This is the Holiday chapter.

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Padmé watched as Anak and his wife Mikayla carefully arranged the decorations in Skywalker's quarters. In a few days in would be the Festival of Lights. It was a holiday celebrated by the Sippschaft and the Ashlans. During the Festival of Lights songs were sung, gifts were exchanged, wounds were healed and, for the most part, people were forgiven for wrongs made during the past year.

Padmé found herself wondering just how old Anak and Mikayla were. She knew that they had been around since before the Clone Wars but they refused to speak about where they had come from or how old they were. All she knew about them was that they were pure blooded Ashlans and that the Ashlans on Inamreg had never heard of them before. However her parents told her not to pry so she never dug any deeper.

She watched as Mikayla levitated herself to the ceiling and wrapped some lights around the walls.

"Are you excited for the Festival of Lights?" Mikayla asked her as she landed gracefully on the floor. Padmé smiled. "Not as much as when I was younger. But now I understand the symbolism more. It's more important to to give then to get and that it's important to forgive." Padmé said.

Anak smiled in approval. "You will be a wise Jedi one day Padmé Ayrin Skywalker. That I have foreseen."

xxxxx

Tenel Ka woke on the day of the Festival of Lights to find Enya, Ami, Mata and Emily around a crystal lamp carefully opening presents.

Enya turned to her. "There's several for you here Tenel Ka." She said happily.

Tenel Ka carefully got out of bed and walked over to the crystal lamp and noticed that there was a neat stack of presents for her.

"We have the entire day off and we can talk to our families if we want." Ami squealed. "It's really exciting!"" Emily said, excitement leaking into her voice.

"So if we have the day off is there anything special happening?" Tenel Ka asked. "Well, those two Ashlans Anak and Mikayla tell a story about how words spoken in anger can come back and bite us. And then they tell a love story about a man simply known as the Starman and a Moon Goddess. One year they told how the Ashlans believe the galaxy and it's two companions were created." Mata said.

"Oh," Tenel Ka said.

"Don't worry, none of the stories are very long and they are really meant for the younger students. At least the love story." Ami said.

xxxxx

Anak smiled as everyone came and sat around in the arena.

"Many years ago High Priest Shang Whitesun and his wife the High Priestess Arda Stardust Whitesun journyed to Coruscant shortly after they became the High Priest and High Priestess of the Order of Ashla/Bogden. They brought with them their newborn daughter Fay and three guards. On their third day there they left baby Fay in the apartment assigned to them. It proved to be a mistake. Sometime after they left someone broke into the apartment and stole the tiny baby Fay.

"In their anger the new parents swore that they would curse whoever took their child.

"After a long search that spanned three months baby Fay was found in the Royal Household of Alderaan.

"In her rage Arda snatched her child from the Royal Nanny and told the King and Queen of Alderaan that if another one of their descendants took another member of their blood that Alderaan would be scattered on the Solar Winds.

"For years the Republic feared that the Ashlans would join the Sith for what had happened But to the relief of all the Ashlans stay neutral.

"As you all know Alderaan was destroyed. But was it because the Royal Household took a descendant of Shang and Arda or was it just a horrible coincidence?

"Perhaps no one knows and if someone does then they are not talking." Anak said.

Silence fell as the new students turned the story over in their minds.

Next Mikayla stood.

"A long time ago on a planet far, far away there was a man who's name has disappeared into the sands of time but it is known that he was a brave man. His exploits were stuff of legends and he won admirers everywhere he went. However he was not interested in any of them.

"One night as he traveled by the light of the moons a beautiful woman appeared to him. Sensing that she was someone important he knelt before her. The woman laughed and told him to stand. She told him that she had been watching him and that she was pleased that he was protecting people from harm.

"The man sighed sadly and told the beautiful woman that he did not deserve her praise because he saw that he was a horrible person for he had turned his back on the Gods and Goddesses so he did not deserve admiration from people that were devoted to them.

"The beautiful woman smiled and told him that his disbelief came from when one of the Moon Goddesses didn't heal his mother and that he still was hurt from it.

"Startled the man looked into the eyes of the beautiful woman and realized that she wasn't an ordinary woman but one of the Moon Goddesses.

"Weeping the man asked what he had done to deserve to be in her presence. For he had turned his back on her and her kind. To his surprise she said that she had fallen in love with him and wanted him to be he champion.

"Overwhelmed the man accepted her request. For years he did good in her name and helped bring light into the lives of others. Finally one day the man was terribly injured. As he lay dying the Moon Goddess appeared to him and took him up to the sky. There they were married and like any marriage they were blessed with seven children: Asha, Bo, Cria, Daya, Etan, Fayth and Gyath.

"They still live among the stars as the legend goes and he is as devoted to her as the first day that he saw her." Mikayla finished with a bow.

Anak then stepped forward. "Now we we will share the ancient story behind the Festival of Lights. Many years ago before the Sklaven came and enslaved our people there was an attack by an unknown race. They desecrated the Holy Place of our people and drove them out of their homes. After months of planning our ancestors took back their cities and drove off the invaders with their powers.

"After the invaders were gone the chieftains discovered that their Holy Place had been pillaged and the sacred light and fuel for the sacred light was nearly gone. With tears in their eyes the people retrieved the replacement for the sacred light and with tears in their eyes poured the little fuel that they had left into it. 'We can't not go without the sacred light. We need it to burn for at least one day.' To the surprise of all that were there the fuel not only lasted for a day but long enough for them to make and bless more fuel.

"To this day we see what Ashla did for our ancestors and to show our gratitude we try to forgive others, give presents to others and we remember." Anak said.

Then he and Mikayla danced for the Jedi gathered there. It was said that this was the favorite dance Keila Darklighter, the first High Priestess.

Anak wasn't sure when it became a tradition to do the Dance of Ashla/Bogden but it was a beautiful dance; one that they hadn't done for the Jedi before.

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The reference to Hanukkah is on purpose. The Festival of Lights a mixture of Christmas and Hanukkah. I hope that you all enjoyed it!