The next morning, Ahsoka found herself jogging down the street, trying to manage eating a jawa-berry bagel and keeping her pace consistent at the same time.

I can't be late, she told herself. Not again, or I'm going to get a detention for sure, and then I'll be late for work, and–

Oh, shut up! She told the voice. I'm kind of on a mission right now! I don't really have time for worrying!

Clearing her mind, a coping technique her friends back on Shili had suggested for stressful situations – they claimed that it was a Jedi philosophy, whatever that was – she picked up the pace to a run. Something told her that the tram was just about to leave the station, and it was the last one she could board if she wanted to make it to school on time.

As she darted around the corner, swallowing the last bite of her bagel, she gasped. The tram was there, but it was already leaving! She would never make it!

But Ahsoka's determination wasn't about to desert her now. She ran across the street and up the boarding platform, not stopping to excuse herself as she bumped into people. The handle attached to the sliding door on the tram was just a few feet away from outstretched fingers.

The tram moved forwards, and it was getting further and further away. On top of that, she was running out of platform. In a few moments, it would end, and she would find herself falling countless stories down to the Lower Levels, far below.

But somehow, Ahsoka didn't stop. Something was preventing her from slowing down, urging her forwards. Putting on a final burst of speed, she bunched the muscles in her legs, and jumped.

The gap must have been twenty feet.

She closed her eyes as she sailed through the air, but even so, her fingers still found the thin metal bar. Grabbing onto it so hard her knuckles turned white, she waited a split-second for her feet to find the step that led into the tram.

When she finally found her footing, she managed to convince herself to open her eyes. Although the door was closed, and wouldn't open until the next station, she didn't need to go inside. She was able to hold on just fine, despite the harsh wind.

Turning around slightly, Ahsoka looked up, and gasped again. This time, it was from wonderment. The view was absolutely spectacular.

She was at least a thousand feet off the ground of the nearest level of Coruscant, which was Level 1307. The skyscrapers equipped with anti-grav on this Level hovered around her, their bases just a little above the tramline. The gentle hum of their powerful engines was only just audible over the city's background noise. The morning sun hitting the buildings' metal surfaces created the most beautiful displays of light.

Every kind of speeder and speeder bike one could imagine streaked across the sky, coming together to create the incessant lines of traffic Coruscant was so known for.

The wind whipped at her clothes, which were black leggings with red sneakers, an oversized maroon sweater with the sleeves cuffed up to her elbows, and black finger gloves. She smiled in wonderment, gazing out at the scene above and below her, feeling no fear at all.

Ahsoka felt free.

"I could get used to this," she said to herself, the words lost upon the wind as the tram roared away towards the stop closest to Coruscant High.

But, unknown to her, someone had watched her entire episode with the tram, hidden in the shadows on the platform. Although a hood covered most of their face, one would have had to be blind to not see the smirk on their lips.

They got out their comm-phone out of a pocked in the woolen robes underneath their cloak, pushing the call button. The hooded person waited patiently for the signal to connect. A moment later, the recipient picked up.

"Ani? What have you found out?"

"I looked through the Sanctum Archives. I managed to figure out part of her route to school. She takes a tram for part of the way, and I saw her get on." Ani chuckled. "But Padme, you're not going to believe it!"

"What? What happened?" she asked eagerly.

"I'll tell you the rest later, but you were right about one thing," he answered. "She's special, Padme."

Padme smiled triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"Go ahead with the next phase in the plan. I'll be waiting outside the building after school lets out for the students of Coruscant High." He smiled. "Then I'll make the offer. And I'm sure she's going to say yes."