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Jedi Temple

Third POV

Lux thought:

Hopefully, she doesn't discover the tracker in the promise ring. I put it there to keep her safe. She'll be annoyed at first, but she'll understand and come to thank me. Still, how can it feel so wrong yet be so right?

He had gotten so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even know where he was. His mind was in a cloudy haze. All he could he think about was Ahsoka. He glanced at the promise ring on his own finger. And he wondered if the tracker on the promise ring was sufficient? Or would that eventually slip away from him? It was his last deep connection with Ahsoka. He couldn't bear to lose it.

Enthralled in his thoughts, the young activist subconsciously walked into Anakin. Not too long after a hand appeared in front of his face. Anakin. Of all people, it had to be Anakin. Usually, Lux would look for a reason to thwart Ahsoka's master. But not this time. He had to tell Anakin. The status report would be music to the Jedi's ego.

Anakin grabbed him with a firm grip around his shoulders, keeping him from skipping away and/or falling down and making a scene.

"You gave her the gift?"

"Yes. I gave her the ring."

"Oh cheer up. I gave you a choice, didn't I?"

Lux looked none happier to have played the clueless delivery boy. He tried not to look delighted at all at Anakin's admission. But, he couldn't bring himself to completely scorn the plan.

"Yes...and you played on my weakness for Ahsoka."

"It was for her own good."

"I just feel like...this is wrong...no matter how right it feels. We should have a little more faith on her abilities. She'll think we don't believe in her. That we don't trust her."

Anakin tightened his grip on Lux. His eyes looking directly into Lux's

"Look. I don't know if you've noticed, but her life is on the line here. And she's too headstrong and love-sick to see a trap that's right in front of her. And if it brings you any comfort think of it as... looking out for her. We're watching her back..."

Lux looked back at his promise ring.

..

Third POV: ON THE SHIP

She didn't even feel the ship hovering out of the hanger. She just sat there in the passenger seat, drumming on the inactive data pad below her. She tried to distract herself by looking at the colorful display of stars that were gracefully moving past the warped hull of the ship. Everything was going according to plan. It was almost too quiet.

She mulled over the promise ring that Lux had given her, cherishing the last remaining reminder she had of him. It was glowing. Ahsoka swallowed her suspicions.

Whatever Lux did to this ring must be for my own good.

For all she knew it could've been a tracker, or some sort of recording device. Despite her irritation, Ahsoka groaned but could convince herself to disable the tracker. Besides, it was nice to have someone watching her back.

She smiled to herself.

Thanks Lux.

She looked out into space counting the stars. Looking for something to distract her mind. To return her back to herself. They'd been flying for a few hours now and Ahsoka decided she would relieve the battle worn pilot of his duty. He had worked day and night to prepare and eliminate any flaws present in the design of the craft. The merit of the statement could be observed in the noticeable quota of bags under his eyes that she had noticed earlier while watching him tune up the ship. So respectfully he deserved some much-needed rest.

She looked at him, trying to think of a nickname for this unfamiliar clone. She had to give him a nickname, since she would be stuck with him for at least a couple more hours. Then, she saw seven tally marks on the side of his left shoulder pad. Seven it is. How original.

"Hey Seven."

He glanced at her with a little surprise because of innate colloquialism. No one really talked to the troopers as friends. They were soldiers after all.

"Permission to speak?"

"Permission granted. Speak freely, Soldier."

She wanted to know how he felt about the nickname. His hands gripped the wheel.

"Seven?"

"Lighten up, Trooper. It's just a nickname. I give every one of my comrades a nickname."

"With all due respect, we barely know each other, Master Jedi."

"It doesn't matter we fight for the same side and besides your my pilot. I'm trusting you with my life, so a nickname is a show of that bond."

The trooper sighed.

"You don't like the nickname?"

"No, it's not like that Commander. It's just. ..Isn't there something you wanted?"

She paused.

"There is something. I want to fly the ship. "

"With all due respect ma'am, I have orders to fly you to Shili. Not the reverse."

"Trooper. I know you're tired. You've done enough for me already."

Seven looked uneasy for a moment. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about his limited range of options. As if he didn't want to disobey orders. As if he had to choose the lesser evil. He couldn't hide the conflict in his mind. Seeing she was getting closer, she decided to usurp the previous order with a command of her own. Then, he would listen.

"I command you to let me fly this ship. Think about it... it's no good if you fall asleep and crash the ship."

The trooper who was overwhelmed by fatigue decided to give in unwillingly to the command. He dared not disobey a direct order from a Jedi. Besides, an order was an order never the less. He had not the argument to prove his means.

"As you wish...Commander."

He handed the controls over to Ahsoka. Now, he was the bored passenger. What an unexpected switch of roles. Now, this was different. He was completely at the mercy of a young Jedi. And not just any Jedi. This was Anakin Skywalker's student, Ahsoka Tano. That was enough of a conclusion to draw unease over the soldier. But, he could see it in her stature that their was something different there. There was a reason to relax and to trust. It wasn't like he had a choice.

Trust involves risk.

Feeling slightly relieved, he transferred some of the controls to the Jedi. In the event that something happened, he could override her controls. That way he wasn't completely disobeying either of his orders. Satisfied with is logic, the worn trooper leaned back and got some shut-eye for the first time in twenty hours.

Satisfied that the end justified the means, Ahsoka turned back to the display and prepared the engines for hyperdrive. Their progress had been slowed due to having to find shortcuts and loopholes around space battlefields. But, now she could be sure that they would get there in the nick of time.

There was a slight lurch as the ship went into hyperdrive. The stars seemed to warp into an unless tunnel. Time seemed to slow down. She released her breath and looked over at the now sleeping clone.

"Perfect."

...

Lux POV

I tried to wiggle out of Anakin's vise grip. He only kept me there. He was giving me time to let the words sink in. He was trying to get me to see his perspective. To see our common goal. As I stood there, trapped for who knows how long, I realized that I was conflicted myself. I was also too blinded by personal attachment to make a rational conclusion. Neither of is was thinking clearly.

"What did Padme and Obiwan think of the plan?"

He paused for thought. Trying to phrase their words in a way that would support his argument. But, he was no politician.

"Well. My master thought that it was a good idea, that it could have some serious consequences, and that I was doing it for all the wrong reasons. He said that I need to have a little more faith, but I think he was just saying all that because Jedi Council Members were nearby and it was expected of him..."

I wasn't surprised.

"And...Padme. She thought that it was a necessary precaution. She felt like Ahsoka was walking into a trap, but she insisted on saying that Ahsoka knew what she was doing, and that we have to let her fight her own battle, before we help her out.."

That seemed credible.

"I don't see why you have such a problem with it. It's not like were spying on her. We are not encroaching on her independence, we're just making sure no one does that to her. "

I groaned. There was no reasoning with Anakin. He was the Hero with No Ears.

"We're putting ourselves where we don't need to be...we are hurling ourselves into her new life. We are keeping her from reconnecting with her former life."

Anakin let go of me and started pacing, running his hands through his hair, before grasping me by his shoulders again.

"Lux, I feel as if we've had this conversation way too many times."

He looked into my eyes suddenly. His voice sounded exhausted.

"Ok. Lux, if it makes you feel better… when she arrives on Shili to her Uncle Roku...tell you what...I will deactivate the tracker. Sound good?"

I suppose I was supposed to be happy about that. But, I couldn't bring myself not too worry about how she would be after that. I needed to keep that tracker signal going, and I knew Anakin would to.

I'm ashamed of who I've become. I feel as if I had any less control. I would kept her in my closet.

"I have to be alone to think about this."

"Ok. I will give you some time. See me when you're ready to make the decision."

Anakin seemed relieved but not surprised. He started walking in the opposite direction.

Whatever choice I make. Forgive me Ahsoka.

...

Third POV\HYPERDRIVE IN SPACE

Ahsoka had just dropped out of hyperspace. The abrupt jerk of the ship as it came to a stop startled Seven awake, just in time to see the Shilian atmosphere.

Home sweet home.

Was it good? Is there room for more improvement? I know it's far from perfection. But, still let me know. Let me know how you feel about it.