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"SENATOR PETALL?" LEORA HEARD MUFFLED THROUGH THE DOOR. She didn't move an inch in response. Instead she stared at her red cloak, pooled on the floor, knowing she would soon have to pick it up and put it on, and pretend she wasn't tired. "There is a Jedi in the hall. He claims to know of you."
Jedi swarmed the Galactic City but Leora only knew of one who might come find her. But she hadn't expected he'd show so soon. He'd been in mourning when she saw him, the loss of a potential lover heavy on his mind. It was something that most people would experience one day. Most people had the tools to deal with their emotions, though. Jedi had none. Their only tools were forgetting and repression. These were things the Gatalentans did not approve of—emotions were free-flowing, essential to be felt. These philosophies are what divided those who were force sensitive, Jedi and Sith, and the most forgotten—the Gatalentan people. They did more than just preserve books and scrolls, but they had been sidelined to that position.
Leora ran her hands through her hair and fastened her cloak around her neck. She caught a glance of herself in a far mirror and deemed her appearance acceptable. She was not her best self, by any means, but she had a long day at the senate and couldn't be bothered to call on her handmaidens or the like to re-twist her hair.
Her luxury droid stood beyond the door to her chamber, waiting for her exit. Instinctively the droid began to lead her toward the hall where Leora assumed the Jedi would be.
"It is unusually late for company, Senator Petall," the droid said as they walked. "If you wish me to I can turn guests away after a particular hour."
"No, no, BD-3000, it is perfectly all right," Leora assured. "I am a public servant after all. I need to be able to serve the public... at all times."
The door opened and Anakin stood before them, dressed in all black, shaggy hair more mussed than she remembered. Her eyes fell to the lightsaber on his hilt, then back to his eyes. He was smiling when she finally looked up.
"Leora, hello," he greeted. His voice was confident strong but he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. She remembered him doing the same upon Padmé's confrontation the other night. "I apologize if this is too forthright but I got word you were in the city and I wanted to see you again."
"It is perfectly fine with me, don't fret," she stepped through the doorway, ED-3000 let the door shut behind them. "Is there something you wished to speak about?"
"Oh, nothing specifically," he hid his eagerness well but not well enough. "I simply enjoyed our time spent together the other night."
