*Aure's POV*
I had nothing to do that day. Obi-Wan was busy discussing who knows what with the Council, so I decided to visit Padmé and maybe have a walk together around the city. When she opened her door to me and I entered her large apartment, I saw Anakin trying to hide from me, kneeling behind the yellow couch. I rolled my eyes.
"Ani! I know everything! There's no point in hiding!" I laughed.
Anakin's head poked out from behind the couch and his eyes glanced questioningly at Padmé, who smiled and nodded at her husband.
"When did you find out?" The young Jedi asked once he had stood up.
"I told her." Padmé answered for me. "I'm sorry, Anakin, I thought that she had to know." She explained a bit nervous.
Anakin looked at his wife for a moment, like he was thinking about how to react. For a second, I thought that he would be angry, but he just shrugged and looked at me. "Just make sure that Obi-Wan doesn't know."
With that, Anakin pecked sweetly Padmé's lips and left before I could ask him why he didn't want his old Master to know. Didn't he trust Obi-Wan enough? He had already found out about our relationship anyway.
"Why did you come, Aure?" Asked Padmé with a smile, pulling me out of my own thoughts.
"I just wanted to see you, maybe we could have a walk?" I offered.
Padmé gladly accepted and we left the building to wander around Coruscant. We walked and talked the whole morning, just like we used to back in Naboo years before; we even had lunch in a small restaurant, which we hadn't done in a long time. Since I left Naboo, it had become difficult to spend some time with my best friend, and even more difficult since the war started.
"So... You have already told Anakin about the baby, haven't you?" I asked her, throwing her a knowing smile.
"Yes, I have." She immediately smiled and brought her hand on top of her growing stomach. I smiled sadly at the scene, knowing that I would never have something like that. "Anakin is very happy about it, the baby is not a problem for him." Her expression totally changed then and she closed her eyes for a moment. "He is having nightmares lately, about me suffering, dying..."
I frowned. "Does he think they will become true?"
"He fears that these will be like the nightmares he had about his mother... The dreams predicted her death." She explained.
"He should tell Obi-Wan and ask him for advice. He could-"
"No!" She interrupted me. "Anakin doesn't want him to know. He believes he would tell the Council."
"If that's what you two want, I won't tell anything, but I really think Obi-Wan could help you and he would tell nobody."
"Talking about Obi-Wan..." She changed the subject of conversation. "How is your romance going on?" She asked with smirk.
"Not really good..." She wasn't expecting that answer and her smirk disappeared. "I really love Obi-Wan, but it is becoming more difficult to maintain a relationship with no promises. I..." I stopped to think how to say what I felt. "I want to get married and live with him, maybe even have a family..." I immediately regretted confessing all those thoughts and emotions. "I shouldn't want that, but I can't change my desires and I know he can't give me any of it because of the Jedi Order. Plus, I almost lost him on the last mission, I can't bear the thought of his death." My eyes were covered by a few tears, but I didn't let them go.
"Have you talked to him about this?" Asked Padmé, concerned.
"No. I don't want to tell him; what for? He wouldn't change his mind even if I told him." I gave a nervous laugh, trying to make the situation less uncomfortable.
"I think he would change his mind for you, Aure." She assured me, but I didn't believe her; the Jedi Order was everything to him.
It was afternoon when we said goodbye and I headed back to the Jedi Temple.
"Miss Sinder!" Master Shaak Ti exclaimed, causing me to turn to her. "Master Yoda wants to see you right now. He is in the meditating room."
I nodded and walked to the silent room, where Master Yoda sat with his eyes closed. I felt bad for disturbing him from his meditating session.
"Master?" I addressed him.
Yoda opened his eyes at the sound of my voice. He gave me a small smile.
"Miss Sinder, good to see you, it is." I smiled kindly at his words. "Accompany me to Kashyyyk, I need you to. Help the Wookies, we must."
I nodded. "I will gladly accompany you, Master Yoda. I feel honoured to fight side by side with you."
"Nice, nice... Tomorrow morning, we leave." Said the Jedi before closing his eyes again.
I silently left the room and went back to my small apartment to prepare everything I would need for the journey.
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*Obi-Wan's POV*
Anakin and I walked through one of the hallways of the Jedi Temple. He was furious; we had just left the Council Chamber. Anakin had been elected member of the Council, just like the Chancellor wanted, but he hadn't been given the position of Master and he was clearly disappointed by this.
That day was not being a good day. Besides Anakin being angry at the Council, I had been assigned to look for General Grievous the next morning; in addition, Aure was acting strange. The previous night, she suddenly started to cry for no apparent reason. She had me concerned, she wouldn't tell what worried her, so I decided that I would ask Padmé. I was sure that Aure had told her best friend about whatever happened to her. Aure had informed me that she had told Padmé about our secret relationship. I was a bit disappointed at first, but I understood they were like sisters, Padmé deserved to know.
After trying to reason with Anakin and failing at calming him down, I found enough courage to tell him what the Council wanted him to do.
"Anakin, look, I am on your side. I didn't want to see you put in this situation..." I started.
"What situation?" Asked Anakin while both of us stopped walking.
I took a deep breath before telling him: "The Council wants you to report on all of the Chancellor's dealings. They want to know what he's up to."
I could see in his eyes the range of thoughts and emotions that crossed his mind. "They want me to spy on the Chancellor? That's treason!" I knew he would react like that. "The Chancellor is not a bad man, Obi-Wan. He befriended me. He has watched out for me ever since I arrived here." Anakin explained. That was true, and the more time Anakin spent with the Chancellor, the more distant he was.
"That is why you must help us, Anakin. Our allegiance is to the Senate, not to its leader." I reasoned, feeling guilty for what Anakin was asked to do, but I knew it had to be done. I didn't trust the Chancellor, nor did the Council.
"You're asking me to do something against the Jedi Code, against the Republic. Why are you asking this of me?" He sounded like he was feeling betrayed.
I looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "The Council is asking you." I corrected before walking away, heading to Padmé's apartment.
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"Padmé, I need you to tell me what happens to Aure." I said once I entered her apartment.
She thought for some moments. "Obi-Wan... I don't think she would like me to tell you..."
I sighed and sat down on the couch with my elbows resting on my knees and my head between my hands. I felt desperate.
"Please! I need to know what to do in order to make her happy, but she won't tell me!" I felt like crying.
She rested a hand on my shoulder and sighed. Then, with a soft voice, she said: "She wants something more." I looked at her confused. "She hates that 'no promises' rule. She wants marriage... Even children! But she knows you don't want that." She whispered the last part.
"I want that! I really do! But I can't risk my position in the Council and the Order." I groaned. "I wish I could give her all of that." My voice broke by the end of the sentence.
My mind started to think about different solutions to Aure's sadness.
"What are you going to do?" Padmé asked.
I thought for a long moment. What was I going to do?
"I will do what I must."
With that, I stood up and left Padmé in order to find Aure. I had to do what was best for us, I made a decision. I supposed she was in her apartment and I was right. I knocked on her door and Aure opened it giving me a small smile. Inside, I saw a bag with clothes for some days in it.
I frowned looking at the bag. "Where are you going?"
"Master Yoda wants me to go to Kashyyyk with him tomorrow morning." She explained.
That reminded me that I was leaving the next day. "I'm also leaving tomorrow to find Grievous."
Aure looked at me with sad eyes and restrained herself from begging me not to go. She sighed instead. "Just be careful, please." She avoided my gaze.
"Aure?" She looked back at me. Alright, it was now or never. I wanted her to be happy, so I had to tell her. I had to say it right then, before leaving to find Grievous. What if I died during the mission?
I took a deep breath and said the words.
"We have to end it."
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~ Hello there!
I'm so sorry for the end of this chapter 😞😭😭
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& may the Force be with y'all! ~
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