Loyal, Brave, and True: A Star Wars Story

Chapter 1: The Hidden Enemy - 22 BBY

Dedicated to Zara_panter

...

Truth enlightens the mind but won't always bring happiness to your heart.

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     As the Republic gunship emerged from hyperspace above the battle-torn world of Christophsis, Aria Skywalker knelt in the cargo hold and closed her eyes, the white fabric of her Jedi robes billowing around her. She reached out to the Force, hoping recent events would shed light on the path to come. As she began to meditate, her twin brother's powerful presence quickly made itself known and only grew stronger as the distance between them lessened. Though their skills on the battlefield were equally effective and though their fiery gaze caused even the fiercest Separatist leaders to quiver with fear, that was where the similarities between Aria and Anakin Skywalker ended.

     For instance, Aria possessed far more composure than her brother, a trait that had made itself painfully obvious two years earlier. Though Anakin had been her biggest supporter when she became one of the youngest padawans to earn the title of Jedi Knight, having been granted the title at only seventeen years old, Aria's success soon annoyed him. At first, Anakin's frustration had amused Aria, but when the seeds of jealousy spawned from his seemingly harmless irritation, her amusement faded and concern took its place. Sighing, Aria pushed the troubling thoughts from her mind and returned her focus to the task at hand.

     Because they were in an active warzone, the pilot gave Aria just enough time to disembark before returning to the fleet overhead. Looking between the two crystalline skyscrapers, where Republic forces waited to ambush the approaching droid army, Aria sensed her brother's battle-ready aura in the closest building and went inside.

     "Anakin, how are you doing over there?" Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi asked.

     Before her brother could reply, Aria spoke into her comm, "Well, I'd say he's doing much better now that the cavalry has arrived."

     Anakin smirked as he turned to face his sister, "We're set. I've got some guys here who are anxious to get going."

     "Glad to hear it," Obi-Wan replied, and Aria could hear the smile in his voice.

     "I believe introductions are in order," Anakin claimed before gesturing to the clone at his side. "Rex, this is General Skywalker, my twin sister. Aria, this is Captain Rex. He's in charge of the 501st. Well, that's what I let him think, anyways."

     "Great, now there's two of 'em," a clone trooper muttered, casting a weary glance between the Skywalker siblings.

     When Aria arched an eyebrow, Rex quickly said, "Don't worry about him, General. They'll warm up to you. They're just used to your brother. He's a great soldier, but he can be—"

     "A pain in the ass?" she suggested, and the captain laughed, the tension between them dissipating.

     "I was gonna say he can be trying at times, but that works, too," Rex replied, and though Anakin rolled his eyes, he couldn't help but smile.

     Having learned to suppress her emotions from an early age, long before the Jedi taught her to do so, Aria was only just beginning to understand Anakin's connection with the clone troopers. Because of this, as she shook the captain's offered hand, she made a mental note of every characteristic that set him apart from his fellow clones. Though they appeared to be close in age, Aria knew that she was, in fact, nine years older than Rex. The captain's hair was a light shade of blond, different from the typically black locks of his brothers, and was shaved close to his head. His blue and white armor also featured several customizations, including a blaster-proof skirt that protected his upper legs and an enlarged shoulder pauldron, both modifications representing his rank and giving him a unique silhouette on the battlefield.