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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He has been avoiding her all day, and he feels terrible about it. What else is he supposed to do? Even just the thought of what has to happen makes his heart ache in a way he hasn't felt since they were last separated by duty. It seems ironic to him that, yet again, their responsibilities will separate them only this time with some closure.
Earlier in the morning, he had snuck away easily enough, but now, as he stands to speak with one of the clone commanders, he can feel her approaching. Warmth fills his body like each time they see each other, his stomach twisting in knots when he catches her from the corner of his eye walking towards them.
She smiles as she stops beside them. "Good afternoon, Commander," she says. Something is off about her: she clasps her hands together in front of her, but he can tell she is nervously fidgeting by the movement of her robes.
"General," the commander replies.
Her shoulders tense when she looks at him. "If you don't mind, I have to speak with Obi-Wan alone for a moment."
Obi-Wan nods. "Excuse us." His stomach drops as she pulls him away but does not stop. "Loraa—"
"Not here," she replies as he follows her back to where they both started the morning—her bedroom. As she closes the door behind her, she turns back to face him. "I have some news—"
"Can I speak first?" He asks. If he does not say it now, he never will. He has spent hours upon hours thinking about this, and it has to be done. For both their sakes, whatever there is between them needs to end.
Loraa frowns before she nods, letting her hands drop to her sides. "Is everything ok?"
"No, it's not." He clenches his jaw as he looks at her. All he wants is to be with her, together and happy, but neither one is willing to risk leaving the Jedi Order, and both know that deep down. He may just be the first to realize it. As he stares into her eyes, which only get darker with the setting sun through her window, he almost falls deep as he has done each time before. Instead, he looks down. "This cannot continue."
"What cannot?"
"This."
"Ah." He can feel her presence recoil as she clicks her tongue.
Pursing his lips, he shakes his head. "That did not come out as I intended. It's just...this is..." He scratches at his beard, all of a sudden so itchy and too thick for his face. "You know that I want to—no, that's no better."
"It's ok." He dares to look up at her. She wears a sad smile, though not one he hasn't seen before. "I understand. You and I...it was foolish, wasn't it? To think we could be Jedi and this."
He lets out a sigh as his lips tug upwards. "I was afraid you would be upset."
"I'm not." She answers too quickly. "Well, perhaps a bit." As she looks down, her arms wrap around her waist as she takes a step back. His heart beats rapidly against his chest, to see her so uncomfortable around him—he never wanted that. "Pain fades in time, though. And I know you will never give up on the Jedi Order. It was just..." She meets his gaze, and he falls once more. Deep down under the exterior she shows him, he can feel something churning underneath: something beautiful and light that he never thought to associate with their forbidden relationship.
