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Chapter Text

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

Two cloaked figures approached the doorstep of a small countryside house on the planet Naboo. They knocked and the door was answered almost immediately by a middle-aged couple. The figures removed their hoods and stepped inside the house.

When they stepped back outside, the woman was holding a baby in her arms. She whispered a quiet goodbye to her child, knowing she would never see her again. “Goodbye, my little flower.” She said quietly as the Jedi left with her daughter.

Years passed and Rominaria Scara grew up surrounded by other Force-sensitive children. When she was nine years old, a young boy just a year older than her joined them. It was unusual for someone to join so old but Rominaria immediately gravitated towards him.

And thus, her friendship with Anakin Skywalker began.

At the age of twelve, she was selected to be the padawan learner of Master Shaak Ti. The woman was wise and taught her all she knew.

When she was eighteen, she went to Geonosis with the other Jedi to help rescue the Jedi that had been captured there.

And then, the Clone Wars began. Her entire life changed. She became a Jedi Knight not long after, and soon had a padawan of her own. A thirteen year old girl named Aayla Tante.

When she was nineteen, she lost her padawan. And then her life drastically changed again. She was reassigned to a new squad not long after.

That was when she met Clone Force 99.

These are the stories of her life before the order to execute the Jedi was given. Before her life changed once again.

These are the pieces before the fall.

Chapter Text

“Master?” Rominaria looked up as Master Shaak Ti stopped in front of her. She was sitting in the temple library, a book in hand. Shaak Ti wore a serious expression, and Rominaria straightened in her chair. “What is it, Master?”

“I’ll explain on the way.”

Rominaria shifted with a nervousness unlike her, her eyes darting around the shuttle packed full of Jedi. Anakin was in danger. That was as much as she had gathered before the shaking began. He would survive. They would get to him in time. They had to.

Rominaria hadn’t ever been to Geonosis before. What she had heard of it wasn’t pleasant. A hand on her shoulder broke her out of the thoughts plaguing her mind. The Jedi looked up, her eyes meeting the red ones already set upon her. “Trust the Force, Aria.” Mira’s voice was soft, and Rominaria felt the nervousness start to fade.

“What if we’re too late?” Rominaria’s voice was hardly above a whisper.

Mira smiled gently at her friend. “We won’t be.”

Chaos had ensued as soon as the Jedi revealed themselves. There were so many droids. Rominaria could hardly see her fellow Jedi through them. They were outnumbered. It wasn’t looking good for the Jedi. Rominaria sliced through another battle droid, spinning as she sensed another behind her.

She raised her blade but another beat her to it. A flash of blue severed the droid's head from its body and it crumpled at her feet. Anakin shot her a grin. “Funny seeing you here.”

Rominaria rolled her eyes, slicing through another droid. “Someone had to save you.”

Anakin let out a short laugh as the droid continued to close in around them and the rest of the Jedi that were still standing. “Thanks for being here.” Rominaria almost didn’t hear him over the sounds of blaster shots.

“Always.” She responded, her body tense in anticipation of what was coming.

The sound of ships overhead caught her off guard. Moreso, the people that repelled off of them and landed on the ground all around. They were all clad in the same white armor.

The droids around them broke formation as they moved to attack the new troops and Rominaria took the opportunity to dash forward and slice through more with her lightsabers.

“Look out.” Rominaria heard Anakin yell. Her confusion faded as she saw the large creature barreling towards her. She raised a hand in an effort to calm it but dropped it quickly, jumping as she realized there wasn’t time. 

The animal hurdled past her, missing her by mere seconds. Rominaria sighed, stumbling back further. She froze as her back hit something hard.

Metal.

Rominaria spun around, coming face to face with a B2. It raised its arm at her and she slashed out at it with her lightsaber, cutting it in two. Both pieces fell down, directly towards her. 

She moved to get out of the way, but a blaster bolt whizzed past her head she ducked. Only realizing her mistake as the pieces of the large droid fell down on top of her, knocking her to the ground.

Her head smacked against the hard rocks beneath her, fully disorienting her. She struggled to raise her head, feeling warmth pool beneath it. She looked down at the droid on top of her, landing on the pieces of metal impaled in her leg. 

Rominaria let out a pained scream. She tried to push the pieces off of her but her whole world felt like it was spinning. She dropped it back to the ground to lie in the pool of her own blood. Rominaria let out a shaky breath, praying to the Force that this wasn’t the end.

“Where the hell is she?” She heard Anakin shout in the distance. She tried to raise an arm but the fatigue was too overpowering.

“I think I heard her over here.” Mira sounded much closer than the man. “Found her! Oh-” Everything went quiet.

“Oh no.” Was all Mira could say as her eyes landed on what looked like an arm. It was sticking out from under a pile of droid parts. She knew it was Rominaria. “Anakin!” She yelled as she rushed over to her, raising her hands and using the Force to pull pieces off of her.

Anakin was there in a mere second. He rushed to the woman’s side, dropping to his knees next to her and shaking her shoulders. 

“Stop, you could hurt her more.” Mira ignored the cut along her side as she dropped to her knees as well. She could still sense the Life Force radiating off of Rominaria. Thank the Force. “We have to get out of here, now.” She said as she saw Jedi escaping on the ships that had arrived.

Anakin nodded. He carefully pulled Rominaria into his arms and lifted her off of the ground. Mira grimaced at the pool of blood where her head had just been. The two of them took off towards one of the ships, climbing on and stumbling only slightly as it took off.

Mira’s whole body ached. She was still bleeding from where she had been cut. But her only concern at that moment was the woman in Anakin’s arms. He was looking at her as well, a crazed look in his eyes. “Don’t you die on me too.” She swore she heard him whisper under his breath.

The first thing Rominaria noticed when she woke up was how bad her head hurt. She felt like she had been clobbered in the back of the head with a rock. Which she supposed, as she remembered the events on Geonosis, had happened.

The second thing she noticed was how thirsty she was.

Rominaria opened her eyes, determined to find water. She blinked at the harsh white lights. She was in a medical room. The medical room in the Jedi Temple? She turned her head to the side, her eyes landing on her friend, asleep in the chair next to her bed. That can’t be comfortable.

“Mira?” Rominaria’s voice came out in a harsh rasp. I need water. She reminded herself.

The woman jolted awake. “You’re up.” She scrambled out of the chair. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit.”

“You look like it too.” Anakin’s tone was light as he walked into the room, arms crossed over his chest. Rominaria gathered the strength to pull herself up into a sitting position, grimacing in pain. “Be careful.” Anakin added, dropping his hands to his sides as he frowned at her.

Rominaria mirrored his frown as her eyes caught the glint of metal. “Your hand.” She wasn’t sure what to say.

“I’ll explain later. Right now we need to tell the medic that you’re awake.”

Chapter Text

Many Rotations Since The Events Of Geonosis

Rominaria stood straight up, excitement flowing through every part of her body as she waited outside of the council chamber. Anakin had just gone into the room and she was to be called in next. She had undergone trials and was awaiting her results. She wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, she knew she had passed.

The door opened and Anakin grinned at her. “Your turn.” He said, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly as he walked past her. Rominaria let out a deep breath and stepped into the room.

Mira was in the library when Rominaria burst through the doors, a triumphant smile on her face. “You passed?” She asked her. Rominaria nodded. Mira had gone to the council early that morning, the first to pass out of the odd group of friends.

“I don’t know why I was so nervous.” Rominaria spoke quickly, her excitement spilling out of her. Mira smiled, rising from her seat.

“Let’s get dinner.”

“So,” Rominaria said, hesitating slightly. Anakin looked up at her from where he was sitting beside her. They were in the courtyard of the Jedi Temple. The sun had already set and the stars were out. “Padme.”

Anakin tensed. “I don’t know what you think you know but-” 

Rominaria waved a hand, cutting him off. “I won’t tell anyone, Anakin.” She felt the shoulder that was pressed to hers relax slightly. “but you need to be careful. Attachment is dangerous.”

Anakin let out a sigh, bring his non-metal hand to his hair and running his fingers through it.”I know. I- We’re,” He stopped himself again.

“You’re what?”

Anakin ran a hand down his face. When he spoke, his voice was hardly above a whisper. “We’re married.”

Rominaria gaped at him. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting, but this was not it. She wanted to scold him. To tell him that this was not the Jedi way. That this was wrong. But then she remembered how much happier he had seemed in the last couple days. So all she said was, “I see.”

Anakin looked over at her. “I know you don't think it’s right, but-”

“You can make your own decisions, Anakin.” She cut him off again. “Just be careful. Please.” She added softly.

Anakin let out a yawn and Rominaria squeezed his shoulder. “Go to bed, bud.” He nodded, too tired to argue. When he was gone, Rominaria’s hand drifted up to where her padawan braid had been, now undone and intertwined with the rest of her long hair.

Her chest fluttered with excitement as she replayed the words.

Rise, Rominaria Scara. Jedi Knight.

Rominaria groaned as she rolled over again, still unable to sleep. She pushed the covers off of her body and climbed out of her bed. Grabbing her cloak and pulling it on, she left her room. Rominaria was quiet as she made her way through the empty halls of the Jedi Temple. Almost everyone was asleep and she was in no mood to speak to anyone still awake.

She exited the temple and made her way down the street, her mind wandering as she did so. Her conversation with Anakin replayed in her mind. The concern for her friend grew as she continued to walk down the dimly lit streets, unsure of where she was going. She just knew she needed to walk. To clear her mind.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been walking for when the bright neon lights of a bar caught her attention. Curiousity got the best of her and she made her way to the bar, mild confusion filling her as she passed a man she was sure she had just seen a few moments ago.

The realization hit her as she passed another man. The clones from Geonosis. She grimaced. She had nothing against the men, but the whole ordeal felt incredibly inhumane. The manufacturing of people for the sole purpose of war went against everything she had been taught as a child.

But the council knew best. And Rominaria trusted the council.

She was about to enter the bar when she heard a crash in the alleyway beside it. She followed the sound, frowning as the dumpster shook. Rominaria’s hand hovered over a lightsaber as she approached the source of the sound. Just as she reached out with her other hand, something jumped out at her in a flash of fur.

Rominaria jumped back as the tooka cat stared up at her with curious eyes. It moved closer, sniffing her and she couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “I don’t have any food on me. I’m sorry.” The cat stopped sniffing her, seeming to come to that exact conclusion. It didn’t leave, though. Just nuzzled against her leg and stared up at her expectantly.

Rominaria’s smile widened as she squatted down and gently petted the tooka’s fur. Now that she was closer, she could see the cat’s eyes more clearly. They were unusual for a tooka, one green and one blue. She thought of the lightsabers she had on her with a small laugh.

Straightening up and taking a step away, she patted her side to call the cat to her. The tooka’s ears perked up immediately and it trotted along after her as she started to make her way back to the Jedi Temple.

“Come on, Kyber. Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

Rominaria stroked Kyber’s fur absentmindedly as her eyes drifted over to one of the many paintings on her wall. She had found that art was a good way to channel her emotions when she didn’t have anywhere else for them to go. The one she was currently looking at was based off of a dream she had had. She believed that the landscape in the painting was from somewhere on Naboo, though she had no real way of knowing. Rominaria had never visited her home planet. She had never had a reason to.

The painting started with grassy fields full of flowers. But in the distance you could see a billow of smoke. She could still remember how it smelled in her dream. Rominaria wasn’t quite sure why she had felt so compelled to create this piece. She couldn’t fully remember the dream, which was unusual for the woman. She had woken up in a panic, her chest heaving as she coughed. It was as if she herself had breathed in the smoke.

Rominaria’s train of thought was broken as someone knocked on her door. She could sense her friend outside but still tensed. “Kyber, under. Now.”

The tooka perked up at her name, crawling off of her lap and scurrying under her bed. Rominaria stood up, crossing her room to open the door.

Mira could sense the other life form in the room as Rominaria opened the door, but chose to ignore it when she saw the bags under her friend's eyes. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Mira hoped that wasn’t true. She guessed she at least hadn’t slept last night, judging from the smell of fresh paint in her friend's room.

“Did you need something or are you just here to stare at me as if I’m some tourist attraction?” Rominaria’s tone was light as she crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow.

Mira swallowed slowly. “I was wondering if you wanted to study.”

Rominaria’s arms dropped and she sighed. “Probably should.” She said, absentmindedly wandering back into her room and picking up her discarded cloak off of the chair it was haphazardly strewn over.

She pulled it on as she shut her door behind her, heading off down the hall. Mira shook her head and took off after her friend. “The library is the other way, Aria.” She said as she caught up to her.

Rominaria nodded. “I know. I haven’t eaten yet.”

Mira looked at her with concerned eyes. “It’s midday, Aria.”

“Wasn’t hungry.” Was the only response she got as the two of them walked through the doors and into the refectory.

“What did you paint?” Rominaria tensed as Mira asked the question, her mind going back to the last dream she had had. She didn’t remember much from it. Snow had covered the landscape, blood painting the stark white a shade of crimson red. The sound of blasters.

“I'm not sure.” She answered honestly, looking back down at her caf and trying to shake the feeling of anxiety the memory of the dream brought her. She raised the cup to her lips, draining it's contents. She set the cup back down, rising from her seat. “We can study now."

Mira had never understood how a jedi could fall and break the attachment rule. She had always thought of it as such a simple concept. Then she met Rominaria.

She looked across the table, her eyes landing on the girl whose nose was buried deep in a textbook. “Do you need something?” Rominaria asked, not looking up from the book. Mira averted her eyes quickly, her cheeks prickling with warmth.

“No. I’m just bored.” Mira responded, thanking the Force that her voice remained calm.

Rominaria’s eyes flicked up from the page she was reading, her brow raising in question. “You’re the one who suggested we study.”

Mira’s eyes found her again. They always found her. “Yeah. Sorry. I just can’t focus right now.”

Rominaria’s face scrunched up in concern. “Is something wrong?” She asked immediately, leaning forward against the table to inspect the girl’s face. “You don’t look sick, but it could be-” Mira cut her off, feeling her face begin to burn.

“I’m not sick.” She said, looking away from the girl and back to her own textbook. She frowned at the contents. Rominaria looked back down to her book, turning a page.

Mira spoke again. “Hey, Aria?” 

Rominaria looked up from the book she was reading, an eyebrow raised at her. “Yes?”

Mira glanced around, before leaning forward and lowering her voice. “Do you ever think that what we’re doing is wrong?”

Rominaria frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Mira sighed. “The war. I don’t think that we should be involved with it. It goes against everything we’ve been taught since we were children.”

Rominaria's frown deepened, her eyes glancing around the room to make sure that no one had heard Mira’s words. “You doubt the council’s decision?”

She hesitated only a second before responding. “I believe that the dark side has clouded their vision.”

Rominaria gaped at the woman sitting across from her. “That is a bold accusation.” She said, her eyes wide. “If someone heard that you had said that-”

Mira let out a frustrated noise. “Think about the bigger picture, Aria. How can you not sense the tides shifting? This is bigger than us.” She reached across the table to take her friend’s hand, ignoring the flutter in her stomach at the contact. “It’s not right. It can’t be.”

Rominaria hesitated before pulling her hand away. Her jaw was tense. “Mira,” She started.

“What’s wrong?” Both of them startled as they looked up at Anakin. His arms were crossed and he was watching Mira as if he knew she was the reason that his friend looked so distressed.

Rominaria shook her head. “Nothing’s wrong.”

Anakin didn’t look like he believed her, but just shook his head with a sigh. “The council wanted to see both of you. Something about your applications to train a padawan.”

Rominaria’s frown completely disappeared off of her face as she jumped out of her seat, her textbook long forgotten.

Chapter Text

“I’m so excited to meet my padawan.” Rominaria said as she and Anakin walked down the halls of the temple. She had submitted her application to take on a padawan only a few rotations after she had been knighted and the council had already called her to meet her new apprentice.

Anakin shot a grin her way. “I think you’ll do well.” He told her. Rominaria’s smile widened.

“Thank you.” She said as she reached the door she was looking for. Rominaria took a deep breath, suddenly feeling nervous.

She pushed the doors open and the two of them walked inside. Rominaria smiled at the familiar green man in front of her. “Master Yoda. It’s a pleasure to see you, as always.”

“Returned, the sentiment is.” The small man replied. “Here to meet your apprentice, you are?” Rominaria nodded, her smile wide. She heard shuffling to her right and turned towards the noise. Rominaria smiled softly as the young twi’lek girl approached her.

She kneeled down in front of the girl. she couldn’t be much older than thirteen. “My name is Rominaria. What’s yours?”

The girl smiled nervously. “Aayla. Aayla Tante.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Aayla."

Rominaria figured, as she walked through the hallways with the young girl at her side, that she shouldn’t keep too many secrets from her apprentice. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Aayla perked up at that. “Who is it?”

Rominaria smiled, simply leading the girl in the direction of her own chambers. She unlocked the door to her room, stepping inside. Aayla’s jaw dropped as her eyes scanned the paintings lining the walls of the small room.

“Woah,“ Was all the young girl said.

Rominaria looked up at her from where she had knelt beside her own bed. She smiled at the girl. “Sorry, it’s a bit of a mess in here. Oh, come on,” She sighed as she reached under the bed, scooping up the animal into her arms with a small laugh. “You can come out on your own, you know.”

Rominaria stood up, holding the tooka cat in her arms. Aayla was still looking at the art, fully entranced by the painting with the smoke.

“Aayla, this is Kyber.”

The girl looked over as Rominaria addressed her, gasping and rushing towards the animal she was holding. She stopped right in front of Rominaria. Aayla held out a hand, letting the tooka smell her and giggling as her nose brushed up against the young girl's hand.

“You can pet her if you'd like.”

Aayla looked up at her with wide eyes. “Really.”

The woman just nodded in response. She smiled as her apprentice ran a nervous hand through the cat's soft fur. Kyber let out a satisfied purr. Rominaria set her down, moving to grab a ball off of one of her shelves. “First lesson.” Rominaria didn't give the girl any time to register her words before she threw the ball at her.

It hit the girl on her shoulder and her head whipped in Rominaria's direction, an offended look on her face. “What was that for?”

“You mustn't let your guard down. Even here in the Temple.” Rominaria’s voice was serious.

“But we're safe here. Right?” Aayla looked confused.

“We’re at war, young one.” Rominaria’s voice softened at the girl’s nervousness. “Safety isn't guaranteed anywhere.”

Aayla seemed to consider her master’s words for a long moment before she spoke again. “I understand."

Rominaria was not quite sure that she did, but she only nodded. The severity of their situation was not lost on the young girl, but Rominaria had already seen up close what the other side was capable of on Geonosis. She could only trust the Force and hope that the young girl would be alright.

Later, when Rominaria was alone in her room once more, she pondered her own words. Were they truly not safe in the Temple? She had been raised to believe that the Jedi Temple was the most safe place to be. Surely nothing could take that away.

Rominaria still had her doubts. Not that she would ever say such a thing out loud. She thought about what Mira had said to her in the library. Were they doing the right thing? They had to be. Rominaria had always trusted the council to make the right decisions. They were guided by the Force, after all. 

Rominaria stood up, shaking away those thoughts and pulling on a cloak over her nightgown. She slipped out her door, a frown on her face as she moved quickly through the empty hallways.

Aayla knew that she should not have been out of the temple so late, but Vex had convinced her to come explore the city at night with her. She followed the girl now, her bright red hair easy to track even when she would slip around corners. “We really shouldn’t be doing this.” Aayla’s voice was quiet. “It’s not safe.” Vex turned back to her, a mischievous glint in her dark brown eyes.

Vex laughed at her words. “We’re Jedi. We’ll be fine.” Aayla thought back to her master’s words. Safety isn’t guaranteed anywhere. “Besides,” Vex added. “Everyone loves the Jedi. We're heroes.” She pretended to flex her muscles, giggling as she did so.

Aayla shook her head at her friend. “My master is going to kill me.” Was all she muttered.

When Rominaria reached his room, she gently rapped her knuckles against the door. She could hear shuffling in the room. The door cracked open. “Can't sleep either?” Was all Anakin said to her.

Rominaria nodded. “Mhm.” Her eyes scanned her friend's face. “Nightmares again?”

Anakin nodded, opening his door wider as he did so and letting her in. She pulled off her cloak, setting it neatly on a chair. The two Jedi didn’t say anything else to each other as they both crawled into his bed, the unspoken agreement from when they were much younger still standing.

Rominaria rolled onto her side, closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep.

Chapter Text

Aayla wasn’t sure how they had gotten surrounded so quickly. Everything had happened so fast. She had been sure someone was following them, but every time she would turn, the shadows were empty. Vex had turned a corner just ahead of her and let out a yell. She was unconscious on the ground by the time Aayla got to her. She had knelt beside her friend, searching for a wound when she heard the blaster click.

Now, Aayla stood with her arms outstretched in front of her. Frustration at the fact that she had left her lightsaber behind in the Temple filled her. She turned slowly, trying to keep her eyes on the four armor-clad attackers. “What do you want? We have no quarrel with you.”

One of them laughed, moving closer. The rest followed suit. “Do you know what some people will pay to get their hands on a youngling, little one.”

Aayla bristled at that. “I’m not a youngling,” She couldn’t stop herself from saying. “And it doesn’t matter what you do, where you take us. My master will come for me and she will find you.”

“You’re bluffing.” Aayla wasn’t fully sure that she wasn’t, but she liked the nervous edge to his voice.

“I don’t think she is. Look.” The man beside him pointed to Vex’s unconscious form, at the braid that hung lower than the rest of her hair. “That’s a padawan braid. Man, what did you get us into now?”

“We’ll be fine. Just stun the damn thing.” Aayla didn’t have time to react before the blaster went off.

Rominaria’s eyes shot open, a deep sense of wrong in her chest. She shook Anakin’s shoulder, waking the sleeping man. “Anakin, Anakin wake up. Something’s wrong. Get your lightsaber.” She jumped out of the bed as he began to sit up. Rominaria grabbed her discarded cloak and pulled it on. She bolted out of the door.

Anakin caught up to her a few moments later, his own cloak around his shoulders as well. “Woah, woah, slow down. What’s going on?”

“I'm not fully sure yet. But something is wrong.” She said as they reached her padawan’s room. Rominaria knocked a few times, no response coming from inside the room. She closed her eyes, focusing and using the Force to unlock the door. When she opened it, the room was empty. “Damn it. I knew it.” She took off again, this time in the direction of her own room.

When she reached her door, she swung it open and hastily grabbed her lightsabers. Anakin stood in the doorway, surveying the room as he waited for her. She turned back around, sliding her sabers into the pockets of her cloak. She was grateful that her friend trusted her immediately. Guilt crept in her mind as she thought of the bags under his eyes.

Rominaria dropped to her knees, peeking under her bed. “Kyber, come one. We gotta go.” The cat stirred, its mismatched eyes blinking at her tiredly. “Come on.” She patted the ground. This time, the tooka listened and crawled out from under the bed. She climbed into Rominaria’s arms, perching on her right shoulder.

She stood back up. “Since when do you have a pet?” Anakin had an eyebrow raised at her.

Rominaria shot him a look. “ You do not get to talk about having secrets.” Her voice softened slightly. “Come on, we have to find Aayla. Something is wrong, I’m sure of it.”

Aayla stirred as she felt herself being carried. She was upside down, strong arms encircled her as her captor carried her over their shoulder. She tried to fight the person off, but her whole body felt exhausted. She opened her eyes, trying to gauge her location.

She was still on Coruscant. She glanced to her side and saw another one of the people carrying Vex. She was awake as well. The two girls locked eyes. The men were talking to each other, their voices smug.

The man carrying Aayla was talking. “Wonder how much we’ll get for these. Can’t believe we found two when we weren’t even looking. They’ll probably sell well. Especially this one. A Jedi and a twi’lek. And such a young one too.” He let out a bark of laughter. “We’re gonna be rich.”

“I don’t know,” One of the men behind Aayla said. “They’re padawans. What if their masters come looking for them?”

“What if?” A familiar voice chimed in. Aayla felt the grip on her body tighten as the man spun around.

“Shit.” Was all he said before he started to run.

“Nice try.” Another voice said.

Aayla was moved so fast she almost didn’t have time to register it. In an instant, her back was now pressed to her captor’s chest. He held the blaster against the side of her head. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll kill the damn thing.” Aayla heard the click and knew that he had turned the stun off.

Aayla looked at her master with pleading eyes. For the first time in her life, she felt truly afraid. Rominaria’s face was grim. Her mouth was pressed into a firm line, her jaw set. “No, you are not. You are going to let her go.” Aayla saw her fingers move ever so slightly.

“Don’t- don’t even try pulling any of those weird mind tricks on me.” Aayla could feel the panic radiating off of the man. It mixed with her own. “I’ll shoot her. I- I swear I’ll do it. Just let me go, and you can have the kid back.” The click was so faint that Aayla almost missed it. Rominaria gave her a slight nod.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Anakin said from his place behind them.

“Who are you working with?” Rominaria questioned. “What use do you have for a Jedi? And a child one at that?”

“I can’t- They’ll kill me.”

“And you think that we won’t?” Anakin crossed over in front of the man. He held his lightsaber firm in his hand, unignited. Rominaria shot him a look.

“Anakin,” Her tone was warning. She turned her full attention back to the attackers. “Now answer the question.”

When the man remained silent, Rominaria’s arms shot out and she used the Force to pull the blaster from Aayla’s head. It flew directly into her head and she shot it four times, one for each of the men. The stun blasts rang out quickly, and each man dropped to the ground.

Aayla felt the weight surrounding herself collapse and rolled forward to not be crushed under the man's body. She turned quickly, looking around at the unconscious bodies. Vex had also managed to get away in time, her short crop of fiery hair a stark contrast to the darkness of the street. “Are you alright?” Rominaria’s voice came from behind her. Aayla jumped, turning to face her master. She nodded, the guilt overwhelming her. “What were you thinking?” Rominaria did not look mad, but Aayla could feel the disappointment radiating off of her.

“I-”

“It was my fault.” Vex was at her side in a second, a grimace on her face. “I made her come out here with me.”

Rominaria’s focus moved over to Vex. “You’re Mira’s padawan, aren’t you?” The girl paled as she nodded. Rominaria just shook her head, closing her eyes and running a hand down her face. “What are we gonna do with you two?” Aayla could have sworn she saw the smallest of smiles creep onto her master’s face.

“A better question is what are we going to do with these four?” Anakin said, breaking his silence as he gestured at the men that Rominaria had stunned.

Rominaria sighed. “We have to bring them in for questioning. We need to know who they are working for.”

Rominaria paced back and forth in front of the door to the council chambers. Inside, the Jedi Masters were discussing what to do with the men who had tried to capture two padawans the night before. She stopped pacing, turning and heading in the direction of the library. 

As she had expected, Mira was sitting at a table alone with a scowl on her face. She looked up at Rominaria, the look fading as it replaced itself with a grimace. Mira sighed, bringing one blue hand up to run it through her back hair. “What were they thinking?”

Rominaria nodded, taking a seat across from her friend. “My words exactly.”

“I’m glad you got to them in time.”

“Yes, I’m very lucky that Anakin was there to help me.” Rominaria leaned her head against her hands. “Why would someone try to kidnap a Jedi? And on Coruscant of all places.”

“I don’t know.” Mira placed a hand on her friend’s arm. “I’m sure the council will figure it out. Trust the Force.”

“You’re right.”

Chapter Text

There is no emotion, there is peace. 

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. 

There is no passion, there is serenity. 

There is no chaos, there is harmony. 

There is no death, there is the Force.

Rominaria repeated the mantra to herself as she sat cross-legged in the meditation chamber. After her talk with Mira, she had made her way there. Her eyes were closed. Her hands were relaxed as they rested atop her knees. 

Meditating had always calmed Rominaria. It helped her clear her mind and focus on the true task at hand. She knew she needn’t worry. The council had never failed her before. She just needed to trust them. And to trust in the Force. But, for the first time in her life, that wasn’t coming easy to her.

Rominaria let out a sigh, opening her eyes and uncrossing her legs. She stood up slowly, shaking her head and running a hand through her hair. She made her way out of the meditation chamber and back through the halls of the Temple.

She just needed rest, she decided. 

Rominaria’s mind wandered as she continued down the hallways. She couldn’t shake one question from her mind. Who would try to kidnap a Jedi? It made no logical sense to Rominaria. The Jedi were peacekeepers. They were protectors. What use would someone have for them outside of that?

A hand caught around her arm just as she was about to turn a corner. Rominaria jumped, letting out a startled noise. “Since when are you so jumpy, Aria?” Anakin smiled at her, but the concern in his eyes made her feel uncomfortable.

“You just caught me off guard. That’s all.” Rominaria shook her head, shooting a tired smile his way.

“Uh huh…” Anakin did not look like he believed her, but he moved on anyway. “Wanna train? We haven’t sparred in what feels like ages.” He said, dragging out the final word as he threw an arm around her shoulders.

“I was going to sleep.” Rominaria responded, letting out a sigh as Anakin began directing them in the opposite direction of her room.

“It’s the middle of the day?” Anakin looked down at her with a frown.

Rominaria let out a groan of frustration. “Fine.”

“Well now that you’re all grumpy about it-”

“No. I want to spar as well. I’m just worried about what happened last night, that’s all.” Rominaria slid out from under his arm as they reached the doors to the training room. She shot him a cocky smile. “I’m gonna win this time.”

It was a rare day when Rominaria would beat Anakin Skywalker in a test of swordsmanship. It was not one of those days.  She let out a frustrated sigh as his boot gently rested upon her chest, mock holding her down. “What was all that about winning this time?” Anakin smirked, putting his foot back on the ground and offering a hand.

Rominaria grimaced at it, but accepted. She allowed her friend to help her back up, her body was sore where it had slammed against the ground. She was dusting herself off when the door to the training facility opened.

“Oh, good. There you are, Rominaria.” Obi Wan smiled fondly at her as he entered the room.

Any relief Rominaria had felt from sparring immediately left her as she was once again reminded of the matter at hand. “Did they say who sent them? Did they admit to anything? What did the council say?”

Obi Wan let out a small laugh. “We have a mission for you. But, no. Whoever they’re working for never revealed their true identity to those men.”

“A mission? Right now? Shouldn’t I help figure this out, since I captured them and all?”

“They want me on bodyguard duty?” Rominaria had never felt so frustrated with the Jedi Council before.

“Think of it as a vacation. A breath of fresh air.” Anakin put a hand on her shoulder. “Padme requested you specifically, so it’s got to be something serious. Nothing is ever boring with her anyways. I’m sure she’ll get herself into all sorts of trouble.” Anakin’s smile didn’t reach his eyes, and Rominaria was sure that he knew more about the mission than he was letting on.

Rominaria just groaned.

Rominaria was in the library with Mira again, her forehead resting against the table this time. She didn't want to go to Naboo with Padme. She had enough nightmares about the place as it was. She didn’t need to experience one in person. she had told Mra as much when she first came in.

“You don’t realize how lucky you are.” Mira’s voice was hardly above a whisper. Her jaw set firm. Rominaria looked up at her, confusion lacing her features. Mira rose from her seat, turning away from Rominaria. “The mission. You should go. I can’t ever see where I’m from, but you can.” Her words gave Rominaria pause. Slowly, she stood as well, making her way over to her friend. Mira continued. “I’ll never even see a Jedi who looks like me.” Her eyes were on the ground, her voice wavering slightly.

Rominaria knew she was right. It was extremely rare for a chiss to possess Force abilities. Even more rare to hold onto them as long as Mira had. “I’m sorry.”

Mira looked at her with a frown. “Don’t be. But, you should go.”

Rominaria looked over at Padme as they entered hyperspace. Aayla’s soft snores were the only sound in the cockpit. ”So, why’d you need a bodyguard? Up to no good?” Her voice was light, but the question was genuine.

Padme looked down at her hands. “I believe that someone is trying to assassinate me. Err, again,” She added with a grimace.

Rominaria didn’t doubt it. The amount of attempts that had been made on the young senator’s life were numerous. “Why not take Anakin?”

Padme gave her a weird look. She must not know that he told me. Rominaria thought to herself. “You blend in better. You’re native to Naboo, aren’t you. I assumed because of the name-”

Rominaria cut her off. “I am. But I’ve never been there before.”

“I’m sure you will like it. We’ll be holing up in my home there. It’s out in the countryside.”

Rominaria crossed her arms. “Why exactly are we going there? Wouldn’t you be safer in the Temple?”

Padme let out a sigh. “Maybe,” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Doesn’t Coruscant make you feel like you’re being suffocated all the time?”

Rominaria was even more confused than she had been previously. “Uhh, not really. It just feels like home? It’s really all I’ve ever known.”

Padme shook her head, meeting her eyes again. “Do you never feel a calmer life calling to you?” She seemed to realize what she said and her face flushed slightly in embarrassment.

Rominaria blinked at her. “I’m a Jedi. There’s only really one life I can have.” Her mind drifted to the dreams of grassy fields and her frown deepened.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“It's fine, Padme. I’m not a child. You don’t have to worry about upsetting me.” It was quiet for a moment.

When Padme spoke, her voice shook slightly. “They made an attempt on my life yesterday.” That caught Rominaria’s attention.

“And you're only telling me this now?” She softened her voice as she continued. “What happened?”

Rominaria gaze rested on the viewport in front of her. Padme had fallen asleep in her seat after telling her the events of the night before. She hadn't slept since and Rominaria suggested that she rested while she could. Rominaria's thoughts were consumed by what Padme had told her.

A bounty hunter had broken into her home, and was waiting for her there when she arrived. She was only alive because a member of the Naboo guard was with her.

The bounty hunter had gotten away, though. And Padme’s description hadn't helped much.

“Master?” Aayla’s voice snapped Rominaria out of the trance that she was in. She turned to her padawan, forcing a smile onto her face as she did so. “I’m sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have left the temple.”

“It’s alright, Aayla. I’m just glad that you are safe.”

Chapter Text

Aayla stared at the wall across from her. Padme and her master had ventured into town, Rominaria disguised as a handmaiden. And Aayla was left alone in the room she and her master were sharing. She understood why she couldn’t come. She knew she looked too young and that Rominaria would blend in better. But it was still frustrating.

Aayla’s trance was broken at the sound of the doorknob turning. She reached for her lightsaber, holding it unignited and shifting so that a large closet blocked any view of her. The door creaked open and she heard the unmistakable sound of armor. Aayla ignited her lightsaber, jumping out from behind the closet and raising it in front of her. The blue of her saber was the only source of light in the room.

The armored intruder froze. They stared at her, clearly caught off guard by the small Jedi in front of them. They stepped back. “Don't move.” Aayla hoped her voice sounded threatening enough.

Rominaria walked beside the senator. The deep blue cloak billowed around her as she moved. She kept her head angled down so that the hood would block out the majority of her face. “Blue looks good on you.” Padme said in passing, her eyes drifting across the many market stands.

Rominaria didn’t respond. She wasn’t a fan of the clothes, but she wasn’t going to tell Padme that. Instead, her own eyes scanned the marketplace as well. It was a cute town. Many of the shops were selling trinkets of sorts. One stand caught her eye. The jewelry wasn’t exactly her taste, but it was beautiful. Looking away, Rominaria felt a surge of something in her stomach. “We should really get back. If someone is after you we shouldn’t be out and about for too long.” As if on cue, Rominaria felt something whiz past her head. Blaster fire. Kriff.

Rominaria grabbed Padme, pulling the woman behind herself. Rominaria reached for her lightsabers but just as her fingers began to close around the cool metal of the hilts, Padme let out a scream. Rominaria whipped around. The stun blast hit her square in the face.

“Agent, come in. We have successfully caught Amidala. Be wary, she had a Jedi with her.” The silence stretched for a moment as Aayla glanced from the comm device to the man that she had tied up using her bed sheets. He tried to speak, but the sheet around his mouth muffled him. “Agent, are you there? Have you been compromised?”

Without thinking, Aayla ripped the sheet out of the man’s mouth. “Who is that? Who do you work for?”

The man had sad eyes. He shook his head, looking down. “If I tell you, my family is dead.”

Aayla didn’t have time to react before the man bit down on something already in his mouth. His body spasmed for a moment. And then he was gone. The young twi’lek blinked in shock. Had that man really just killed himself instead of just answering her question? She felt bile rise in her throat and barely made it to the refresher in time. The contents of her stomach hit the basin as she retched.

The first thing Rominaria noticed when she came to was the pain in her head. She blinked, looking around in confusion. It took her a few moments to notice that she was upside down. She had been stripped of the cloak she was wearing and her lightsabers were gone, leaving her in just the simple tunic she had on underneath. Her ankles were bound together and hooked on something above her. She moved to reach upwards, and realized that her wrists were in the same position below her. They didn’t want to make it too easy, I guess. She thought to herself with a hint of amusement.

She remembered the senator’s scream and her small smile dropped. Right, Padme. Rominaria’s eyes searched the room, looking for something to help her out of her current situation. But, she realized with a frown, the room was completely empty. The metal walls were barren. Rominaria sighed.

The door opened and a man stepped in. Rominaria craned her neck to get a look at him. He had short dark hair and a clean shaven face. From what she could hint at under his armor, he seemed strong as well. Her eyes drifted down and noticed her own lightsabers were clipped to his belt. The man noticed her stare and smirked at her. “Good, you’re up.” He moved closer as Rominaria glared at him.

“Who are you?” She asked, trying to keep her voice even.

The man hummed. He stopped in front of her, squatting down to reach eye level. “You’re lucky you’re still alive. My superiors wanted me to kill you while you were still unconscious."

Rominaria’s jaw tensed. “Why didn’t you?”

The man reached forward, gripping Rominaria’s jaw aggressively as he spoke. His voice was so quiet she almost missed what he said, even with how close he was to her. “I’m leaving the door unlocked. Don’t mess this up.” He shoved her face away as he stood back up, speaking louder this time. “You’re more valuable alive than you are dead.”

Rominaria blinked at him in confusion. He turned to look at her and his eyes widened slightly for only a fraction of a second. “Other Jedi will be sent to find me.” She finally said. She wasn’t sure if what he had said was true, but she didn’t have any other option than to play along.

“Let them try.” Was all he said before leaving the room.

Rominaria looked around frantically. There had to be a way to loosen the ropes around her. The hook that her wrists were attached to seemed sharp enough. Maybe she could saw through them?

After what felt like hours, the ropes securing Rominaria’s wrists to the hook snapped. She took a deep breath and then hoisted herself upwards, managing to catch her still bound wrists on the hook that was holding her feet. She shifted her wrists off of the hook and held onto her ankles as she managed to untie the rope.

There was a loud thud as she fell. She got up quickly, scurrying towards the door. Her hand closed around the doorknob and she breathed a sigh of relief when it turned. So that wasn’t a lie. Rominaria opened the door slowly, peering outside. The hallway was empty and the lights were dim. She took a step out, turning to look down the longer end of the hall. Where is everyone?

As if responding to her silent question, a hand grabbed her shoulder. Rominaria opened her mouth in protest and a hand clamped around it before she could speak. “Be quiet. You’re going to get us both killed.” It was the man from before. “We only have so long until they notice the camera’s footage is an old loop.” He didn’t let go of her, clearly wary that she would cause some sort of commotion.

Rominaria wasn’t sure what exactly came over her at that moment, but she opened her mouth again and bit the hand that was still pressed against it. Hard. The man let out a quiet yelp of pain. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He shot at her, pulling his hand away and pushing her forward.

Rominaria smiled slightly, turning to face him. “Give me my lightsabers.” Her voice was serious.

The man scowled at her, clutching his hand that she had bitten. “Fine, just keep those teeth away from me. Geez.” He unclipped the lightsabers from his belt. He tossed them to her and Rominaria let out a sigh of relief as she caught them.

“Now tell me what’s going on.”

Chapter Text

The man scowled at her, clutching his hand that she had bitten. “Fine, just keep those teeth away from me. Geez.” He unclipped the lightsabers from his belt. He tossed them to her and Rominaria let out a sigh of relief as she caught them.

“Now tell me what’s going on.”

Rominaria feet hammered against the ground as the two of them moved quickly through the compound. Her mind raced as she thought over the things that the man to her right had told her. His name was Khal. He worked for the Naboo Intelligence Agency. They had discovered a plot by the Separatist’s to capture Senator Amidala and use her as bait for some kind of attack. Whether the planned attack was against the Jedi, or the Republic itself was unknown.

Khal had told her that he had been tasked with gathering more information, and that he had been undercover in this base for months. The mission was kept under wraps and only the queen and a few trusted guards knew the truth of his position.

He also told her about the bombs.

They hadn’t anticipated how soon Padme would be captured. But, as a fail safe, Khal had planted nearly one hundred bombs throughout the facility. He had shown her the detonator with a grin.

Rominaria had frowned at the thought of all the information that would be lost in the explosion, but she didn't have time to argue.

The two of them rounded a corner and Khal homed in on one of the doors lining the walls. He fumbled at the keys on his belt, finding the one he was looking for and inserting it into the lock. Rominaria turned away, her eyes scanning the hall. She could sense 2 lifeforms heading in their direction.

“We need to hurry. Someone is coming.” She turned back to Khal, letting out a relieved sigh when the door swung open to reveal Padme.

She straightened when the door opened, her eyes widening when they landed on Rominaria. “I'm so glad you’re safe. The things they were threatening to do to you-” Rominaria's brow furrowed at that.

“We’ve really got to go.” Khal interrupted, turning back to face them. The sound of boots hitting the ground could be heard coming from a corridor up ahead. He held a blaster in his hands, pointing it in the direction of the sound.

Rominaria stepped into the cell, using her lightsaber to carefully cut through the handcuffs Padme had on.

The trio had barely made it out of the building before the alarm started going off. It was a piercing sound and all three of them clamped their hands over their ears as they ran. The three of them ran all the way back into the town, Khal leading the way.

When they finally made it back to Padme’s home, the sun was already falling. The three of them hurried inside. Khal broke off from the two to send a report to the Queen.

When Rominaria opened the door to the room she had been using, she was greeted with the sight of Aayla pacing back and forth. She looked sick. She turned at the sound of the door and relief washed over her face. “Finally. You're back. I heard you had been taken. But you told me not to leave under any circumstances and I didn't know what to do about the body.” Her voice shook as the words left her mouth in a landslide.

Rominaria's brow furrowed at the last part. “What body?” She answered her own question as her eyes drifted past Aayla. “Oh.”

“I didn’t do it, I swear. He bit down on something before I could get any information out of him. I'm sorry.” Rominaria put a soft hand on the girl’s shoulder.

“I'm just glad you're safe. I never should have left you alone here. I'm sorry, young one.”

Khal had told Rominaria that he would handle the body. She wasn't sure what he meant but she was too exhausted to ask questions. She decided she would save them for the morning.

Though, as she rolled over for what had to have been the hundredth time, she realized that sleep did not want to come to her. She let out a sigh, sitting up in her bed and glancing over at the one nearby. Aayla was fast asleep, her green lekku twitching every so often.

Rominaria let out a sigh, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her head against them.

What felt like hours passed and Rominaria finally found the strength to fully get out of the bed. She moved quietly, careful not to wake the young girl. She slipped out of the door, making her way down the hall and up the stairs to a door she had seen in one of her explorations of the home.

She opened it, stepping out onto the balcony. The cold air was a soothing balm against the skin her nightgown didn't cover. She took a deep breath. The fresh air helped calm her thoughts. She felt behind her, flicking a switch that activated the sconce on the wall.

Rominaria made her way over to the edge of the balcony, her fingers rested on the railing. Her eyes drifted lazily across the view in front of her. It was so beautiful here, even in the darkness of the night. So different from the lively streets of Coruscant.

“Your resemblance to her is striking.” Rominaria startled slightly at the sound of Khal’s voice.

She turned to face him, his words sparking curiosity in her mind. “To who?”

“Your mother." Rominaria's eyebrows furrowed as he continued. “I know the Jedi don't care much for their birth families. But, the resemblance is uncanny.” He paused for a moment, moving to stand beside her. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. “She helped raise me after my parents died in a mining accident. She was a good woman.”

Rominaria hesitated to ask the question that entered her mind. “Was?”

Khal's eyes lowered to the ground between them. “She passed away a few years ago. Her and the rest of the family. There was a fire. I didn't make it back in time to save any of them.” Rominaria's head tilted slightly at that. It couldn't possibly be the same fire from her dreams. She shook away the thought.

“Oh.” Rominaria wasn't sure what to say. She took a slow breath and reached out to gently grab Khal's hand. She gave it what she hoped was a comforting squeeze. “I'm sorry for your loss.”

Khal's fingers wrapped around her hand, embracing it. “She spoke about you all the time, you know.”

Rominaria's eyes flicked down to the hand he was still holding. She met his eyes again. “She did?”

The corners of Khal's eyes crinkled ever-so-slightly as he smiled. A genuine smile. “Her little flower. That's what she called you. She was so proud of you.” He let out a small laugh. “It's funny. The two of you being named after flowers.”

When Rominaria swallowed her throat felt tight. “What was her name?”

“Milla. Her name was Milla.”

Neither of them spoke for a long moment. Rominaria felt oddly overcome with something that resembled grief. But she had never known the woman. Not that she would remember, at least. Khal's eyes never left her. He studied her face as she processed what she had been told. There is no emotion, there is peace. She reminded herself.

“Your sister's name was Veruna. One of our moons.”

His words hit Rominaria like a brick. She met his eyes again. “I had a sister?”

He smiled softly. “Yes. She was a few years younger than you and I.”

Rominaria let out a shaky breath. Her eyes dropped to the ground between them. She wasn’t sure why this was affecting her as much as it was. She was a Jedi. One life shouldn't hold more value to her than another. Khal squeezed her hand, disrupting her train of thought.

Rominaria looked back up at him. Truly studying him for the first time. Rominaria wasn't short by any means, but the man towered over her. His short hair was dark but not quite black. His eyes were a deep brown. There was a small scar on his chin. Her eyes traveled farther down and she realized that he must have changed out of his armor after disposing of the man's corpse. He was in simple pants and a dark shirt, his arms left bare.

Rominaria's face heated slightly when she realized she was staring. She cleared her throat. Her eyes flicked back to the landscape, but not before she caught the upturn of his lips. She was painfully aware of how little her nightgown covered.

He was still holding her hand.

Khal watched her for a long moment before he spoke again. “You really should be sleeping. You look exhausted.”

Rominaria shot him a look. “I don't sleep very well.”

Khal frowned at that. “Why not?”

Rominaria let out a small sigh, running her free hand through her curls. She wasn't sure why she felt so compelled to answer his questions. “I have nightmares.” She expected him to laugh but his face remained still.

He studied her for a moment. “Me too.”

Rominaria wasn't sure what compelled her but she took a step toward him to close the distance. She rested her head against his chest and let out another sigh. She closed her eyes, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks again and she listened for the sound of his heartbeat.

Khal seemed caught off guard for a moment, but soon wrapped his unoccupied arm around her. When he spoke, his voice was rough. “I always wondered about you. What you were like.” Rominaria listened intently, not moving. “You were this great mystery. The Jedi. Her Jedi.”

“I'm really nothing special.” Rominaria muttered against his chest. She was surprised he heard her at all.

“But you are.” He pulled away slightly, looking down at her. Rominaria blinked up at him. “I've only known you a day and I can see that.” She saw his eyes flick down for a half second and her face began to flush again. She looked away.

“I should try to get some sleep.” Her throat was tight as she spoke.

Khal nodded. He let go of her slowly, finally dropping her hand. She felt cold all of the sudden. He looked down, his own cheeks flushed. “You should.” He agreed.

Rominaria took a step back and hesitated. “Do you have somewhere to sleep?”

Khal blinked at her for a moment. He looked down. “I- uh- wasn't planning on it.”

Rominaria frowned at that. “Surely you must be exhausted. There's an armchair in the room I'm staying in. If you want.” Her cheeks heated again, this time in embarrassment. Why would he want to sleep in an armchair?

“I wouldn't mind that.” He said with a hint of a smile.

Rominaria smiled slightly at that. “Alright then. Follow me.” Her voice was soft as she grabbed his hand again.

Chapter Text

Rominaria's eyes shot open, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. It was just a dream, it was just a dream, it was just a dream. But even as she tried to reassure herself, she swore she could still feel the smoke in her lungs.

Her head whipped around, taking in her surroundings. Right. She was still on Naboo. She turned to her left, catching sight of Khal in the chair beside her bed. His head was rested on one of his arms as he breathed quietly. He looked peaceful.

Rominaria tore her eyes away from the man. She sat up and ran a hand through her long hair. She was safe. There was no need to worry. Still, the events of her dream plagued her mind. It was the same dream from her painting, though this time she had run inside of the house. She had tried to pull someone out but the fire had surrounded her and consumed both of them.

Rominaria looked at Khal again. Could it possibly have been the fire he told her about? She shifted, starting to get out of the bed when his eyes opened lazily. “Why are you up again?” His voice was a soft whisper, but she caught it in the silence of the room. Rominaria froze.

She looked down, not wanting to say anything. He didn't need to know about that dream. If she was right, and Rominaria was fairly sure that she was, it would do him no good to know.

Khal's voice broke the silence. “Nightmare?” Was all he asked. Rominaria let out a shaky breath, settling back into a sitting position on the bed. She nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?” Rominaria shook her head, looking down. Khal slowly stood, moving from the chair to take a seat beside her on the bed.

He hesitated for a moment when looking at her. Rominaria met his eyes slowly. She was sure that she looked pathetic. He probably thought it as well. What kind of Jedi couldn't handle a couple of nightmares?

Khal wrapped an arm around her, pulling the woman into his side. He reached over with his other hand to gently caress her hair. “You're safe. I'm here.”

It was odd how immediately affectionate he was to her, but Rominaria brushed off the quiet alarms that were going off in her head and just hummed in response. Maybe it was a cultural thing? Padme was quite affectionate as well. He dropped his hand away from her face and she cursed the heat that rose in its absence.

“Do you have your datapad on you?” Rominaria frowned but nodded, moving to reach down and pull it from her bag that rested beside the bed. “Here,” Khal said, taking from her hands and tapping away at it for a moment. He handed it back to her. “I put my information in there for you. Now, if you ever need to talk, you can.”

Rominaria blinked at the datapad for a moment before putting it away again. “Thank you.” She shifted away from him, suddenly not at all comfortable with the arm wrapped around her shoulders. She wasn't sure why she was reacting this way, but Khal seemed to notice it as well. He muttered a quiet apology as he moved his arms away from her. Rominaria let out a sigh. She turned to face him. When she spoke, her voice was soft. “What did you do with the body?”

Khal blinked at her, caught off guard by the question. “I- uh- why?”

Rominaria’s brow furrowed at his hesitation. She crossed her arms, doubling down. “Answer the question.”

The man let out a sigh. “I burned it.” Rominaria’s head tilted.

“Where?”

Khal looked at her in exasperation. “Why do you care?”

Rominaria paused at that. Why did she care? All she was sure of was the fact that he was lying directly to her face. “Why are you lying?”

Khal groaned, running a hand through his short dark hair. He didn’t respond, just pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut tight. Rominaria stared at him in silence. After a few minutes, he finally spoke up. “I knew the guy.” Rominaria didn’t speak, she just nodded for him to continue. Khal took a deep breath. “He- It wasn’t right for him to work for them, but he was in a bad situation. He was just trying to support his family. I brought him back to them.”

Why would he feel the need to lie about that? “I see.” Was all Rominaria responded with. “I have another question.” Khal gave her a tired look, but waited in silence. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “Can you show me where the fire happened? The one that killed them.”

Khal’s brows furrowed but he nodded once. “Yeah. Sure. Why?”

Rominaria felt it was best to not tell him of those dreams. “I just want to see something.”

Rominaria didn’t have much time. Padme had told her she only had a few hours before they had to begin the journey back to Coruscant. She was grateful her friend didn’t ask where she was going.

She followed Khal in silence. The two of them deep in their separate thoughts.

She was not sure that she should have been doing this in the first place. But she wanted closure. She wanted to know if it was real. She needed to know. If what she had seen in those dreams were real, then what else had been real? What other horrors seen behind lowered eyelids as she rested were something more than a figment of an overactive imagination? Were all of her paintings of real places?

Rominaria shook her head, trying to clear those thoughts from her mind as she trekked through the tall grass. There was no use in worrying over something that may have not even happened. She glanced up at Khal. His jaw was set and he didn’t turn to meet her gaze once.

She knew this was a lot to ask of him. 

She just hoped her suspicions were false.

She knew the truth deep down, though. She knew it even before she stepped into the clearing and saw the rubble. Had they really not rebuilt anything after all this time? She journeyed closer, passing by Khal and entering the ruins. She tried to make sense of the chaos.

If someone had asked Rominaria to describe how she felt at that moment, she would have been at a loss for words. Something ached deep inside her as the terrible reality of the situation dawned on her. She wasn’t even sure she should tell anyone on the Council, for fear that they would question why she had visited the site in the first place.

Rominaria shook her head. Of course she should tell a Jedi Master. They would understand more than anyone else what was going on with her and how to control it. But a quiet part of her wanted to keep this to herself, wanted to keep it a secret.

Khal’s voice broke the silence. She hadn’t even heard him come up behind her. “Was there something specific you were looking for?” 

There is no emotion, there is peace. Rominaria felt her lips tremble. “Not exactly. I’m not sure why I wanted to see this, if I’m being honest.” She said the lie with ease.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Khal placed a gentle hand on the woman’s shoulder. “It’s understandable for this to bring up something emotional for you. Even if you didn’t know them that well, it’s natural to grieve.”

There is no passion, there is serenity. Rominaria’s eyes were devoid of emotion as she turned to look at the man. She let out a sigh. “The loss of any life is a sad thing.” Her own voice sounded alien to her. Khal’s brow furrowed in confusion. He gestured at the rubble under and around them with an incredulous look on his face.

There is no chaos, there is harmony. “Are you serious? You’re going to just call this a ‘sad thing’?” His voice rose in volume as he continued to speak. Rominaria felt a muscle in her jaw twitch. “They all died because I couldn’t save them and it’s just another ‘sad thing’ to you?” His hands were balled up into fists at his sides. His knuckles white.

There is no death, there is the Force. Rominaria blinked at him for a moment. “They are a part of the Force now. The same as both you and I will be someday.” She took a slow breath thinking over her words. “It is very sad how they came about joining the Force, but they wouldn’t want you to be in pain when thinking about them.”

Khal snapped at that. “How would you know? You didn’t even know them.” His voice was filled with venom. He ran a hand down his face, his breaths coming out in short angry huffs. “God, I don’t even know why I brought you here. This was clearly a mistake. I don’t know why I thought you would care.”

Rominaria frowned, her eyes falling down to the ground between them. “It was never my intention to anger you. I’m sorry.” Khal was silent, his breaths slowly getting less aggressive. She could sense the fiery energy around him begin to quell. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I didn’t know them. There’s no world in which I would have. All I know is what I’ve been taught and what I’m learning now. I don’t know how they would have wanted you to grieve them. But I am sure that if they cared about you, as I believe they did, they wouldn’t want for you to be consumed by the pain of them being gone.”

She looked back up at him, silently praying to the Force that the words she had chosen were the right ones. Khal let out a shaky breath, meeting her eyes. “I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you.” He looked away. “We should head back. I’m sure you and the Senator have to leave soon.”

Rominaria looked away as well. In the ruins of her blood family’s home, she had completely forgotten that Padme was waiting for her. “You’re right. I should."

Rominaria and Khal made their way back in silence. The only sound was the tall grass around them as they pushed forward and through it. When the two of them arrived at the landing pad, Khal met her eyes with a gentle smile.“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me. You’ll always have a friend here on Naboo.” Rominaria smiled at that.

“Thank you, Khal.”

He put a firm hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. “Stay safe, little flower. May the Force be with you.”

Rominaria nodded. “And also with you.” She turned, making her way up the ramp and into the ship. As she took her seat in the cockpit, Padme turned to look at her. Rominaria gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry for taking so long.”

The smile Padme returned was warm. “No apologies are necessary.” Rominaria let out a small relieved sigh at the woman’s words. “Are you ready to go?”

Rominaria nodded, starting up the ship.

Chapter Text

Rominaria let out a soft sigh. It had been many rotations since she and her padawan had returned from their mission on Naboo. Things had slowed down just enough in the Jedi Temple that the two girls had found themselves in the library, both noses buried in textbooks.

Rominaria glanced across the table to the young twi'lek. She really was so young. Too young. Rominaria's jaw clenched at the thought. Aayla’s green face was scrunched in a mix of frustration and concentration as she read the book in front of her. Rominaria knew for a fact that the girl would rather be doing anything other than studying, but her education was incredibly important to the woman.

She glanced back down at her own book. It was a book on floriculture. She had flipped to the Naboo section without much thought. Her eyes kept catching on one of the flower's names. Millaflower. Even though some time had passed, Rominaria couldn’t stop thinking about what she had learned on Naboo. She let out a quiet sigh and glanced up at her padawan. There were more important things that deserved the Jedi’s focus.

Rominaria closed her book and set it down on the table just as Aayla groaned in annoyance, putting her own book down and looking up at Rominaria. “Master, why do I have to study this right now? Shouldn’t we be on a mission?”

Rominaria looked at her padawan, a fond smile on her face as she spoke. “Just because there is a war going on, does not give you a pass on your studies. Intelligence is just as strong a weapon as your lightsaber. And it is essential to win.” Aayla nodded, looking slightly less frustrated. Rominaria continued, pushing back her chair and rising to her feet. “Will you be alright studying alone? I have a few things I need to attend to.”

Aayla tilted her head as she looked up at her master. “Like what?”

Rominaria smiled. “Kyber needs a bath again.” Her upturned lips slowly transitioned into a smirk as she continued, her thoughts drifting to the last bath she had given the cat. Both she and Aayla had ended up soaked in bath water themselves as the tooka decided it wanted to play instead of sit still. “You can help me if you really want to.”

Aayla shook her head quickly, her green lekku swinging as she did so. “No, yeah, I think I’m good here actually.” 

Rominaria let out a small laugh at that. “I’ll see you later for dinner.”

Aayla nodded with a smile. “Sounds good.”

Rominaria wrapped the cat in a towel, drying her off. The tooka looked up at her with what almost seemed like a smile. Her big green and blue eyes blinked up at the woman. Rominaria shook her head. “You know, you don’t have to drench me in water every time we do this.” The cat just blinked again before pulling herself out from the towel and nuzzling against the Jedi’s arm.

Rominaria quickly changed into clean robes. She patted her shoulder, standing still as the cat jumped up onto her. “Come on, I heard Anakin is coming back from his mission soon.”

Rominaria made it to the hangar just as the ship landed. She waited with her arms crossed over her chest, a fond smile on her face. Kyber had taken to curling around her shoulders and starting to doze off.

Anakin stepped off of the ship first, Obi Wan following close behind. He grinned when he saw Rominaria, quickening his pace to meet her. “It's good to see you.” Rominaria's voice was soft. “I take it the mission went well?”

Anakin nodded. “There’s someone that I'd like you to meet.” Rominaria's head tilted to the side as Anakin stepped out of the way, revealing the young togruta that stood behind him. “Aria, this is Ahsoka. My padawan. Ahsoka, this is General Rominaria Scara.”

Rominaria blinked up at Anakin in surprise for a moment. He had repeatedly told her that he did not want a padawan. She glanced back down at the girl who was already beaming up at her. “It's a pleasure to meet you.” She's so young.

Rominaria shook the girl's outstretched hand, an odd feeling in her stomach as she thought of her own padawan as well. “It's a pleasure to meet you as well.”

“I thought you didn't want a padawan?” Rominaria asked the man as soon as they were alone. The two of them had once again found themselves in the Jedi Temple's courtyard. They both sat with their backs to one of the large trees. The sun had just begun to set.

Anakin ran a hand through his hair. “I didn’t. They, err, well, they kind of tricked me into it.”

Rominaria's face scrunched at that. “They can do that?”

Anakin sighed. “I guess so.”

Rominaria frowned. Why would the council assign a padawan to an unwilling master? “Are you happy with it now?”

Anakin was quiet for a moment before he nodded slowly. “She's a good kid.”

Rominaria pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she lost herself deep in thought. They were just kids. Hell, her and Anakin were hardly adults. She thought back to what Mira had said to her. Do you ever think that what we're doing is wrong? Rominaria hadn't at the time. She wasn't as sure anymore.

Surely they must be doing the right thing. The Jedi Council would never lead them astray. Anakin's voice snapped her away from those thoughts. “Aria, are you alright?”

Rominaria turned to look at the man. His eyes were full of a knowing concern. She looked away. “I'm okay.” Rominaria took a deep breath.

Before she could come up with some kind of excuse for her behavior, Anakin spoke again. “Did something happen on Naboo? You've seemed off ever since then.” Rominaria froze. She'd thought he hadn't noticed. He hadn't mentioned it at all.

She let out a shaky breath. Anakin was her best friend. She didn't want to lie to him. “I,” Her eyes trailed across the sky above them. She let out a defeated sigh. “Yeah.”

Rominaria’s eyes stayed locked on the clouds above them as she told her friend everything. From the details of the mission, to Khal, to venturing to her blood family’s home. When she was done, the sky was dark and the stars were out. Anakin wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. He gave a gentle squeeze. Rominaria finally looked over at her friend.

“Thank you for listening.” Her voice was quiet.

Anakin nodded, his eyes full of a knowing warmth. “Always.”