Chapter 135

AN: I know I had planned on doing better at updating, but real life took some unexpected drops. However, I can be certain to do better now that it has calmed down. Without further ado, the next chapter…

Ari had found it difficult to sleep that night. All she could think of was going to the Jedi Temple. She didn't know much about it, but she knew what it stood for. In fact, she was a bit surprised that it still looked in tact, from what she could see on the outside.

Ari knew she must have fallen asleep, because even though it was still dark, hours had passed according to the chrono in the room, though to Ari, it had only felt like second between when she had closed her eyes and when she had opened them.

Sliding out from beneath the blanket, Ari shivered slightly and rubbed her upper arms as she walked to where she had put away her clothes. Her feet made no sound on the carpeting, which almost tickled the bottom of her feet.

Quickly changing into a comfortable tunic and pants, Ari remained quiet. Arfour was charging and Taga was still asleep on one of the two pillows that were in the room. She felt bad for leaving them again today, but she knew that it would be better this way. Neither she nor Luke knew what to expect once they arrived at the Temple.

Yet, she had to tell them where she was. She paused before she found a disc in her bag. She keyed it up to the next entry and recorded a message to say where she was and why she and Luke had to do this alone.

Once done, she laid it on her pillow so that they would know to play it when Taga awoke and R4 had finished recharging.

Slipping out of the room, Ari made her way through the hallway, where the lighting was dimmed to make it seem more like nighttime.

When Ari arrived at Luke's quarters, just as she raised her hand to knock, the door opened and Luke stood there, dressed black pants and a black tunic and she saw that he still was wearing the black glove on his artificial hand, even though it had been fixed and looked just like his real hand.

In the past, Ari might have asked how he knew she was there, but that time was years ago. Now she knew of the Force and while she doubted she would ever completely understand it, each day she felt she learned more. Luke had sensed her coming and she had a feeling if the places had been reversed, she would have sensed him approaching as well.

"You could have slept longer," he offered.

Ari shook her head. "I was too excited," she answered.

He nodded. "I'd tell you that Jedi should be patient, but I had trouble sleeping as well," he admitted.

Ari stopped herself from mentioning that he seemed to have trouble sleeping no matter the occasion. As his training had progressed, he looked more tired and a few times, she thought she saw the same haunted look in his eyes that she had seen in Ben Kenobi's once, years before.

"I rented a speeder," he told her then handed her a piece of juma fruit. She took a bite, enjoying the sweet tasting food, finding it refreshing. It was a bit like the food at back Arbra.

"A speeder?" Ari repeated, swallowing another bite, the juice from the fruit was sweet and for just a brief moment it was as if she could forget she was in a city-planet.

Luke nodded. "It's the best way to travel on Coruscant."

Ari nodded in agreement. It didn't seem as if beings only walked around Coruscant if they had to cover short distances. "Though I'm sure you don't mind the chance to pilot one," she added.

For a moment, she saw the mischievous spark in his eye and it was as if she was looking at Luke when he was just a teenager on Tatooine, instead of a war hero and Jedi. "Maybe," he answered, and plucked the fruit from her hands, taking a bite out of it before handing it back.

"Luke!"

"Even Jedi have to eat," he answered with a smile and Ari couldn't help but laugh. She found that she was doing that a lot more lately. Laughing and smiling. It was a very welcome change from the seriousness of war.

They rode the tubrolift down to the lobby and Ari noticed that no one else was there. It must be even earlier than she previously thought, even though she could see the hints of daybreak, the light from the sun starting to challenge the shadows of night.

Luke led Ari to a docking bay and the two of them got into a relatively new speeder. It was nothing at all like what they had on Tatooine. "How did you get this?" Ari asked, running her hand over the interior.

"I just said I needed a speeder and I given one," he answered as he powered up the engine. "It helps to not be fugitives from the law anymore."

"And a Jedi Knight," Ari added and she smiled slightly as Luke accelerated out of the docking bay and joined the never slowing stream of traffic. There was something different about flying in a speeder compared to a fighter. Perhaps because she could take in more of the environment. Also, this was an open speeder so it felt almost like wind was blowing against her as they flew, which was nicer than the recycled air of a fighter or any other ship.

However, the light feeling faded as she watched the Temple become larger. Ari felt an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach as they came closer. She started to tap her fingers on her lightsaber, though she didn't realize it until Luke took one hand off the controls to put his over hers to stop her.

"It's going to be okay," he assured her, giving her hand a small squeeze before moving it back to the controls. Even though he was a Jedi Knight, he seemed very comfortable with the controls. However, he had experience on Tatooine and then a lot more aggressive piloting during the war.

They turned and headed toward the Jedi Temple, which most traffic lanes kept a fair distance from.

The closer they got to the Temple, the more odd Ari felt. She felt drawn to go there, as if the Force was pulling her there. At the same time, she wanted to ask Luke to fly by it and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

"I feel it too," he told her as he searched for a platform to land on. At the same time he and Ari saw a landing platform. It looked like it had been made for starfighters, so the speeder seemed almost dwarfed when they landed.

With practiced ease, Luke swung himself out of the speeder, the sound of his boots touching the platform was inaudible over the din of the speeders in the distance.

Ari climbed out as well, looking at the Temple before them. It was amazing to look at and much larger than she had thought. She was curious as to where everything was and at that moment wished she had brought R4. The droid knew the Temple better than she and Luke did, at least she was thought so. How else could R4 have known Siri and Taylor?

"Ari," Luke spoke her name as he came up behind her. She glanced over her shoulder at him and he offered her a small smile. She missed his casual grins, like the ones he often flashed her when they worked side by side under the twin suns of Tatooine. However, he had changed since then. She offered him a small smile in response and the two made their way down the walkway that took them to an archway. There was a door there that didn't look as if it belonged. It was made of fairly thick metal, Enough to stop a multitude of blaster shots.

Ari glanced at the control panel and frowned. "Well, we'd need a code," she commented to Luke who was looking over her shoulder.

"You're forgetting something," he remarked.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The Force."

"I didn't forget," she replied. She hadn't, but it hadn't occurred to her to use that method. Perhaps that would have helped them on Endor.

Ari shook her head slightly. They had won and that was all that had mattered.

She turned back to Luke and the still closed door. He was looking at it, then he glanced at Ari again and she realized he wanted her to do it.

Perhaps it was a good idea to do so. Afterall, she wasn't a Jedi Knight yet, though Luke was. Besides, she hadn't received the same training as he had, nor had she faced someone like Vader.

Closing her eyes, Ari focused on the closed door and reached out with the Force. She focused on the door, then past that and into the very gears of the door. It wasn't as simple as some doors, but after some time helping Han fix the Falcon, or working on the fighters, as well as previous work on the farm, she was able to determine the different pieces of machinery.

Sensing where the lock was, she used the Force to pass over the need for a code and moments later, she opened her eyes to an open door.

Luke smiled at her and she grinned back. It was a small task, but she had to wonder if Jedi felt happy to accomplish tasks like this when they were learning.

Together, they looked down the corridor and then stepped inside. As soon as they did, the Force seemed to come at them from all directions. Thousands of Jedi had walked this hall, yet a place that should have been full of the light side of the Force had a dark undertone to it, the same thing that had made Ari shiver before was more intense.

Ari felt Luke take her hand and he gave it a small squeeze. "We're Jedi."

Ari nodded, feeling better when he said it. They were Jedi. There had been tragedy here, that was not a question. However, as she used the Force to push back the Dark Side, she felt how the Light Side of the Force had been here for many years before. Though she could still feel hints of the Dark Side coming from further into the Temple, she knew that no matter what, this would still be the place were Jedi were trained for years, a place that had been known for peace, a place where guardians of the Old Republic had trained and dwelled.

Giving Luke's hand a squeeze, she started to lead the way further into the Temple.