He found her sitting in the near dark on a flat and smooth boulder near the edge of the pond. She was dressed in a golden dress fit for a Chume'da's birthday celebration. Her red hair shone brightly under the illumination of the moonbeams. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and was staring into the pond.

"Hey, Kid, what're you doing over here?" Ben inquired, cautiously approaching her.

Allana turned toward him, grey eyes flashing as she glanced at him over her shoulder.

"It's noisy up there is all." The young twelve-year old girl commented. "What about you? Why aren't you up there?" She indicated the hulking palace behind them.

"Well, I should be...But I couldn't find a certain Hapan princess." Ben sat down next to the girl on the grass.

She sighed and unwrapped he arms from her legs, smoothing out her dress.

"I just wanted to get away from it all...the nobles, my guards…" She looked her older cousin in the eye. "I know I'm the Chume'da, but that doesn't mean I don't feel suffocated."

"It is tough." Ben said agreeably. "People constantly expecting a lot of you….looking at you like you're the answer to every problem…tough destiny. Not that I'd know anything about it…"

Allana heard the smirk entering Ben's voice.

She frowned at his playful attitude.

"Ben…" She practically whined….

..But of course Hapan princesses didn't do any such thing.

"I know it seems hard." Ben leaned back on his hands. "You're given all this knowledge at a young age."

Allana shook her head. "No, I knew when I was eight what was expected of me. That's why I don't understand why I'm feeling like this. Mother says it will pass; that it's all in my head, but I don't' feel like that's so." She pressed her lips tightly together. "And when I ask, grandma and grandpa…they say not to worry about it. But I do. I'm going to be the Queen Mother someday. I shouldn't have doubts."

"Everyone has doubts…everyone worries…" Ben said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But...I don't believe that's a weakness. It's part of what it means to be human."

"But…"

"No, buts, young lady." Ben waggled a finger at the girl. "Don't think…stop thinking for one moment okay. Forget about court and regulations and protocol." He stood. "And think of something you want to do…only for yourself."

Allan looked around, her brow set in concentration. After a moment of thinking, a wide smile spread across her lips.

Ben cocked his head to the side. "Think of something?"

"Yes. I'd like a moonstone."

"Moonstone?"

"Yes, they're in the pond."

When she didn't speak, he sighed. "Let me guess. You want me to get one for you."

"Exactly."

"Do I have any choice?"

Allana pointed out. "If I get my dress wet mother wouldn't be pleased— or my aunts."

"Fair enough." He squinted at the dark waters then turned to face her "That's kinda sneaky. You really are a Solo after all."

Allana raised her chin a notch. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Guess not."

Ben turned to examine the pond, the moonlight reflecting off the water. He placed his hands on his hips then approached the edge of the pond. Even with the waters being pristine and clear and the moonlight overhead, he could barely see.

He looked back to Allana who was looking upon him expectantly.

Ben looked around.

"Now, this isn't some sacred pond right? So if I go in there, I'm not going to have some old Hapan biddy yelling at me right?"

"Are you clean?"

"Well, yeah. These clothes are new."

"Then you have nothing to worry,"

Ben looked over the pond once more and then proceeded to pull off his boots. He set them aside and stripped off his socks next before stuffing them inside his boots. When he had done this, he began to roll up the cuffs of his trouser up past the knee and began to wade out. He stopped short.

"What now?" Allana called out.

"I better take this off." He tugged at his tunic.

He wandered back onto the shore and stripped off his tunic, folding it neatly and placed it on a nearby rock. He waded back into the water, slogging along as he went. He peered at the water, searching for the stones as he went. When he had made it out fifteen feet he realized the water was already swirling about his knees. He would be soaked at this rate.

And he hadn't spotted the stones yet.

"It's too far!" He called back. "It's too dark anyway."

She sighed. "Very well. Come back…you're getting yourself all wet."

"You think?"

Ben turned around ready to trudged back to the shore when his foot caught on something and he lost his balance. A splash resounded as he pitched backwards into the water. After a moment of spluttering, he struggled to sit up again. He up righted himself finally, muttering to himself and wondering what blasted thing had caused him to fall.

"Ben, are you okay!" Allana called from the shore, standing up.

"Just peachy." He looked himself over; now he really was wet. "Stang.."

.

.

Not too far from the pond two lone figures stood under the shelter of a stone pergola.

"Quite a sight they make." A woman commented.

"You think?" A male voice responded jovially.

She elbowed him gently.

"I wonder where he gets that peculiar humor from."

The man simply smiled and continued to watch as the young man made his way out of the water, looking cross.

"He's good with her."

"I agree…Why do you suppose that is?"

"Well, that's pretty obvious." His voice became thoughtful. "They're both the only child of their parents."

The woman looked to him, hers eyes softening a tad more. "I suppose you're right." Tenel Ka said.

Then she turned her gaze away from the Jedi Grand Master to watch the two. She smiled as the young Knight made a grab for the Hapan princess, intent on getting her soaked. She cried out in surprise, laughing as she did so.

"Oh, no, you don't, Ben." She heard the girl reprimand her cousin.

Luke chuckled at this sight and she smiled.