Hello, long time no see! This has been brewing in the back of my mind for over a year, and I finally got it written down.

Beware of femslash and fluff. Enjoy!

"Move along," a Czerka representative growled, motioning Jen and Bastila forward with his rifle.

Jen rolled her eyes, shutting the large gate behind herself. "This day gets better and better," she complained quietly, glancing over at Bastila. "First, Zaalbar gets taken captive by his own brother, and now we're being ordered around because we can't walk fast enough."

Bastila hummed in response, her eyes scanning the Great Walkway for any danger. Jennifer had told her about the creatures that had attacked her and Zaalbar, and Bastila was not eager to find any more of them.

They made it all the way to the Wookiee village gate without incident, and Jen asked for directions from the gate guard in impressive, yet somehow delicate, Shryiiwook.

"Very nice," Bastila complimented the former Sith as they walked back down the path to their new destination.

Jen stopped and gaped theatrically.

Bastila shifted uncomfortably under the other woman's gaze "... What?" she asked finally, raising an eyebrow.

Jen dropped her silly pose and grinned. "Was that a compliment? From you?"

The brunette cringed a little. "Surely that's not so hard to believe?"

Jennifer's smile widened. "Oh, not really. I just don't think I've ever heard a word of praise from you before in all this time."

Bastila's cheeks heated up. "I'll be sure to stroke your ego more in the future then," she retorted weakly, turning and continuing on their path.

Jen took a few quick steps to catch up to the brunette, nudging her a little with her elbow. "You're blushing."

"I'm doing no such thing!" Bastila knew it was a lie, but didn't want to admit the truth and let herself feel like an embarrassed child, flustered at the teasing.

The taller woman just smiled, opting to say nothing and heading along the walkway.

They meandered along in silence, the wildlife of Kashyyyk filling the background with noise.

As they rounded a corner, they met a group of Mykal flying toward them. The winged beasts posed little threat to the Jedi, and were quickly dispatched with a few well-placed strikes. The battle eased the tension that had arisen between the women, and they exchanged a smile after the last beast shrieked and fell over the edge of the walkway.

"I didn't realize how high up we were," Jen remarked, glancing over the edge of the walkway and shaking her head.

"Really?" Bastila replied, clipping her lightsaber to her belt.

"Yeah. It's gotta be at least a mile down to the Shadowlands." Jennifer tucked her lightsaber away, pulling a hair tie off her wrist and putting her hair up in a quick ponytail.

Bastila made a noise of acknowledgement, keeping away from the edge of the walkway. She despised heights and had visions of herself looking and falling over the edge. The idea of falling terrified her. Bastila's eyes narrowed as Jen continued looking down toward the ground that was far below them, and her visions changed to those of Jen plummeting to her doom. That image disturbed her more than the one before it. "Would you stop that?"

Jen turned and raised her eyebrows. "Stop what?"

The brunette gestured toward the edge of the walkway, stammering out a few sounds before finding words. "Just... stop. Come away from the edge."

A knowing look passed over Jennifer's face and she obliged. A smug little smirk grew on her face as she came to stand at Bastila's side. "Admit it, you do like me." Her face was teasing. "I mean, c'mon, you don't want me to fall."

Bastila sniffed indignantly, turning away before her eyes could give away the truth of Jen's words. "I've no idea what you're talking about. Can we please carry on?"

"Fine," Jen sighed, obviously disappointed that their banter had fallen flat. "This way."

They continued on their path, but were once again interrupted. A large herd of kinrath appeared and squealed loudly, running at the women.

Bastila recoiled at the number of beasts, her lightsaber ignited and in her hand seconds later. She heard Jen's blade come to life and they began defending themselves from the savage creatures.

A particularly large kinrath ran between them, its feeler arm outstretched and searching for blood as it split the Jedi up.

Bastila knew they were both competent fighters and didn't worry about Jen, focused on cutting down the monsters that swarmed after her. She lost ground with every passing moment, beasts lunging at her over and over.

Jen called something out, but Bastila didn't hear it, panicking when she backed into the railing on the edge of the walkway. All she could think about was tumbling over the guard rail, and her defensive movements became less coordinated.

The large kinrath sensed its opening and sprang toward her. The poisonous barbs on the beast's arms tore through Bastila's tunic and into her flesh, the wounds burning as though they were on fire.

Bastila cried out and made an attempt at regaining some ground, only to have the beast jump back against her, pinning her to the railing precariously and knocking her lightsaber out of her hand. It snarled in her face, leaning closer and closer as it shifted their weight. Bastila could feel herself beginning to tip, knowing the kinrath was the only thing keeping her on the platform.

Just as the kinrath began its final attack on the Jedi, Jen's blue blade sliced its head off. The beast fell to the walkway lifelessly, and Bastila let out a cry of terror as she lost her balance.

A split second later, she felt strong arms around her, pulling her close. Bastila flung her arms around Jen's neck to steady herself and opened her eyes to see Jennifer's face inches from her own. There was an intense emotion in the taller woman's eyes, and Bastila found herself breathless at the sight.

They gazed at each other, nothing else existing for a few moments, but then Jen closed the distance and kissed the little brunette tenderly, making Bastila's thoughts go fuzzy.

They broke apart slowly, lingering close together. Neither of them said anything, both drunk on the emotions that had been unleashed. Jen cradled Bastila against herself for a few moments, catching her breath before murmuring, "I got you. You're safe."

Bastila rested her head against Jen's chest, listening to the pounding of the other woman's heart. She realized her own was doing the same, and wasn't sure if it was the near fall she'd had or the kiss that had her pulse pounding. Part of Bastila found it ironic that she'd been so afraid of falling after she'd secretly been falling for Jen. Instead of trying to understand her whirling emotions, Bastila elected to let Jen hold her, feeling wonderfully safe and secure in the other woman's arms.

Jen's fingers found the torn spot on Bastila's tunic and she pulled the brunette away from the edge, sitting her down a few feet away. Bastila watched quietly, entranced by Jen's careful assessment of the wound and vaguely realized she'd been poisoned.

Jennifer dug in her pack and grabbed an antidote injection, shooting the medication into Bastila's shoulder.

Bastila hadn't realized that her veins felt like they were burning until the antidote provided a cooling sensation. Her eyes fluttered shut with relief, and Jen's arms wrapped around her again, holding her up in case she fainted.

A little voice in the back of Bastila's mind reminded her that they were Jedi and she started to say something, but Jen opened her mouth instead.

"I know I give you hell, Bas," Jen breathed, pulling away and gazing into the brunette's eyes sincerely, "but I won't let anything happen to you." Her face softened. "I love you."

Something in Bastila's chest swelled and she curled her fingers into Jen's collar, tugging the other woman in for another gentle kiss. Jen's tongue traced her lower lip and their embrace deepened.

The voice in Bastila's head grew more insistent, and when they broke apart for air, the brunette gasped out, "We're Jedi."

Jennifer paused, her brow furrowing slightly. "And...?"

Bastila closed her eyes, trying not to relish the feeling of Jen's fingertips tracing her jaw. "We can't. This is wrong."

A flash of hurt came through their bond, and Bastila didn't want to open her eyes and see the pain on Jen's face. She gently removed herself from the other woman's embrace, getting to her feet gingerly.

Jen was looking up at her, confusion and hurt on her face. "Huh? I thought... But..."

Bastila shot the woman a pleading look, giving her a little shake of her head. "The Masters say it's wrong. We can't-"

"The hell with the Masters!" Jen cried, getting to her feet and flinging her hands into the air. "They're wrong, they have to be! You can't tell me that didn't feel right, Bastila! You just can't!"

"Can you imagine what they would do if they found out?" Bastila countered shakily, aching inside at the pain she knew she was putting Jen through.

A daring look appeared on the taller woman's face. "So let's not let them find out," she said stubbornly, raising an eyebrow at Bastila as if daring her to argue.

Despite what her training was telling her, Bastila actually stopped and considered it for a moment. There were too many risks, especially with Malak attempting to track their every move and catch them, and the brunette was surprised at the level of her own disappointment. "That would be impossible."

A wry smile appeared on Jen's face, her eyes flashing with sadness. "Nothing's impossible, Bas. We could do it. I love you, and I know you love me, too. We can make this work." She stepped toward the brunette, everything about her body language beseeching Bastila to agree.

As much as she knew she should resist, Bastila found herself unable to, captivated by the woman before her. While it would definitely be too dangerous to have any sort of special relationship during their mission, Bastila's mind filled with images of a life after Malak, one with Jen by her side, and everything in her ached to make that a reality. "Perhaps," she agreed slowly, unable to hide her grin at the other woman's obvious delight. "But not yet."

Jen's brow wrinkled in confusion once more. She opened her mouth to question the meaning of Bastila's words, hushed when the younger woman rested a finger on her lips and smiled.

"Later," Bastila murmured, her grin slightly mischievous at the notion of ignoring the Jedi ideal, despite the idea being terrifying. "After everything else is over. Can you wait that long?"

Jennifer nodded immediately, a brilliant smile stretching across her face.

Bastila returned the nod, her chest tight with excitement. A moment later she found herself enveloped in a crushing hug, lifted off the ground, and spun around as Jen laughed. A giggle escaped her as well, and Jen placed a light kiss on her forehead.

"C'mon," Jen said after setting the brunette down. "Let's go find the Star Map. The sooner we can get them all, the sooner this is over, and between you and me, I can't wait," she finished with a grin.

The brunette smiled, allowing Jen to lead her toward the Shadowlands as they took another step toward whatever the Force had in store for them.