~*~

Bright lights. Dark men. Screaming that wouldn't stop. Smoke and fire, children crying as worlds collapsed. Lightsabres clashing together, men in black. Women in black. Children crying in the smoke. Fire.

Kyria pulled herself out of the dream with trained practice, stilling her heartrate and breathing with a thought. Trembling fingers reached out to flip the lightswitch above her head, flooding her small room with subtle light.

With a groan Kyria reached for the bedside table, nabbing the compad sitting there and flipping it on. A quick look at the date and time, and she was typing, recording every nuance and detail of the dream that she could.

Another button clicked and the report was sent to the Council, where they would go over the details and try to decide what decision had been made that had triggered Kyria's Gift.

As soon as the report was off Kyria rose, clutching her robe tightly around her as she padded towards her small sitting room. Lights came up as she waved a hand in the general direction of the lightswitch, and even though it hurt her eyes, Kyria reveled in the brightness.

Another dream. Someone, somewhere, had made a decision that was going to affect the whole galaxy, and Kyria had just seen the results. It happened once or twice a week--more if she was in close contact with someone powerful--and usually left her with little desire to sleep for the rest of the night.

A blessing, and a curse, this gift. Kyria had the satisfaction of knowing that she, personally, had prevented countless wars, stopped hundreds of blunders, and saved thousands of lives. Her dreams and visions were the reason so many horrible paths into the future had been averted--

--and the only price was a little trouble sleeping and neglect to her training. As a Jedi, Kyria knew well that it should be an easy trade--that sacrificing her peace of mind was nothing when faced with the ultimate good. And yet--she still felt self-pity, which in turn brought guilt.

Was it so wrong to want a little peace?

Once again Kyria's mind drifted to the letter she had recieved a few days prior, and the request that had been given to her. Yet another taxing demand on her strenght, another Jedi who needed her Gift to ascertain that every decision he made was correct. When in a direct link with someone, Kyria could travel the paths of the future for every decision they made. It was a course rarely taken, for it took complete trust on the part of the subject--and few people could truly feel comfortable linked with the mind that saw so much.

And yet--one man had written her. Had asked to be allowed her presence on his mission, had asked if she would make the ultimate sacrifice and link with him to help him succeed. He had offered protection and care in return, had offered her anything she needed.

She wanted to say no--but this mission was different. Important. This mission was one that could determine the fate of the galaxy--

--but she'd have to leave the safety of the Temple to persue it.

Slipping to the ground, Kyria sank into meditation.

~~~~~~~~~

"Care not, that the decision the best available was," Yoda snapped, glaring at the miniture holo in front of him. Qui-Gon stood passivly, trying to ignore his former Master's rage. "Avert it you must! Most important mission in galaxy, this is! Fail it must not."

"With all due respect, Master Yoda," the holo replied, "I can't just reverse decisions with no alternative and no concrete proof." The figure turned so that he was facing Qui-Gon, and the Jedi Master saw entreaty in those familiar green eyes. "Master, surly you understand this. This is an army of the Republic, not of the Temple. Maybe it's good enough for Jedi, but I doubt my officers will respond very well to vauge mutterings of doom. I need something solid."

"Obi-Wan, Kyria Ti-Mani had a vision. She has been having them since she was five years old, and in twenty-two years, she has not once been wrong. I would not council going against a premonition from her."

"I have done my research on Master Ti-Mani, and am not denying that her vision was true. However, we don't know that the dream involved my decision," Obi-Wan protested, his stance altering visibly into one of defiance. Qui-Gon frowned slightly at that--his apprentice had stopped wearing his Jedi robe and uniform months ago, his lightsabre the only visible sign of his affiliation with the Jedi Temple. It seemed almost as if Obi-Wan's perception had shifted--surely two years ago he would never have questioned the command of Master Yoda. In the last two years his Padawan had been commanding in the field, he had changed.

"Obey us, you will," Yoda stated firmly, long fingers clenching around his gimmer stick. Qui-Gon could sense the tension in his former Master, and grieved for a few moments that it had been put there by his Padawan.

Not his Padawan any more, though. Eight years a Knight and three years a General--Obi-Wan was certainly his own man. He'd gone far beyond the Temple, and was probably the best known Knight in the order now.

The holo of Obi-Wan bowed slightly. "I will obey you for now, on one condition." Qui-Gon winced as Yoda's entire body stiffened--/no one/ issued ultimatums to Yoda. "You will send Kyria Ti-Mani out to my ship."

"Impossible!" Yoda snapped at the same time as Qui-Gon exclaimed, "Padawan, she is not battle trained!"

Obi-Wan held up a hand. "As I said, I have done my reasearch on Master Ti-Mani. I know that her training to Knighthood consisted of meditation and mind control rather than physcial skills and warrior training." Putting his hand down, Obi-Wan continued in a somewhat more modified voice. "However, she has had lightsabre training and combat training--and she would not be without bodyguards on a military ship."

"Too precious, her gift is. Safe in the Temple she must be." Yoda was almost trembling with some emotion that Qui-Gon couldn't recognize, and Qui-Gon willed a little caution into Obi-Wan. Angering Yoda would get him nowhere--except recalled to the Temple.

"Again, with respect, Master Yoda, she will be safe on my ship." Inclining his head towards Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan said softly, "As you may well know, my training was excellent and my teacher superb. I believe I could easily provide the necessary protection."

Ignoring Obi-Wan's compliment, Qui-Gon drew his eyebrows together. "The question is, Obi-Wan, what is it that she must be on your ship to do that she can not do here?"

"Link with me. You have said that this is one of the most important missions in the galaxy. With her in a link, I could succeed." Obi-Wan stood with his arms crossed, awaiting the explosion.

It never came.

"Not enjoy linking, does Master Ti-Mani," Yoda said finally, his eyes narrowed. "See the benefits, I do. But order her out of the Temple I will not. Her decision it must be."

"I have already put in a request with Master Ti-Mani," Obi-Wan replied, surprise at Yoda's easy aquiesence obvious. "She has told me that she will think about my offer."

"Confer with the Council I must," Yoda said sullenly, his voice low. "Enough, this is, General Kenobi. Contact you tommorrow, I will."

Qui-Gon blinked as Yoda ended the transmission abruptly, turning his back to Qui-Gon and moving away. "Master?" Qui-Gon asked softly, hesitent to follow.

"Lose her, we could," Yoda responded softly. "Go, she will. It has already been seen."

"Who has seen this?" Qui-Gon asked, moving to kneel in front of Yoda. "What do you mean?"

Yoda sighed. "Twenty-five years ago, was Kyria brought to the Temple. A frightened baby she was, for visions she already had." Yoda met his former Padawan's eyes, his face sad. "A kind boy, your Padawan was. Comforted the little ones, although only five himself he was.

"Woke half of the Temple with a nightmare, did Kyria. Went to her side, Obi-Wan did. Touched her head . . ." Yoda trailed off.

"What happened?" Qui-Gon prompted.

"Show you, I will," Yoda said softly.

And then Qui-Gon was in the dream. He felt the terror of a tiny girl echoing through the Temple. Felt the warm, small hand that must have been his Padawan's settling onto the small forehead.

Felt the jolt in the Force as everyone who had ever had contact with Kyria was caught in the grips of a powerful vision.

A man who looked like his Padawan stood on a bridge, fingers resting lightly on the shoulders of a woman who Qui-Gon only vaugely recognized. Her face was stretched out into a mask of agony as she clutched the arms of the chair she was sitting in.

He could see his Padawan's lips moving as the man kneeled in front of the woman, hands gripping her face.

She snarled, tearing his hands away from her and pushing him away. The man who was Obi-Wan struggled in the corner, obviously being restraind by some kind of Force Bonds. His lips moved again as wide, horrified eyes watched the young woman collpase to her knees, fingers digging into the deck as her face contorted again.

And then Obi-Wan was free as the body fell limply to the ground, face pale and slack.

Qui-Gon was torn from the image abruptly, found himself bent over and gasping.

"Why has this never been brought to my attention?" he asked the moment he had caught his breath. "He was my Padawan--visions of his future should have been told to me!"

Yoda was calm in the face of Qui-Gon's fury. "Not necessary to know, was it. Kept away were the two after that. Kyria and Obi-Wan, apart have they always been."

"Does she know?" Qui-Gon asked softly.

"She will be shown tomorrow," Yoda said, every line in his body dismissal.

Qui-Gon bowed, moving towards the door. "Good night, Master."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~