Promises and Deals | The Mandalorian

.101

"Honestly? I'm not sure why she's still looking for you. Because she loves you? Because you grew up together? Because she wants to talk?"

"Because I am essential to the New Republic," Alora replies. "That's why, Luke. Leia has always been a political animal. Everything she does is for the Rebellion and the New Republic. I made a mess when I left, so let's not kid ourselves into thinking she really just wants me, because we both know if that was the case, she would have found me by now."

Luke goes silent for a moment as they look out at the lake. "She misses you. I know she does. She misses her sister, her friend. I do too."

"I know." She leans her head back against the wood. "Sometimes, I miss that person too, but she's gone. She was so naive, and when that image broke, it hurt. I knew she would never..." She catches herself, but the pain is just a shadow over her heart. "I just wanted to belong as me, and I guess I thought that loving Leia and having her return that love would be enough to overlook how out of place I have always been. But that was stupid and misplaced. It wasn't real love."

"It wasn't stupid, Alora. Love isn't wrong."

"I never said it was wrong. I said it was misplaced. Leia will always love the New Republic more than anyone else, and I can't fault her for that. It's why you can't make her a Jedi either." She nudges his side playfully as if to take away from everything else. "Tell me, how is your latest student?"

"Are you asking for you or for him?"

"Both."

"He's well. He misses you. Both of you."

Alora clicks her tongue. "You're not going to let Mando see him, are you?" Luke just looks down. "I get it. Jedi and attachments are antonyms. He was really looking forward to it, though."

"Ahsoka is helping him. I'm here to help you."

"Oh," Alora pats Luke's arm. "She must have gotten my letter then. Glad the two of you met. You're not going to make me—"

"Talk to her? No. I know better than to make you do anything." He chuckles and rolls his eyes, leaving them once again in silence.

"I feel off," she says quietly, wishing the wind could carry her voice away before having the chance to be heard.

Luke tenses. "Off how?"

"Disconnected. But at the same time, more in tune than I've ever felt with the Force." Scratching the back of her neck, she tucks her legs against her chest, resting her chin on her knees. "I once told you that the Force and this spiritual connection bullshit felt like a bad fix in a broken blanket."

Shaking his head, Luke sighs, "I thought you were too drunk to remember that conversation."

She chooses to ignore that. "It feels different now. More like a scar that still burns every sunrise. I don't know if that's good or bad. I have been able to quiet my mind, but I feel unbalanced when I am somewhere unfamiliar or alone. The only place I have felt a fraction of peace is in this place I'm staying. Tatooine, unfortunately, but it's a nice little hovel carved out of the cliff."

"Near my farm?" Luke frowns.

"Yeah," she shrugs. "Wasn't sure where else to go."

"That's Ben's old place."

"Ben, like Kenobi Ben?" Alora scoffs. "How ironic." After a moment, she glances over at Luke who now looks pale. "Luke, you good?"

"Yeah," he rasps. "It's nothing. Look, if you feel unbalanced, then something happened that you don't want to talk about." The color slowly returns to his cheeks as he focuses, meeting her gaze once more with clarity in his gaze. "You are not a roundabout person. When did this start?"