The Old Republic

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele was listening closely to her companion as he explained his elaborate lie. How the Jedi were falling for it she had no idea... She was certain this was a trap. Surely they were feigning ignorance to lure them into a false sense of security?
She stumbled up the steps towards the temple, hearing their footfalls on the polished stone. As they went through the large doors she heard more voices around her, most of them whispering anxiously.
She could feel the eyes following them as they crossed the main foyer and off to a side hall where the medical bay was.

She immediately heard the familiar clanking of a droid, and a tinny voice toned calm, low and male, greeted them.
"You have visited my medical facility too many times this week, Master Kraross," it said.

The troopers carrying Aele took her immediately over to a medical table, laying her out on it.

[Renegade]

Kalen sat on a medical bed, as a medical droid scanned him. "Minor burns, but no other internal damage except for a fractured rib."[/i]
"We had been monitoring that base," said Kraross. Kalen's heart sank into his tomach, if they were monitoring the base than they might know. "We knew it was there, but could not see inside."
Relief washed over him. He looked over at Aele who was being scanned as well, and a few other droids were getting medical supplies ready to treat her wound.
"Do either of you have any idea what they were doing in there?" the Knight asked.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele remained silent at first, not sure she wanted to say anything at all, but then her expression seemed to shift. She owed no loyalty to anyone who would stab her in the back and leave her to die like that. For weeks she had been wondering if there was a better life for her somewhere in the galaxy, now here it was waiting for her to just reach out and grab it. She wouldn't endanger Kalen to get there, though.
"Digging," she wheezed. "They were looking for something."

[Renegade]

Kalen looked at Aele with confusion and a flicker of contempt. What was she doing? They may have been betrayed by a couple of them, but at the end of the day, they were still their only family. But Kalen still felt more or less the same as she did. "Artefacts, I think."

[Tifa Lockhart]

The Jedi Knight quirked an eyebrow at that, deep green eyes flicking between the two of them.
"Now what would they want with force artifacts?" he mused, scratching his chin. Then his gaze lifted again, glancing sidelong at Kalen.

'They're not fooled...' Aele thought desperately, her veins going cold with fear. 'why do they delay killing us?'

"You two should rest. I must go speak with the grand master," he finally said, breaking the tense silence.

[Renegade]

He waited until they all left and Aele and Kalen were alone. "I don't sense suspicion, only curiosity."
Kalen got up and looked around the med bay. They were defiantly prepared, this little room had meds and adrenals for everything.

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Why are they helping us, regardless?" Aele asked, voice slightly muffled behind the mask that the droid had left on her face to help reoxygenate her mended lungs. "It hardly seems like a smart move of self-preservation."

[Renegade]

"They are Jedi," he said simply. "It's what they do, besides as far as they know we were on our way here to be trained anyway. We can use that as a guise to get back to Thule and warn the council of Kul's treachery."

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Forget the council," Aele snapped, turning her head sideways. She was tired, sore, and emotionally raw. "Hang the pack of treacherous leeches... They don't care if we live or die."
She placed a hand over her freshly treated wound, balling it into a fist.
"How do we even know anything they told us was the truth? Where do the lies end and the truth begin?"

[Renegade]

"It doesn't matter," he snapped. "You may be right, but who is to say we trust these Jedi? Strength is the only truth."

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Is it?" Aele replied, her voice a whisper. "We were strong... We survived... And look where it landed us."
Her voice was twisted with sadness, her jaw clenched tightly.
She could feel the force buckling and moving around her, and it was disorientating.
"Following this path has not made me stronger, Kalen... There is something wrong. Something has been wrong with me since that mission."

[Renegade]

"Exactly, we survived." Before Kalen could say anything more, the med bay doors slipped open, and the Jedi Knight came back in.
"I have spoken to the council, and you two are to be trained," He said smiling. Kalen could sense something other than happiness however, he hid it well though. Was it, anxiety he could sense? Surely not. "We sense that the force is strong with both of you. Grand Master Shan has tasked me with apprenticing, both of you."
"But first, you two must rest. I will send one of the padawan's in soon to show you to your new quarters," he said as he started to walk out. "Your admission will be tomorrow."

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele listened intently as the Jedi returned and revealed that they would indeed be inducted into the order and trained as Jedi. Strangely, she felt her heart warm at the instantaneous acceptance. Maybe this would be the start of something better? She was confused, but if there was one thing she'd been certain of for weeks, it was that she felt somehow sullied by what had happened on their mission... felt as though she needed to atone for it somehow.
As soon as he was gone, she rolled over to face her back towards Kalen

[Renegade]

Kalen waited in silence for the padawan to show up. A young female Twi'Lek, their own age.
"Um. Hi," she seemed to have trouble looking at either of them. " I've been told to take you to your rooms, if you will follow me?"
Kalen, without a word, got up and followed her out.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Aele straightened from where she still lay on the table, removing the oxygen mask and swinging her legs down over the side and gingerly getting to her feet. She moved to follow the Padawan quietly, making no comment. Her senses had sharpened a little more since the pain of her wound had been dealt with. Now she could perceive her surroundings. The hallway outside the medbay was brightly lit with a high ceiling, holographic projectors lined the walls, displaying images of people she assumed must have been important Jedi. They continued up this hall, emerging back into the main foyer they'd been hurried through before. It was almost empty now, save for a few individuals who sat by the walls, meditating silently. It was a very large room with a high, decorated ceiling, and large decagonal structures hung suspended by the force between two encircling staircases the presumably lead to the upper level. She wasn't sure exactly what they were for, but they were beautiful.
In fact, everything she had experienced here thus far had an element of beauty to it.
The padawan led them directly across the foyer to halls on the other side. This hall was lined with rooms, each room doored with sturdy looking metal. The Padawan stopped by one of the doors, entering a security number into a keypad there, which caused the door to slide open, revealing a brightly lit, beautifully furnished living quarters.
"This is your room," she said, gesturing to Kalen.