The insiders' competition had just completed its first round. And as if the universe itself had wanted to honor Komari, his "little" Tola, Lilou, Zang and Tobias had all passed the test without much difficulty.

  Finally... with one exception.

  Tobias had almost thrown one of his opponents against a wall with a Force push that was a little too enthusiastic. It was a close call for the ordeal to turn into a tragedy. But, apart from this little excess of ardor, the young people had done remarkably well.

  In their own way.

  When Komari returned from her visit to the military docks, still electrified by the sight of the cruisers and the raw energy of the heavy engines, she found them celebrating their victory in one of the nooks and crannies of their training room that had become their gathering place

  Bursts of laughter echoed all the way down the corridor.

  Zang recounted with many gestures illustrating the situation how one of his opponents had tried a particularly ridiculous move before ending up on his buttocks without help from him. Tola nodded stoically as always, yet you could see the gleam of amusement in his eyes.

  Lilou clapped her hands, laughing Telling everyone how Zang had also almost ended up on the ground by getting his feet involved. Tobias sneered softly, still a little shocked by the violent show of force he had made.

  Komari paused for a few moments to observe them.

  A frank, rare smile stretched her lips. Pride vibrated softly within her, mixed with a hint of wonder. They had grown up. They were taking shape. And despite all that she had taught them, sometimes in pain, often the hard way, they remained luminous, alive.

  Still under the adrenaline of her visit, she approached with muffled steps before dropping down next to them.

  "So, are we celebrating a victory?" she said, arching an eyebrow.

  Eyes turned to her, surprised but delighted. Tola immediately sat up and made room for him, a big smile on his face.

  "We knew you'd be back just in time to drink a juice with us."

  Komari shrugged, amused. "Am I that predictable?"

  "No, just connected," Tola replied, pointing to her temple.

  Komari grabbed a cup, raised his imaginary glass to their health, and settled into their circle.

  In spite of herself, she felt at home. These kids may have been Jedi in the making... But at that very moment, they were just children happy to have held on.

  Still, as she laughed with them, Komari's gaze slid beyond the circle for a moment. And there, on the edge of his field of vision, a translucent figure stood motionless.

  He was one of his adopted brothers. Or rather... what was left of it. A disembodied shadow, frozen between worlds, her features distorted by pain, her face bleeding like the last time she had seen her.

  He stared at her, intensely. His lips moved, trying to utter words that Komari could not hear, as if an invisible barrier prevented him from reaching his consciousness.

  Komari didn't look away, staring at him intensely. Without realizing it, these teeth were grinding against each other as his jaw contracted.

  And, as if to answer this vision, the murmurings resumed. Gentle at first, then more insistent. Indistinct voices, fragments of sentences, muffled screams and nameless warnings that spread through his head like an oil slick. murmurs without name or meaning.

  Komari clenched his fists, discreetly. Her classmates shouldn't see her like that.

  Not now. Not while they were laughing, carefree, carried by victory. Strangely this situation reminded her of a time not so long ago, when she hid or at least tried to hide from her brothers and sisters the deplorable state she was in after one or 2 runs and mission for a gang that had gone wrong.

  Trying to hide in order to preserve. In both cases, from Nar shadda to the temple, it seemed that she was condemned to try to preserve the innocence of some.

  Komari decided to ignore his brother's ghost.

  She closed her eyes for a brief moment, took a deep breath, then opened them again... only to find Tola's worried face right in front of hers.

  "Are you okay?" she asked in a low voice, her gaze searching his.

  Komari forced a reassuring smile. "Yes, don't worry."

  But the effect was not what was expected. Tola, although keeping her usual neutral expression, did not take her eyes off her. And Komari, through the Force, could clearly perceive his annoyance mixed with a dull worry.

  Suddenly, she felt a little pain in her forearm. Tola had just discreetly pinched his arm.

  "Not with me. Talk to me, Komari. ?

  Then, as if nothing had happened, Tola grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him out of the training room without leaving room for discussion. Komari could have resisted, but she let it happen.

  Tola led her with a determined step to the garden of the Temple. A peaceful place, bathed in soft light, surrounded by flowering trees, ponds and ancient stones engraved with forgotten Jedi symbols. Tola knew that Komari enjoyed this place. It was one of the few places where she really seemed to be able to breathe.

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  They stopped under a tree with long, drooping branches. Silence settled between them for a moment, just the light song of the birds and the murmur of the leaves.

  Tola crossed her arms and stared at her.

  "Are you going to tell me what's wrong now?" asked Tola in a soft but firm tone.

  Komari simply tilted his head to the side, in a silent, almost enigmatic gesture.

  Tola puffed out her cheeks with air, obviously upset. This implicit refusal to speak irritated her, and she made no effort to hide it.

  Of all the people she had met at the Jedi Temple, Komari was the only one able to bring her out of her usual calm on a regular basis.

  But, to be honest, Tola understood. Komari was not one to confide in him. It just wasn't in his nature. She had a visceral horror of any attempt to intrude into what she called her private sphere. She had even expressed it bluntly in front of the Jedi Council.

  That didn't stop Tola, who was nine years old, from thinking that it wasn't good for her friend to keep everything to herself. Komari had given so much to their small group training with them, guiding them, pushing them to surpass themselves that Tola refused to let her sink into her darkness alone.

  Komari was staring at her now, his eyes a bright fluorescent green of a strange intensity. Tola was once again troubled. In that gaze, she perceived a contradictory mixture, an almost icy detachment, and a pain, buried deeply.

  Sometimes Tola wondered if Komari was not, in fact, much older than she looked. Or at least, if life hadn't forced her to grow up too quickly.

  The silence of the garden enveloped them. Only the rustling of the wind in the foliage accompanied their exchange. Tola no longer said anything, did not force anything. But she continued to hold Komari's hand, gently, as if to remind him that she was not alone.

  Komari's mind was spinning at full speed. Until now, only the Queen of Alderaan knew the truth, she had visions, provoked by the Force.

  Looking back, she suspected that some members of the Jedi Council, perhaps Yoda, Yaddle, and even Mace Windu, also had their suspicions. But no one had asked him any direct questions.

  She had always kept it a secret. The voices. The apparitions. The murmurs. But recently, she understood that the veil was being torn. Silence would no longer be enough.

  And Tola... Tola had discovered everything that night.

  As much as she appreciated the Jedi Masters' benevolent presence, Komari wasn't ready to fully trust them. Tola, on the other hand, was different.

  Komari knew, deep down, that her friend would keep it a secret, even if she revealed that her visions were telling her that she was dead. This destiny she bore alone, such was the Fatum.

  But she no longer wanted to be silent. Not totally.

  After a long moment of hesitation, she decided to speak. Not at all. But enough to lighten the weight a little.

  And, against all odds, it did him good.

  She spoke of her mother's death. Of her tears. Of his rage. Of the hatred that had invaded her. She told her life about Nar Shadda, the robberies, the petty thefts, the brutal training in the weapons rooms to learn how to survive.

  And then, the warmth of a blended family.

  And their deaths.

  She had been unable to do anything. And she blamed herself terribly.

  Komari didn't even realize that his eyes had been empty, lost in the void. Tola, on the other hand, said nothing. But her hand had clenched on her friend's, a sign that she was listening to every word.

  Komari's face changed abruptly. An icy fury was depicted in it when she recalled what she had done after the death of her family. How she had tracked down those who wore the colors of the gang responsible. How she had killed, indiscriminately.

  It had been monstrous. She knew it. With the help of the Force, it had crushed bodies, broken bones, dismembered men into indistinct heaps of flesh and blood.

  Tola felt a cold sweat run down the back of her neck. Komari's eyes had become chilling. Murderers. Once again, she found herself in front of a person who looked like her friend... but which, at that moment, seemed different. Totally different.

  Then, as a breeze drives away a cloud, this gleam disappeared from his gaze.

  "For a while, I've been hearing whispers... Komari said, his voice uncertain. "Sometimes strong, sometimes weak. But when they start... they don't stop. ?

  She moved on the bench, uncomfortable, searching for her words.

  "And sometimes I hear the voices of my family. They ask me... What for. So what... I see them. ?

  Tola shuddered. "Do you see them? Their ghosts? ?

  Komari nodded slowly. She raised a hand and pointed to a corner of the garden.

  "My brother is here. Right there. Right now. ?

  Tola went in the direction indicated, but saw nothing. She closed her eyes, looking in the Force for an echo, a trace... in vain.

  Then she rose abruptly from the bench, her eyes shining with fierce determination.

  "The ghost!" she shouted in the direction of the void. "I don't know what you want from your sister, but listen to me! Stop it! If you continue to hurt him, I swear you'll have to deal with me!" ?

  Komari looked at her in astonishment.

  "You know he can't hear you. And that what I'm seeing is probably just a projection of my subconscious, not a real ghost," she says softly, grabbing Tola's hand to invite him to sit down again.

  Tola smiled mischievously at him. "I know. But at least your subconscious is now warned: if it starts to derail again, it will have to deal with me. ?

  Komari raised an eyebrow, amused. "Says the one who can't even beat me in sword training."

  She could have said that in a brittle tone, but there was only tenderness in her voice. And, curiously, since Tola's intervention, silence had settled in his mind. The murmurs had fallen silent. The ghost of his brother was no longer there. Whether it is an effect of the imagination or a real appeasement... it didn't matter. It worked.

  "Well, well I think you scared him away. I have to admit that you must really scare the ghosts. One wonders why... She pretended to think, squinting her eyes. "Ah! I know. It is your frightful impassive face! ?

  Tola nudged him slightly, feigning indignation.

  "Seriously, Komari, I want you to talk to me as soon as you hear the voices or see one of them. We don't have to talk to others about it. Trust me. ?

  Komari heaved a long sigh, defeated in advance. Of course she was going to have to rely on Tola's unwavering support. She had never intended to keep him away.

  Tola seemed to remember something. She reached into the pocket of her trousers and pulled out a small package neatly wrapped in a piece of cloth.

  "Here." She handed it to Komari, a smile on the corner of her lips. "Since you were complaining all the time about the foul taste of the roots you are given, I asked Master Yaddle if there were any other edible varieties. She eventually found some. ?

  Komari raised his eyebrows in surprise, and carefully undid the fabric. She discovered a small handful of roots that she did not recognize. Frowning, she looked at them for a moment.

  "It can't get any worse, I guess," she whispered before taking a bite out of it.

  An unexpected taste immediately unfolded on his tongue: sweet, slightly astringent, with a pleasant hint of bitterness. She was taken aback... and bit into a second piece, larger this time.

  Tola, at his side, still held his hand, a quiet smile on his face. Seeing Komari enjoy something, finally, made her deeply happy.

  While her friend was nibbling, Tola began to play absentmindedly with her hair. Komari did not protest. It was the first time she had let her do it.

  Since arriving at the Temple, Tola had always liked to braid her own white hair as a way to keep her hands and mind busy. His friends, however, did not have hair that lent itself to it. Except Komari, whose white hair, although much shorter, had the same silky texture. This simple gesture, seemingly innocuous, was for Tola a silent proof of the trust they shared.