, you ’t fool me anymore! I khat you don’t give a shit about all those things… in fact; you are more dismissive about them than I ever was! So stop ag like the goody two shoes before I decide to kick your ass!

  Barriss’ expression darkened visibly as she retorted.

  -I would like to see you try!

  However, that sentenly got a wide smirk out of Kalifa.

  -Hah, got you princess. You let your act fall apart so easily? Your master would be disappointed…

  -…

  There was a sudden crag sound, filling the corridor. The noise was simir to someone crag their neck or fingers, but a few times louder.

  Both of the arguing girls turowards Lily, who suddenly looked up and stared into the empty corridor. Both of the girls khat Lily rarely did anything without reason and immediately stopped arguing, readying themselves while pulling out their sabers. They were prepared to activate them at any time.

  The sounds of weakly eg steps resohrough the walls, signaling now surely that someone was indeed ing this way. Someone who, in trast to the current situation unfolding around them, inly not in a hurry.

  The fort of which this newer was arriving did not make them ease up at all… if anything, it made more them worried.

  Kalifa couldn’t uand who this btant person might be. Everybody who was capable to participate itle should already be outside fighting, leading or supp the army. Only a few of the temple guards and those who were not supposed to participate itles were left behind.

  She, however, didn’t have to think about it much longer. As the form of a small twi’lek girl stepped out from the shadows of the corridor. Seeing the familiar face of that Sith maing in front of her in this particur sery made Kalifa jump back with an annoyed shout unknowingly broking out of her throat.

  -IT’S YOU! SO IT REALLY WAS YOU! I thought that I was seeing things when we run into each other a few hours earlier… but it seems I didn’t pletely go crazy after all… but how is it, that you barily ge in two damn year! Were you hibernated? Must be!

  While Barriss listeo Kalifa’s somewhat hysterical rea, she also remembered to the face of this particur teenager. It was the ohat talked with master Yoda all that, while speaking with such familiarity. She wao ask Kalifa after seeing her earlier surprise, but as things became quite chaotic soon after that, she didn’t really have the opportunity to a those thoughts.

  It didn’t really matter anymore, since she will have a ce to get to the end of it right now.

  Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, knowing Kalifa’s usual ducts, the twi’lek girl also reacted quite strongly when she saw Kali. Her mouth fell open for a few seds as she stared at her with clear pt and… was that fear? Even if it wasn’t, a strong sense of disfort was clearly radiating from her… then her eyes focused on Lily and her expression became somewhat solemn.

  Did they know each other as well? But Lily doesn’t seem to react to her presence, well it’s not like I could really tell what she was thinking, based on her expressions.

  The girl looked back at Kalifa with an icy gaze, then closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh, as if she repping herself up for a troublesome exge of words.

  Then, after a few more seds, she finally spoke up.

  -I am staying iemple, as a guest of the grandmaster right now… unfortunately before I realized, most of the people usually staying here left and I don’t really know what to do now… I was walking through the corridor for quite some time… hoping to bump into someone, because I am not yet fortable with the temples yout, could you perhaps give me some dires?

  That was what the unknown girl said, with just the right amount of hesitation lingering in her voice.

  Both of the girls started to speak at the same time. While Barriss asked with obvious surprise, Kalifa shouted in aggravated annoyance.

  -You are a guest of Grandmaster Yoda?!

  -Stop lying you fiend! I know that you are a Sith. You ’t fool my eyes!

  And ihe moment Kalifa accused the grey-skiwi’lek of being a Sith, for a short sed it seemed that her eyes indeed glinted with a golden hue, as it sted for such a short amount of time that it could have bee of Bariss's imagination or the mischief of a wandering ray of light arriving at an opportune moment.

  Kalifa and Barriss looked at each-other as they heard the other one’s rea.

  Barriss asked demandingly.

  -What do you mean by that!? How would the Grandmaster invite a Sith into the temple… use your brain for oupid!

  The blood immediately rushed into Kalifa’s face, as she shouted in a frenzy.

  -NO! She must have deceived Master Yoda, I knew what this girl truly is… I was the one who caught her after all! She is a Sith, and that’s the truth.

  Barriss felt a cold sensation run up her spine. As she remembered a baseless rumor from a few years earlier… ohat was lingering around the temple for a surprisingly long time.

  -Wait… are you saying those rumors about you, and the stupid stories you couldn’t stop repeating were actually true?! NO WAY!

  Kalifa's mouth was the ohat dropped open hearing Barriss rea.

  -You-you bastard, of course it was true. Do you take me for a lier!?

  -But… but that doesn’t make any se ’t be the case, something is nht…

  -No! It is as I say!

  -SILENCE!

  Both of the arguing girls froze, hearing the obviously force reinforced voice ringing through the corridors with quite the power. Both of them turowards the newly arrived visitor.

  The girl was furious; her face red from suppressed anger, and now her eyes were really glinting with an unmistakable and dangerous golden hue.

  The two girls, fag her, gulped down their excess saliva while witnessing this ominous phenomenon. The twi’lek started to rant at them with a stuck up attitude.

  -Silence!

  She repeated her words once more this time without the forfusion.

  -Sihe day we met, no… sihe day I rescued you from being hunted and likely killed for sport by a bunch of trandoshans… you have been lieing about me! Even now you have the face to point at me saying with such fidehat I am a damn Sith! If I was a Sith, why the hell would I go out of my way to save your sorry little ass back there?

  Now listening to the other party’s perspective, Barriss slowly lowered her lightsaber, but did not turn it off just yet… The situation unfolding in front of her eyes, was just as she expected more plicated than it seemed to be… nothing was simple if it involved Kalifa to begin with.

  In the meantime, Kalifa started to fidget slightly… More often than not, she looked down to the floor, which was likely an act of shame, or at least some level of disfort.

  This was suspicious.

  Kalifa spoke up defensively.

  -I don’t know any of your iions, but it couldn’t have been anything good. I know more than enough of your kind to realize this, you only waste your time with trying to sweet talk with me.

  The twi’lek whose true character was still a mystery for Barriss, seemed to bee even more frustrated. Her hands were formed into tight fists as her body shook with anger. Her gaze turowards Barriss, she was clearly trying to defend her cause and now gave up oion of unig with Kalifa.

  The twi’lek girl poi Kali, while saying with a strong sense of disgust.

  -Sweet talk you into WHAT?! This barbarian has assaulted me after I have released her from a cage… she humiliated me and then spread nasty rumors of me all around the temple… Among other baseless lies, she said that I was a Sith of all things! you believe it?

  Barriss looked at Kalifa, who was now also red in the face, then turned back towards the newer, who actually seemed really annoyed and riled up by this.

  Barriss o herself, crossed her arms over her chest and said.

  -Yeah, that actually sounds like something she would do…

  The twi’lek seemed to feel a sense of relief hearing that. While Kalifa looked at Barriss with rge betrayed eyes.

  -Are you going to believe the words of the enemy over your rade?!

  Shouted Kalifa in disbelief.

  Barriss answered.

  -I didn’t say that, but since we have a sensor type with us, we might just ask her to share her take on this matter. Lily, is this twi’lek girl lying?

  The until now pletely silent girl moved, elig a series of cold crag sounds. It was the bone like exoskeleton c a rge portion of her body that knocked against itself as a result of those movements making that eery noise as a side effect.

  -She isn’t lying, at least not in an obvious way that I could sense. I only seraight out lies after all…

  Kalifa kicked her in the leg, interrupting her speech just a bit too te.

  -Are you mad!

  Shouted Kalifa, scolding Lily helplessly.

  The girl puffed out her cheeks.

  -Ouch? Why did you kick me? You are mean!

  -I am better off beihan being an absolute fool like you!

  -I… what did I do?

  Barriss facepalmed with an exasperated sigh…

  -Thanks Lily… but you shouldn’t have told that information in front of a potential enemy… Now she is aware of how to go around your ability to detect lies… that is the problem.

  Lily’s eyes grer with genuine uanding filling them. Then she immediately became sad.

  -Uh, sorry… I didn’t mean to cause you trouble…

  -It’s fine… just think of it ime. Anyway, I guess, if she was really a Sith we would have been killed by now, so as far as I go. You are wele to join our miserable little pany.

  Stated Barriss with a warm smile while reag out her hand in a gesture of a handshake, which the fresh addition happily accepted.

  -I am Barriss Offee padawan to Luminara Unduli, this troublemaker here you probably know already and that is Lily. She doesn’t have a sed name as far as we know, but that’s not that rare around here.

  -I, well… thanks for the introdu, I am, I mean my name is Nizzal, Nizzal Grey.

  Barriss grabbed Nizzal’s palm a bit tighter than it was sidered polite when she heard that.

  -Are you with the Grey Order? Oh, obviously… I should have realized right away when you said that you were a guest of the Grandmaster… five our earlier rudeness, but we are a bit on edge sidering the circumstances… Corust being utack, the sed time in a few weeks, and all that. Things are being wild.

  -Are you colborating with the enemy?

  A face appeared filling a rge part of Barriss’ vision suddenly, but this time she was more decisive than before. In a few quients she handled Kalifa, pullio her side while f her head to bow and ask for fiveness for her ignorant as.

  Naturally, the girl was stubborn as a mule and only after a det amount of coer did she give in.

  -Ouch-ouch-ouch-ouch… yoing to break my wrist! Okay, fiop! I yield, do you hear me sorry!! I am sorry I was wrong!

  When Barriss finally let her go, she scurried away, hiding behind Lily, and giving Barriss a death gre with a pair of teary eyes that weren’t really that intimidating. They were much more ical.

  After that, a heavy and awkward silence filled up the corridor that didn’t seem to lift up for a while.

  A dreadfully long time ter, the twi’lek coughed and spoke up.

  -Eh… by the way, do you mind if I ask what you were inally pnning here?

  Barriss was grateful for the question and rushed to a.

  -We were guarding the entrao the lower corridors, it is desigo be an escape route that led to a secret location outside of the temple. In case if a situation arose when we are trapped in here. The tunnels are also effective in serving as a bunker. It is true that the temple has its own shield geor, but those things do not provide prote against every type of attack. A falling down ship, for example, would pass through it without much opposition.

  -I guess that makes sense…

  Suddenly, a loud siren started eg through the corridors. All four of us shuddered at the ued loud sound.

  -What is going on now?

  Asked Nizzal, genuine worry leaking into her voice.

  It was Barriss who answered.

  -It seems the temple’s defences have been activated. That mea unweled guests iemple. I guess… it was only a matter of time. Now. We should head down to the tunnels and close the door behind us, orders and stuff.

  Kalifa grunted, still hiding behind Lily, who was silently the situation, still feeling a bit down from her earlier mistake.

  -Like you really care about orders… you are just like that Sith, doing whatever you want…

  -Would you shut up, already?

  -No.

  -Sigh… I expected as much. You know what… until you don’t do anything stupid; I don’t care. Now move into the tunnels. We don’t have much time.

  Are we going to cover in the shadows like cowards? What is your take on this Sith? Some would think you have a reputation to uphold or something like that…

  -I am not a Sith…

  Kalifa looked at Nizzal with thick ridicule.

  -Yes, and your eyes are just turning yellow by mere act whenever you gre at me.

  Barriss also realized the truth in this and looked at Nizzal questioningly.

  She schooled her feelings as much as she could, and answered.

  -It’s a side effey order’s trainihods… but that doesn’t mean anything…

  -Hah, keep telling that to yourself and you might even believe it.

  Barriss coughed and interrupted their argument before it could take root.

  -I will take your word for it, as I don’t really have anything else to do at the time… I saw master Yoda speaking with you in a friendly manner, and that is enough reason for me to give you some of my trust. Now move. As I keep mentioning, we don’t have much time.

  Nizzal coughed lightly and said.

  -I… actually know a safe way to leave this pce… since you were willing to trust me, I might as well trust you, but I don’t trust that girl.

  Kalifa shouted, annoyed.

  -Shut up, it’s not like I need your trust! In fact, I won’t trust you either, stuuupid!

  Barriss stated calmly, after she began to walk down into the tunnels.

  -Unfortunately we ’t leave. We were requested to guard the tuhe children and the injured hiding inside. If the worst es to shoill have to lead them out of the tunnels.

  Nizzal was not happy with this answer… but she still nodded silently.

  -I see, so there are others hiding there too… that is troublesome.

  -Yes, it is…

  Agreed Barriss.

  In the end, Nizzal also followed the other three into the dark tunnels, but while doing so, she sent a telepathic message to her people to teleport out of the temple. They have no reason to iwih the events happening here directly, at least not more then they alredy did. It was not their war. They were here, through the guidance of the force, and with a very specific reason. Using battle meditation to boost the soldiers’ effectiveness was already enough help. There was no further o risk their lives in a more direct way.

  The elders and the soldiers agreed to teleport, but they insisted on leaving at least two guards to follow Nizzal. She is not supposed to wander in a still weakened dition without proper escorts.

  Now that most of her people were in safety, Nizzal could finally focus on her main objective. Which was to someh Lily along with her on her own accord. Based on her observations, it was very likely that this girl was the key to secure their order from the first real threat that could threaten their existence over thousands of years. The threat caused by the rapid zerg expansion.

  If the order could teach Lily and guide to reach her potential, then she could very likely deter the zerg invasion without even needing to fight with them.

  At least those are the best case sarios.