Prequel to Promises and Deals
ACT 1: The Age of Jedi [Episode I-II]
ACT 2: The Nameless Child [Episode III-IV]
ACT 3: The Age of Rebellion [Episode V-VI]
The lineage of Alora Naftiri in a way not seen before. This is the story of her life from befor...
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Returning to Coruscant and the subsequent meetings that follow with the Jedi Council, her mentors, even messages from Bail Organa and Lorn Naftiri do not help to prepare Loraana for the nights that follow. The Republic prepares for war, gathering more clone troops and creating strategies to combat the separatists while Loraana herself attempts to reign in her emotions.
Her friends and colleagues had died on Geonosis that day. People she trusted and fought beside, people who taught her what she knows and how to control herself had fallen beside her in battle while she remains alive. She does not know how to honor their memory or even how to prepare herself for the inevitable war to come that will send her Force knows where to fight a battle she does not believe she should be fighting.
As a Jedi, her fight is to maintain the balance, not spread the Republic to those who have rejected it. Especially if the Republic is under Sith control as she suspects.
She has only voiced her opinion once to three others, all of whom disagree at varying degrees. Obi-Wan and Mace had vocally explained their positions, but Yoda had remained unusually quiet and pulled her aside after the meeting to discuss other business. Perhaps she does have a supporter after all.
She sits in the mess hall alone with a can of Grog in her hands. The Jedi Temple had expanded their menu, but only marginally, to include specific adult beverages in their time of mourning, especially for the young Padawans who may have lost their masters in the battle. She watches many of the younger students eating across the hall, happily discussing techniques or stories of their travels. It reminds her of what the Jedi are fighting for along with what she stands to lose.
In the time she has been back, she has yet to speak to Obi-Wan individually about what happened on Geonosis. Dooku's words plague her mind, keeping her from sleep night after night. The vision of Obi-Wan standing in flames, beckoning her towards certain death seems stuck, unable to be changed or altered. While she did discuss her time with Dooku at length with her brother and Master Yoda, she refrained from explaining specifics of the future he had shown her.
Recently, many of the remaining Jedi had been dispatched to the far reaches of the galaxy. Loraana knows it is only a matter of time before she is chosen to lead a squadron of troopers into battle, but she can only hope to delay the inevitable for so long. As she sips the Grog, she can only think of one way she might be able to get out of battle, but she cannot find the strength in her to actually agree to it. She belongs in the Jedi Order, doubts be damned; she could never just leave.
Deep in thought, Loraana does not notice him enter until he taps her shoulder. Loraana jumps, her eyes widening as she looks over to see him chuckling. "Did I disturb you?" Obi-Wan asks.
"Not at all." She motions for him to sit. As his hand runs down her arm, she does her best to stop from shivering. "What brings you here?"
"Same as you, I imagine." He too holds a can of Grog. "Remembering the fallen."
