-From the perspective of Lily-

I am in trouble. That was the thought circling around my head as I saw the kind lady's eyes roll backwards as she collapsed on the ground. Luckily Barriss was quick enough to catch her and slow her momentum, otherwise she could have been injured in that fall. 

I saw the furrowed brows of Barriss and Kalifa as they turned towards me immediately and unleashed a storm of angry words, scolding me for my careless and stupid joke. 

-How could you act so irresponsibly? I told you to not show those bugs to everyone whenever you like it! They might react badly!

Stated Barriss while laying down the unconscious woman carefully on the floor. 

-I... 

My words were interrupted as Kalifa took her turn to scold me this time as Barriss was caring for the old lady. 

-Yes! They are extremely ugly. I understand that they have a function... but still! You should be more considerate towards others...

As I heard those words, I felt a pang of pain in my chest! What does she mean by being more considerate? She just called my friends ugly! I... I mean... they are... kind of ugly... but still... you shouldn't just say that!

Barriss continued her lecture after Kalifa stopped. 

-Yes! What would happen if Master Nu accidentally hit her head on the marble floor... you should have thought about that!

Now I have had enough of this!

-Stop blaming me, okay!? Ugh… I am sorry... but I didn't know she would react so strongly... and they are not that ugly...

Kalifa pointed her finger at me and stated loud and clear.

-Yes, they are!

I puffed out my cheeks and glared at her, annoyed because of her rude interruption.

-That's not true! If you get used to it, they will seem kind of cute... Look, take it and look at it carefully!

I picked up one of the larvae still crawling over my skin and held it out towards Kalifa.

I told them to get back in the meat pockets when I saw the old woman's reaction... but some were still playing around, the stragglers…

-Take it, you will see what I mean... 

Her eyes widened unnaturally, as she stared at the bug grabbed between my fingers. She followed the larvae with her eyes glued to it, and only when I stepped closer did she wake from her strange state. She immediately jumped back.

-Stop that! Lily, you hear me? Get that thing away from me!

She seemed funny. Was she scared? For some reason, I felt amused by her reaction... she is funny. Then another thought surfaced inside my consciousness, which quickly scattered my earlier amusement. Was this how Kerrigan felt when she tormented me? Suddenly, I felt a wave of cold shame flushing through my body, and I released the bug to go back to its nest. I shouldn't do such things... it isn't right to torment others just for my amusement...

I lowered my arm, and told Kalifa, while looking at the floor. 

-Forgive me... I shouldn't have done that... I should have known.

Kalifa and Barriss exchanged a quick suspicious look, but after hearing my honest words, they too changed their attitude. Kalifa turned aside as she liked to do, while staring towards the closed door with folded arms over her chest. She gave off a bossy attitude.

-As long as you get it, new girl... but don't think just because you saved us once that now we will bow down to you or anything of the sort! You are way too green for that... humpf!

Barriss glared at Kalifa as she spoke arrogantly. She didn't interrupt her, only shook her head in a slight disappointment. Then she also turned towards me and said.

-It's fine... since it was an accident... but do not scare anyone else please, we are in a big enough trouble as it is; the children are worried. Seeing Madam Nu lose consciousness will only make them more anxious.

It was at that moment, when I realized, that the hall had turned eerily silent. I was too invested in my own thoughts to see what was happening around me. The cheerily chatting kids now were staring at us with fearful and worried eyes. 

Especially the ones that have been in the corridor, after I defeated the enemy, these so-called clones. 

There was a sharp tension in the air, and I didn't like it. What should I do now? I messed up!

A pair of the younger kids decided to walk closer and ask.

-Did Madam Nu die? Will she leave us alone too? 

There was a heavy suffocating silence in the room... then Barriss stood up, grabbed the kid’s hand and led them closer to the madam while saying reassuringly.

-No way she would do something like that, Madam Nu is perfectly fine, she was just a bit tired and laid down to rest okay? She will wake up soon and will be able to play with you again. I promise... 

The teary-eyed kids nodded slowly. Seeing that master Nu was indeed just asleep, as if on cue, she even started to snore at this moment, which caused the kids to smile cheekily.

-She must have been really tired, to fall asleep while standing... 

Said one of the kids humorously. That caused some of the others to start giggling. 

The heavy tension was unknowingly lifted, as Kalifa barked at the kids. 

-Instead of making fun of your elders, you should bring her a blanket or something. We shouldn't let her sleep on the cold floor!

The kids giggled again, but ran off to find something for the master to lay on. They have brought some stuff in the evacuation process. There were a few plush toys and a few blankets that some of the kids decided to bring along as they were likely told that they would spend quite some time in the jedi council hall. This place was quite large, but it lacked basic furnishing besides the few armchairs.

Meanwhile, I walked to the other side of the room and sat down beside the wall silently. I shouldn't cause more trouble for them, not when their home was already in peril. For me, the floor didn't feel that cold, anyway. I was used to sleeping on the ground of a forest, after all. That was cold, especially when the weather changed to the worse. 

I tightened the robe around me, then pulled up my legs and folded them in front of my body. Soon I realized that I was very tired. Not my body, that was more than fine, by my mind. It seems that healing burned tissue is much harder and straining on my mind than I originally anticipated.

Those weapons, which burned body tissue changing it into a charcoal like substance, have become much more terrifying in my eyes. When I was burned by that zealot weapon... it took all of my energies to heal myself from it, to a level that was sufficient for survival... And healing myself or other zergs is ten times more efficient than healing other beings, that doesn't have the healing effectiveness of zergs.

I used most of my psionic energy to heal those two kids, and I didn't even realize it until now. Healing others seems to be a bothersome process. 

I sighed, while listening to the battle sounds that were intensifying outside. The deep thundering sounds that shook the base of the entire building were lulling me into a comfortable, dreamy state. Without even noticing, I fell asleep while sitting next to the wall, covered in a dark brown cloak.

-From the perspective of Kalifa-

After Barriss, Kalifa and some of the other kids managed to place the unconscious librarian on a prepared blanket. They could finally relax a little. As they were no longer occupied with more important things to do, they found themselves in an unexpected silence. 

There was no more chatter or movements causing a variety of noises in the room, and the sounds of distant blaster fire and grenade explosions were the only ones still lingering in the air. The general gloom and fear of an uncertain future have slowly begun to sneak into their hearts. 

Kalifa was in a bad mood, especially as she saw the worried gazes of the surrounding kids. She was not good at handling smaller kids. Her words were too harsh or too dull to soothe the emotions of young children. Barriss was much better in that regard. She had an inner motherly kindness that she could only envy of her. 

Not that she would admit it. Even the thought made her cringe internally. She was a warrior, a female fighter for justice! She needed to focus on that, especially now that Master Nu was out of the picture. For that reason, she looked towards the closed door. We should go out and guard the corridor leading here. What would happen if some clones managed to sneak into the room and found us in this unfavorable situation? She has made a mistake already. Am I going to depend on Lily once more? 

Come to think of it... where did she go? I turned around in wide arcs until my eyes found a brown cloaked form sitting next to the wall, unmoving. 

I raised one of my eyebrows as I walked closer. She didn't react to my presence in the slightest. Is she sulking or what? I crouched down and looked into her face. Oh... I guess that explains it. She was sound asleep. Right now, her face was completely expressionless and smooth. 

I smirked seeing the dark circles under her eyes that were attached to a porcelain pale face that still miraculously managed to conserve some of its innate childishness. I was annoyed by this, its seems everyone is going into sleep mode... Then I let go of my annoyance, and channeled it into the painfully screaming force. The state of the force around the temple surprised me. As a habit, I reached out for reassurance, and winced back as I only received more pain and discomfort.

I could feel the cries of hundreds through the void. The force connected us eternally, and we were proud of that. We took advantage of it as much as possible, but now... I understood that it was a double-edged sword, one that cut into our flesh and we will have to live with this wound, this scar from now on.

The intense memory of dread, death and suffering was pulsing through the once warm and peaceful force. With a deep sense of immeasurable loss overshadowing the still remaining light. I felt sadness, melancholy. I wished to mourn for my brothers and sisters, for their lost lives, dreams, and ambitions. This war has cost us so much, and its hunger is yet to be satisfied. 

It was a beast, the manifestation of everything that was wrong. A monster that only takes, and takes, but never gives anything meaningful. If everything is going to be ruined... Should I still remain and fight, and for what end?

I felt a warm hand grab onto my shoulder, and I turned around, seeing Barriss standing over me. Her piercing eyes mirrored a deeper understanding of the force than I had. Her fierce gaze met my gloomy stare, and she shook my shoulder while scolding me lightly. 

-Don't give into your fears. Channel it into the force and let it take away those feelings. 

I felt a comfortable warmth slowly fill my body as her determination strengthened mine. I was already feeling better. The foreboding sense of an ominous future had been dispersed.

I looked forward to the sleeping form of Lily.

I stared at the innocent face. This weird girl was sleeping like a log, without worries or troubling thoughts, and that was something… Especially after what she had to do.

I didn't know how I would feel in her place, but I had serious doubts that I could have fallen asleep so easily after that. I whispered towards Barriss, who also realized that Lily was fast asleep.

I whispered.

 -It seems that she was not that tough, all things considered. 

She smirked, hearing my comment, but quickly answered while still resting her palm on my shoulder. 

-Well, for someone not even a year old, I would say she is. 

I shook off her hand in annoyance.

-I am not going to believe something like that without serious proof. 

Barriss wasn't surprised by my reaction and added. 

-True. But, based on her weird-ish personalty, that statement would actually explain quite a few things you know. 

I decided to stand up and look for Jinx and O-Mer. 

-Where are you going? 

Barriss’ voice called after me. 

-I will bring the boys to the corridor, guarding the turbo lift entrance. If we are attacked, it is the most likely direction they will appear. Well, that or through the windows here... but let’s hope that won't be the case. 

Barriss looked at me, then nodded curtly. 

-I should get my stuff and...

I interrupted her by raising my arm. 

-No. You don't have a lightsaber, and someone needs to take care of them. 

I glanced meaningfully at the bunch of troublemakers behind her. 

She didn't like my idea, as she began to protest.

-I should still go and help out...

My patience was gone, so I glared at her and said while stepping to the side, folding my arms over my chest. 

-I can handle a sword, and a few clones, but I can't handle these brats, so that’s your job.

She leaned her head to the side lightly, and looked at me, wonder mirrored in her deep blue eyes. She raised her left arm and placed it on her left hip loosely. Then she said to me in a mocking tone.

-And what's next? Am I supposed to call you husband? 

A few kids who were listening to our conversation burst into bubbling laughter. I turned towards her and saw the satisfied smirk on her face. She clearly had had enough of me bossing her around. She was older, but she was also stupid enough to lose her saber. 

Even so... I couldn't help but turn red in embarrassment. Some of the kids pointed in our direction, saying that we must be playing husband and wife. That was a game that some of the smallest kids were playing at times. My embarrassment was obvious, so I decided to get out of there while saying. 

-That... that is exactly what I am talking about... 

Barriss could be extremely infuriating if you get on her bad side... she had thick skin, and could easily make you die from pure embarrassment if she wanted to. I grabbed the boys and began to pull them towards the door while the laughter was still ringing in my ears. 

Just before I reached the door, I heard an amused voice shouting after me. It naturally belonged to Barriss.

-Don't cheat on me, hubby!

It was followed by another wave of laughter. Then I shouted back. 

-SHUT UP!

This was followed by an even harsher fit of laughter... and a bang as I shut the door after me. Unbeknownst to me, the sound of the forcefully shutting door and waves of laughter managed to startle and wake up both Lily and Madam Nu. They were looking around in wonder among the crazily laughing kids. They were unsure of what was happening. Master Nu even began to contemplate the idea that she died somehow and was awakened in heaven until her confused eyes met with Lily’s also confused eyes. Then the memories of bugs came back to her that made her sit up immediately.

As she looked around, she didn’t see any bugs, and that managed to calm her raging spirit.