"I can give you my comm code? Or we can just see if we run into each other." Meaning: if Elesse leaves the Temple she will definitely see Lily, through the power of ghost-enabled stalking.

"We can swap comms." There's a limit to coincidence, even for Jedi.

She gives hers. 

Elesse reciprocates, to keep up appearances. Even though Lily already has it.

She doesn't comment, obviously. 

"I'll see you soon?"

"We have a date."

Little flare of pleasure. "I'm looking forward to it." 

"Until then." Elesse will take her leave.

Lily heads out, too, towards the nearest metro stop. 

One evening a few days later - after Elesse's had another chance to meet Lily at the library, but before their planned race - one evening, there's a knock on Elesse's door. 

Vader trails off in the middle of an explanation about the governing structures of the Sith Empire in the era of the Great Galactic War, looking at the door.

Oops. At least Elesse wasn't talking herself. She switches screens on her tablet.

"Come in," she calls.

The door opens, and Meinwen steps in. She's carrying a tablet of her own. As the door closes behind her: "Elesse, good evening, I'd wanted to ask you - "

- And then she pulls up short, and her gaze snaps a bit to Elesse's right - 

- She's looking directly at Vader - 

- She takes half a step back, startled - 

"Who - what - "

Oh fuck.

"You can see her?"

Why is that in question. 

"Yes."

" - Can you hear me?"

"...Also yes." Somewhat - but she can also only somewhat see the woman. A shadow under the ebb and flow of the Force, a tiny reflection through the shatterpoint... But she's there.

"Elesse. I'd like an explanation, please."

She catches the edge of what Meinwen truly perceives - and... Interesting...

(She had deep bonds to both Elesse and Palpatine in life; it makes sense they can see her, if anyone can. But Mace - she had no bond to him - but he was insightful, and kind, and the only Jedi who still believed in her, trusted her by the end - the only person at all except Breha who would listen - )

Meinwen isn't actually Mace, likely did or will die before his time (though that doesn't explain why Elesse has been born so early - not relevant), but...

Privately, to Elesse: "I think she's trustworthy." But Elesse has refused to tell her own Master about Vader, nevermind that Vader would (did) literally trust Breha with the most important things in the galaxy - nevermind that hiding their interactions is... Suboptimal. Vader still doesn't understand why, if Elesse simply can't say certain things out loud or if there's something deeper going on, but... "I can speak to her, if you wish?"

"Uh. It turns out ghosts are real. Annnnnd I've been talking with this one."

"And you haven't told me or Breha because...?"

"I didn't know you would be able to perceive her. No one else," among the Jedi, "can."

That doesn't seem like a very good reason to her.

"Elesse... Who is she?" Please do not fucking say 'a darksider' but even more please do not blatantly lie about that when Meinwen can feel it -

When you're at the bottom of a gravity well, stop accelerating down. Right. "Um. Remember when I said we should approach Fidela nonviolently? This is why. I first saw her on that planet, and, uh. She's Fidela's master. Vader. We... talked, briefly."

She... Doesn't seem as surprised as she should, perhaps.

"...Well, that's better than my other guesses for how you were coordinating with Fidela," is the first thing she says, because it is probably important Elesse realize she's a bad liar and also Meinwen needs. Time. At least a moment. To think.