She looked over at the man a pace away from herself. He bowed his head and closed his eyes, uttering something sad.

She felt very awkward, and couldn't take the atmosphere. It was probably best that she gave them some peace anyways. The Padawan suddenly stood up. I'll go now, the sent to them. And before any of them could respond, she had turned on her heel and began walking away from the Pavillion in as remote a direction she could find.

Adai Seth trod along a path that led her down a gently sloping decline and wove through ferns and giant tree trunks. Eventually she found herself standing on a white bridge that spanned the length of a large water hole. After absentmindedly gazing through the dark clear water of the lake, she sank down to the floor of the bridge and put her back to the railing. And sighed.

She began going through her utility belt, counting her food capsules, checking the contents of her pockets. But in the very back pouch she found something that made her more excited than anything else so far: a comlink. Adai couldn't help but grin as she held the piece of cold metal in her hand. She had never been so happy to see something that she had always taken advantage of. After glancing around to make sure she was alone, the Padawan pressed a small button on the side and spoke.

"R4. Can you hear me R4?"

She let go of the button and waited for a reply. A few seconds later she heard static and white noise, and then a familiar series of beeps. Adai gave a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank the Force, R4! I'm so sorry I haven't come back yet. I've been captured, sort of, and I don't know if they'll let me go."

All she heard in reply was more static.

"R4?"

Nothing.

"R4? Come in R4!"

Again, nothing.

Adai closed her eyes and gave a sigh of frustration, letting her head hit the side of the bridge. She stuffed the comlink back into her belt. It seemed like a long while that she sat there in the quiet, her boiling blood beginning to cool down as she listened to the birds. Would she ever be able to return to Coruscant now? She didn't even feel like thinking about it.

But suddenly she was wet. The padawan felt the back of her head and noticed that it was water; and upon turning around she saw a boy in the lake below. What was that for?

He called up to her, treading water.

Adai just pointed to her ear and made an exaggerated shrug.

The young man's brows knitted and he spoke again, this time in a completely different language. "Lle rangwa amin?"

The girl shook her head and stood up. She sent him the same message just as she had been sending everyone else. He looked at her with amazement, then smiled suddenly, and closed his eyes. Adai wondered what he was doing, when suddenly a thought hit her. Literally.

Can you understand me now?

Adai Seth gasped in astonishment. How... who... what in the Force just happened? He was no Jedi, or even a Jedi-in-training, and he could use the Force to send messages like that? The padawan was almost ecstatic. She ran down the other side of the short bridge and around to the bank of the lake, where he met her in the water.

How do you do that? she asked, kneeling on the grass.

It is a gift of our kind.

Your kind?

The Eldar, he sent. But you are not one of the Elves. How is it that you can do this also?

I have been trained in the ways of an ancient order by men and women called the Jedi.

The Jedi... I have not heard of it. Would you tell me more?

Adai smiled. Certainly.

She thought it so strange to carry on a mental conversation like that. The two just looked at each other the entire time, their mouths unmoving. Passerby would've thought the two were engaged in a staring contest.

After a few minutes of explaining what the Jedi order was and thinking up a few images for him to see, he seemed intrigued. Captivated by the explanation of the Order. She had to leave much of it out, she felt, especially the technology aspect. When he asked where this order was, she was forced to answer "far away".

Come swim with me, he thought, grinning. The water is warm.

Swim?

Yes! Why... you do not know how?

Adai shook her head. Of course she knew how. The temple and academy had many pools, and it was mandatary for every Padawan to master the skill before the age of ten. I can't go swim in my clothes, she thought, and he laughed.

Of course you can. That is what I have done. The boy gestured to his breeches submerged in water.

Adai looked down at herself, and her Jedi robes. Her hand felt up the fabric of her sleeves, up, until they reached a thin braid behind her ear. She knew there was another one behind the other ear. Oh, alright. Adai removed her belt and shoes, then her outer and inner tunic, until her undershirt and pants were left. Then slowly, she crept to the water's edge and poked her toe in. He was right: it was very warm. Standing up, she then stepped into the lake and waded in, until her feet could no longer touch the bottom. It was probably six feet at it's deepest point, but the water was amazingly clear and she could see everything. The boy tread in front of her with his legs, hardly using his arms, and laughed again. With a deep inhale, he dove under and began to swim down the length of the lake.

"Hey!" The Padawan called out in her native tongue, before taking a deep breath and following suit.