My mind was racing as we weaved our way through the city back to the temple.

Anakin and I stayed at the Manari peak for an hour. Our time consisted of me asking questions and Anakin doing his best to offer an explanation or theory.

Here is what I have established thus far:

I am force sensitive.

But, so far, it has only manifested in force empathy. I am able to physically sense other's emotions. And with enough training, I can manipulate and control them.

However, because I am untrained, I unknowingly project my emotions with reckless abandon for all those who are force empathetic to feel. So far, only Anakin and Yoda seem to possess that skill at the temple.

I need to learn how to put up mental blocks, allowing me to shield my emotions from others (and to stop torturing Anakin with my emotional warfare).

Anakin believes my ability was triggered by physical contact with another force empath, himself, and then exasperated by Payto's death.

When I brushed his arm that night in the dining hall, it opened some sort of emotional channel between us that he hasn't been able to shut down...in fact, it's getting stronger as each day passes. Despite him knowing how to mentally cut off his emotions from everyone else, I am able to bypass those blocks for an unexplained reason.

This has allowed me to subconsciously tune into emotions that Anakin usually keeps tightly controlled. And he didn't say it out loud, but I could tell this makes him uncomfortable.

Emotions are a powerful thing and being able to project onto others is a skill I shouldn't take lightly. Something like this has the potential to destabilize the entire Jedi foundation if my ability falls into the wrong hands. This thought caused a sense of unease to spread throughout my gut. I didn't like the idea of inflicting damage or causing potential problems.

And that's when I landed on my current thought: I wished I could go home and confide in Payto about this. He would know what to say.

Tears began to prick at the corner of my eyes as the grief flooded back into my system. My heart had been distracted for long enough by this new revelation, the hurt was seeping back into my body. I squeezed my eyes shut in an effort to keep the anguish at bay, but it was to no use. I turned my head to the side as tears began to fall down my cheeks, quickly drying into salty streaks thanks to the wind. I was grateful Anakin had his eyes focused on the skylane in front of him as we sped back towards the temple.

That's when I felt a familiar sense of warm calm settle over my heart.

"Don't...please." I said, snapping my head in Anakin's direction. I knew he was trying to help, or save himself from feeling my grief, but this was something I needed to process...needed to feel.

"Sorry." He mumbled, and just like that, the pain of loss seared through my chest again. I couldn't help but wince in response. I noticed the muscle in Anakin's jaw flicker as he gritted his teeth.

I felt guilty that I was impacting him like this. I hated the idea of him taking on the burden of my broken heart and fractured emotions. A burden he did not consent to.

"I'm sorry." Now it was my time to apologize.

"We'll get this sorted out." Anakin said in a cold tone.

We spent the rest of our journey in silence. And although there was a lack of conversation, I knew Anakin was privy to how I was feeling. Just as I was able to sense the frustration and unease from him.

When we arrived back at the temple, Anakin made a quick mention of meeting him in the training room tomorrow at midnight to get started on force training before quickly exiting the speeder bay. It still didn't seem real to hear that sentence come out of his mouth.

I walked back to my room, dragging my feet along the way. I was exhausted. My body run ragged with emotions and the weight of this new revelation. Sleep took over as soon as my head hit my pillow.

For the first time in days, I slept through the night free from nightmarish memories of Payto. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see the morning light flooding into my room. Groaning at I sat up, I rubbed my eyes, still swollen from days of tears and unrest. One good night's sleep wouldn't be enough to sooth my fractured soul. But it might just be enough to get me out of bed and out of my room.

I was hit with memories of last night. The shock and disbelief returned, and I took a few moments to consider if that really happened. Perhaps I actually had been vividly dreaming last night. With a deep sigh, I swung my feet onto the floor, making my way to the bathroom.

Catching my reflection in the mirror, I was taken aback by the girl I saw looking back at me. My puffy eyes were rimmed with red and accented by dark shadows beneath. The sharp planes of my cheekbones were unusually pronounced, reflecting my lack of appetite. And my mouth was drawn into a hard line, as if my entire face would crumble if I attempted to crack a smile.

I looked just as miserable as I felt.

For a split second, I contemplated returning to my bed and continue hiding from reality for just one more day. But my mind wandered back to the image of those two, tiny gold planets. I couldn't just surrender to my circumstances and rot in this room, I needed to keep going. For Payto.

With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and gently pressed my forehead into the mirror in front of me. "I miss you." I whispered, causing a pulse of dull ache in my chest. But regardless, I mentally counted to three, and then forced myself into action.

Moments later, I stood in front of the kitchen door. I held up a shaking hand, hesitating over the button used to slide the door open. My goal was to attempt to ease back into my usual work routine. I was certain Glynn wouldn't let me sit out forever. But now that I was here, standing almost in the exact spot where Payto took his last breath, I was unable to move. Completely frozen by grief.

My raised hand fell to my side and I quickly turned on my heel, walking back down the hallway and away from the kitchen. I couldn't do this today.

I struggled to get a hold of my breathing as I wandered the temple aimlessly, keeping my head down. As much as I wanted to retreat to my quarters, I wouldn't allow myself to. I was caught by surprise when I turned a corner a little too sharply and ran straight into a robed figure.

"Oh! I'm sor-" I began but quickly lost my voice when I realized I had run into none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi. I had clearly interrupted a conversation between him and Ahsoka Tano, who was looking at me with an intrigued expression.

"Well would you look at this..." She muttered with a smirk, crossing her arms in front of her. Obi-Wan shot her a stern expression.

"Excuse us, Ms. Remlik." Obi-Wan said in a friendly tone, as if I wasn't the one who just barged in on their conversation. He quickly took a scan of my face and I saw his head dip slightly to the side, "May I ask, are you alright?"

"Y-yes," I scrambled to respond, "Just the first day back to work after..."

"Ah, I see. Again, my deepest condolences for your loss." He said sincerely, I saw Ahsoka nod her head softly in agreement behind him.

"Thanks." I whispered, biting the inside of my cheek to in order to keep maintain a neutral face.

"Can I just ask..." Ahsoka began.

"Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said in a warning tone. She rolled her eyes and continued.

"What has my master so distracted these days?" She questioned in an overly airy voice.

"I...I have no idea." I replied, not even sure if it was a lie or not. I have such a small window into Anakin Skywalker's mind.

"Look, we know he has been training you. He isn't as slick as he thinks. Why?" She wasn't going to beat around the bush. Obi-Wan held up a hand to quiet Ahsoka.

"I don't know." I said, making eye contact with Anakin's padawan. And I meant it. It was the same question that has been rattling around my brain ever since our first training session. At this point, I could only chalk it up to pure curiosity on his end as a result of this emotional channel that has opened between us. But that doesn't explain why he didn't simply ignore it and focus on what I am sure are much more important matters at hand.

Ahsoka was giving me a hard look as if she was trying to read my mind. And I could swear that beyond her sheer curiosity, I could see a hint of concern. I wondered if she thinks of me as an unnecessary distraction. After all, Anakin is supposed to be using his time at the temple to rest and recover.

Obi-Wan's chuckle broke the silence. "Oh Ahsoka," he put a hand on her shoulder, "I have given up trying to understand Anakin's decisions years ago. All you can do is trust in him."

"But he needs to be focusing on getting better. We...I need him out there." She exclaimed, turning to face Obi-Wan. I bit my lip as my suspicions were confirmed.

"Patience." Obi-Wan said, giving Ahsoka a firm look. She opened her mouth to respond, but then thought better of it and settled for an eye roll.

"I'm sorry." I said in a quiet voice, not knowing what else to say.

"You have done nothing wrong." Obi-Wan said, "Now, please do not let us interrupt your day any further." And with that, he ushered Ahsoka away, who threw me one last curious look before she and Obi-Wan disappeared around the next corner.

Letting out a deep sigh once they were out of my line of sight, I found the nearest bench and took a seat. I pressed my head back up against the wall behind me and closed my eyes. I had hoped that Anakin wouldn't get in trouble. Of course, it is important for him to prioritize Jedi business, but the idea of him putting an end to our training sessions, especially now, didn't sit well with me. I needed him.

Despite my best efforts, I ended up in my room for the rest of the day. Laying on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, and allowing my thoughts to run wild. And before I knew it, it was midnight.

I found myself standing in the middle of the training mat, waiting for Anakin to arrive. I was gently stretching my arms, getting ready for our session. A small smirk formed on my face as I sensed a wave of angst headed in my direction. Anakin.

"I ran into Obi-Wan and Ahsoka today. Like physically ran into Obi-Wan to be exact." I said before turning to face him. He entered the room wearing his usual black attire and a serious expression.

"I know." He responded in a curt tone.

"I hope I didn't get you into trouble or anyth-" I began.

"I did not get into trouble." He cut me off with a scoff. I nodded and tried to prevent the temperature rising across my cheeks. Of course, he wasn't going to get in trouble. He is a Jedi knight, not some misbehaving child. I internally scolded myself for appearing so naive.

"Right." I muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Okay this is how it's going to work." He began with an impatient tone, "We'll start with hand-to-hand combat like usual, then we will begin the force empath training."

"Works for me..." I said with a soft shrug.

Anakin threw his robe to the side and approached me on the training mat. Frustration and impatience continuing to seep from him. Someone was in a foul mood today.

"Hit me." He said bluntly, holding his arms out and stopping just a step in front of me.

I hesitated in confusion and tilted my head to the side. This wasn't usually how our sessions work. Typically, we go through technique and practice on the dummy before I attempt to use him as a target.

"Anakin...you know I can't." I said slowly. I felt the wave of frustration intensify.

"Have some confidence Kels," he said with an eye roll. "Come on, fucking hit me."

I sighed and brought my hands up in front of my face while positioning my feet into a fighter's stance. Anakin was giving me a hard look, waiting for me to make my move. With a sharp exhale, I threw out my right fist. Anakin stepped to the side to avoid it easily. I shot him a look that said "see?".

"You need to be better than that." He muttered with a shrug as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"I'm trying!" I said in an exasperated tone. I didn't understand where his attitude was coming from.

"No, you're not. Not really." He stated.

"What? Yes, I am." I said, now sharing in his frustration.

"No, you're not." He repeated in a firmer voice, "You're distracted, and unfocused, and you are standing in your own way."

I just stared at him, my mouth slightly ajar. He knew better than anyone what I had been going through. And to dismiss it as a mere distraction lit a flame of anger in my core.

"You know what?" I asked in a low voice, "I am distracted. I am unfocused. In case you forgot, my best fucking friend was just murdered! I'm not a Jedi, I can't just pretend that didn't happen. It's going to affect me."

"Grow up, Kels." He said, narrowing his eyes as he began to slowly circle me. "People die. If you're ever going to make it in this galaxy, you need to toughen up."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I was in shock that someone could be so unbelievably cold. The anger began to spread through my body to the point where it was making my hands shake.

"Fuck you." I whispered, balling my fists at my side.

I heard Anakin chuckle darkly from behind me, "Oh I bet you wish you could."

I whipped around to face him; my face flushed with scarlet anger. He was giving me an expression of mixed disgust and amusement. This ignited something in me, I allowed the anger to boil over and invade my every nerve.

And before I knew it, my fist was in the air.

The speed of my movement surprised both myself and Anakin. His eyes widened as he dodged quickly to narrowly avoided my punch. I felt my fist barely graze the skin of his cheek.

Before he had another moment to react, I threw a left hook in his direction with as much force as I could muster. To my surprise, Anakin grinned as he quickly encased my fist with his own hand, stopping it from making contact on my intended target, his face.

"There she is." He whispered, still grinning.

I yanked my fist from his hold, the anger still simmering in my veins. Without saying a word, I spun on my heel towards the entrance of the training room with tears threatening to spill onto my cheeks. He was playing games, and I didn't want to deal with it.

"I knew you had it in you." Anakin said as he fell in step next to me. I ignored him, keeping my eyes set forward. And I would have continued ignoring him if it weren't for his strong hand gripping my bicep and bringing me to a stop, forcing me to look at him.

"Kels, come on. Stop." He said in a slightly softer tone.

"No!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing off the walls of the training room. "How dare you use Payto's death against me like that." I pushed him away.

"I just...I needed to get you angry. And look, it worked! You made contact. Slight, but contact nonetheless." He said as if it were a reasonable explanation.

"That is so fucking cruel, Anakin." I said, my voice cracking as the tears finally made their way down my face despite my best effort to stop them. Anakin's grin faltered and I saw his eyebrows pull into a look of concern.

"I'm sorry, Kels." He reached his hand up to touch me. I pulled away from him. "You're right." He said continued, "My methods could have been...better."

"You think?" I spat.

"I wanted to show you that when you tap into your emotions and let them fuel you, you can do anything." He said, his eyes scanning my face.

"Tap into my emotions? Allow them to fuel me? Doesn't that go against everything you Jedi stand for?" I practically yelled.

"Yes. But as you said earlier, you are not a Jedi." He said with a serious expression.

"Whatever." I muttered, internally cringing at my immature response. I turned again and continued my way towards the hallway. I was so caught off guard by the way Anakin just threw salt on such a deep, painful and fresh wound. Even if it was to help me, in his own twisted way.

Just as I was about to step foot into the hallway, Anakin was suddenly in front of me again. It never ceases to amaze me how fast his man can move. Before I could stop myself, I walked straight into his chest. What happened next surprised me most. His arms folded around me and he pulled me close into him. Immediately, I was overcome by his warmth and intoxicating smell. I had to remind myself that I was angry otherwise I would have leaned further into his body. So instead, I froze in place.

I then felt a wave of genuine guilt radiating from him. He was allowing me to feel his regret.

"I'm sorry, Kels." He murmured into the top of my head.

I didn't know how starved of touch and affection I had been. I realized that since Payto's death, I hadn't been embraced in any sort of way, by anyone. And while I was content to provide my own sense of consolation, it was difficult to deny the simple human comfort of a hug in the midst of suffering.

So, after a few moments, I found myself closing my eyes and leaning into Anakin's embrace. I felt his grip on me tighten ever so slightly. I relished the feeling of someone else seeming to hold me together for once. I was able to momentarily relax the tight hold I constantly kept on my sanity. I was exhausted. And the feeling of Anakin's arms around me made me feel safe and secure in a way I never had before. With my face buried in Anakin's shirt, a sense of calm engulfed my heart, subduing the pain even if just for a moment.

Assuming it was him purposefully projecting the calm, I muttered "you don't have to do that" into his chest.

"I wasn't doing anything." He said softly. Realizing that the safe and comforting feeling of being in his arms was completely organic, I swallowed hard. He loosened his hold on me and took a step away, I had to stop myself from groaning, already missing the feeling of being close to him. He was looking down at me with a clenched jaw, seemingly unsure of what to do next.

"Can we just move into the force empathy training portion of tonight?" I asked quietly after a few moments of charged silence between us. Anakin's shoulders sagged slightly in relief, and he nodded.

"I just want you to know that I am doing my best to help you." He said. I looked up at him, studying his striking features.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked softly. Thinking back to Ahsoka's question earlier today.

"What do you mean?" Anakin cocked his head to the side.

"Why are you helping me? Why did you agree to do this in the first place?" I asked. Anakin swallowed and seemed to be considering his answer.

"I suppose at first, I was just curious...and bored." He admitted. His eyes flicked up to mine. "I knew there was something odd about you. Ever since the force channel between us was established that night. And I wanted to figure it out purely for scientific reasons. Mostly so I could put an end to it." His honesty slightly stung.

"Scientific reasons." I repeated, trying to hide my disappointment.

"But," He continued, biting his bottom lip, "then the more time I spent with you, the more I didn't mind being able to put aside the 'chosen one' bullshit and just exist. Even just for a little bit. Not consumed by battle tactics, or blasters constantly pointed in my direction, or feeling like it's always on me to save the fucking day."

"I thought you lived for that kind of stuff." I said softly.

"I do," he replied with a shrug. "But it can just be a lot. And...spending time with you gives me a sense of what life could have been like. I mean shit Kels...the whole fucking galaxy is falling apart out there, and you invited me to a concert."

I bit back a smile as I remembered Anakin's bewildered expression when I invited him to come see Broken Blaster. Not realizing at the time how that simple gesture would stick with him. I wondered if anyone had invited him to a concert before, or even to anything unrelated to war or Jedi duty.

"Getting a glimpse into your life reminds me why we are fighting and who we are protecting. And recently, I really need that reminder." He said with surprising tenderness.

Allowing Anakin's words to settle, I was still fighting the smile taking form on my face. I angled my head downwards so he couldn't see. I truly never considered that he was showing up to these training sessions simple because he liked to.

"Well...had I known a concert invite would inspire such a grand revelation, I would have done it sooner." I said sarcastically, looking up at him with a smirk. Anakin chuckled and rolled his eyes in response.

"Let's not get carried away, Remlik." He said, a smile creeping into his serious expression. "Now come on, let's figure out how to quiet that brain of yours."