The Shrouded Path
Chapter 2: With Answers Come More Questions
by Alan (AKA Qurinas)


Gara sat in her room, her frustration and mild case of cabin fever building. She threw the data pad none too softly onto her desk. She had been cooling her heels in her quarters for almost three hours and had read the full contents of the data pad several times over in the last few hours. She had also unpacked and arranged her things. She sat there stewing and reviewing everything in her head, when the door buzzer sounded.

"Come in," she said as she stood and made her way to the door.

Colonel Tetrault entered the room. He quickly glanced around the room. "I see you have gotten settled."

"Was I not supposed to, sir?" she asked dryly. The fragile flower of Hetlia Jettie wilted under the frost of Gara Petothel.

He smiled. "Not at all. This is your new home, at least while we're on Coruscant anyway."

Gara started to voice a reply, but changed her mind. She had long since given up trying to propagate her Hetlia persona around Mara and Tetrault, since they knew who she really was. Since then, she had been a little freer with her comments and it frustrated her she that could come up with no come back at this time. However, it was probably for the best, since she could see no possible good that could come out of antagonizing Colonel Tetrault.

"I am sure that you are hungry after reading and unpacking. So, if it is all right with you, we're going to have a dinner meeting." Gara nodded enthusiastically as her stomach growled at the mere prospect of food. It had just now occurred to her she had not eaten in hours as her mind was on more important things.

Seeing she had nothing to say, Tetrault continued, "Since I wanted to make it obvious that you are not a prisoner here, I have arranged for us to go out on the town for dinner."

Gara tried to keep the shocked look from her face as she had not expected that. She worked not to show this shock, covering it with a somewhat relevant question. "I see. In that case, I take it I will have time to freshen up and get dressed?" she asked flippantly.

He nodded, choosing to ignore the tone the question was asked with. "I will be back in about an hour to get you, then. I take it you have something appropriate to wear?"

"Yes. I had a couple of nice outfits from my rich alter ego. They arrived with my things you shipped from my quarters on The Sentinel," she replied with a wide, Hetlia-esque, smile.

"Excellent. Well, I'll be back shortly," he said as he turned for the door.

"Wait, Sir. May I ask a question before you go?" Gara asked.

Tetrault stopped and turned. "I can't promise an answer but go ahead."

"I was curious why you stunned Wedge. Is he alright?" Gara asked sheepishly, hoping that the question didn't overstep her bounds.

"He is fine. We needed to subdue him so that my associate could alter his memory a bit. I assure you he is fine and will remember nothing of the incident." He looked at her trying to gauge her reaction, but could discern nothing. "Does that put you mind at ease?" Tetrault asked.

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Gara smiled weakly. Tetrault turned to leave and she watched him go. Shrugging, she turned to begin getting ready.

Her head was still spinning in circles trying to comprehend what was happening. If she took everything that had been told to her as truth, it would seem that her luck might have changed for the better. However, experience had told her two things: not to trust anyone and more importantly that she never had good luck.

'Well," she thought herself as she began to get ready for dinner. 'I'm quite willing to play along for the moment.'

Gara shed her clothes from her bed to the refresher and turned on the water just before stepping into the shower. Despite the hot water cascading over her, she still felt quite stressed. She allowed herself the luxury of extra time beneath the steaming spray, using it to help regain her calm.

Gara had selected a loose, flowing white satin dress for the evening's festivities. Since it was still summer on Coruscant, the color fit with the season and its style should make sure she wasn't too warm. She finished by styling her blonde hair in a loose bun on top of her head and applying light make-up. She had just retrieved a small handbag from her closet when the buzzer signaled that someone was at the door. She opened it to see Colonel Tetrault standing there dressed in a very nice black tunic and pants. He cleaned up rather nicely, she thought as she raked her gaze over him.

Next to him was a unfamiliar woman with auburn hair. She was dressed in a slinky, form fitting black silk dress and wore her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. She also wore a flowing sash wrapped around her waist. Her gown had a sleeve and shoulder on the left side, but left her right shoulder and arm were bare. She carried a small hold-out blaster in a holster and a comlink in her right hand.

Gerrard Tetrault gestured towards the young woman. "This is your new associate Katja Reinerk. She is also a member of Alpha Blue and holds the rank of Captain in the New Republic Armed Forces."

Katja smiled warmly at Gara, a slight look of mischief flashing through her eyes. "Nice to meet you, Gara," she said, handing Gara the blaster and comlink. "These are for you."

Gara took them as Gerrard absently motioned towards the blaster. "It's against regulations for any member of Alpha Blue to go out unarmed."

Gara nodded. For what felt like the thousandth time that night, Tetrault had surprised her. Before she even realized what she was saying she blurted out, "Aren't you a little concerned about giving me a weapon? Especially since you are not sure if you can trust me yet."

Gerrard shrugged. "I think we can trust you, or you wouldn't have gotten this far. However, if I am wrong and you do decide to try something, the blaster we handed you won't help you one bit."

Gara raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. "I see…"

Gerrard smiled. "Don't get me wrong. If it were just you and I, that blaster would help you greatly. However, with her here," he said gesturing to Katja, "you wouldn't be able to do anything."

Katja smiled at Gerrard provocatively. "Oh, isn't that sweet?" She said, with sickly sweet sarcasm. She turned to Gara. "He's exaggerating, always such the flatterer," she said, as she daintily laid her left hand on Gerrard's shoulder as she laid her right hand over her heart in a gesture of mock humility.

Gerrard shook his head at Katja with a playful sigh before turning back to Gara. "Nevertheless, we will be discussing lots of things very frankly this evening. Once we get to our table at the restaurant, it will be safe to speak. Your persona will not be necessary. Just be you."

Gara nodded. "Well, I am ready when you are," she said as she strapped the blaster to her left thigh. She caught Colonel Teltrault looking at her as she hiked up her skirt and smiled inwardly. She adjusted the blaster so it was perfectly concealed under her dress.

"Done that before, huh?" Katja chuckled and nodded approvingly.

"Yeah, I guess I have." Gara quickly changed her demeanor and smiled brightly. She spun around playfully showing off her dress as it swirled about her. "How do I look?"

Both Gerrard and Katja nodded in approval. Katja's eyes seemed to linger on her longer than Gerrard's. Katja looked Gara straight in the eye and winked. Gara blushed just a bit but quickly recovered. 'What was that about?' she wondered. Coming to no immediate conclusion she turned to Gerrard. "Ready, Colonel?"

He nodded. "Follow me."

The three officers started to walk down to the lift, then through the labyrinth of halls leading to the steps of the Imperial Palace. Gara followed as the two turned onto one of the catwalks leading away from the palace. "It is a short walk to our restaurant. I figured a bit of night air would be nice after being cooped up."

"Seemed you plotted that course correctly, Colonel," Gara replied taking a deep breath and enjoyed being out of the Palace.

Katja handed her a small pouch. "Here is your ID and other documentation you'll need if you get separated from us and can't reach us via comlink…" she began, explaining the rest of the procedures in the event they were separated, including directions to follow and comlink frequencies to try. She also told her where the nearest Alpha Blue safehouse was.

Gara took the pouch, acknowledging her with a nod. She made every effort to memorize the information given to her. Too many people had been killed in the Intelligence Community because of forgetting the tiniest details. Gara had never been one to forget such things in her time with the Empire and she had no intention of taking up that habit now.

The three walked at a leisurely pace in the direction of the restaurant. The outfits the women wore did not lend themselves to quick travel. After about a half an hour, they arrived at their destination. Gara had enjoyed the walk, allowing herself to relax slightly and take in a few sites she had not seen in quite a few years.

As they got to the entrance Gara looked up at the building. The structures was a pretty straightforward, a very conservative design, looking like any other corporate building in the area. However, when her gaze rose to the top, she saw a tall crystal spire. The three entered the building and walked over to the lift, which they rode to the top of the building. The doors opened to reveal the beautiful crystal spire with many different levels ascending more than forty meters above them.

While they were waiting for the maitre-de to come over to seat them, Gara looked around the anteroom. The pictures and their subtitles described how the restaurant had been built on top of this building after the top ten floors were sheered off when the Lusankya blasted her way off Coruscant during the New Republic's claiming of the planet from the Empire.

After a moment the maitre-de came up and escorted them up the crystal stairs leading towards the top of the spire. They ascended all the way to the top floor at the very tip of the spire. There was a single table positioned in the center of a small room and the view was breathtaking. She looked out through the crystal to gaze out over the city, as the three took their seats.

There was no conversation for the first few minutes at the table. First, they decided what to eat then sat back, admiring the beautiful view. When their drinks arrived, the conversation began. Gara looked back to the table and glanced between Gerrard and Katja. "So, would either of you mind clueing me into what is going on? Frankly, I have been in the intelligence business for quite some time and this is the weirdest operation I have ever seen."

Gerrard cracked a smile and Katja chuckled lightly. Gerrard spoke. "And you will continue to find this the strangest operation you have been apart of."

Katja laughed as she muttered under her breath, "Ain't that the truth."

"Admiral Drayson was totally honest in the briefing as far as our mission and goals. However, he didn't tell you the make up of the team," Gerrard said. "The team is made up of five people. Three of them have been trained in the ways of the Force. Two of them have not."

"You and I are the two non-Force adepts?" Gara asked Tetrault, remembering his comments about the blaster and Katja's merits when they were getting ready to leave her quarters.

"Correct," Katja confirmed.

`Well, at least that one wasn't too much of a surprise. After Mara aided in my rescue, and then meeting Cheriss and Katja…' Gara though to herself.

Gerrard continued, "We each have a variety of abilities and qualities that will allow us to complete a multitude of different missions. However, all of us do share some skills and background experience. All of us were trained by the New Republic or Imperial military. All of us are combat proficient…"

"Some of us more proficient than others," Katja interrupted with a soft nudge of the elbow to Gerrard.

Gerrard continued without paying Katja any heed. "…and all of us are trained pilots concentrating in snub fighters and light freighters."

Gara nodded. "I see. So, what possible support could I offer a roaming band of militant Jedi?"

Gerrard smiled. "First, your unbridled optimism. Second, you have experience and knowledge that none of us have. You are a trained Intelligence Officer. You can give us some insight into the Remnant's activities as well as acting in the normal function of an NRI Analyst."

Katja leaned close to her. "Plus, being a beautiful woman, you have abilities that will allow you to work discretely in our more political missions," she said with a playful look.

Gara gave her a questioning look, but Katja only smiled in response offering no further explanation. Gara's unspoken question died on her lips as Gerrard spoke to her. "Well, what do you think?"

Gara shrugged. "It sounds pretty good to me so far. I'm sure I can handle the intelligence function you wish me to fill. I'm also a fair hand as a pilot and I'm used to toting around a blaster. Sounds like just the job for me."

Both Gerrard and Katja smiled. "I am glad to hear you say that," Gerrard said.

"I'm sure you'll fit in fine with us," Katja added.

"I do have one question," Gara said, drawing their attention back to her. "How is Mara Jade involved in all of this?"

Katja looked at Gerrard. "I'll field this one," Katja told him before turning back to Gara to address her. "I assume that because you worked for the Empire you are familiar with Mara Jade and maybe even a few others of the Emperor's Hands."

Gara looked at her and simply nodded. She actually only knew about Mara Jade's past from the news reels and such. She had no knowledge of her from her Imperial days and she knew nothing of other Hands. But, she didn't want to admit that.

"Mara is not…" Katja stopped suddenly turning her head to look around the room. She slowly stood to a crouching position. Tetrault also stood and reached into his jacket where Gara assumed he had a blaster hidden.

"What is it?" Gara asked. Before anyone could answer she heard the sounds of running footsteps coming up the stairs. She quickly spun out of her chair, drawing her blaster as she did. She saw five men crest the stairs and enter the small room, they all had blasters drawn.

Katja stood there without even a blaster in hand facing the men. "Now's your chance, boys. If you leave now, you'll get to live a little longer." She flashed a wicked grin at them while narrowing her eyes. Gara could almost feel the white hot energy she seemed to be exuding from every fiber in her being.

The men looked at her and glanced at each other. The man at the front, a scruffy looking ruffian in a brown tunic and black slacks pointed his blaster rifle at her. "Lady, last time I checked, you didn't have a blaster so I don't see you being in any position to do issue orders."

In a flash of movement, she drew a cylinder from a holster attached to her left thigh. With the distinctive snaphiss of a lightsaber, a red blade flashed into existence just as the man fired. She quickly intercepted the incoming bolt with the blade and deflected it away from her body. Then the world seemed to explode with blaster fire.

Tetrault quickly flipped over the table, which he and Gara dove for cover behind, spraying a few shots at their attackers on the way. They rose up and started to fire behind the thin cover offered by the overturned table. Luckily, for them, their attackers had even less to hide behind.

Katja swung her lightsaber in quick arcs not only blocking shots meant for her, but also protecting Gara and Gerrard. The first of their enemies fell to a blaster bolt from Gara that hit him square in the chest sending him somersaulting down the stairs.

Katja spun her blade around in a wide arch connecting with an incoming blaster bolt meant for Gara. The bolt flashed off the blade and slammed into the neck of the man who fired it. He flipped back, crashing into the man behind him, who also went down as a quick shot from Gerrard slammed into his forehead.

Quickly, Gara flipped the selector on her weapon to stun and fired two more quick shots into the man who lead the charge up the stairs. His body went limp and crashed to the floor. As he did, Katja extended her left hand. A look of fierce concentration shaped her face as blue arcs of lightning emerged from her hand. They impacted the last man's chest, leaving small smoldering spots on his tunic. His muscles tightened as he screamed. He dropped his blaster and fell to the floor. He convulsed on the ground as another arc slammed into his body.

Gerrard quickly stood and walked over to the stunned man. Gara covered the door with her blaster waiting to see if for more people would approach. Gerrard stood over the unconscious body of the man looking intently into his face. He quickly raised his blaster and fired two shots into his head. The body flopped once, then lay still.

Gara was shocked, but said nothing. She watched as Katja disengaged her lightsaber and tucked it back in her thigh holster. Katja reached out with her right hand and the smoking form of the assailant she had stuck by lightning rose into the air. He floated into the air, mocking a standing position, about a meter off the ground. Katja turned towards Tetrault and asked, "What do you want me to do with him?"

Tetrault just looked over at her and without a word, he conveyed his wishes to the female Jedi. She grinned devilishly and the man's eyes widened in fear. She closed her open hand into a tight fist. The man began to gasp for air. "Tell Guffris we said hello," she said as a few cracks and pops sounded from the man's neck. Gara stood in shock. Katja quickly threw her arm in the direction of the window and the man's body sailed towards the crystal.

The limp body slammed into it with incredible force shattering the window and continuing into the night beyond. Gerrard was already on his comlink as Gara walked towards the shattered window. She looked out just as the man disappeared from sight into the darkness about fifty meters below. Tetrault's voice shook her from her daze. "Set blasters to stun and hit anyone who comes up those stairs."

Gara nodded as she looked down and saw her blaster still set that way. The three stood for a few anxious moments with Gara and Gerrard having their blasters trained on the door. Gara's mind raced with what she had just seen from Katja and Gerrard. She had experienced the cold-blooded efficiency in her days with in the Empire's service however, she had never seen that side of NRI operatives. `Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same,' Gara thought to herself.

The whine of repulsor engines shook Gara from her thoughts as a small freight shuttle appeared and hovered near the broken window. The door on the side opened and a ramp extended in through the hole. Gerrard motioned Gara inside and followed her aboard with Katja quickly following behind.

They all took seats in the small passenger compartment as the freighter dropped and accelerated away from the restaurant. Gerrard turned to Gara a few seconds later. "So, I believe that we were discussing Mara Jade when we were so rudely interrupted…"

* * * *

Cheriss sat in her room in the depths of the Imperial Palace. Her room was quite nice, but it lacked decoration. Once she had unpacked a few things at which point, it started to feel a little more like home. She was used to living in sparse surroundings having spent so much time on Yavin IV. However, there was part of her that missed some of the more lavish settings she had called home on Adumar. The more she thought about it; the more she knew she could use a livelier place to live. She planned to explore some of shops and bazaars on Coruscant at her first opportunity.

About two hours after the briefing, she received a message over the comlink from Admiral Drayson. He had informed her that in about two hours he would send someone to escort her to her next briefing. He did not tell her much about the meeting except that it would be a casual dinner briefing done by another team member.

She had showered and donned a black flight suit like the one she had worn when she was with the Wraiths. She spent the next couple of hours pacing, thinking, reading the data pad from the briefing, and trying to catch up on current news events. She had just finished reading about an ambassadorial visit by the Yevethans, when her door buzzer sounded.

She stood up walked over the entryway to her quarters. She opened it to find a woman standing there. She had obviously color altered black hair, which was wavy and hung down over her shoulders. She had a pale skin tone, which was only amplified by her unnaturally dark hair. Her body was tightly muscled, but not very broad or tall, adorned in black combat pants and tank top. She wore a lightsaber and a blaster off her belt. She stood with her right hand on her hip and her leg cocked at an angle. Cheriss looked into her eyes and saw something familiar. They were a beautiful deep green and showed a great degree of emotion and power. Cheriss recognized something in them, but couldn't quite place it.

The woman extended her hand. "Welcome to the team. I am Myrlynda."

Cheriss took her hand and shook it quickly and firmly. "Thank you. I am Flight Officer Cheriss Ke Handi." Cheriss could not stop herself as she gestured to the lightsaber, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Pardon me for asking, but are you a Jedi?"

Myrlynda smiled pleasantly, seeming unfazed by the question. "I have trained in the ways of the Force for quite sometime. Since I was a child."

"Have you trained at Master Skywalker's Academy?" Cheriss asked.

"I haven't had a chance to make it out there as of yet. But maybe someday." Myrlynda motioned with her head over her shoulder. "Well, no need to talk with me standing in the door all night."

"Most certainly. Where is there a tapcaf for us to go to? I'm starved," Cheriss said walking out the door.

"Wait," Myrlynda said placing her arm across the doorway to halt Cheriss' exit from the room. "It's regulation that every Alpha Blue member be armed at anytime they are out of the base. However, it is recommended they be armed at all times. I'm sure you are ready to stretch your legs a bit and I planned to show you around the area of the palace."

Cheriss hadn't been used to living in an armed environment over the past couple of years so she was a bit taken aback by the idea. "Ummm… ok. One moment," she said, ducking back inside her quarters. She opened the chest at the foot of her bed and took out a utility belt with pouches and holster. She took her blaster out of the chest and slid it into her holster before hanging her lightsaber from its hook. She turned and exited the room.

"Much better," Myrlynda said as she led Cheriss through a series of twists and turns. After a few minutes of traveling, it became apparent to Cheriss they had entered a different part of the palace. They came around a corner to see a dimly lit tapcaf. `There aren't many people in here,' Cheriss observed as Myrlynda led the two to a table in the far back corner. They both sat down and looked at their menus, deciding on their meals in silence.

A waiter droid came over and took their orders and delivered drinks. Cheriss had ordered an Ithorian vegetarian dish and Myrlynda had ordered a spicy Mon Calamari specialty. Finally, Myrlynda broke the silence. "Well, I should probably give you some more information."

Cheriss nodded. "I would appreciate that. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about what I have heard up until this point."

"Well, I am sure that you'll be even a bit more confused after we speak. But, I'm sure that you will begin to see more clearly over the next few days as you think about it." Myrlynda said. She leaned in closer to Cheriss. "My full name is Myrlynda Jade."

Cheriss' mouth fell open just a bit. `Mara Jade, that is where I recognized those eyes.' she thought. Luke had told Cheriss a little about Mara in her time at the Academy. The topic of Mara Jade had come up when she had come to visit Luke and Corran. Luke had told Cheriss about how Mara used to serve the Empire and that Mara had once been not too friendly towards the New Republic, but she had since changed her mind.

"From your expression I can tell you have heard of the infamous Mara Jade." Myrlynda frowned.

"Yes and I met her once, briefly." Cheriss nodded. Just then the food arrived and the serving droid set the plates in front of them. Myrlynda dismissed the droid and both ladies began to eat their meals.

Myrlynda took a few bites of her meal and looked over to Cheriss. "Well, let me tell you a little bit about Mara…" For the next hour Myrlynda told Cheriss about Mara's service to Palpatine as the Emperor's Hand. She told her about Mara's attempt to murder Luke Skywalker. She also touched on some other missions Mara had undertaken in service to the Emperor while Cheriss sat in stunned silence.

The more Cheriss heard, the less she could believe. `Why would Luke still deal with this woman after she had wanted to kill him? Let alone, become friends with her. I wonder if Corran knows,' Cheriss thought as her head spun with these revelations.

Myrlynda sighed. "I know what I have told you is hard to believe and I can sense the confusion emanating from you. However, what I'm about to tell you will be even more difficult for you to hear as it goes against everything you have been taught on Yavin."

Cheriss managed to nod although even as a shudder ran up her spine at the thought. She knew that the Dark Side could sneak up from any direction. The fact that she didn't really know this woman at all or even have the slightest idea if any of her claims thus far could be true, made the situation much more dangerous.

"When Emperor Palpatine trained Mara, he used a twisted idea of a concept created by a Jedi Master from the era of the Great Hyperspace Wars named Jynnthias Hootakk. Palpatine stole this man's idea and rearranged it to fit his personal motives to train those who would become the Emperor's Hands." Myrlynda stated.

Myrlynda paused for any questions and when she received none, she continued. "All of the Emperor's Hands were trained using this subverted doctrine. Mara's Force powers were not of the Dark Side and this is why that Luke Skywalker was quite confused about her. Mara was trained this way from a very young age, even though she was unaware of the doctrine behind the training the Emperor gave her."

"I'm a bit lost, I must admit. How do you know about this?" Cheriss asked sheepishly.

Myrlynda chuckled softly at Cheriss' question. "I am Myrlynda Jade, Mara's younger sister. The Emperor also took me from our family at the same time he took Mara. I was also trained as one of the Emperor's Hands. I watched Mara from afar at the order of the Emperor and learned all I could from her from her. But to the best of my knowledge, she's still is not even aware that I am even alive."

Cheriss nodded. "Why haven't you contacted her?"

"Mara has chosen her path. Right now, it is best for both of us if we don't meet and she doesn't know about me." Myrlynda said with a hint of a sullen tone. Both looked down at their near empty plates.

Cheriss voiced their simultaneous thought, "Perhaps we should go for that walk now." The two women got up and moved to the door. Myrlynda nodded to the droid on the way out. The two walked in silence to the freight lift that originally brought her into the Alpha Blue area.

Myrlynda led the two into the lift. As the doors closed, Myrlynda said, "Authorization Jade, Alpha-two-two-Theta." As she finished speaking a hidden control panel popped out of a space under the main controls. She took a card from her breast pocket and slid it into the slot below the keypad. She quickly imputed a code and the lift began to move upward.

After a few moments it stopped and the doors opened. Cheriss followed Myrlynda through a different set of twisting corridors until they exited the Palace into a large garden. The garden was deserted and they began walking at a leisurely pace. Once they had traveled about a fifty meters from the door Myrlynda began to speak again.

"This is a sanctuary for senior officers and Intel types. It is swept for listening devices daily, so you can speak freely here. Just be careful of whom you are speaking to, and who might be around." Myrlynda said.

"Ok," Cheriss responded casually glancing around.

"The concept that Master Jynnthias had was for a Jedi to walk what could be a potentially dangerous path. Because of the potential danger, he did not share his ideas with too many people. It is believed that he took only two students as apprentices to instruct in the Grey Way," Myrlynda said.

"I have never heard of such a thing," Cheriss said.

Myrlynda nodded as a smug smile formed. "I'm not surprised. I believe that I possess the only surviving records of Master Jynnthias' philosophy, which I found soon after Palpatine's death. There has only been one other person that I have shown them to. She is also a member of Alpha Blue, part of your new team."

The two women approached a bench at sat. Cheriss lost track of time as Myrlynda explained the concept behind the Grey Way. It was fairly simple; a Jedi could use both sides of the Force to achieve the desired effect. Both sides of the Force were but tools for different jobs. However, unlike pure Dark Side Adepts, Grey Adepts would not allow the Dark Side to take over. The Light would heal the wounds the Dark Side could inflict. For every expenditure of Dark Side energy a period of healing would need to take place. If not, the Jedi could fall to the Dark Side.

Cheriss listened intently to what her fellow Jedi had to say. However, she wasn't quite sure she was buying into it until Myrlynda's words struck home. "There is a time for patient reflection and cautious action. Then there is a time for passionate, furious action. We have the ability to do both and not succumb fully to either side."

Myrlynda's words were exactly what Cheriss needed to hear. She had missed the reckless fury that she used in times of need when she fought blastsword duels on Adumar. She had yearned for it when she fought the Sith woman on Tentrill III. Perhaps she had finally found her place.

Myrlynda smiled as she sensed the younger woman's emotions, "Welcome home Cheriss, I am sure you'll love it here."

Continued in Part Three