Darker the Night (A Star Wars Rebels AU)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Coruscant never truly slept, but the early morning hours tended to be quieter than any other time. Caleb and Hera walked hand-in-hand towards the tram station on level 4227, and the usually-bustling streets were empty.

They said little to one another, aside from a few murmured words. There was too much to say, and not enough time to say it. They would soon go their separate ways once again, and neither one of them was willing to sour the sweetness of the last few hours by saying unpleasant things.

As they walked past a closed shop, Caleb saw a man he didn't recognize reflected in the window, wearing Sammo's jacket and civilian clothes, holding hands with a beautiful Twi'lek. All his life, he'd always known that he'd become a Jedi Knight and assume his place within a noble Order that had existed for thousands of years, dedicating himself to serving others in the name of peace and justice. His future had always been so certain that questioning it had never even crossed his mind. Now, that lifelong certainty had been completely upended by a girl, a war, and the death of a friend.

Change and loss are integral to the ebb and flow of life. These were truths embedded in the Jedi Code, and yet, the Jedi Order itself stood stalwart against the inevitability of change and loss, inflexible and unwilling to adapt. It wasn't just him, he realized- the certainty of the Jedi Order itself had been upended. Didn't they see it? Or was it just his own emotional turmoil that made him wonder, however reluctantly, if thousands of years of noble purpose had been capsized by the bloody waves of one galactic war?

These thoughts weighed heavily on his mind as he and Hera walked into the tram station, which was empty except for two drunk Rodians sitting on a bench, arguing in Huttese.

Hera turned to face him, and she frowned.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Not really. "Yeah," he said, trying not to think about how much he hated lying. "But it's time to say goodbye again."

"It's not goodbye," she said. "It's just 'until next time, love'."

Despite his melancholy mood, he smiled. "'Love'?"

"It's just something we say on Ryloth," she answered quickly, averting her eyes from his gaze even as a smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Would you like me to say it in Ryl?"

"Yes, please."

"Xeed kanyirk canka, anan," she murmured. "We'll see each other again soon."

He traced his fingertips across her cheekbone and along her jawline. "But just in case we don't..."

His lips found hers, and it was a sweet, relatively chaste kiss- despite the lack of other travelers at that early hour, it still felt strange to be kissing in public. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her, maybe a little too tightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thank you for...everything," he said, kissing her forehead.

"Stop talking like you're not going to see me again." His jacket muffled her voice.

"I can say thanks, though, can't I?"

She pulled back a little so she could look up at him. "You're welcome."

The tram thundered its approach inside the tunnel.

He kissed her again, just a quick press of lips this time, and then he released her as the tram squealed into the station. "I better get going," he said slowly, struggling to get each word out of his mouth. "Until next time, Hera," he said.

She smiled, and he turned away and hopped on the tram, maintaining eye contact with her through the transparisteel window as it disappeared into the tunnel.