The Rebel Faction

The ground of the forest floor being damp and his footsteps being soft, Kenshin made little sound as he weaved through the wet tropical under foliage of some of Naboo's least disturbed plots of wilderness. He was far from the Academy's walls, farther out than he had been in a very long time. His duties having consisted nothing but the instruction of fledgling Jedi for a good while now, he had confined himself mostly to the gardens when he had felt the need to emmerse himself with plants. With so many students, someone was always looking for him and he needed to be accessable.

But today, the Jedi Knight did not want to be found.

For the past few days he had woken with an unexplicable nagging feeling and while he did his best to shove it in the back of his mind, it would emerge again when his attention wasn't occupied with teaching. Though he hid his agitation well, there was always one perceptive girl that could always tell when something was bothering him: little Layla. So when the youngling brought up his sudden distant spell, Kenshin knew it was time to do something about it.

Having cleared his entire schedule for the day, he tossed on his warm olive colored cloak and quietly disappeared from the Academy complex before the could send people to tail him. It was probably a bit alarming for the higher ups to have one of their instructors leave out of the blue but the students knew that Kenshin just needed some time alone and it was the students' understanding that counted. Hopefully those in charge had the capacity to figure out that he wasn't insane or running away or something. And if they didn't, well they could always ask the Padawans.

And so here he was, mingling with the giant trees and bright flowers as he struggled to follow his instincts. It was always times like these that he wished Ky-Vin was with him. His mind was always so full of questions and theories that it seemed almost against his nature to simply accept. He had forgotten what it was like to just simply accept and follow. Suddenly aware of the hushing sound of falling water, Kenshin turned in the direction of it and sought it out. Water had always calmed him, perhaps it would aid him now as well.

Pushing past a pair of ferns with his forearm, he ducked under to enter a small secluded valley. In the far end, a crystal clear waterfall tumbled down to collect into a glassy faced pool. Lost in its majesty, it took a moment for him to notice the figure swathed in blue that sat upon one of the smooth boulders at its base but when he did, the nagging feeling caused his gut to twinge.

"I'd forgotten about how much you enjoy such views."

The voice floated over the sounds of disturbed water to reach his ears. She was expecting him. It was in her tone and he could practically feel it in his bones. Feeling a little uncertain about the situation it took a moment for him to finally approach. Her presence was eerily familiar as was her voice but he couldn't exactly figure out why. When she turned to face him however, everything struck him at once. It was as if she had picked up the rock she rested upon and flung it at his chest.

That face, that gaze...It was unmistakable.

He froze. Suddenly, he felt like the fumbling Padawan he once was despite the long hair, the beard, and all the experience that went with the trappings of the rank of Knight. Was this an illusion? She sat there, a mere arm's length from him. He wanted so badly to just reach out and touch just to make sure. But he was also afraid. What if it was an illusion and there would be nothing there? Would he be able to handle it? Lowering himself to the ground, he took up a cross-legged position at her feet and averted his gaze to the curtain of water.

A billion questions flashed through his head, the predominant one being when she had returned, but he pushed them all aside. She would tell him what he was to know and she would do it in good time. It wasn't his place to pry and even had he given into that desire, he wasn't sure he could muster enough control to reign it in tactfully. Sometimes it was best not to ask.

"I haven't enjoyed one in a while now. It makes this all the more special..." He said quietly. What he had wanted to say was that he hadn't forgotten anything, that he was afraid of forgetting, and that memories were all he really had as a Jedi. But that would have been an awkward outburst at best and he didn't want to heighten the undercurrent of unease.

He couldn't help but frown at her being a bit disheartened by his reaction. He never did like disappointing her but at the moment he really didn't know what to feel let alone what to think. If only his students could see him now, they probably wouldn't recognize him or quite shocked if they did. He was always one to find an appropriate answer, action, or reaction for everything and he went to great lengths to teach them to do so as well. And here he was, a Jedi known for keeping calm, and he was struggling for composure.

He wanted to do something, anything, to regain control of himself but she ended up doing it for him with the slightly amused comment on retaining her ability to read his thoughts as well as that cool smile. It would seem the situation was a bit strained on both sides. At least he was able to hold some comfort in the idea that he hadn't lost the ability to read her as well, that he was only rusty and not completely cut off.

No, now wasn't the best time to be shy but he tenderly nursed the idea of being cautious. While she spoke of being open to all questions, he didn't want to ask something that would make her even more uncomfortable with the idea of sharing her thoughts. It apparently was already quite difficult for her to reach this point. Her touch, however, eased a good portion of his uncertainty and he offered her a somewhat sheepish grin as he let her hold his hand, her smooth palm feeling a bit alien against his calloused one.

"When did you get back?" He said finally, after mustering enough courage and control to ask in a coherent manner. It was an innocent enough question to start with, one that didn't dig too deep. "And...did you find whatever you were looking for?" That was what he really wanted to know. Was she satisfied with the answers she found? Would she be leaving again? If she wasn't going to share with him anything else, those where the two questions he needed answers to so he could prepare himself for her absence again.

Kenshin could only watch in awe as she spoke so animatedly about the gist of her newfound experiences. Her soft laughter shushed through the air, echoeing the sigh of water collecting in the pool before them. She was so different from her wary previous self and at the sight of her so carefree, he couldn't help but grin and be happy for her.

It would seem her time away had been worth it. She didn't seem to have any regrets and so Kenshin wouldn't have any complaints. He himself was known for disappearing for odd periods of time and while her reputation didn't have such a reoccurring quirk, it was because this episode was so rare for her that he reminded himself that he should forgive her for it.

He chuckled quietly when she abruptly stood, sensing her embarassment. He had the urge to quip that it was now his turn to be disheartened as she didn't impart upon him any good details during that entire display. But, as he still wasn't too sure what to make of this new person before him, he decided not to joke just yet. Besides, she seem quite adamant on wanting to know how he had been.

"I've been alright..." He said with a slight shrug. Looking back, everything was a blur since she had left. He recalled returning from three years of wandering only to get into an arguement with Master Cole and leave again. He remembered returning during the night, sneaking in by way of some abandoned courtyard only to be found by Master Leia like a drowned rat the next morning. Ever since then, the Academy has put him to use teaching.

"If anything, I've been a bit restless." He added with a lopsided grin. "Though the constant questions from the Padawans has been enough to take the all the strength from me that by the end of the day I just want to drop dead. Is that normal?" He asked with a laugh.

"Say what...?"

Her proposal was so spontaneous that it startled him. Disoriented when she suddenly set a brisk pace for the Academy, he stood there for a moment stunned before giving into the instinct of following her call and fell into a jog to catch up with her. When in doubt, just go along he decided. He trusted her not to lead him astray.

The halls were predominantly empty, most of the Padawans at their afternoon classes and the younglings well into their afternoon nap, so they weren't interrupted as they made their way to Kenshin's apartment. Tapping the control panel, the door to his place slid open with a muffled zip to reveal the sparsely furnished and slightly messy living quarters.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable." He said, motioning at the round table in the center of the room. There were a number of worn stools clustered around its base. "Packing should only take a moment. I've practically invented a method to packing on the fly..." He added with a chuckle before disappearing behind a haphazard divide created by a number of packed bookshelves.

Pulling out a bin from under his bed, he retrieved a beat up canvas bag. It was the one he had grabbed the first time he went wandering and it reprised its role as his travel companion when he had disappeared for the second bout. He saw no reason to deprive it of its rightful place at his side this time. Opening the pack, he tossed in a set of clean robes, a spare utility belt, his datapad, and all the credits he could scavange from his workbench.

Throwing the knapsack over his shoulder, he re-emerged from behind the wall of books with a nod. They stepped into the golden afternoon glow that filled the corridor. When he was about to close the door, however, the sound of small feet caused his ears to perk. He looked up to see little Layla turn the corner and pause, uncertainty flickering across her face when she took in the sight of the backpack and the unfamiliar woman beside him.

A knot began to form in his gut as he kneeled, motioning that it was alright to approach. Layla dashed forward to wrap her skinny little arms around his neck. "Is Master Kenshin going away?" She asked, her voice a whisper. At that he simply nodded. "And is he coming back?"

"Of course, I'll be back." He practically blurted. The idea of not returning was just as scary for him as it was probably for her. Hadn't he always returned? But she was probably too young to remember the last time he had left and by the guarded look in her clear brown eyes, he could tell that his outburst hadn't exactly convinced her.

Giving the girl a pensive look, he reached under the folds of his tunic to retrieve the loop of hide. At the end of it was a scarred stub of a crystal. This he placed in the her hand. "You know what this was?" He asked her, knowing that she would want an explanation. "This was my first lightsaber crystal. When it stopped working, I kept it on me to remind myself of all the practice I put into combat."

"Don't loose it. I'll want it back when I return." He warned her, his voice stern. When she nodded gravely her promise, he took it from her palm and looped it around her neck. "Now I suppose you're wondering who this person behind me is." When she flinched, he couldn't help but chuckle. "While Deyna's staring gives him away, it is your total avoidance of eye contact that helps me get you..."

"This is my Master." He said, motioning to the lady that currently towered over both of them. "Just like I am yours. And just like I keep you and the rest of your clanmates safe, she'll do the same for me. So try not to worry, okay?" At that Layla nodded carefully as she regarded the robed figure cautiously. "Now I think it's time for you to head on back to the rest of the group. Naptime will end soon."

Rising to his full height, he watched with a some reluctance as the girl dashed off to rejoin the rest of her youngling group. Kenshin then turned. "I'm as ready as I can be. Let's get going before I change my mind. Or before the Academy notices and sends people to come after me." He said with a crooked grin.

"It's a somewhat flattering notion, I have to admit." He replied, a wistful smile tugging at his face as his gaze lingered on the spot where Layla had stood only mere moments before. "But I doubt it will stay that way for much longer. Layla is perceptive, more so than the other children, and she'll eventually notice my shortcomings."

Tapping at the control panel once more, the door slid into a closed position. He didn't bother locking the room, he never did. No one around here stole anything, at least from him anyway, and even if a thief did chance upon his place, he really didn't have anything of great worth for him to take unless it was knowledge they were after. All he really had were mounds of datacards. Besides, he had always allowed his students free reign of his books, he didn't see reason not to let them continue borrowing them while he was gone.

"We'll let the Force decide for us then..." He said with a nod as they took up walking through the maze of halls again. "I don't have any specific area in mind, not at the moment anyway." It was more like everywhere was on his mind and they were cancelling each other out. He hadn't visited so many people in so many places for so long that he didn't know where, or how to start.

Suddenly, Kenshin came to a halt when they reached a fork. In one direction lay the wilderness from which they had just come from, the other lead to the rest of the city of Theed. "You getting anything yet?" He asked with a chuckle as he contemplated the two paths before them. He hadn't traveled either end for such a long while now that he didn't have a preference.