𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑

TWO

" The pain of war rages
between two hearts "

UNSETTLING
TRUTHS OF
ZEVARI

Kaia  Zevari
written by asteria

AHSOKA IS QUICK to follow her friend, her heavy footsteps echoing behind the speed walking Knight. "Kaia!" Ahsoka shouts, barely earning a glance from the Jedi, "Would you just wait and talk to me?!"

Kaia stops, an exasperated sigh leaving her lips while she turned on her heals. A soft scowl was rested on her face, a war of emotions playing within her mind that she tried her best not to show.  "Ahsoka," She says sternly, "Go back with Skywalker. I will meet you when we depart." 

Kaia turns swiftly on her heal, the scowl on her face growing whenever the padawan latches onto her wrist. "Why do you hate clones? You used to have your own battalion, yet you neglect the rest of them as if they're weak." Ahsoka shouts, earning a look from the passing clones and Jedi. 

Kaia kept her eyes cold, her icy stare glaring at Ahsoka. The clones nearby that had heard the conversation merely stared at the two arguing Jedi. "I do not hate clones-" Kaia begins.

"Then why treat them like they are incapable?" Ahsoka hisses at the knight, finally letting her hand fall from Kaia's wrist. Kaia can feel the stares, she remembers the coldness. 

Kaia is quiet before she answers. "Do you notice that my battalion is dead? " Ahsoka's face drops at the sudden words. Yes she knew, but Kaia never openly admitted or talked about the death of her battalion. Ever since it happened, Kaia had just been... silent. Distant. 

She scoffs, "I refuse to bring anymore clones with me." The sadness in her eyes finally come to life, and for the first time, Ahsoka can see it clearly. "Not whenever they're practically war slaves." 

Ahsoka takes a few steps back, confusion painting over her orange features "But they are choosing to fight for you-"

"Are they really? Or is that what we made them believe?" 

Ahsoka stays quiet, and the cold glare that she knows all too well returns to Kaia's face. Kaia turns around once more, barely turning her head back to Ahsoka. "I will not lose anymore men." She stops suddenly, the unspoken truth falling from her lips, "Not clones. Men." 

Ahsoka watches as her friend continues her slow walk. 

* * *

Ahsoka returns to the planning room, the once bright look on her face diminishing into a look of sorrow. Anakin is already talking to his men, familiar strategies she knew all to well filling her ears as Skywalker talked to the Captain. 

"Ahsoka," Anakin addresses his Padawan, his eyes scanning the door she had just entered from, "Where is Zevari?" 

Anakin senses the mood drop in his padawan. Ahsoka clears her throat, "Master Zevari will meet us aboard the shuttle." 

Anakin gestures to the men behind him, most of the 501st engrossed in their own conversations, "And what does she think about the 501st tagging along?" This earns a few look from Skywalker's men. 

Ahsoka shifts uncomfortably underneath the sudden gazes "Master Zevari has her reasons for not wanting them to tag along-" The 501st men gave looks to one another, mostly looks of offense, and even the Captain is having second thoughts about helping this specific Jedi, "But, I now know it's nothing personal against... the 501st." 

"What do you mean by that?" Captain Rex questions, some of his men nodding in agreement.

Ahsoka sighs, "It's not my place to share it... but I can assure you,  it's nothing personal." Her eyes dart to each of the men, hoping to silently persuade her friends into believing her. 

Anakin gives one assuring nod. "Then so be it. But that doesn't mean they won't be coming." 

"Yes, Master." Ahsoka says, giving a slight bow. 

The padawan helps the 501st gear up, cracking jokes with Fives and Echo before moving to the platform they would be departing on. You didn't need to be a Jedi to sense the uneasiness that came from the clones, some of them still slightly offended that a Jedi didn't want them to tag along. Most Jedi would have been eager to have them along, for the stories of the 501st was not to be missed—yet this particular Jedi only seemed to want to be far away from these clones. Personal or not, it still offended them. 

"Ready to go?" Kaia speaks, her eyes closed and her pale arms crossed behind her back. She could sense the nods from behind her, but that still didn't ease her anxieties.

"My men are coming." Skywalker states firmly, "Whether you like clones or not." 

Ahsoka flinches at her master's harsh words, but made no move to stop him. Kaia just gave a weak sigh, shaking her sapphire locks softly side to side "So be it." She murmurs. "Don't die." 

Only Ahsoka knew how much burden those words meant.