Katerrina was gone all day. She missed her afternoon training session. It was well past dark by the time she returned to the Tower. Her boxes and bags were taken to her room by two of the girls, then they left to their duties.

Once she was alone, Katerrina scowled. She had been subjected to the worst torture she had ever endured. The pins of a half-mad tailor. At one point she swore the evil little man had drawn blood. She had endured worse at the salon the tailor insisted she visit while waiting for the alterations to be finished. Katerrina hadn't realized so many products could be used on one head of red curly hair, or on one set of short nails.

She unfastened the clasp of the mink and fox wrap around her shoulders and let the fur fall onto her sleep couch. Katerrina slowly paced her small room. slowly because she was unused to the four-inch heels on the black leather pumps the tailor forced upon her. The dress was velvet in a green so dark it looked black in certain light. It swept the floor as she paced. The simple dress was strapless and slit to her thigh on one side, which meant Katerrina saw more of herself than she was used to seeing. And the sight made her cheeks flame. Black satin gloves covered her hands and arms past her elbows. An emerald pendant hung below the hollow of her throat, hung from a necklace of diamond and emerald flowers. Katerrina's red curls were pinned to the top of her head in a loose bun. A few curls were left to frame her face. Emerald and diamond clips caught the dim light. Her makeup was flawless and drew out the color of her eyes.

Other gowns and accessories were purchased and altered. Black and midnight blue were deemed perfect for her hair and skin color. When he knew he was doing work for Master Travanix, the tailor pulled out all the stops. The tailor insisted she return to the Tower in the green, the finest material the man had.

Katerrina continued her slow pacing and scowling. Her nails were far more polished than she was.

Usually Katerrina could tell when Master Travanix was nearby. Her agitation and the noise the heels made as she paced meant he caught her off guard. She stopped pacing and turned towards her door so suddenly she nearly tripped herself on the hem of her gown. She kept herself standing by grabbing onto her bureau. She breathed in as best as she could and stood as straight and tall as she could in the heels. She was unable to keep her irritation from her eyes as she met his auburn ones.

"That evil little creature insisted I wear this one back. I did mention it's missing its sleeves, but all he did was laugh and send me on my way. How can I go out like this?"

Katerrina scowled again. The velvet was much heavier than the unitards, heavier than anything she'd worn on Ossus. She felt off balance in the pumps. When the tailor stood her in front of the mirrors in his shop, she hadn't recognized herself.

The heavy velvet did nothing to shield her from the chill as Master Travanix smoothed out the gown. He adjusted the gown subtly so that it flowed as it should. She listened as he spoke. The masters on Ossus said the same thing, that commanding the Force as she did was a gift few had. His fingers on her neck made gooseflesh prickle. The feeling of breath against her ear tightened places in her gut in ways she didn't understand. The words didn't make any sense to her either. He spoke of things she'd never thought of before. Her voice wavered in her throat.

"I'd much rather have a lightsaber."

Katerrina shivered. The tight feeling in her gut grew worse when his fingers ran over the scar on her neck. It was usually hidden by her curls, but the hairdo exposed it. She hoped for a surprise attack, a fleet of droids, anything she understood.

She stumbled forward as Master Travnix spun her around. Her heel almost caught her hem. Dancing wasn't taught on Ossus. Nothing about social graces was taught. She was out of her league. Katerrina followed his movements as best as she could. She felt clumsy and awkward compared to his grace. She thought as he spoke. Her confusion showed on her face as he led her around her room.

"I don't see how speech and moves can be like a lightsaber."

She listened as he continued the dance. She mirrored his movements, learning quickly how to balance and turn as Master Travanix spun them around. Katerrina began to understand. She found herself moving in the direction his fingers on her back pushed her. The pressure on the small of her back drove his message home. Katerrina understood the power of words. Mingling and dancing were simply new methods of getting information. It didn't explain the strange feeling in Katerrina's stomach.

Katerrina gasped when he spun her. She almost tripped on her dress again before Master Travanix caught her. She felt her stomach flutter and knot as he stared deep in her stormcloud eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded slowly.

"I think I understand, but what are my goals?"

"Your goal is to make sure those operations remain untouched and continue to thrive on this world - by any means necessary."

His words made Katerrina frown. She tugged at the dress, trying to cover more of herself. The tailor had done his job to perfection, and the dress didn't budge. She sighed and smoothed the velvet. It was very soft under her fingers.

Katerrina turned to face Master Travanix, making sure not to step on her dress this time.

"Wouldn't it be easier for me to guard the operations with my lightsaber?"

Katerrina sighed. The sound of her heels echoed in the small room as she paced around. She'd never been to a really fancy dinner before. The closest she could remember was a lunch with the governor of some planet right after she became a Learner. All she remembered was there were too many forks.

She smoothed the front of the gown. The tailor was right in that the color did go well with her hair and skin color. Katerrina looked into the little mirror that hung over the bureau. The salon's makeup still looked flawless. She carefully brushed a loose curl back into place. The tailoring of the gown made it easier to stand as Master Travanix directed. It was almost impossible not to stand straight and walk tall in it. She practiced walking in the heels. After about 15 minutes, she figured out how to step without sounding like an army of stormtroopers.

Ten minutes later Katerrina walked to the staircase. She remembered to lift the skirt of the gown as she walked down the stairs. Her pace was slower than usual to prevent trips. She made it to the dining hall with a minute to spare. She hesitated for a microsecond then pushed the heavy door open.