Luxsoka: A Love Story

It's Not What You Expect

Ahsoka Tano, the seventeen-year-old Jedi Padawan apprenticed to Anakin Skywalker, had just arrived back on Coruscant with her Master. Immediately after their arrival, they had been summoned to the Council Chamber to discuss the recent bombing of the Temple hangar with the Master Yoda, Mace Windu and the other Council members.

But, although the Jedi Council had never been one for cheery reunions, today they looked even more somber than usual. And that was saying something.

"Knight Skywalker, Padawan Tano," Mace Windu in salutation, and beckoned them to the center of the room.

"Questions, you have, hmm?" Master Yoda asked, his peculiar smile coming to his face for a moment.

"How could the Separatists infiltrate the Jedi Temple?" Anakin asked after a moment, looking around the room. He didn't say it aloud, but Ahsoka could almost hear a continuation to his sentence: Isn't that next to impossible?

"Worse than that, it is," Master Yoda said solemnly, shaking his head slightly.

Ahsoka looked up. "What could be worse, Master Yoda?"

The Council members exchanged looks, as if they were deciding as to how to best word what they wanted to tell the Padawan and Jedi Knight before them.

"Everything is on the table," Master Windu said. "We have to look at the possibility that it could've been anyone in the Temple... Even a Jedi."

Yoda nodded. "If a Jedi this is, gone to the Dark Side, they have."

"I... I can't believe a Jedi would attack a place this sacred," Ahsoka said in quiet disbelief.

"We'd like for you two to lead this investigation." Master Windu put the tips of his fingers together, his chocolate-brown gaze focused on Anakin. "We can't trust anyone who was here, even a Jedi. You and Ahsoka will provide an impartial point of view, free of assumptions."

"We'll do everything we can," her Master reassured them.

"Careful you must be, Skywalker. If willing to destroy the Temple the attacker is, to great lengths they will go to keep from being caught," Master Yoda said.

"Then I guess we'll have to do to even greater lengths to catch him," Anakin said. Ahsoka nodded in agreement.

"Then free to go, you are. Start tomorrow at sunrise, you will."

Windu crossed his arms. "May the Force be with you."

Anakin bowed slightly. "And may the Force be with you, Masters."

Then he turned and walked towards the exit. Ahsoka bowed in turn, and followed him outside. They would have work to do, and Anakin would want her to get a good night's rest, despite the fact that there was still perhaps an hour or two of daylight left.

But she had other plans...

-:-:-:-:-:-

About forty-five minutes later, Ahsoka arrived in front of the Senate Apartment Complex. It was risky to take the speeder during the day, and to use the jetpack drives, so she had to exit through the front entrance and walk the distance instead. And after all, it was a clear day, and she didn't mind the extra time it took.

Arriving at the alleyway behind the Senate Apartment Complex, she reached out with her senses, letting the Force flow through her. A moment later, the searching burst she sent out through the Force came back, showing her memories of Lux Bonteri, her sweetheart.

He's here, she thought. Perfect.

What was also perfect was that someone - probably one of Lux's aides - had left the back window she always used to get into his apartment open an inch or two. It would be no problem at all to get inside.