As the shuttle touched down, Zelina turned to Cruiser and the other men in her group. "You all did a good job; get some rest while we're here, I have a feeling you'll have a decent amount of time to get some rest," she said as Cruiser took off his helmet. Zelina smiled slightly and touched a nasty cut he had on his forehead. "Make sure you get that patched up Captain; no trying to weasel out of it either, I'll ask the other men if you got it treated if I have to."

Cruiser chuckled lightly. "Yes ma'am."

Zelina smiled a little, descending the ramp as her com link started to go off. It was Aayla.

"Padawan, do you copy, are you all right?" came Aayla's worried voice almost immediately.

"I'm all right Master, I'm on Anakin's ship right now. Cad's dead and we weren't able to get the holocron."

Aayla sighed. "It's better than the bounty hunter possessing that holocron."

"Yes, it is, isn't it," Zelina said, watching as Anakin strode by her when one of the men called him back onto the small shuttle. She noticed one of the troopers—the one who had shot Bane if she was right—trying to slink away, looking injured. She frowned. Something didn't seem right...

"Padawan? Padawan? Zelina!" Zelina jerked a little, eyes still glued on the trooper even as Ahsoka started to follow the man.

"Sorry Master, I have to go...something's not right..." she said slowly before she cut off the connection and started to make her way briskly towards the trooper and Ahsoka.

"Wait, you're injured!" Ahsoka called, rushing in front of the trooper the same moment that Zelina suddenly felt a palpable warning through the Force. Zelina tensed.

"Ahoska! Get back!" She barked as Anakin suddenly rushed off of the ramp behind her. Zelina had already broken into a run, though she was too far away when the trooper suddenly grabbed her and nailed Ahsoka in the gut, putting her on the floor in seconds. Zelina felt guilty for jumping over Ahsoka's prone form on the ground in pursuit of the trooper, but that was another matter altogether as she now was pretty sure who was really under that helmet.

Bane.

Anakin was right behind her as they both chased after the bounty hunter, each thinking of a different bone they had to pick with the bounty hunter. And of course the thought that it was Cad Bane and it was their duty not to let him get away.

Zelina winced when she saw Bane take out two hanger maintenance men with his backpack before jumping into one of the ships. Gritting her teeth in determination, Zelina hopped onto one of the wings, finding Anakin on the other one as the ship rose into the air. Anakin immediately scored a hit on Bane, and Zelina had to duck so that the helmet he'd knocked off wouldn't nail her in the face. The punch was quickly retaliated by Bane, who jerked the ship to throw them off balance. Zelina grabbed onto one of the ship pieces while Anakin flipped over with the jerk, suddenly standing in front of her. Before she could process any more than the fact that Bane had finally sealed himself inside the cockpit, Anakin grabbed her around the waist and yanked her off of the ship with him just before Bane flew through the blue shields. Zelina let out a small gasp upon impact with the ground before they rolled to their feet and tried—yet failed—to keep up with the ship as it made a beeline for the hyperspace rings.

"Admiral, lock down the hyperspace rings, hurry!" Anakin shouted into his com link.

"What could possibly have happened since I last spoke with you?" came Yularen's somewhat sarcastic reply.

"It's Bane! Lock those rings, now!"

A few moments later, Zelina sensed Bane's presence leave the system. Anakin's shoulder's slumped just slightly.

"We'll have to inform the Council..." he said dejectedly before clasping his hands behind his back and turning away from his view of the hyperspace rings. His pace was slow as Ahsoka and Zelina followed him, though his next words addressed only Zelina. "Zelina...I want to talk with you alone please."

Zelina cocked an eyebrow; he was using her full name and stressing that he wanted to talk to her alone. This was serious. She exchanged a look with Ahsoka before she followed Anakin out of the hanger bay and down one of the halls. He seemed deep in thought as she watched him, and she couldn't help but notice the muscle in his jaw that had jumped out. Hopefully it had appeared due to thoughts of Bane and not whatever he wanted to talk to her about.

The pair was silent as they walked through the halls and in the direction of his quarters, Zelina noticed. They would occasionally pass by a trooper or someone, which was probably the reason why Anakin had not yet said anything. Still, she didn't like how heavy the silence was all the way to the moment that the door to his room slid shut behind them. Trying not to worry too much about what all of this was about, Zelina took a graceful seat on his bed before turning her attention to his stormy face. Anakin took the time to make one last call on his com link before they could start talking.

"Admiral, set our course for Coruscant," he said simply. Yularen's reply came almost immediately.

"Of course General."

Once the connection had been disabled, there was a few moments of silence between the two. Finally, Anakin spoke.

"Would you mind explaining to me what you were thinking back there, one more time?" Anakin asked quietly. It didn't take long for Zelina to remember he had said they were going to talk about what had happened, and she relaxed marginally.

"I already told you Ani, you and Ahsoka were preoccupied so I went after him. I didn't know that you wanted me to wait."

"I called after you to stop, it was obviously a trap; he wanted to separate us!"

Zelina sighed. "I couldn't hear anything Ani, the explosion had my ears ringing."

"You could have been killed, you almost were!" Anakin said a little harshly. Zelina frowned, standing up from her spot on the bed.

"Anakin, both of us are almost killed with every mission we go on; this is a war. These things happen. I already admitted that going alone was a mistake, and it's one I'm going to learn from. I know you want to keep your web of people safe but you can't control everything; we're going to get captured, we're going to get hurt, and you can't prevent that from happening."

Anakin easily sidestepped the direction she was taking the conversation. "I don't want you to end up needlessly hurt; I don't want you to get yourself killed!" he exclaimed.

"I'm a Jedi Anakin, a General just like you in a war! Every day I run the risk of getting killed," she said a little forcefully and a little louder.

"Yes, but I care about you," Anakin suddenly snapped. There were a few moments of silence before he continued very quietly. "I...care, and I worry, and...and I'm afraid to lose you too."

The room became very quiet and a few intense moments passed where Zelina was very sure that Anakin wanted to look away but couldn't seem to tear his eyes from hers. She studied his eyes for several moments, trying not to take his heartfelt words out of context and ignoring the resurfacing memory of the almost-kiss at Varykino. Finally, she spoke, taking special care with her words and even allowing the Force to direct her words along with her heart.

"I know Anakin...I care about you too, more than I think you realize some days," she started slowly, letting her eyes drop away almost on instinct so he might not see her emotional pain and the love that might show. Once she was sure that the traces had disappeared, she lifted her gaze back to him, even though now he was looking down and not meeting her eyes. She moved forward, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid to lose you as well, and I worry about you to. But if you were killed in action, what would you want me to do?"

"Don't turn this around on me," Anakin asked quietly in a slightly pained voice. He knew the answer; that was why he didn't want to say it.

"You'd want me to keep fighting, to keep going," Zelina said firmly. "The same goes for you. We both need to be aware of the fact that it is completely possible for one of us to be killed at some point during this war; and not just us but those around us too. We can't pretend like we're invincible, because once we do, that's when we're our most vulnerable. Just like we can't pretend those around us are untouchable, because when we do that's usually when they end up hurt."

"We should be able to keep them from being hurt," Anakin grumbled, his eyes flashing. Zelina chuckled softly, surprising him. "What?" he asked, truly confused.

"You sound like a parent," Zelina laughed. "Force forbid you have children Anakin, because one of the most important things about being a parent is realizing you can't protect your children from everything, and letting them go. It's not just a Jedi principle; it's a fact of life."

Anakin turned away with a light scowl, though Zelina knew he could see her point now. He was just too stubborn to admit it. "That still doesn't change the fact that I don't want to lose you to."

"You won't," Zelina said immediately and firmly. "I've said it before and I'll say it again Anakin, you won't lose me if I have anything to say about it. Till the very end, no matter what, all right?"

Anakin didn't respond immediately, staring at the wall he was facing, shoulders and back tense. Zelina came up behind him and touched his shoulder blade. "All right?"

He sighed in defeat, turning his head towards her. "All right...just no more suicidal moments?"

"No promises," Zelina said with a small smile. "I picked up the habit from being around you so much, though I think Aayla and Ur-Sema did a good job at breaking that habit for the most part. It tends to crop up whenever you're around.

"Oh, so it's my fault, I see," Anakin said with a sour laugh.

"Well you do the same thing all the time; you end up having to be rescued, you pull crazy stunts that almost get you killed...you do it all the time. I swear, around Ahsoka I'm sure you're teaching style is 'do as I say, not as I do' at this rate."

He shook his head, avoiding her gaze for a few moments. "Zelina, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she said immediately.

His icy blue eyes suddenly met her own with an intense curiosity. "Have you ever regretted anything?"

His question threw her off. Where did that come from? For a moment she grappled for the right words. There was plenty she regretted, and practically all of them surrounded Anakin.

"Yes...yes there's plenty that I regret, though most of my regret comes from the lack of doing...or saying...something that needed to be done or said," she finally said softly.

"Do you ever regret being a Jedi?" he asked her carefully. "Do you ever just want to walk away from it?"

Zelina eyed him knowingly for a moment. She was pretty sure that last line was about Padme. "No, I don't regret being a Jedi...there are a few principles and rules I think might have become misinterpreted over time that I don't agree with the dominant opinion on right now...but I think it would have to be something pretty big to get me to walk away from the Order. It's not perfect, but then again no one and nothing is. It could use some changes in my opinion but...no...I don't regret it. Though I think I do know what would make me walk away."

"Really?" Anakin inquired, his interest piqued. "And what would that be?"

If you left than so would I, she immediately thought. However, she phrased the wording differently. "If certain people left...then I probably would too. Or if the Order had lost all sense of what makes it the Jedi Order, then it would probably be best to leave. Though...considering we're at war...that's a condition I might have to be willing to stretch. A lot of principles and morals get lost during a war, I've noticed that from our studies at the Jedi Temple and simply from what we've seen of this war so far."

Anakin nodded, looking down thoughtfully. "Thanks for telling me..."

"Why do you ask?" Zelina asked curiously.

"Just...sometimes I do wonder what it would have been like if I wasn't a Jedi...what would have happened. And there are mometns when I get so frustrated that I think it would be easier to leave all of this behind but...being a Jedi is my life, and I can't just throw that all away," Anakin said, running a hand through his hair.

"I can see that," Zelina said with a small, knowing smile. "I can see where your relationship and your life commitment might start wrestling with each other...you really did decide to put a huge weight on your shoulders when you decided to juggle a marriage and a commitment to the Jedi Order but...at least you're not alone. You do have support when you need it, don't forget that. Force, if you ever need to just talk about anything, all you have to do is ask, or drop a message. And if I'm in the middle of a battle and can't quite reach the com..." Anakin and Zelina both chuckled at that. It was a major understatement. Once they'd both sobered again Zelina put a gentle hand on his arm.

"Even if I can't reach the com at the moment, I will always answer, and we can always talk, all right? I'm here for you whenever you need me, I promise."

Anakin nodded. "Thank you Zelina."

Zelina smiled a little. "Anytime."

****************************************

Once on Coruscant, the Masters were all quick to start their search for potential Force Sensitive child targets. The whole ordeal sickened Zelina; what kind of a person would target—and possibly harm—children?

Ahsoka was up and pacing recklessly as Zelina leaned against the pillar outside of Master Yoda's quarters. Inside, Anakin, Aayla, Obi-Wan, Windu, and Yoda were all meditating to see if the Force would reveal anything to them. The Force was strong within the room, and it kept distracting Zelina. At least until Ahsoka gave a sudden grunt of frustration.

"What's taking them so long?" she asked in exasperation.

"These things take time Ahsoka," Zelina said with an amused smile. Ahsoka scowled, causing Zelina to chuckle. The younger girl could be so impatient, yet also quiet smart and even wise, even if she was three years younger than Zelina—six years younger than Anakin.

"The longer we wait, the more children are put in danger," Ahsoka said firmly.

"But we won't be helping them if we don't take the time to stop and figure out where they are first. I don't really feel like searching the entire galaxy for every single possible child, do you?" Zelina asked.

Ahsoka sighed. "No, not really...how are you still a Padawan?"

Zelina started a little. What was it with everyone and these off-putting questions lately?

"I don't know Ahsoka...I guess you'd have to ask Aayla that. Perhaps they're just waiting for the right moment, or there's something I have yet to learn; or I just need the right opportunity to prove myself," Zelina suggested.

Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest. "I think you've proven yourself on enough occasions from what I've seen of you around Master Skywalker."

Zelina frowned, leaning back against the pillar once again as a thought struck her. "Maybe...they're waiting for me to be a little independent from Master Skywalker; see if I can put the needs of the galaxy over his needs. Everyone knows we have a deep running bond...maybe they want to see that that bond won't interfere with my Jedi duties before they promote me."

"You're saying you have a problem with attachment?" Ahsoka asked curiously. She was probably remembering the lesson on attachment that Aayla had given her when Anakin had suffered the injuries from his crash.

Zelina nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I do. So does Anakin; I think it was just the way we were raised..."

She trailed off, suddenly reluctant to finish. "How were you raised?" Ahsoka asked curiously.

"With very little and only each other and our single parents. Anakin had his mother; I had my father...on occasion...Shmi acted as my parent quite a few times. It's a very touchy subject that I don't recommend bringing up with him; there's still some fresh, painful wounds attached to his mother and our homeworld."

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

Zelina nodded. "And it's not my place to tell, so don't expect me to," she added with a small smile.

Ahsoka seemed ready to ask another question, but she was interrupted when the door to Yoda's quarters opened. The first one out was Obi-Wan, closely followed by Aayla.

"Padawan," Aayla said promptly. "We're going to Rodia with Master Kenobi; there's a child there that's in emminant danger."

"Snips, we're going to Naboo." Zelina heard Anakin before she saw him, but his words caused her head to whip around.

"Naboo?" she asked.

Anakin nodded grimly, appearing to be itching to get going. "There's a gungan child there in danger."

"Then we don't have any time to lose. Good luck you two, and may the Force be with you."

"And with you," Anakin said, giving Zelina a rather pointed look before Ahsoka and he ran off. Zelina turned to Obi-Wan and Aayla as they set off at a brisk pace, hurrying after the two senior Jedi.

*********************************

The green world of Rodia showed up in the view screen in front of her, d Zelina couldn't help but stop to marvel at it's beauty while she had the time to.

Obi-Wan cut her musings short rather quickly.

"Let's hope we're not too late," he said, his voice coming through with a little static through her communications device.

"Such optimism," Zelina responded with a slight smile before they broke through the atmosphere of Rodia.

"Keep on your toes Zelina; I'm sure you know by now not to underestimate Bane," Aayla warned.

"I know Master, I won't be making that mistake again," Zelina said gently. They raced towards the Rodian city, exiting their starfighters the moment that the ships were landed and the cockpit had opened enough to let them slip through. Obi-Wan took the lead, rushing through the streets from memory before skidding to a halt in front of a house. He hit the button, Knocked, even pressed his ear against the door to see if he could hear anything. Zelina shifted nervously, feeling that something was off. She tapped Aayla's shoulder to communicate this, to which her Master gave a brief nod of agreement and approval.

The door opened just slightly, and Obi-Wan stretched to try and see the child beyond the mother, reaching up on his tip-toes at one point.

"If you're looking for my son Jedi, he's not here," the mother said coldly. Zelina, meanwhile, stood back, examining the house. If she angled herself right and trusted the Force, she could get up on the roof...

"Where is he?" Obi-Wan asked seriously before the woman shut the door in his face. Zelina took that as her signal and she gathered the Force, jumping onto the roof as Obi-Wan continued in a much louder voice below her. "Open the door!" he commanded. Zelina was already crossing the roof, searching around the ground around the house. If anyone was trying to make an escape, she would see it, and she could drop on them from above...

The cry of a child to her left drew Zelina's attention, and she rushed to the opposite side. She hardly had any time to react as a brown-robed mass came rushing up towards her. Instinctively, Zelina jumped, latched onto the figure she could now identify as Cad Bane, and prayed he wouldn't shake her off. She found herself face to face with the Rodian child who was happily oblivious to the seriousness of what was happening.

"Zelina!" she heard Obi-Wan shout underneath her, but she didn't let herself be distracted. Bane was already trying to shake her off. Now she was also holding on for dear life, as they were rather high in the air.

"Get off me!" Bane snarled.

"In your dreams," Zelina scoffed, digging her nails into his shoulders. Bane grunted, dropping a little in altitude. He shook himself violently in an attempt to throw her off, but she held firm.

At least until he decided to shed the robe she was clutching too.

Suddenly she was only holding onto one shoulder with one hand, the other hand clutching an unoccupied robe sleeve. Before she could grab onto Bane's shoulder again, he switched which hand he was holding the child in and shook off the rest of the robe, sending her plummeting towards the ground below. She clamped down the scream that threatened to burst out of her, reaching for the Force so that she would know what to do before she became a smear on the pavement.

She grunted as her midriff suddenly made contact with something solid and she was no longer falling, but swinging to the side.

"Got you," she heard Obi-Wan say, causing her to sag in relief.

"Obi-Wan; I owe you one," she said, allowing him to heft her to a better position as they swung towards a wall. It seemed he had used his grappling hook to catch up to Bane.

"I'll—" he cut off as he focused on the Force, kicking off the wall they had swung towards and up onto the platform Bane had disappeared to. "—remember that."

They both clambered to their feet, but it was too late. They could do nothing but watch as Bane's ship rose into the air and took off. Bane even took the time to throw them an insulting wave, the child balanced on his knee in the cockpit. Obi-Wan clenched his fist in frustration before he released the feeling into the Force. Zelina sighed.

"We'll catch up to him; we'll find the child, I know we will."

Obi-Wan shook his head. "Let's hope Anakin and Ahsoka have better luck than us."

"They probably will." Zelina was silent for a few more moments before she asked one last question. "Aayla didn't see that, right?"

She was rather proud of the fact—though a little worried—that Obi-Wan simply smiled and laughed at her. Even if it was slight, at least she'd lifted his spirits a little.

Though truthfully, she really did hope her Master hadn't seen.

*******************************************

After their failure on Rodia, it was a relief to hear that Anakin and Ahsoka had much more success and were even able to capture Bane. The news was welcome, and Zelina, Obi-Wan, and Aayla were quick to reunite with the two on the Republic cruiser. Obi-Wan and Windu got to interrogate Bane first, while Anakin and Ahsoka looked through Bane's ship for the holocron and Aayla and Zelina kept watch on the bridge lest they run into any unpleasant surprises. However, Aayla had sent Zelina to go check up on how the interrogation with Bane was going, which was why she ended up walking into the detention block mere moments after Anakin. She stayed a few meters behind him, watching as up ahead the shield to Bane's cell flickered down long enough for Obi-Wan and Windu to exit. Their voices floated towards her as she approached.

"We tore the ship apart; there's no sign of the holocron," Anakin was telling them. His shoulders slumped slightly. "Or the kids..."

"Did you check the ships navigation records?" Windu asked as Zelina finally arrived, coming even with Anakin.

"They were wiped clean before he landed on Naboo," Ahsoka informed him. Obi-Wan was staring into Bane's cell thoughtfully, tugging lightly at his beard.

"We'll have to use the Force to make him talk," Anakin said a little forcefully. Zelina didn't like the edge that his tone had taken, though Obi-Wan addressed Anakin before she could say anything.

"Mmm, I don't think Bane is that weak," Obi-Wan said simply.

"Maybe if we all concentrated on his mind together?" Ahsoka suggested.

Zelina gave her a sharp look. "That's a lot more dangerous than it sounds Ahsoka," Zelina remarked.

"I agree; using the Force to compel a strong mind to cooperate is...risky, to say the least," Obi-Wan said. Zelina couldn't help but notice that Anakin's fists were clenched, the muscle in his jaw jumping, and a dark edge lingering in his gaze; he was ready to do whatever it took to get Bane to talk, no matter what line it crossed.

She didn't like it. Not at all.

"There is a danger that his mind could be destroyed in the process," Windu supplied. At that, Anakin's fists unclenched, and he seemed to gain a little more control of himself. Anakin smiled a little.

"Well, do we have another choice?" Anakin asked.

"This should be interesting," Zelina muttered under her breath as Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Windu all moved towards Bane's cell. Zelina and Ahsoka moved to the back of the group since they weren't going to participate in this. Ahsoka due to lack of experience and Zelina because she didn't want to be a part of it.

They all filed into the dark room, the two Masters and Anakin forming a line while Ahsoka and Zelina took up guard like positions near the door. From her angle, she could see the dark shadows that fell over Anakin's face, and the look caused her to shiver.

Anakin reached out a hand towards Bane. "You will take us to the holocron."

"Jedi mind tricks don't work on me," Bane scoffed at him.

Obi-Wan also stretched out a hand. "You will take us to the holocron," he said, speaking in sync with Anakin. Once more, Zelina shivered, but a little more noticeably.

This is just creepy, she thought.

"Forget it!" Bane said shaking his head adamantly.

Windu also stretched his hand out. "You will take us to the holocron," they all said at once.

"I...I...I won't!" Bane said, his will wavering.

"And you will take us..." Windu said slowly.

"Now!" all three demanded at once. Zelina stiffened a little; she didn't like the way that Anakin looked under the shadows, his face shrouded halfway by darkness with an intense glare aimed towards Bane. It was a rather scary look.

"I...I will take you...NO!" Bane said, shaking himself out of the stupor. "Get out of my head!" Bane shouted. The three pushed a little harder and Bane withered in his seat before they all retreated from his mind, causing Bane to collapse against the table.

"Perhaps we should try...again!" Anakin threatened, his brow furrowed in anger.

"I...I've had enough of that..." Bane gasped out slowly, raising a hand in a weak gesture of 'stop.' "I'll take you to the holocron...you'll get your children back..."

Zelina sighed in relief; halfway because it was over, and halfway because they were going to get the information they wanted.

**********************************

The arrangements were quick to be made to leave for the destinations Bane had hid the children and the holocron at. Unfortunately, Anakin had to open his mouth, and now four of them were headed back to Coruscant to deliver reports while Windu and Obi-Wan went with Bane to recover the children and possibly the holocron. Anakin and Ahsoka were headed to the Senate building, as well as Zelina, to give a report to the Chancellor while Aayla updated the Jedi Council on the progress they were making. Zelina had intended to go with Aayal, but Aayla had instead told Zelina to accompany Anakin for reasons unknown.

Not that it would be much of an accompaniment. Zelina was almost positive that the Chancellor would want to talk to Anakin alone.

As they approached the Chancellor's office, Zelina noted the way that the sunset framed Palpatine as he stood in the doorway; it gave her chills, more than the interrogation she had just witnessed did.

"Ah, Anakin, it is good to see you," Palpatine said with a grandfatherly smile. Zelina didn't see any sincere warmth in it though, even if Anakin did.

"Your Excellency," Anakin said with a small bow of his head.

Palpatine moved his gaze to Zelina and Ahsoka, and Zelina wondered if the disapproving glint in his eyes was actually there or just created by her own mind due to her extreme dislike of the man. "Excuse us children," he said gently, though Zelina bristled under the title. Child? She was far from a child! She had stopped being a child before she even left the single digits of her age!

Palpatine put an arm around Anakin's shoulders, leading him into the room. Anakin looked back, giving Ahsoka and Zelina a reassuring nod before the doors slid shut.

"I hate that man," Zelina muttered the second the doors hissing sound ended.

Ahsoka was startled. "Hate him? The Chancellor? Why?"

"Several reasons," Zelina said bitterly, crossing over to one of the couches that lined the halls. "Have you ever been around him for an extended period of time Ahsoka?"

"No..."

"Have you ever been in the room when he talked to Anakin?"

"No..."

"I have," Zelina said, looking away. "I have and it sickened me. When I was a little girl, when we were first brought here, the moment I laid eyes on him I got a really bad feeling, and I heard some things that I didn't like, things I've started to hear him say to Anakin...And that's another thing; whenever he's with Anakin."

"What happens when he's with Skyguy?" Ahsoka said, glancing at the door in worry as she sat down next to Zelina.

"I don't know what his end result is, but he always feeds Anakin's ego; he stirs up all those negative feelings that Anakin tries not to harbor. He feeds his anger, hate, vengeance, all of it, while convincing him that it's all right to feel that way, it's all right to act in rage, it's all right to do this and that. And he's always flattering him; we all know how that works, especially in the politician world. Plus, he's always putting down those around him, the Jedi, his friends, all of them. I was in a meeting between the two where Palpatine downplayed the Jedi, agreed that Anakin had more to gain from his guidance than Obi-Wan's, and even encouraged him to be invincible...Palpatine feeds all of the things that leads to the dark side when he's with Anakin, Ahsoka. That's why I worry whenever these two are together. Anakin comes out of these meetings short tempered, over-egotistical, and sometimes even angry at everyone else at times. I really do not like these two being together, not in the least. I worry that with his flattery, and with all this feeding of negative emotions...I worry that one day Palpatine's going to try and take advantage of Anakin and use his trust like a tool, and Anakin's going to go blindly."

Zelina finally paused for air, surprised at how light she felt. How long had she been bottling her feelings about Palpatine up?

"Then why are we letting him be alone with Skyguy right now?" Ahsoka asked, standing up sharply. Zelina grabbed her arm.

"Because even though I don't trust him, Palpatine is still a friend to Anakin, and accusing Palpatine only angers him and could even push him away; trust me, I've tried. The best you can do is subtly negate whatever Palpatine's planted into Anakin's mind during the meeting and kind of give him a reality check without letting Palpatine come into play. It's a tricky game, and sometimes I feel like I'm playing a combination of sabacc and Dejarik with Palpatine. It's best not to actually bring it up to Anakin unless absolutely necessary, though in this case...I'd leave the Palpatine effect negating to me. I've known Anakin longer, I've got a really strong bond with him, and a skill of getting through to him when no one else can."

"Well, if you ever need me to talk some sense into Skyguy, I'd be glad to help," Ahsoka said with a smile.

Zelina smiled, standing up. "Thank you Ahsoka; I'm glad I'm not the only one."

*****************************************

After cooling down from her Palpatine frustration, Zelina had returned to Aayla, expecting perhaps a sparring session and a brief overview of how the Council saw their progress and why the report took so long. Instead, Aayla had simply told her that the Council took note of where they were and that nothing could be really said until further progress was made. After that, she had 'suggested' that Zelina go help Anakin and Ahsoka see if they could find anything more out from Bane's ship—if by suggested one thought subtly commanded.

It was almost as if she was trying to get rid of her.

Still, Zelina didn't let herself think too much of it. She knew Aayla wasn't trying to get rid of her, and considering two children were at risk, it was a very important mission. The more they could collect, and quicker they recovered that information, the sooner those children would be safe again.

So, Zelina had gone back to the cruiser with Anakin and Ahsoka to inspect the ship. She had left to tell Aayla she was on the cruiser first while Anakin and Ahsoka headed towards the ship, so when she finally approached the bounty hunter's transportation Anakin and Ahsoka were already at work with Anakin in the cockpit and Ahsoka under one of the wings.

"Well, piloting systems are clean," Anakin said, still going through the ships data banks even as he spoke. He turned his head to Ahsoka's direction. "Check the landing gear?"

"Double checked it," Ahsoka said sadly from her position on the ground.

"Have faith team, we'll find something on this ship; the Skywalker team tends to stumble across something all the time," Zelina said humorously as she approached the ship. Anakin smiled a little at her.

"Not always; sometimes Obi-Wan finds something we missed."

"Ah, but Obi-Wan also has an immeasurable amount of patience as we know simply by the fact that he trained you."

"Ha, ha, very funny Zee," Anakin said with a roll of his eyes. Ahsoka chuckled, getting ready to roll back under the wing again. Zelina let her hand trail across the other wing, feeling sooty ash under her fingers before suddenly the world disappeared around her in a now all too familiar sensation.

The sudden heat was sweltering, causing sweat to drip down her back and forehead, and the thick smoke and ash in the air made her eyes water and her throat clench, ready to cough. In the distance, she could hear the sound of crying children, their voices both distant and nearby at the same time, as if echoing down a long tunnel.

The images and sensations faded away, and Zelina found herself blinking rapidly at the wing in front of her out of sight of the other two. It took a few moments for Anakin's voice to register.

"...not his fuel computer," Anakin was saying.

"So?" Ahsoka asked.

"Well if we cross the list of planets we know he visited with the distance he traveled..."

"We may be able to calculate where else he went!" Ahsoka finished eagerly. "That's a new one!"

"It's an old Jedi trick we used to track down smugglers," Anakin told her smugly. "Okay, let's see...Glee Anselm, Rodia, Mustafar—"

"Mustafar," Zelina said suddenly and sharply, startling both of them.

"What?" Anakin asked, thrown off guard.

"He went to Mustafar; that's where the children are," she said firmly. Anakin stared at her.

"How do you know that? For all we know he could have stopped there to refuel," Anakin stated.

"Because, I just had a vision; it was hot, there was ash and smoke in the air, and there was the sound of children crying; they're there Anakin, I know it!" Zelina said adamantly.

Anakin frowned but nodded. He had learned long ago not to doubt her visions; she had become better and better at interpreting them as years had passed, and she knew more than he did when it came to this specific field; he knew to trust her on the matter.

"All right then. Mustafar it is; we'll leave immediately."

"Should we tell someone we're leaving?"

"No time; if the children really are there, then we need to leave as soon as possible; we don't know what Bane's employer wants with them, so the sooner we find them, the better."

***********************************

Not too long after the rushed conversation, they found themselves in the Mustafar system.

"We're coming up on Mustafar," Ahsoka said. Anakin and Zelina were standing at the time, and they both leaned over to see the volcanic planet.

"R2, begin the landing cycle," Anakin said as he and Zelina took a seat. The glow of the planet bathed the cockpit in a dim red light. Zelina shifted uneasily in her seat; something felt off...something didn't feel right...

Was the world disappearing around her again?

Zelina gripped the armrest to keep herself somewhat grounded in reality as the cockpit disappeared. Once more she couldn't see anything, but she could definitely hear. A woman was crying, and Zelina herself felt choked up, but she didn't know if it was from the ash and smoke or from emotional reasons. Suddenly she heard her own voice as she plead with someone, but her voice sounded different; war weary, desperate, even...broken-hearted.

"Please, listen to reason! You're being deceived!"

The vision broke off, and Zelina felt herself dropped rather gruffly back into reality with a small gasp. Anakin looked back at her, concern etched on his face. "Are you all right?"

Zelina nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine..." Anakin said skeptically.

"I will be; I'll tell you later, right now we need to focus," Zelina said with a shake of her head.

"All right then Zee, if you say so..." Anakin said skeptically, turning his attention back to the viewport. As the surface of the planet neared, Zelina shifted uncomfortably. Something felt off, horribly off, and she didn't know what. Part of her felt an echo of premonition in the strength of the dark side and the wrongness she felt on the planet, but she didn't allow herself to analyze the feeling; she shoved it to the back of her mind for later.

It was a smooth landing on the Mustafar facility landing pad, but Zelina hardly registered the sensation; the dark side was too thick here to really appreciate anything. Wordlessly, she rose from her seat with Anakin and Ahsoka, distracted with all the premonition and horrible echos of visions she was having in her mind. She needed to clear her head, come back to the present; the children couldn't afford for her to be distracted.

They descended the ramp, looking around the volcanic planet as lava erupted from the magma river below but did not touch the facility.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Ahsoka asked skeptically. Zelina coughed from the ash and smoke.

"Absolutely positive," she said, the heat of the planet making her a little uncomfortably hot. Considering she was from Tatooine, that was saying something.

"Come on; if they're here then we're running out of time," Anakin said, powering ahead to the door. R2 rolled along beside him, beeping contently as he rolled up to the control panel and opened the door for them.

"I sense something Master," Ahsoka said, pulling back instinctively. "And I don't like it."

"It's the dark side Ahsoka," Anakin said almost thoughtfully. Zelina nodded in agreement.

"I've felt it since we got close to the planet," Zelina said softly. "This is the right place."

"Is that what distracted you earlier?" Anakin asked.

"Partially," Zelina said distractedly as they entered the building cautiously.

So far into the facility, they suddenly heard the sound of a baby crying. "Did you hear that?" Ahsoka asked, pausing midstride at an intersection. Zelina shifted uncomfortably; she hated how strong the dark side felt here. It was smothering her, almost suffocating.

"Yeah, I heard it; question is where are they?" Anakin said tensely, lightsaber in hand. Zelina called her lightsaber to her hand too; who knew what resistance they would be met with.

Ahsoka stood still for a few moments, and Zelina felt the Force shift around the girl before Ahsoka suddenly snapped to attention and pointed down the hall. "This way!"

Without a word, they all took off in that direction, full speed ahead towards the missing children who were in some unknown, horrible danger. Zelina could feel the Force whispering the urgency of finding those children to her, despite the fact that they were Force Sensitive children they were. Whatever they were wanted for, it was a dark purpose that needed to be stopped.

Zelina felt danger suddenly ring through the Force, but nothing happened, which confused her. What was going on?

She didn't get long to dwell; they came a upon a door that the Force whispered was right, and Ahsoka and Anakin immediately cut a giant hole in it, allowing them to step into the room that it led to. They spread out, searching the dark room before Ahsoka reached a cradle lit by a red light. She bowed her head in submission.

"We're too late," she said mournfully.

"I can sense they're still here," Anakin said slowly, tense and ready to spring into motion at a moment's notice. They all activated their lightsabers, searching the darkened corners for any signs of the children. Suddenly, two droids emerged from opposite sides of the room. Each had a child in one hand, a weapon in the other.

Anakin and Ahsoka were both forced to duck as the droids swung at them, taking extra care not to let their lightsabers hurt the babies that they were using as shields, to Zelina's disgust.

"Be careful of the younglings!" Anakin called.

"I know, I know!" Ahsoka snapped back.

"I think that's an obvious point Anakin," Zelina said slightly scathingly as she tried to help Ahsoka with her droid issue; she figured Anakin could handle his.

Suddenly Alarms started to go off and—at the worst moment possible—Zelina felt another vision occur, one that caused her to stumble into one of the control panels. The alarms were there, but she also heard them as if down a long tunnel, blaring so loud they hurt her eardrums. However, a crushing despair washed through her, putting her off balance as the sound of groaning metal was added to the mix. There was so much pain...something had been lost...

She snapped back to herself with a great deal of effort, righting herself to rejoin Ahsoka the facility was starting to break apart under the heat of the lava below; the shields must have been shut off. However, the breaking metal just added to their difficult dance. Zelina came up behind Ahsoka's droid once she had recovered, taking advantage of the droids distraction to suddenly slice upward with one lightsaber and cut off the droids attacking arm. Now they could go on the offensive to retrieve the child. Still, the building lurched dangerously, throwing Zelina off balance. She wasn't too worried though; now that the droid was one armed it wouldn't be too hard for Ahsoka to defeat it and retrieve the child.

Not a moment after she had that thought the floor suddenly gave, and the droid started to roll downwards while Ahsoka managed to stay on even ground. Zelina deactivated her lightsaber, focused solely on the survive of the child and Ahoska now. However, Ashoka quickly grabbed the child after cutting off the second arm and let the droid fall into the magma below. Satisfied, Zelina turned and crossed the unstable room towards Anakin, who still had yet to even partially disarm his droid. Before she could do so, a warning rang clearly through the Force, and the ground disappeared under Anakin and the droid.

"Anakin!" she screamed, believing for a moment that he had fallen into the lava below. For a split second, she heard something else. She heard herself scream his name again, but louder and more desperately. She could also hear the sound of screams of pain, and what scared her was that it sounded like Anakin's.

What were these visions that kept intruding on her current reality? Why wouldn't they leave her alone?

Zelina blinked away the cruel, merciless visions and rushed to where she'd seen Anakin. TO her immense relief, he was still there, hanging onto a piece of metal that remained of the floor. She leaned down from her safe spot, stretching out towards him.

"Give me your hand!" she called down to him over the blare of the alarms and the sound of rushing lava below. He obeyed without question, placing his hand firmly in hers before he turned around and stretched out his other free hand towards the droid that was just barely holding onto what remained of the floor. Using the Force, he called the remaining child too him, and once the rodian child was safely in his arms Zelina sent a strong Force push towards the droid, sending it down into the lava below. With a grunt, Zelina pulled Anakin back to level—yet still sinking—ground.

"Thanks," Anakin said breathlessly.

"Anytime," Zelina responded, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. That last vision had seriously disturbed her.

"Uhg, the panel's fried," Ahsoka complained over by the door. They both came even with her in a moment, though Anakin seemed confident of their dire situation.

"Where's R2?"

Right on time, the door hissed open and they were met with R2's familiar beep and whistle of success. Zelina smiled warmly at the droid. "Thanks R2!" she said eagerly as the three of them ran out of the sinking building. The fact that it was exploding and falling apart all around her wasn't helping Zelina's optimism though. They ran at breakneck speeds, Anakin and Ahsoka each carrying a child before they rushed on board the ship desperately. Anakin handed the child he was carrying to Ahsoka the instant they reached the cockpit, practically throwing himself into the pilot's chair as Zelina took the co-pilot's chair.

"Shh, be quite, shh, it's okay," Ahsoka said quietly, trying to sooth the two crying children in her arms. Zelina smiled just a little, though her eyes were glued to the viewport as explosions went off all around them. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she silently prayed for the ship to get off the ground in time, hands clenched on the armrests.

To her utmost relief, Anakin was able to pilot them off of the landing pad mere seconds before it collapsed into the lava, swerving to narrowly avoid another explosion on the way. She slumped in her seat as they swiftly navigated away from the fiery surface. Still, as she stared out the window, Zelina felt a deep set, crushing sorrow; just an echo of the feeling, like all the other brief, fragmented visions and premonitions she'd had.

Secretly, she prayed she would never have to come back to this planet in her entire life.

*********************************

They didn't bother to go back to the cruiser; instead, they headed right for Coruscant, docking in the Temple's hanger bay. They had much to report to the council, and the children needed a way back home. On top of that, Ahsoka loved kids, but that didn't mean that she was keep about babysitting two very disgruntled children for an extended amount of time. Ahsoka ran off with Anakin's permission the moment they had powered down in the Temple hanger bay to find someone to take care of and provide a way home for the children. Zelina had also rose to leave, but Anakin surprised her by grabbing her arm and stopping here.

"Where do you think you're going?" Anakin asked. Zelina blinked in surprise.

"I was going to find Aayla," she said, at a loss as to why he had stopped here.

Anakin shook his head. "Not right now; sit." He said, gently forcing her back into the co-pilots chair and spinning around to face her. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he stared intently into her eyes. "What happened back there?"

Zelina frowned, hoping he didn't mean what she was thinking he did. "What do you mean what happened?" she asked.

"You know what; it was like you weren't even there half the time; I've never seen you that distracted during a mission, least of all one so important." When Zelina didn't say anything, Anakin searched her eyes for a few more moments. "What did you see?"

Zelina wasn't surprised it hadn't taken him long to figure out the gist of what was bothering her. In fact, if it had taken him much longer she would have been worried. She sighed, shaking her head. "I...I don't really know...it was all strong and powerful and clear but at the same time it was...fragmented. I couldn't make sense of it really. I just know something very, very bad happened and...I think that maybe someone..."

She trailed off, unable to meet his eyes. However, she could sense understanding pass over him through the Force. "You think someone might have died?"

Zelina nodded. "I...I can't be for sure, like I said none of it really made any sense just..." she sighed, burying her face in her hands. "It was horrid..." she whispered.

She was startled when she felt his hand on her back, rubbing smooth, gentle circles. "It'll be all right...whatever it was...maybe it's not so likely because of how fragmented it was. Maybe it was just a possibility, a dangerous path that's not very likely but still likely," Anakin suggested quietly. "Perhaps it was just a warning to be careful, just in case."

"Perhaps..." Zelina agreed softly, removing her face from her hands and propping her chin on her interlaced fingers. "I'm going to talk to Master Yoda about it after the council briefing and see what he says. Maybe he'll be able to make some sense out of it."

"It would probably be wise; if you figure anything out, tell me, all right?" Anakin asked her, trying to meet her eyes. She reluctantly met his gaze and he smiled a little, causing her to smile as well against her will. "All right?"

"All right," Zelina said with the smallest of laughs. Anakin nodded in mock seriousness.

"There, that's better," he said, standing up. "Now come on, the sooner we get this briefing done the better."

************************************

After the briefing, it was just Zelina and Master Yoda, sitting across from each other in his quarters. She had just explained—in detail—her fragmented visions from Mustafar and was waiting for the wise Jedi Master's opinion. Yoda sat in deep contemplation, his tiny green face scrunched up in concentration.

"Mmm...hard to interpret, these visions are. Unsure, this future is. Told Skywalker that part of it he was?" Yoda asked. Zelina shook her head.

"No...I told him about the visions but...I left that part out...and I really didn't tell him what was in them either. They just didn't make sense to me Master, and they still don't."

"Best you didn't, till clear these visions are...no purpose seen in them at the present. Perhaps later, make more sense they will. Clearer, they might become, if more sure that future is. Forget this vision, you should not. Important, it could become."

"Yes Master Yoda...Master...what should I do if this vision does start to become clearer? I mean, I..." Zelina sighed, unsure of how to finish her sentence. Yoda, however, answered for her.

"Worried for Skywalker, you are."

Zelina nodded. "I...I heard him in a great deal of pain in my vision, and considering the sorrow I kept feeling...I don't know Master Yoda, I'm worried."

Yoda sighed. "Forget this vision, you should not, in case in time, become relevant it does. However, dwell on it, you should not; your mind in the present, you must keep. Now, not forget it until of greater importance it becomes is all you must do."

"Thank you Master Yoda," Zelina said quietly.

"Now, hurry along; for you, Master Secura searches. Wonders where her Padawan went, she does," Yoda said with a slight chortle. Zelina blushed lightly and stood from her seat before bowing to the wizened Grandmaster.

"Of course Master Yoda," she said sincerely. As she turned to leave however, the little green Jedi cleared his throat.

"Padawan; beware attachments, you must. Dangerous they can be. A weapon, they can become against you."

Immediately, Zelina's mind called the image of Anakin to her mind, his eyes burning with a fiery fury as he chomped at the bit to destroy each and every Tusken Raider in the camp after his mother had died, furious at what they had done. He had been fully willing to become a cold blooded killer in that moment, and he would have slaughtered every single one of them had Zelina not been there.

"I know Master Yoda," she said softly before promptly exiting the elder Jedi's quarters.

Alone in the Jedi temple halls, Zelina had plenty of time to muse. And oh did she muse. Thoughts swam in dizzying circles through her mind as she tried to retain some semblance of order. Strangely, she found herself thinking about the difference between love and attachment. How the attachment came whenever one no longer knew how—or could not find the capability—to let go of the one that you loved. How it was truly the attachment that was the real danger; being unwilling or unable to let something go was what put one at risk, because the harder one tried to hold on the quicker it slipped through their fingers. The quicker something slipped through their fingers, the more desperate a person could become. And the desperation was one of the most dangerous emotions in the galaxy. It could drive someone to do something they would normally never do. If guided along the right way, attachment really could be a way to the dark side, and so they were encouraged to be able to let go of what they loved. However it was not the love itself that was discouraged. To Zelina, love was the purest form of the lights side of the Force; so it was to be encouraged. But with the lifestyle of a Jedi, one had to know how to let go.

Zelina smiled a little to herself, allowing a sad laugh to slip through her defenses.

If anyone knows how to let go of what you love, it's me. If you love something, let them go...that's exactly what I did. Or did I? Don't I think of him every day? Didn't I admit to him earlier that I was afraid to lose him?

Have I really let him go?

Or am I holding tighter every day, watching as he slips through my fingers more and more?