"I am never coming home.  You are on your own now," he answered
firmly.

"Alone with strangers!" Octavia yelled. "Why?"

"I am dead.  I was one of those Jedi that did not survive.  I was a
coward and they took my life...."

"You were never a coward?  What of grandmother Tahl?"

"Oh yes...I was a coward.  Your grandmother was in the wrong place at
the wrong time.  You should pay mind to this lesson, child -- it may
be to your advantage to study some of the dark arts ... they will
help you survive.  You cannot hide under the shadow of this Jedi
Skywalker and his little academy forever."

Octavia shook her head, "The Dark corrupts ... damages you ... YOU
told me that for as long as I can remember.  WHY change your mind
now?"

"I will repeat myself, Octavia.  Because of past mistakes I made as a
Jedi, I am dead...you should LEARN from this and remember..."  Her
father paused. "Did I not teach you the saber arts?"

"Yes, you taught me all I know.  You gave me your father's saber."  

Octavia studied her father's face.  "You also taught me to sense the
truth, to seek out truth."

"Truth?  What truth?"

"Truth in the world, justice ... to defend people ..."  Octavia paused.

"Who ... who are you?"  Octavia questioned. "You .... My father
believed in his way of life."  She watched in silent horror as her
father's face began to change; his smile became nasty; the lips
changed to become thin, and pulled back to show his teeth.  The face
of  her father slowly gave way to that of the Emperor Palpatine. His
yellow eyes glowed into her soul.

"What NOW my little padawan-in-training"  The Emperor began to laugh;
his ackle was enough to wake Octavia up.

Octavia opened her eyes and stared around the room she now called
hers.  Sitting up and placing her head in her hands, she noticed her
hands were shaking.  She searched the room, expecting the Emperor to
materialize out of the shadows.  Octavia rose and changed her
clothing  It had felt so real.

She decided that a walk would do her good;  it would clear her mind,
and she refused to go back to sleep. Suddenly her room felt very
stuffy and confining in too many ways.

Octavia walked around the academy.  There were a few students that were
up. She barely remembered nodding to them as she thought about her dream.
 
Why did she dream about the Emperor? Did it have a meaning?  Perhaps
if she discussed this with Luke...  She found Luke sitting by a
little babbling brook under a willow tree in the temple garden.
Octavia watched him sitting there and wondered if she should disturb
him: after all it was just a silly dream, wasn't it?  She took a step
forward then stopped; it was silly to bother him.  Yet she still
approached him.  She felt the need to talk to someone.  After all,
her father had told her to speak to someone if something bothered
you, no matter how silly you thought it was.  Her mother was the only
one who disagreed with that point of view.

Luke opened his eyes and looked at her, wondering what was going on.
Her thoughts were very loud and chaotic in his mind.  "I...I didn't
mean to disturb you but... Octavia took a breath and walked closer.
"I had the most disturbing dream.  At least I hope it was a dream."

Luke breathed slowly. "Dreams can take many forms and say many things
at times. Are you willing to share it with me?"

Octavia took a deep breath, feeling quite childish at being scared by
a dream, but so much had changed since she had left the Electra.
"Yes." She gathered her thoughts. "It started out as a strange
mixture of pictures, from the Electra to the time at Port Lansing. It
then changed to the dream that started all this the fight between two
men in a desert. Then the arena and the gladiatorial games."  Octavia
fought to keep her composure.  She turned and looked around the
garden.  "I saw my father's face and I talked to him,  he said 'I am
watching you, young one.  I am watching you very carefully'.  I asked
him questions and it really seemed like he was answering me, but
after a while but  after a while his advice his face it changed to
that of the Emperor.  He stated he was watching me his eyes seemed to
look right through me  Why?"  Octavia turned back to look at Luke.
"Why would I dream that?"

Luke listened quietly as dread began to rise in him.  When he heard
the last few words that were spoken to her in her dreams,  he looked
down and shook his head. "Octavia, I'd like for you to reach out with
the Force into your dream-memory. What do you sense? Specifically?"

Octavia held back her first response of 'What can you sense from a
memory?' Slowly she let out a sigh and closed her eyes, thinking
about the dream, feeling the Force slightly.  She shivered. "Malice
anger but there's something else  enjoyment?"  She paused. "I sense
enjoyment." Her face showed her confusion.

Luke frowned gently. "Whose malice, anger and enjoyment is it?  Your
own?  Or someone else's?" Octavia matched Luke's frown as she thought
on what she was feeling.  "Someone else's," she answered at last.

"Does it seem to have a sort of color about it?"  Luke gently pressed.

"Color?"  Octavia asked.  

Luke nodded.

"Dark, like a cloud before a storm.  Who would be happy about this?"
Luke sighed patiently, knowing exactly who it was.  "It is most
likely the Emperor toying with your mind.  And since you have no
defense against this kind of activity, you need to learn how to
protect yourself against this sort of thing.  Today."

"Why would the Emperor want to toy with my mind?"  Octavia
questioned.  "I only met him once briefly."  Octavia paused.  "There
is a way to protect yourself from people invading your dreams?"

"Octavia, the Emperor is consumed with gaining his power over
everyone who shows Force potential.  He wants to rule over them all
and have them do as he wishes. Yes, there is a way to both deflect
and to protect yourself whether awake or sleeping.  I will teach you
today.  First we must meditate and then eat something, though.  We've
both had a busy week."

Octavia nodded it just didn't make sense to her. "The Emperor, he's
done this to everyone?  I mean One man has that much power?" "Not
necessarily." Luke began. "But he does seem to be quite interested in
you, probably due to your lineage."

"There's something about  the Jinn family?  Especially this Qui-Gon
Jinn?" Octavia questioned. "What would make him stand out from any
other Jedi?"

Luke smiled at her.  "You have the potential for strength in the
Light side of the Force, like he did.  But power or strength to the
Emperor is all the same to him.  He wants to convert others to the
Dark Side for his own uses." "From what you've told me of the Dark
Side and from what I felt in the arena.  I refuse to convert; I'd die
first."

Luke smiled admiringly at her.  "That's a good mind-set to have.
Now, let's get to our meditating." Octavia listened to Luke's
coaching and advice as he guided her in the art of meditation,
helping her find peace and casting the fear from the dream away from
her. Luke was patient in helping her achieve the actual feeling of
safety and peace at least for a time.  Even though Octavia listened
to him, it was hard to ignore that laughter that smile.

Luke felt her confusion trying to take hold, he slowly taught her how
to take the fear and drive it out of her mind with the Light side of
the Force's power, and keeping it inside her like a corked bottle.
After a while Luke stood and motioned for Octavia to follow.

Octavia followed Luke to where they could get breakfast. "I never had
the chance to thank you for helping me survive the arena."  Octavia
stated slowly after she took a sip from the juice.

Luke didn't look at her when he answered. "I wanted very much for you
to survive." Luke waited, letting his words sink in before he looked
at her Octavia could see that he was very serious. "I am so sorry you
had to face something like that so early in your training."

"I'm sure you care that way about all the students here."  Octavia
took a bite of the fruit that was before her. "So what do I learn
today?" Nodding, Luke took another bite of his food.  He chewed
carefully before he answered.  "Today, we will have you learn how to
protect your mind from others." Luke paused. "It is an act of defense
though, never for any other means."

"You always stress for defense.  It can be used otherwise?"  Octavia
questioned. She felt as if she knew the answer, but it was like
reaching for something in a dream and never being able to grasp it.

"Yes, in the way of the Dark, you use all power any way you choose,
especially for evil and selfish purposes."  Luke could sense her
thoughts as they raced through Octavia's mind. "You can see the
difference.  Jedi are trained to be disciplined people who care for
the welfare of others.  Sith are those who would gain power for
themselves."

Octavia finished her fruit then spoke. "Can't the Sith give the
impression that they care?  I mean, to trick people?"

"Yes, for their own purposes, you see.  Once again, that would not be
the best use of the Force."  Luke pushed back his bowl leaving a few
bites.

"Sith can choose to care for some and then might not care for
others." "To suit their ends or reach their goals," Octavia stated,
wondering if that was what happened to her father once he left her
and her mother on My'kr. But if he did, what had happened to her
grandmother?

"But, let us concentrate on the Light as much as possible, unless you
need to know the differences between the Light and the Dark."

Octavia nodded her head slowly. "I think I'm starting to see the
differences.  It also feels different, too, doesn't it?"  Octavia
paused.  "I mean, the Force; there's a different feeling between the
the two sides, isn't there?"


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