A sigh escaped her lips as she settled into her meditative posture. As the heat from the sand began to radiate through her body, the morning’s tensions slid away. She inhaled deeply and used her slow exhale to blow the hair from her face.

The slowly revolving wind soon slipped her hair back into her mouth. She resisted the urge to spit it out, forcing herself to focus. Inhale, slow exhale. Inhale, slow exhale. The process repeated itself until she was no longer aware of the hair.

She submerged herself in the Force feeling it ebb and flow about her. The familiar warmth buoyed her spirits. Teaching was hard and, often, thankless. Her meditation times were a moment of clarity amidst the chaos of students and academia.

As she shifted deeper, her sense of self hung suspended. In that quiet contemplation, voices whispered to her. She had trouble at first distinguishing *the* voices, but they emerged gaining strength until she could identify that there were two speakers.

To keep the balance
You must awaken.

You have heard the rumors
And you must find the source

Go, seek, and gather help.
Go, conquer, and gain power.

The voices began to recede. Her confusion was interfering with her connection to the Force. She gradually inhaled and exhaled. The disciplined movement cleared her mind and she heard:

Awaken.
Awaken.

The voices disappeared.

Sash opened her eyes. She chewed on her lip as she disentangled her hair from her horns. She had a sabbatical coming up. Perhaps now was the time to begin that.