A Secret Revealed!, as life with their new feelings goes on for padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano a new revelation is looming that could very well pull their world apart. As the master of the council all gather to the temples chamber, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker prepares to play the holovid that might finally reveal who Ahsoka's attachment it to.

Chapter 11: A Secret Revealed

The small blue and white astromech Anakin had known almost his entire life led the way into the council chamber, almost every master in the order had gathered to their respective seats when Obi-Wan had informed them they had a possible lead on Ahsoka's problem. Artoo offered a few short beeps as the disk was inserted into him, a giant hologram of Dex's diner filled half the room, with a flick of his wrist master Yoda closed the shutters over the domed roof allowing the hologram to fill the room in a dim blue light.

Anakin stood beside artoo and Padme' as every master on the council formed a circle around the hologram, once everyone was situated he patted artoo on the head "start the disc buddy". The hologram in front of them sprang to life in a matter of seconds as aliens of all shapes and sizes entered the diner, Dex could easily be seen wiping the counter while greeting everyone that walked in.

Padme' bit her bottom lip as she walked around the hologram "artoo try and find the point where Barriss and Ahsoka enter the diner" a few beeps followed the hologram speeding up ten fold before stopping abruptly.

Anakin leaned a bit to hear better as Dex greeted his two padawans "Ahsoka Tano, don't tell me the Jedi need my great knowledge once again huh?".

Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle but quickly went silent as Ahsoka shook the Besalisk's hand "sorry Dex, we're just here to eat". Dex led the two girls to a table and smiled as Ahsoka ordered two sliders.

Anakin let out a loud sigh "might as well sit down, once Ahsoka gets talking there's no stopping her" everyone in the room ignored his obvious joke but as time went on each master did eventually drag their tired legs back to their seats and even Padme' leaned on artoo's domed head. Ahsoka (or rather her hologram) went on to describe in painfully specific detail nearly every mission they had been on, the retaking of Geonosis, destroying malevolence, even some of her experiences with the Trandoshans were laid out for all to hear.

Although Anakin cleared his throat through a few parts the masters didn't need to hear, no reason anyone beside him and Ahsoka had to know that he only opened the Jedi holocron because Cad Bane had captured and threatened to kill Ahsoka.

When he was about to tell artoo to fast forward a bit a sudden movement caught his eye "whoa artoo go back" the image was quickly pulled back and slowed as Anakin leaned halfway into the hologram. Barriss' hologram stretched out before suddenly jumping back in her seat "why did Barriss jump like that?".

Both masters Luminara and Obi-Wan walked up beside him as R2 played the last few seconds in a continuous loop. Obi-Wan scratched thoughtfully at his beard "even this early on the meld between them may have been strong enough for them to hear each others thoughts, perhaps she is reacting to something we can't hear".

Luminara promptly shook her head "no this was before we could even sense the meld, besides Ahsoka is still talking when she jumps back. It's not like Barriss to react so suddenly, something must of really surprised her"

Anakin stopped the holovid and let the moonlight flood in through the roof with a wave of his hand "so something we can't see scared Barriss enough to almost jump out of her skin"

Obi-Wan offered his hand "give me the disk, I'll work on it a while and see if I can't find something we missed".

Anakin nodded and handed the disk to his former master "so where do we go from here?, should I just ask Barriss why she jumped?"

Padme' moved beside her husband "I don't think so, until we know more we don't want to eliminate a possible lead".

Yoda nodded from his seat "very fragile this problem is, in more ways then one I think. No more will we know for now, wait we will, show us the correct path to take the force will".

Barriss lightly stroked Ahsoka's Lekku as her friend slowly fell asleep with her head on her lap, once she was sure the girl was asleep Barriss let her thoughts roam 'god she's so beautiful' she let her hands go from the girls Lekku to her cheek. Ahsoka's oddly smooth skin was warm to the touch but still managed to send a chill through her body 'I love...' her final thought was cut short as her masters unmistakeable presence drew closer to their quarters.

'this isn't good!' her heart rate began to escalate as the presence got stronger with each passing second, a slight will of the force lifted her friends head and allowed her to shift her own body to the opposite side of the couch. She had just enough time to lay down and close her eyes before Anakin walked through the door "well make sure and let me know if...oh shh, you'd swear these two didn't have beds" Barriss didn't have to open her eyes to know her master was talking with Obi-Wan.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Obi-Wan's compassion filled voice began to speak very softly, Barriss had to strain her ears but she just made out the conversation "I'm sure with a little tweaking we'll be able to see what made miss Offee jump like that, I'll contact you in the morning if I have something"

"let's just try and get this problem settled soon"

Barriss instantly felt the cold stare of her masters eyes on her body, a hint of pain was clearly evident in his voice "I hate lying to them master".

"trust in the force my old apprentice, it will guide us through this"

"I know I know, but right now all I want guided to is a good nights sleep" it didn't take long for Obi-Wan to take the hint, Barriss guessed a silent nod was shared between them before Anakin waved the door shut and quietly stepped back the hall and into his room.

Barriss sat up the second she knew her master was out of the room 'what made me jump, when did I jump?. Maybe...oh crap!, at Dex's diner!. My leg touch Ahsoka's and I practically jumped through the roof, master Obi-Wan must have a holovid of that day' her heart beat relentlessly against her chest 'if he sees me react to contact with Ahsoka like that it won't take long for him to put the pieces together, I have to get that holovid'.

She stood up and headed for the door before poking a whole in her own plan 'I can't sneak into Obi-Wan's quarters, he'll sense me before I even open the door. I need help, I need someone who isn't force sensitive'.

"Would you damn things hold still!, some of us have homes to get to!" James practically tackled the last mouse droid before finally powering it down and setting it beside the rest of his quote unquote help at the back of the kitchen. He wiped a bead of sweat from his face and pulled the food stained apron off his body "finally, I swear one more day with these things and I'll be strong enough to pull the ears of a gundark" after taking one more look around James hit the switch for the kitchen lights and locked the door behind him.

Flipping the keys into his pants pocket he quickly made his through the mess and out into the hallway, turning out the door of the mess he felt the wind ripped from his body as he fell to the ground. Before he could mutter his usual string of obscenity's an olive skinned hand helped him back to his feet, James couldn't help but smile as he looked into the eyes of one of his favorite Jedi "Barriss, in a hurry this late at night?".

Even as the last words left his mouth he could tell something wasn't right, in the past couple days working in the mess he had gotten used to the emotionless gaze almost all Jedi gave off and right now Barriss looked more like a regular scared teenager then the trained killer he knew she was "are you okay?".

The same hand that had helped him to his feet now laid flat on his shoulder as Barriss shook her head "no James I'm not okay, I need your help"

"anything, just tell me what to do"

"master Obi-Wan has a holovid that has some...personal information on it, I need you to sneak inside his quarters and get it for me".

James put both hands in the air as he pushed past the Jedi "whoa no can do Barriss, master Obi-Wan is the one who gave me this job. I can't go against his trust like that, I'm truly sorry but I can't help you".

"please James I'm begging you, if Obi-Wan sees that holovid both me and Ahsoka could be stripped from the order".

Try as he might to keep walking the strain in Barriss' voice stopped James in his tracks "damn it...fine I'll help. But how can I sneak into Obi-Wan's quarters?, won't he sense me or something?".

Barriss shook her head "since you're not force sensitive it will be difficult for him to sense your presence,combine that with the fact that he has no idea you're there and you should be able to sneak around for a few minutes without him sensing you"

"so what's on the holovid that's so important?"

"one thing at a time James, come on we need to do this now, to put it frankly time is of the essence".

James swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked down the pitch black hallway leading to Obi-Wan's quarters "okay Barriss just for reference next time you ask me a favor, I'd be more comfortable maybe baking a cake or judging a wet t-shirt contest. Pretty much anything but this" his attempt to lighten the mood went unnoticed by the still stressed out Jedi .

Barriss attempted to hide the sound of fear in her voice "you're only gonna have a few minutes before Obi-Wan can sense your presence so you'll have to be quick, James I can't thank you enough for doing this. You have no idea what this means to me".

"thank me after it's done, so how the hell do I get in there?"

Barriss pointed straight up, following her gaze James saw the grate of a ventilation shaft "of course". James tensed his muscles as the grate was pulled off the vent and he felt himself being lifted into the air "uh this again, just don't drop me like Ahsoka did".

The last thing he saw before his head pocked through the shaft was a grin spreading on Barriss' face "don't tempt me".

The inside of the vent was pitch black save the thin shreds of light coming from the grate Barriss must of put back on after he crawled out of sight, James was forced to move along on all fours as he struggled through the darkness 'damn it man you gotta learn how to say no, girl throws the puppy dog eyes and I'm crawling through a vent seconds later. No, see was that so hard?. Freaking hot ass Jedi, can't even form relationships so why the hell am I doing this?'.

Something in the back of his mind told him he already knew the answer to that question, as much as he would like to think he was the ladies man he makes himself out to be truth be told he never really had a serious relationship with any girl his own age. But Barriss and Ahsoka, they were different.

Even after his dumb ass attempt at a quickie the first time they met both girls had forgiven him when frankly he didn't deserve forgiveness. Ever since then James had racked his mind trying to figure out a way to make up with the two girls, sure they had forgiven him but what he had done to deserve it?. But there was something else that kept bringing these girls back into his thoughts, something about them made him want their friendship more than anything he had wanted before.

And it wasn't just so he could brag he was friends with Jedi, Barriss and Ahsoka were two of the most interesting characters he had ever had the pleasure to met. Both could no doubt slice him to pieces without breaking a sweat but they had given their life to being the galaxy's peacekeepers, to have all that power and also the restraint not to use it for their own gain was something he had always respected about the Jedi even before meeting one.

To think even a fraction of his life could be spent in the company of these almost magical beings, especially two as nice as Barriss and Ahsoka, was something he looked forward to every day when he climbed out of bed. But as usual he let his feelings get in the way of a good thing, and so now he found himself crawling through a damn hot vent at three in the morning because of a pretty face and a few stress filled words 'worth it'.

A stream of light only inches ahead brought his wandering mind back to the present, looking through the grate the quarters of master Obi-Wan were now directly below him. The only light coming from the small living room was that of a terminal, James strained to get a decent view but only succeeded in hurting his back.

His heart beat increased significantly as Obi-Wan crossed the small room and sat down at the terminal, he fought the pain in his chest and pulled on the grate until it came loose with a only slightly audible clang. James pulled the grate inside the vent faster then he knew he could, Obi-Wan looked up from his terminal but quickly shrugged the noise away.

With all the strength he had James slowly lowered himself down the open vent, dangling just behind the Jedi masters back for a quick second before his booted feet hit the floor and immediately rolled his entire body behind the nearby couch.

Ignoring the fact that Obi-Wan really needed to clean behind his couch James crouched as low as his legs would allow and began to wait 'wonder how late a master Jedi stays up?, guess I'll find out'. Even in the strange environment James found his eyelids grow heavy with each painfully long minute, master Obi-Wan typed silently on his terminal with the time of night showing no signs of drain on the mans face 'come on!, Barriss said I could last a few minutes before you can sense me. Your old go to the bathroom or something!'.

James felt his adrenaline come back ten fold as Obi-Wan finally powered down his terminal and disappeared into the short hall with a heavy yawn, once he saw the light in what must have been the masters bedroom go out he finally stood to his full height. He gave his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark before making his way over to the terminal, his gaze drifted over the large desk 'if I were a holovid, ah here we go'.

With more than a small feeling of accomplishment James picked up the round disk and shoved it in his back pocket, a sly grin crossed his face as he made way for the door leading out to the hallway 'I just stole from a Jedi, not bad James, not bad at all' before he stepped through the door he chanced one more look back at the terminal 'I wonder what's so important about his disk?, maybe I should do one more thing, just in case'.

Barriss had to use all her training in patience and meditation to keep herself from following James into that vent, standing at the corner of the hallway did almost nothing to ease the tension inside her. Her heart jumped to her throat when an unknown hand rested on her shoulder, she quickly turned and met the cocky grin of who was now her favorite person (beside Ahsoka of course) "James, did you get it?".

James pulled the holovid out of his back pocket and casually flipped the reflective disk in and out of his hand "one mysterious holovid on the house, so now will you tell what's on this thing?". Barriss attempted to grab the holovid but James pulled it out of her reach "oh no, come on what did I just go through hell to get?"

"James will you please just give me the holovid?"

"oh come on Jedi don't even keep secrets how bad could it be, come on you can trust me".

Thinking quickly Barriss rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the boy, she felt the muscles in his body tense for a second before relaxing "thank you James, you have no idea how much this means to me. But I really need that holovid now".

As she pulled back from the hug and was immediately handed the disk Barriss felt a twinge of guilt, she knew without a doubt that James would read more into the hug than there was but she had to have that holovid "I have to go now James, have a good night".

James managed a mumbled "you too" before the Jedi turned and disappeared down the hallway, wiping the dumbfounded look from his face the second she left he pulled the backup disk from his side pocket. It kind of felt wrong to lye to someone he considered a friend but whatever was on this disk could, according to Barriss, be enough to get her and Ahsoka stripped from the Jedi order.

Even if Barriss thought he shouldn't know what it was something inside told him he should, at some point the Jedi would find another way to learn whatever that information was and maybe if he knew about it ahead of time he could help his friends when the time came. 'Hell how bad could it be anyway?'.

Barriss floated the disk in the air in front of her the second she stepped back inside Anakin's quarters, with one clench of her fist the disk snapped into four separate pieces. As she caught the pieces in her hand a familiar voice from across the room caused her to jump "what was on that?" her excitement simmered down a bit when she turned into the caring blue eyes of Ahsoka.

Apparently waking up sometime after she left the teenage Togruta now sat straight up on the couch starring out the window into Corusants moonlight lit landscape, Barriss walked over to the window and pressed the small button next to it. Without so much as looking she threw the shattered pieces of the holovid out the window, after re-closing the window she once again reclaimed her spot beside Ahsoka "you were fast asleep when I left".

Ahsoka kept her gaze out the window, the heaviness in her eyes was only complimented by the fatigue evident in her voice "it was weird, I was asleep when you left but somehow...I don't know it's like I knew. I woke up the second you left the room, I tried to go back to sleep but it's just not the same without you".

Barriss felt a warm smile cross her face "that has to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard miss Tano"

Ahsoka giggled slightly "you're making fun of me"

"oh no I'd be much to scared to do that".

The two Jedi shared a short moment of laughter before Ahsoka laid back down, once again setting her head on Barriss' lap "so what was up with the disk?".

Barriss began to lightly run her hand up and down the girls arm "it was a holovid of the day you and I went to Dex's diner, Obi-Wan was going to study the disk for any signs of your attachment"

"so, nothing happened that day"

Barriss tried to hide the new color of her face "well actually there is something I never told you, when we were at the diner my leg kind of rubbed against yours and I...well I sort of jumped".

Ahsoka let out a loud yawn "is that so?, now that you mention it I remember you acting a little strange right before we left"

"Ahsoka we need to figure something out here, we have to convince the council you don't have an attachment"

"but I do have an attachment"

"okay you're not helping, we both know that eventually the council will find some way to discover us"

"you worry...too much Barriss...just get...some..." Ahsoka's mumbled words were quickly replaced by her usual light snore.

Barriss simply shook her head and laid down beside her friend "I guess we'll talk about this later".

Corusant, two blocks from the Senate district

James parked his speeder in it's usual spot outside his small apartment and stepped through the front door "mom I'm home!" there was no answer and he knew that full well before the words even left his mouth. Last time he called the doctors had informed him she would make a full recovery, all thanks to the credits he had made at his new job.

Throwing his brown leather jacket on the hook next

to the door he immediately made way for the living room, now alone he had no problem with talking to himself (he had gotten into that habit a long time ago) "the Jedi have done so much for me, Barriss and Ahsoka especially, maybe knowing what's on this disk can help me return the favor".

He slipped the disk into this terminal before sitting down a the small desk in his dark living room, the orange glow from the terminal served as the only source of light as he started the holovid. Soon enough the entire room was lit by the blue projections of what he recognized as Dex's diner "a holovid of Dex's diner, why the hell would this be important?".

Rather than watch the large hologram now playing behind him James kept his gaze on the terminals screen as groups of people shifted through the small diner, his eye was immediately caught when both Barriss and Ahsoka entered the diner and were greeted by the owner.

James turned his chair around the watched the hologram filling his living room "alright Barriss said something on here would be enough to get her and Ahsoka stripped from the order, what the hell are they gonna do rob the place?".

As the two hologrammed girls shared stories and laughed he started to feel his impatience set it, turning back to his computer a quick click was all it took to send the holovid into double its regular speed.

Rubbing his tired eyes James was about to eject the disk when a movement caught his eye, after finding the spot and sending the holovid into a continuous loop he rose from his chair and walked over to Barriss' hologrammed form.

Her and Ahsoka seemed to be having a perfectly normal conversation when out of nowhere Barriss jumped, it went by so quickly he had almost missed it but seeing it play over and over again only intensified his curiosity "nothing happening in the diner would warrant that reaction from a Jedi, there has to be something I'm not seeing".

As his eyes scanned the entire hologram he quickly realized the only place he couldn't see was under each individual table "Dex's diner isn't exactly known for it's cleanliness, maybe something under the table bit her". Even as he said it he immediately shook his head "No, no way it's that simple. Jedi are trained to not even fear death itself and she jumps from some bug, no way in hell".

In one swift motion he crossed the room and sat back down by his terminal, it would be difficult to improve the quality of the video, but not impossible.

The Jedi Temple

Ahsoka knew better than to bring it up in conversation but she had actually been awake when Anakin emerged from his room and covered both her and Barriss in a light blanket.

Once the sound of her masters footsteps had completely faded from her montrals she sat up on the couch, a pinch of guilt went through her as she realized not only had Anakin covered her but he also un-clipped both lightsabers from her side 'I must of forgotten to take them off'.

Her all to familiar weapons sat alongside Barriss' on the counter in the kitchen, Ahsoka stood to her feet in the pitch black room and walked over to the window 'he cares about me there's no denying that, sure sometimes we argue. Hell on more than one occasion I've thought about what it would feel like to shut up that cocky tone he has once and for all, but he is the closest thing I've ever had to a father'.

The feeling of guilt only increased at the last thought 'some padawan I am, just this week I've had to lie to him more times than I can count. His views on the code have always been a little...creative, maybe if I told him he would understand'.

A movement behind her forced her to turn, Barriss rolled over on the couch and sank her face into the cushion. Ahsoka smiled at her friend before looking back out the window 'I can't, if I take the risk and lose her because of it' just the thought brought her hand into a tight fist 'I don't know what I'd do without her, if the council finds out about us and can't understand there's no danger behind it then...' for the first time in her life she felt her mind go blank.

Without Barriss her heart felt hollow, just her leaving the room was enough to wake her from a sound sleep. But without her life as a Jedi she had nothing, she knew without a doubt she was destined to become a Jedi master. How could she not be?, it was all she knew, it was what she had worked for every day of her life since being brought to the temple.

But if she had to chose between her Jedi training and Barriss, well all she had to do to answer that question was think back to that night on the senate building. When they had first kissed Ahsoka knew she would forever remember that day as the best in her life, just thinking back now was enough to make her bottom lip quiver.

Was it wrong to chose love over her destiny?, was her destiny truly something set in stone as she thought or did she have the power to shape it herself?. This and about a thousand other similar questions flooded through her mind as she laid back down beside Barriss on the couch 'it can't be wrong to chose love, can it?'.

James' apartment

James practically fell out of his chair and walked through the hologram before flopping down on the small couch that sat in the middle of the living room 'okay that took a little longer than I thought'. Looking up to the window on the opposite side of the room he let out a pain filled laugh "it's sunrise!, I gotta be at the temple in like two hours!"

With a loud sigh he dragged himself to his feet and focused his eyes on the now perfectly clear hologram, the continuous loop still showed Barriss jump out of nowhere but know "what the hell?". Right before she jumped Barriss had leaned back in her seat, the moment her leg brushed against Ahsoka's she made her leap for the ceiling "why would she jump like that just from touching Ahsoka's leg?".

If there was ever a moment in his life where he wished he had an old fashioned light bulb to put above his head now was the time, it explained so much. Why both of them had been on the senates roof that night (not to mention Ahsoka's halfhearted explanation), why they always seemed to be together every time he saw them. Even why Barriss didn't want the council to watch this disk "those two are!...oh no fucking way!. If this wasn't so serious it would be the best day of my life".

A quick shake of his head brought his thoughts back to reality "okay you know, but if a stupid teenager was able to figure this out surely some of the Jedi at least suspect it" the ever intensifying sunlight coming through his window forced him to move.

After taking the disk out of the terminal he pulled a key from his back pocket and unlocked one of the drawers on his desk, he couldn't help but smile as he wrapped one hand around the leather grip of his blaster "if mom knew the first thing I bought myself with all my creds was a pistol she'd kill me, but what can I say, old habits die hard".

James took a minute to admire the weapon in his hand, a LL-30 blaster pistol wasn't exactly the strongest weapon out there but that didn't stop a feeling of immense power wash over him as he ran one finger over the long silver barrel and scope attachment.

Snapping himself back to focus he flipped the disk in his hands a few times before throwing it in the air in front of him, letting instinct take over he let a single shot loose from his fully loaded pistol. The red laser did it's best to blow his eardrums but by now the noise barely affected him, he simply watched as the disk shattered into microscopic pieces "no one else will find out about this, I'll make sure of it".

The Jedi Temple

Barriss was jolted awake by the smooth touch she had grown very accustomed to over the past few weeks, an orange finger slowly moved down her arm and across her thigh. Taking the hint Barriss sat up on the couch, after seeing the sun just starting to rise over some of Corusants highest skyscrapers she raised an eyebrow "it can't be time to get up yet".

Ahsoka sat down on the couch beside her "it's not, but I figured since we fell asleep out here we should probably get up before Skyguy"

"why is that?"

"well we kind of moved closer together through the night, figured even Skyguy wouldn't shrug away us wrapped in each others arms on the couch"

Barriss had to laugh at the thought of her master walking in on something like that "wonder what he'd do, I mean would he wake us up to yell at us or just drag our sleeping bodies into the council?".

Ahsoka let out a small giggle as she stretched out on the couch "my guess would be the yelling one, that is if he was even able to speak after seeing us together"

Barriss felt her smile reach it's limit on her face, for some reason even with the small amount of sleep she had gotten she felt completely rested "yeah know today's gonna be a good day"

"what's with you?, it's weird to see you this cheerful?"

Barriss simply shrugged as she looked into her friends crystal clear blue eyes "why shouldn't I be cheerful?, the only piece of evidence the council could ever use to prove our relationship was destroyed last night. We have nothing left to worry about, all we have to do now is enjoy ourselves".

Obviously taking her words literally Ahsoka was already leaning forward "I think I can do that" Barriss returned the gesture and felt the usual chill as their lips met. Although she enjoyed every second the kiss was short lived as a loud swish from the hallway told them both Anakin was up, Barriss reluctantly pulled back and smiled warmly at Ahsoka before standing to her feet.

Anakin walked into the kitchen dressed in his usual Jedi outfit, after nodding to both girls he looked down at the kitchen table long enough to check his messages on his terminal "huh...nothing, thought for sure we'd have another mission by now"

Barriss walked into the kitchen and

grabbed her lightsaber off the counter, letting a decent amount of sarcasm in her voice she turned to her master "don't worry master I'm sure you'll get to blow something up soon enough"

"damn well better Raven, damn well better".

Obi-Wan smiled warmly as he was approached by the young boy he had hired to run the mess "good morning James, just on time as always" the boy did his best attempt at a polite nod but it was clear his thoughts were in another place "you okay son?".

James used his holo-key to open the door to the mess hall "I'm fine master Kenobi, just didn't get much sleep last night is all"

"is there a problem?"

"no nothing like that master, it's nothing really"

Obi-Wan could tell the boy was lying but decided not to press the issue "well have a nice day James"

James waved a hand inside the mess "sure you don't want something to eat?"

"thanks for the offer James but I'm afraid my schedule is too tight today to allow such pleasantries, a Jedi's work is never done"

His sad attempt at a joke got only a dry laugh from the young boy as he disappeared inside the mess "your loss, see you later master"

Obi-Wan offered a small wave as he took off down the hall at a brisk pace, although the meeting with James gave his mind a break the silence quickly brought his thoughts back in full force. Every step through the temple felt like his heart dropped along with his feet, it took all the years of training he had in him to keep himself moving long enough to reach master Yoda's quarters.

Before he could even knock a voice on the other side of the door beckoned him in "master Kenobi, I have been expecting you" with a wave of his hand Obi-Wan entered the small room and sat down on the cushioned seat opposite master Yoda.

There was a short moment of silence between the two Jedi as Obi-Wan crossed his legs and thought of quite how to put his next words "master...I'm afraid your visions were right, it seems it is padawan Offee who Ahsoka has an attachment to. Much as you thought she used the help of young James Clever to steal the disk from my quarters" as much as it had hurt him to learn this saying it aloud really drove the point home.

Yoda sat with his eyes closed for several minutes but Obi-Wan knew better than to break the silence, after the small Jedi finally snapped his eyes back open he spoke, even with all his training a small amount amount of sadness was clear in his voice "troubling this news is, very carefully we must proceed".

"but master the code is very clear about..."

Yoda raised a hand to silence him "interpreted in many ways the Jedi code can be, tell me master Kenobi, the first line of the Jedi code"

"there is no emotion, there is peace"

"hmm, and the meaning of those words?"

Obi-Wan felt a wave of confusion wash over him but answered none the less "they mean Jedi must put aside their own emotions to bring peace to the galaxy, and to the force"

"and yet emotion is what drives every living being is it not?"

"to a certain point perhaps, but once again the Jedi must fight their instincts for the good of the galaxy"

Yoda nodded his head "right you are master Kenobi, and just a few days ago agreed with you, I would have"

"what do you mean master?"

"when first we sensed the meld between padawans Offee and Tano something strange caught my attention, previous attachments I've sensed,always with them came the worst of feelings for a Jedi to experience. Always seeds of the dark side planted deep within each individual, but this time, different it was".

"fear of loss, of betrayal, even of death, all these come with attachment master. Are you seriously telling me what I think you are?" realizing he raised his voice a bit higher than he had intended Obi-Wan lowered his head respectfully "sorry master, please continue".

If Yoda was offended in any way he didn't let it show, instead the small Jedi simply continued talking "between these two is something I've never experienced in all my years, their feelings, whether they are love or simply a teenage lust, are among the most pure I've ever sensed. Possible for their feelings to go on without breaking the code it is"

Obi-Wan didn't bother trying to hide the confusion in his voice "master with all due respect are you sure this is the right way to go about this?"

"meditate more on this before all is clear I must, but for now act on this knowledge, we will not".

Barriss simply couldn't take the silence anymore, she admired how her new master let her and Ahsoka have their space but she missed talking. She was probably the only one who knew it but master Luminara rather enjoyed conversation in her down time, a warm feeling went through her as she remembered the many late night talks she had shared with her former master.

Moving to the large empty spot in the middle of the living room she quickly crossed her legs and began to meditate, the soothing presence of Ahsoka was instantly recognizable on the couch behind her and made it all to easy to block out anything else. With her eyes closed she relied on the force to tell her Anakin had gotten up from his chair in the kitchen and moved to sit beside Ahsoka on the couch, even in her meditative state she found it impossible to ignore the set of eyes on her "am I that interesting?".

It was Anakin's masculine voice that answered her "never seen a Jedi do that before have you?"

Ahsoka smiled as she shook her head "first I've seen that happen master...uh Barriss you know you're floating right?"

Her but hit the floor with a loud thud, ignoring the combined snickers behind her and fighting back the urge to rub her sore rear end Barriss stood to her feet "that only happens once in a while, master Luminara said it's a very rare talent, much like my force healing ability". She didn't really like bringing up her special talent but the laughter at her expense was starting to get kind of annoying, as usual the mention of her ability brought the room back into silence.

Eventually Ahsoka took the bait "force healing, I was never taught that"

Anakin shook his head and turned to his padawan "it's not something you can be taught Snips, you either have it or you don't. To put it simply Barriss was lucky enough to be born with the ability"

Ahsoka chanced a admiring look in Barriss' direction "so what's it do?"

Barriss had to laugh "pretty self explanatory isn't it?, I can use the force to heal minor injuries. Nothing major mind you, I think the most major force healing on record was a broken ribcage". Before anyone had a chance to question her further a knock at the door forced all three heads to turn, without waiting for an invitation master Obi-Wan opened the door and stepped inside.

After a strange look in her and Ahsoka's direction the Jedi master spoke up with a tone of urgency that sounded foreign in his normally compassion filled voice "Anakin we need to talk, in private".