Indulge Me for Tonight

Fancy clothes. Fancy drinks. Fancy food. Things you aren't used to, and quite preferably things you don't want to be used to. The life of a Jedi isn't a fancy one, so you don't think you'll be missing out on much anyway. Besides, fancy things are for politicians, something you definitely don't want to be.

You look around the room, taking in the oddity of the event. It wasn't a regular occurrence for a newly Knighted Jedi to have a celebration to mark the occasion, but in the midst of a harrowing war, any cause of celebration is reason enough to throw on dresses and share a few drinks, if only to distract one's mind for the night.

"Ah, you look lovely this evening, my Padawan." The familiar voice of your former Jedi master, Agen Kolar, floats over to your ears over the symphonic band. You turn with a smirk and make sure the Zabrak catches the way your eyes roll.

"I'm not a Padawan anymore, Agen. That is what we're celebrating tonight, is it not?" you ask, raising the glass he offered you to your lips. He just lets out a chuckle, taking a sip from his own glass before responding.

"Even if you pass a million more trials, you will always be my Padawan," he says, and it's a warm comment, one to assure you that he will always be there for you. You just smile a bit wider in response. Your master always did have a way of making you feel safe and loved, even in the darkest and loneliest of times. But he isn't the only one who has that ability, no, there is another man who has, in recent years, shown to be there for you whenever you need him.

And as if you've developed a sense for him, you turn to look at the entrance the moment he walks in. Agen notices your action and glances himself, pushing away the conflicted thoughts that swirl to the front of his mind. Instead, he smirks, nudging you slightly.

"Don't be too obvious, there's lots of higher up Jedi here," he says, and you give him a skeptical look.

"As if you're not a higher up Jedi, or Mace himself."

"True, but I've chosen to look the other way while he...entertains the idea of your connection. The others may not be so kind."

"I know, but I don't really care," you shrug. "You already know my full dedication isn't to the Order, it's to what I believe is right."

"I know, but again, others may not be as accepting of this."

"Then all I ask is that I be the sole person punished, as Mace does not deserve to have his image dampened by me and my desires," you reply, and your former master holds your gaze for a second before his eyes wander away.

"Enjoy your night, my Padawan. Be wary of what I have warned, I do not wish to lose you," he says before he moves away. Your eyes follow him before they catch on another figure. Your heart skips a beat, like it always does, when your eyes lock with his. He nods towards you, something sparkling in his eyes as he raises his glass to his lips. The movement is delicate, practiced, and you wonder how often he's had to formally take a sip of something out of courtesy. But a slight nod to the side from him, indicating to meet him outside, washes away the question.

As you step onto the balcony, the chill of wind brushes over your arms, making you shiver. The cold doesn't last long, though, as the warmth of a Jedi robe wraps around you.

"Please, don't give this up, I'll survive without it," you say, but Mace shakes his head once at your words.

"I have sleeves to protect me, you don't. You need it more than I do."

"If you insist," you reply, a small smile coming to your lips, him matching the expression. He holds out his hand to you, and you set yours inside his palm before he gently leads you over to the rails overlooking the city below.