Chapter Four

The following morning Ahsoka woke up, she supposed feeling better than she assumed she would. She walked out of her room and into the kitchen downing some water and some pain relievers.

"Ah, good morning Ahsoka, did you have fun last night?" Padmé asked the other and Ahsoka groaned slightly. "Maybe too good…" she jested adding something in Ahsoka's glass and filling it again. "Here, this will help."

"Thanks," Ahsoka replied "Yes it was fun, Rex punched a guy," She said and Padmé's eyes widened

"He punched someone why?"

"Eh, the guy was an ass he deserved it, I would have done the same." She shrugged

"Well at least you had fun…" the other woman shifted "Hey, do you think we could talk about something?" Padmé asked as she started making them breakfast.

"Yeah sure what's up?" she asked sitting at the counter helping chop some things here and there.

"Well, Anakin will be by in a bit it's a conversation best with him… don't worry, it's nothing bad it's just… you deserve to know."

"That you two have a thing for each other?" Ahsoka said and Padmé noticed the way she never even faltered in her cutting was mildly unsettling to say the least.

"How did you…"

"Well you just confirmed it." She looked up and smirked, "However I thought about it a little bit back when Grievous captured you, oh and then when we were on Mon Calamari the emotions coming off of him were pretty hard to miss through the force." She noted "You also need to remember Masters and Padawans share quarters at the temple and I'm not a heavy sleeper." She laughed and Padmé flushed

"I'm going to kill him…" she sighed "You've not told anyone else right?"

"Not a single soul." Ahsoka replied "So what's the whole story."

"Just wait for Anakin."

"I feel like a child being reprimanded for both parents for partying." Padmé only laughed at that. Soon they were preparing breakfast and Anakin showed up just as it was being finished.

"Morning Senator, Snips, have fun last night."

"Your Captain punched a man." Padmé said and Ahsoka, mid mouthful just nodded.

"He what… never mind it's Rex not Appo, I'm sure he had a good reason." He said grabbing Ahsoka's plate and Padmé's and putting them both at the table, much to Ahsoka's dismay at her food being moved. They all sat down at the table and ate in content silence.

"So you and Padmé huh," Ahsoka said and Anakin nearly spat out his drink.

"I thought we were going to tell her together,"

"She guessed." The other woman replied

"I'm actually not shocked…" Anakin sighed and looked at Ahsoka "Yes Padmé and I."

"So how long,"

"A bit before the war started, we got married right after the war started on Naboo."

"Wait married… and I wasn't invited you know I'm offended." She pointed her fork at him.

"I didn't even know you!" Anakin exclaimed and pinched the bridge of his nose "That's not the point."

"What is the point?" Ahsoka asked and Anakin glared at her, did she have to sound that bored?

"The point is, we both care about you and we want you to know about this part of our lives." Padmé said reaching her hand across the table to grab Anakin's

"Well thank you for telling me, now you don't have to keep sneaking around." Ahsoka said and Anakin rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't sneaking…"

"Leaving the temple in the middle of the night while being as quiet as possible I think by definition is, sneaking wouldn't you agree Padmé?"

"She's got you there…"

"Enough about this, you got drunk last night and Rex punched someone."

"Don't you dare turn this on me." Ahsoka laughed "Yes I went drinking with the clones they have a crappy taste in alcohol, I wanted something better a man flirted Rex got mad and punched him when he made a nasty comment." She explained easily.

"Right well anyway, your knighting it tomorrow… are you excited."

"Wait it's tomorrow?" Padmé asked "So we will have to celebrate tomorrow of course."

"Can we skip heavy alcohol?" she asked and Padmé laughed nodding. "I'm excited, nervous but excited… I'm meditating this afternoon till the ceremony tomorrow, I wanted to go to the temple and do some last minute reading."

"So what are Jensaarai?" Padmé asked

"They are a group of force wielders who aren't dark and aren't light, they are in the middle, they are balanced, and in turn establish balance between light and dark, they understand that one cannot be without the other, there cannot be light without dark and in turn no dark without light. They have been around longer than the Jedi Order, they actually helped to build the temple here on Coruscant." Ahsoka stated

"Seems like a very good fit for you." Padmé commented. They continued their easy morning before Ahsoka left for the temple.

She started where she'd left off before the battle giving a kind greeting to Madame Jocasta before pouring into her readings, she liked this she liked absorbing information. She was still completing the notes about the temple's architecture.

"Miss Tano, here I found this one in regards to the Jensaarai's part in the Holocron vaults, you may find it interesting." Madame Jocasta said handing her another archive. "Given your past with the vault I thought you may enjoy it."

"Actually, very much so, I kept seeing references to it, thank you so much." Ahsoka stated and started loading up the file. She read about the vault and its construction and more importantly its fail-safes, she hadn't even known fail-safes were put into place. Ahsoka read up on how if there was an imbalance in the force a Jedi or Jensaarai could plunge their saber into the lock of the vault and it'd erase the information in regards to force sensitive children and their location in the galaxy. She couldn't help but think that may be useful information, given the way the war could turn, and the rumors of a Sith in the senate.

"Ahsoka Tano," a pair came up to her and she closed out what she was reading.

"Yes?" she looked up at them she hadn't seen them before

"You're to come with us, we'll escort you to the meditation spire where you'll stay until your knighting tomorrow morning." One explained and Ahsoka smiled standing easily and handing the archive back to Jocasta

"Thank you very much." She told the other before following the pair through the temple.

"Are you Jensaarai?" she asked and was given an easy nod

"Our knighting ceremonies are a little different, instead of meditating by yourself you'd be meditating with your mentors, since that's new to you, we'll be meditating with you and in a while a few selected Jedi will come as well."

"Oh, that's interesting, well I look forward to getting to know you better." She mused following them up.

For several hours the three of them meditated and it was easy, they talked about recent battles what it was like to be back with the clones.

"I called them my family, my tribe, I understand that may have been wrong attachments are forbidden." She started softly

"Not in our codes, as long as you retain balance you may form attachments, many of our members have married, have children, even grandchildren."

"Really, that wasn't in my readings…"

"We felt it better that the information be… selective." They admitted and Ahsoka nodded easily. She couldn't help her heart swell at the idea of it, though she didn't know what to do with that information now that she had it, she could form attachments with her clones, with someone she could even love. She didn't dwell on the thought, there was a war to fight right she didn't have the time to date, life after the war she supposed. She briefly thought about Rex…

"I'd care about you regardless, I promise."… "I always will Ahsoka…"

She thought about it, but she didn't read into it, why should she he was being nice she was sure of that. Besides what reason would he have to attempt to have feelings for her? Besides, most of the clones were into Twi'leks. She sighed gently dismissing the thought.

The rest of the night passed with other Jedi Masters coming to visit her, Anakin among them, Plo came as well, as did Obi-wan, and Shaak Ti. By the time it was morning Ahsoka thought she should be feeling tired but instead, she felt refreshed as though she'd slept the entire night.

She went to the chamber and waited until she was called when she did she sat in the middle of the room her eyes closed, legs crossed, and palms facing up.

"You were a Jedi though that was not your chosen path, that shouldn't be condemned, you have a greater purpose, and you have many more teachings ahead of you." One of the Jensaarai spoke

"You are one of us, a Jensaarai, a balance keeper, balance bringer, you are neither light nor dark, you are the mid-point." The other added.

"The Jedi trained you well; they will continue to aid you in this war, they are good mentors, good people to connect with."

"The force is a part of you, it flows through you, and with it you balance yourself and balance others."

"Now you're ready, Ahsoka Tano by order of the Jensaarai and support of the Jedi Order, we grant you the status of Knight of the Jensaarai." They spoke in tandem and each person in the room sat around her, reaching out to her with the force giving her a push of comfort, strength, and other emotions. That lasted for several minutes before it faded and it was done. Ahsoka opened her eyes smiling softly.

As promised that night Anakin Padmé and Ahsoka celebrated, even inviting Rex, Plo, Obi-wan, and Shaak Ti. It was filled with good food, good company and loving words.