The Senator And The Jedi

Chapter Twenty: Growing Closer But Further Apart

Lux

As the week wore on, slowly but surely, Lux began to get better. A physician was called in to ensure he was healing properly, both in terms of his sudden fever and his shoulder wound.

Upon having been examined for the fourth time – and the last until further notice, much to Lux's relief – he was cleared to return to the negotiating table, on the condition that he didn't overexert himself. But Lux knew that it would be easy to fulfill the doctor's requirement, as the negotiations were between two parties who wanted an alliance between Naboo and Onderon to work out. The Queen was a very smart woman whose interests for her planet were mostly aligned with Onderon's own, so it wasn't particularly strenuous work.

As he had predicted, the negotiations had gone very smoothly; no ruffled feathers or bruised pride anywhere that he knew of. The Naboo were by nature a very accommodating and kind people, and it was a pleasure to work with them – they were even planning a ball in a few days' time to celebrate the alliance.

And it wasn't just on the negotiation table that their welcoming nature applied: the more he talked to her, the more Annina found ways to fascinate him. Gradually, what had started out as Annina's interview project had begun to turn to other matters. Lux had begun talking a little about himself, and not just his work.

But it wasn't just that. With some careful persuasion, Lux had gotten her to talk about her past, as well as her hopes for the future. Although he had been a little younger than her when he had first expressed his interest to his mother in working in politics, Annina had that same sort of enthusiasm he remembered feeling back then shining in her intelligent green eyes when she spoke.

And while on him it had probably looked pretty silly, on her he thought it looked very beautiful.

And it was that same glow that he was basking in at the moment.

"But I've never thought Kharyr's Theorem had any validity. How can you negotiate with a friend with completely polar opposite points of view to yours instead of a stranger? A friend would know exactly how you were going to react before you'd even thought of the reaction yourself!"

"But you know, there are definitely advantages to working with – or should I say against – someone who knows you well. For one, you'd know when to stop pushing; when they've reached their limit and won't go any further without causing a scene. It's applied to many experiences I've had in the Senate."

Annina smiled. "Well, you've had that sort of experience. I still have a lot to learn if I want to follow in my aunt's footsteps."

"Why do you think the opposite of the Theorem works better, though?" Lux asked. "I'm curious."

"Well, sometimes the conversation flows easier with people you don't know. You don't have shared experiences weighing it down – you can talk about literally anything and they won't understand the subtleties that another person closer to you would. It's quite refreshing, actually... Just like talking to you has been for me."

Lux's gaze moved from the view of the lake back to her as she shifted a little closer to him on the carved stone bench.

"I'd like to get to know you, though. The Theorem doesn't have to affect anyone off the negotiating table if they don't want it to."

Lux smiled. "I'd like to get to know you, too."

She hesitated for a few seconds, biting her lip. Then she kissed him, and, after a moment, he kissed her back.

Kissing her was a completely different experience from kissing Ahsoka. Wait, why was he even thinking about Ahsoka? He was with someone else!