I loved this chapter so much, I couldn't wait til tonight to publish it. Lemme know what you think, I was trying to get a kiss in there without Ahsoka falling head over heels for him, haha.

"Ahsoka." Padme called. I turned and she said,

"Mina and I will be at the CIS meeting. Stay here and gather your things, we'll be leaving soon after I get back," Padme announced with pride.

"Of course, senator. I'll be ready," Came my calm acknowledgement.

"We will be gone some time, so take care of yourselves." She said more confidentially. She then smiled in her charming way, and started off.

That means plenty of time to think today. A meditation would do me good. Though as hard as I tried, I could not forget the sorrow in Lux's eyes when he was reminded of his father's death. I had felt the same sorrow… and loss. Fighting to survive when I was three, stealing for a living with no parents. Hardly making ends meet.

The story itself bored into me. I saw my informally adopted "family" back on Shili. Whenever I saw Lux, he just reminded me of a time in my life I had tried to forget, then, the very thought of those people were just poison in my veins.

I couldn't focus on anything, so a walk of reflections, to clear the mind, should help my conflicting thoughts pass faster.

Little did I know Lux was having similar intentions.

Lux's Point of View

I had discovered how Jedi were found. They were sent from their homes… their lives… everything… for a life they were too young to understand. When Senator Amidala had told me this, I felt a flashback of my father.

Speeder rides through the city. Teaching me how to be a true man and gentleman. A sense of love, and wisdom, always emanated from him. He knew me, knew my thoughts, rebuked foolish actions, and set my paths straight time and again.

I remembered him leaving to defend his world, his home, his family. Setting up a base was just his way of defending what he loved. Clone troopers, soldiers led by Jedi, murdered him, and yet… simply out of respect for his teachings, I did not harbor any feelings of hatred toward the Jedi.

I remember the pain mother went through. The sorrow and loss pushing her to the brink of suicide. I was the only one who could console her, and help her rebuild her life. She had made it through, and now we tried to hide our pain. But the hollow in my soul could not be filled by anyone else, not the best of friends, or the best of times or my favorite events, nothing. Sometimes I would unashamedly lie awake at night, a tear or two spilling down my cheek. Someone so close to me being ripped away from me at a younger age, and then trying to help his mother through it as well was too much.

And now someone who had felt the same pain was here. But she could hide it. Perhaps she had forgotten about them and moved on.

I couldn't do anything but pace about the room. Perhaps a walk would do me good.

I nearly ran into a conflicted and clearly distracted Ahsoka.

I felt something toward her, but all she reminded me of was pain. And pain is what Ahsoka saw in my eyes, my mind, and my heart.

She looked into me, and saw the pain. I could feel her looking at my life, as through a telescope. Something like pain was in her eyes too.

Ahsoka's Point of View

Such pain. And loss. There was nothing like it, but both of us experienced it. On top of that, I sensed his pain was not over.

When I looked up, a flare of something… like a spark, appeared in his eyes. Then a look of sorrow came over them, and I could see his feelings to the bone. There was something more to him, and a strong feeling of sorrow and compassion welled up in me.

Suddenly feelings took over. He leaned forward slightly, and I went the rest of the way to join my lips with his. Fireworks were going off in my head, and a thousand thoughts flashed by in a moment. I broke apart, and whispered, "I'm sorry about your – " But he stopped me by kissing me again.

I drew apart, and felt some remorse. I decided it was best to leave, and quickly.

"I'm… sorry Lux….." But I got no further. I fast walked back to my room.

Lux's Point of View

"Wait! Ahsoka!" I cried. She was already inside, so she did not hear me. I didn't know she felt something even as small as compassion toward me, or that she would kiss me! I was too stunned to move at that time, so I just let her kiss me. Then my feelings took over and I kissed her back. It wasn't half bad, really. But this clearly caused her pain, and remorse. My instinct told me she simply needed some time to herself. Finding solstice would be better for her, than me just making things worse by apologizing.

She was beautiful, but that wasn't what mattered. She cared about pain, about pity, about… loss. She never knew her parents. Taken from every parent figure on her homeworld as a small girl, never to see them again must have been painful. Perhaps she did what she did simply because her pain equaled his pain, and some sort of a link was involuntarily formed.

I never meant her harm, just caution. She understands me, what I feel. I decided to never speak of the incident again.

Ahsoka's Point of View

Why did I do that? I didn't mean for it to go so far. I just… saw myself in his eyes. His pain had been my pain. And pain of that sort was not what I wanted for anyone, and Lux was no different. I felt remorse for violating the Jedi Code that way, but I saw no alternative in that moment to resolve his pain. Perhaps that moment was for the best. But what was I supposed to do? I had broken the Jedi Code, but out of compassion? Was that truly a violation?

I didn't like him, really, but I didn't dislike him either. I just didn't want him to feel so much pain. Maybe, one day, they would grow to enjoy each other's company. No, that truly was forbidden. But the thought did not escape my mind. Nor was it fleeting.

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