A Great Honour
"Ashlyn," a voice suddenly said and the Padawan jumped up from her seat and let go of Daly's hand which she had been holding. In the doorway stood Senator Padme Amidala looking very relieved to see Ashlyn there.
"Padme," Ashlyn greeted softly as the Senator entered and wrapped the teenager in her arms. Then Masters Yoda, Kenobi and Skywalker entered the room behind her. Ashlyn and Anakin locked eyes as the two passed things along their bond for the first time in weeks as Ashlyn had blocked her end.
Obi-wan approached his Padawan and put a gentle hand to his forehead as a way of comforting Daly to know that everything was okay which caused him to relax more than before in response.
Padme let go of Ashlyn from the hug as the Padawan approached her Master slowly. "Master, I am so sorry," Ashlyn apologised looking from her Master to Master Yoda and back again, "Please I was only doing what I knew was right."
"Reckless what you did Padawan and dangerous to the Jedi Order it was," Master Yoda said but before he could continue Ashlyn interrupted him.
"Pardon my interruption Master Yoda but without Daly, the prophecy won't come true," Ashlyn said strongly, "I did what the Force told me to do."
Master Yoda frowned slightly as he exchanged a look with Anakin who continued, "Ash, Master Yoda is right but you are also right," he said.
Ashlyn frowned in shock, "What?"
"What they are trying to say Ash is that the Council ordered you all to return to the Temple but what Master Windu did not say is whom of you," Obi-wan said, "So technically, from a certain point of view, you weren't disobeying a direct order. Even though after the report that you had left the group to do this he tried to have you kicked out of the Order."
"I knew that you would not have done this if you didn't have a decent reason to do so," Anakin said, "Shutting me out of our bond however wasn't the smartest move because at one point we received intelligence that your Starfighter had been found destroyed and was floating around in open space. Luckily it turned out to be one of my old fighters when it was closely examined, I thought you were dead for at least an hour," he added more seriously as he crossed his arms across his chest.
Ashlyn looked at her boots in shame but then was grabbed in a hug by her Master who was sending her waves of emotion to her through the bond, "I'm just relieved that you are safe, Tiger."
"Thanks, Master," Ashlyn said as he let go of her, "What's going to happen now?" she asked looking at Master Yoda.
"Tell you when Padawan Solak wakes up we will," Master Yoda said as he left the room with the others not too far behind him.
Ashlyn sat down back in the chair and held on to Daly's hand again, gently stroking it with her thumb, "Please wake up Daly, I need you," Ashlyn whispered as she kissed Daly lightly on his forehead. Then she rested her head next to Daly's arm and it wasn't long before she dozed off the sleep.
A few hours of silence in the room passed when Ashlyn woke up to the feeling of someone stroking her hair and when she opened her eyes the sun was coming in through the privacy tinted window.
"Finally, you're awake," a familiar albeit hoarse voice said and Ashlyn shot up straight to see Daly sitting, propped up against a few pillows. Their lips met immediately and Ashlyn realised how much she had missed this over the past few weeks. The kiss broke off for a few seconds which was enough time for Daly to mutter two words, "Good Morning," before their lips met again.
A few moments passed, and Daly broke off the kiss for some much-needed air, "Ash, I'm still not fully recovered you know," he gasped as he chuckled softly sounding very breathless.
"Sorry," Ashlyn said as she obliged to his invitation when he moved over and patted the mattress space next to him. Ashlyn laid down next to him and rested her head into his neck, her left hand immediately resting gently on his chest and Daly wrapped his right arm around her.
They laid quietly like this for a few moments and then Daly spoke, "Is everyone safe?" he asked nervously hoping that all their friends were safe.
"Yes, they all returned safely to Coruscant," Ashlyn answered.
Then her comlink started to beep and Ashlyn answered it, "Dubreas here."
"Ash, is Daly awake yet?" her Master's voice asked.
"Yes."
"Good we are on our way to the Medical Centre now, we'll be there shortly," came the reply, "Skywalker out."
"Just curious, where exactly are we?" Daly asked, "Cause this doesn't look like the Medical Bay at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant."
"Well, I went against orders from the Council to come find you and I thought I would have been kicked out. So I bought you here to Naboo plus this was closer than Coruscant," Ashlyn revealed after she sat up.
"You did what?" Daly asked almost furious at Ashlyn for what she did, "Ash, I didn't want anyone coming after me, that was dangerous," he added.
"I know but I couldn't let them reach Jaira, the Force was screaming at me to follow the ship and rescue you," Ashlyn said, "And I couldn't lose you."
Daly sighed and got out of the bed, walked around it and stopped right in front of Ashlyn, placing his hands on the bed on either side of her legs.
"I love you Ash and I would have never been able to forgive myself if I found out you died trying to rescue me," he said, looking into her eyes deeply.
"Please don't try and act like you're the only one who feels that way, I feel the same way for you too," Ashlyn said, sounding and feeling hurt.
"That's not what I said Ash," Daly replied firmly as he pulled her into a strong hug, "Promise me, you won't do it again."
"I can't," Ashlyn said stubbornly as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Daly pulled back from the hug and rested his forehead against hers as he softly supported her face in his hand.
"Ash, things are going to happen in our lives that we can't control. Neither of us are invincible, without you the future of the Jedi Order would be lost," Daly tried to point out.
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Ashlyn demanded, "That vision, Daly, is about us. Not you, not me, us," she added.
"If you're talking about the children bit then you do realise you could have children with anybody. Not just me," Daly pointed out.
"No, I couldn't do that," Ashlyn responded and then she placed her hand on his chest, "You know why? Cause you are the only one that I love that much. Don't get me wrong, I love all of our friends and I care about them a lot. But this, Daly, is the only way. You are the only person I love this much," she added confidently.
Daly smiled and said softly, "Always so stubborn," as they leaned into another deep kiss only breaking it off when they sensed their Masters close by. By the time all three Jedi Masters entered the room, everything looked completely normal and they didn't seem to suspect anything.
"Padawan Solak, good to see you awake it is," Master Yoda greeted Daly.
"I hope you are well Master Yoda," Daly responded politely, and Master Yoda chuckled softly.
Daly then turned to Master Kenobi and nodded his head slightly as he greeted him, "Master."
"You sure gave us all a lot to worry about," Obi-wan said slightly amused only now because the danger against his Padawan had passed.
"What is it that you wanted to tell us?" Ashlyn inquired curiously.
The three Jedi Masters exchanged a look that caused the Senior Padawans to quirk an eyebrow at them.
"Excited you will be to know that Padawans Vitalis and Haemin knighted they are now," Master Yoda revealed.
Ashlyn and Daly were surprised for a few moments but then smiled, happy for their friends becoming Jedi Knights.
"And ready, the two of you are, for Knighthood," Master Yoda stated confidently.
Ashlyn and Daly looked at their respective Masters in response to hearing this news.
Anakin chuckled and said, "You have been ready for a while."
Obi-wan nodded confidently, "You have both proven to us that you are capable of handling yourselves without us, there is nothing more that we can teach you," he explained.
Ashlyn jumped up from where she was sitting and embraced her Master tightly with the biggest smile on her face, "Thank you, Master," she mumbled before stepping back and bowing in respect.
Daly rose to his feet shakily and when Obi-wan tried to stop him he shook his head softly before bowing in respect to his Master, "Thank you, Master Kenobi."
A sudden thought came to Ashlyn as her smile fell off her face, "What's wrong Tiger?" Anakin asked.
"What about the rest of the Jedi Council? You said the other day that they wanted to expel me from the Order," Ashlyn pointed out.
"Makes the final decision on these matters, the Jedi Grandmaster does," Master Yoda revealed, "Too important to the Jedi Order you are, to expel you."
"But won't the other Council members be angry about this?" Ashlyn inquired in concern.
"Don't worry about it, there is nothing they can do about it," Anakin reassured her, and Ashlyn nodded in acceptance of the answer.
A few days later after Daly was fully recovered the group were at the Lake House at Lake Varikino which Padme provided to them for the Knighting ceremony. Masters Yoda, Kenobi and Skywalker stood in a semi-circle with their lightsabers activated in a private room that had been darkened by curtains with Daly standing in front of them.
"Step forward Padawan," Master Yoda instructed which Daly obeyed swiftly by kneeling on one knee in front of the Jedi Grandmaster.
"Daly Solak, by right of the Council," Master Yoda began as his lightsaber blade came to rest above his right shoulder.
"By the will of the Force," Master Yoda stated as his lightsaber moved to now rest above his left shoulder.
"Dub thee, I do, Jedi-," the Grandmaster's blade quickly flicked across to sever the Padawan braid, "-Knight of the Republic."
Then Daly rose to his feet, picking up the braid from the floor as he did so, and then he bowed low in respect. When he exited the room, Ashlyn was waiting impatiently outside the door as Daly had been knighted first and now it was her turn.
"You will be fine," Daly reassured her soothingly as he handed her his Padawan braid, "I want you to keep it so that no matter where I am in the galaxy you will always have a piece of me with you," he added as he kissed her softly on the forehead.
"I should probably go in now," Ashlyn mumbled nervously as she placed the braid in one of the pouches on her belt. She approached the door and entered slowly to find the room pitch black except for the light of three lightsabers.
"Step forward Padawan," Master Yoda instructed which Ashlyn reacted to by nervously walking slowly forward until she was directly in front of the Jedi Grandmaster and then she knelt on one knee.
"Ashlyn Dubreas, by right of the Council," Master Yoda started as his lightsaber blade came to rest above her right shoulder.
"By the will of the Force," Master Yoda continued as his lightsaber moved to now rest above her left shoulder.
"Dub thee, I do, Jedi-," the Grandmaster's blade quickly flicked across to sever the Padawan braid which landed on her knee, "-Knight of the Republic," he finished.
Then Ashlyn rose to her feet slowly as she held the Padawan braid in her hand and then bowed low in respect before leaving the room. Daly embraced Ashlyn when the door closed behind her and when they parted he found her Padawan braid in his closed palm.
"Keep it safe for me," Ashlyn requested.
Daly's hand reached up and caressed her cheek, "Always."
A/N: If you started to pick up that there is something more to Ashlyn and Daly's relationship than just a simple couple then you would be correct. From the beginning, before Disney bought Lucasfilm, Ashlyn and Daly are a Force Dyad. Force Dyads were part of canon before Disney made Rey and Kylo a Force Dyad, the first known Force Dyad in Star Wars canon is Revan and Bastilla Shan and coincidently enough Anakin and Padme are even a Force Dyad. Force Dyads are slightly different for each pair and sometimes one of them is not even Force Sensitive enough to be considered for Jedi training. I hope you are enjoying the series thus far.
Ashlyn Dubreas.