CH3

Disclaimer: Okay I don't own star wars, sadly, and if something in my story contradicts something from Star Wars, oh well it's my story. I did make up the events and characters in this story with the help of the love of my life.

Car-re never rode the elevators. Not since she was five.

Sloan was taking Car-re down the elevator when it stopped midfloor. Car-re could hear the gears grinding and metal bending from the strain. She clung to Sloan's leg in fear. They were trapped in the elevator for only fifteen minutes, but to a small child, it seemed like years. Since then, she became a fan of stairs. "Too bad they're so far down the hall." she thought. "Too bad Sloan lives in room 348, right on the middle of the floor."

As Car-re rounded a corner, she saw an oncoming door creak open. Car-re stopped immediately and froze from her feet up, staring ahead at Ferren Ezhno.

"Oh uh... I... didn't know anybody was still up." He stammered.

"I am."

"I, uh... can see that."

Without thinking Car-re took a step backward, and began to turn, keeping her eyes on Ferren. "I... have to..."

"D-Don't go." Ferren said in more of a questioning tone. "I uh... I wanted to talk to you. I found your note." He walked closer to her, and she tried to hide the excitement that came from a sparkle of hope in her eyes, thinking, and "Say yes Oh please, say yes."

"I can't make it tomorrow night." Ferren openly confessed as the twinkle faded from Car-re's eyes.

"Oh." She responded in a disappointed tone.

"It's just that," Ferren stammered, trying to explain, "tomorrow, the council has decided to let me undergo the trials to become a Jedi Knight."

"Well...Congratulations..." Car-re began to walk past him. "Good luck."

"Some other time." Ferren blurted as Car-re walked off.

"What?" She turned.

"Maybe, we could do it some other time?" He caught up to her so that they were face to face.

The sparkle returned to Car-re's eyes. "Yah," she smiled, "maybe." The two padawans' eyes locked for a moment, and Car-re didn't know whether to be afraid or excited. Finally, she broke the lock. "I uh, have to get to bed."

"I'll walk you." He offered, and the two padawans walked toward the stairs twenty-four rooms away.

"So, how old are you?" Car-re questioned, genuinely curious about Ferren.

"16"

"And you're becoming a knight already? That's amazing."

"I guess. How 'bout you?"

"I'm fifteen. Almost sixteen. In another month." She answered. "How long have you been here?"

"I'm not quite sure. Too long." They both laughed. "Me and my brother have been here since we were little. He's a little older. He might know. And you?"

"Master Sloan brought me here when I was a baby." They reached the door to the stairway, Ferren opened the door for Car-re, then followed her in. "Who's your brother?"

"Do you know Reksez?"

"No."

"Neither do I." They both laughed. Car-re stopped midlaugh.

"Thanks for the compliment."

Ferren stared at her confused. "I didn't say anything."

"I know." She smiled mischievously. She sat down on a stair and stared at him, smiling. Then she spoke as though she were answering a question. "Yah, I can. I'm not sure where I learned it. I just can. I first did it when I was nine. It just happened. I have better control of it now, so watch your thoughts." She joked. He sat down next to her.

"I didn't know that was possible."

"It is." She smiled.

"I guess I'll have to be careful what I think."

"That's the problem with secrets." Car-re started. "People hide things so someone else can't find it. But if you have something that you want to hide, it's probably something somebody should know about." Ferren thought about this. He wasn't sure if Car-re was fishing for something, or just talking.

"Why do I need to look for answers when I can take them?" Car-re said reassuring him that she was doing the latter.

A quiet creak came from somewhere at the bottom of the stairs and caught both youth's attention. Car-re strained to see who was down there. If her and Ferren were caught after hours, she knew there would be big trouble. "Who's there?" She called.

No reply came, but she began to make out a faint red light. With a thud of footsteps, the light slowly moved closer until Car-re and Ferren recognized the light as a lightsaber. "Show yourself!" Car-re commanded, but the lightsaber-carrying shadow only moved quicker toward them. Car-re reached for her lightsaber, but Ferren had already ignited his, and darted toward the shadow. The red blade clashed with a bright orange blade and took the offensive while Ferren blocked its attacks. Finally, Ferren counter-attacked and slashed through the shadow. In an instant, the shadow, along with the saber, disappeared. Car-re ran down to meet Ferren. "What was it?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." he answered. "Let's get out of here." Ferren grabbed her hand and rushed her out of the stair well. After they exited, he continued running, refusing to slow down. Car-re did the same. The rooms started backwards, from 299. "Which one's yours?" he asked.

"276!"

They stopped at Car-re's door and Car-re bent down resting her hands on her knees while catching her breath. When she felt calmed, she stood up and faced Ferren, who had already regained his composure. "I think I'll take the elevator." he laughed awkwardly.

"Be careful." She warned.

"Well, I guess I should get to bed now…"

"Oh, right." Car-re almost wished he could stay with her. She wasn't sure she could handle the discomforting solitude she would be left to in her room. "Thanks for walking me." She said in order to stall.

Ferren smiled and took a step closer to Car-re. "Any time." He said warmly.

She looked up at his face and his eyes trapped hers. Suddenly, Car-re felt very safe, so safe that she became frightened. "Good luck tomorrow. May the force be with you." She managed to say feeling very embarrassed. And then Ferren did something that surprised even himself: he bent down and kissed Car-re on the cheek.

Though everybody was already asleep, and the halls were deserted, the world seemed as though it had just now screeched to a halt as if to ask, "What just happened?" Car-re asked herself the same thing, but couldn't bring herself to say a word.

Ferren stepped back looking awestruck with his jaw open and his cheeks flushed. He said nothing and quickly walked away leaving Car-re speechless at her door.

She wasn't sure what to think or do as she opened the door to her room. She'd never been kissed by a guy before. Except Sloan, she thought, but Sloan doesn't count. I wonder how he'd react if he knew what Ferren had done…