‒‒ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑.

she  doesn’t  listen  to  the  “tales”  of  the  empire ,       it’s  not  neglect  or  turning  a  blind  eye,   the  girl  is  anything  but  shielded  from  the  horrors  of  the  empire.    [    it’s a feeling leia avoids   :    a promise to avoid the helplessness embedded in the reminder that at the end of this,   she’s a child.   one who so dearly misses the arms of her father.   the warmth of her mother.     ]     but  this   isn’t   a   story.     hidden  behind  ben,  hearing  only  the  sound  of  breathing.    the   sound   of   marching   beside  them.   she  tugs  at  ben’s  robes,   swallowing  down  the  insurmountable  fear  in  her  bones.   ❝  i  want  to  go  home   —   i  didn’t  mean  what  i  said  — i   ❞  

she freezes.   peeled eyes glance over the arm that holds her back,  seeing a machine instead of a man,   seeing the flash of red.   somehow,  the stories make it seem less scary.   the reality is worse.   draped in darkness,   she understands why there is not light in the empire.   the room suffocates her.       @jedisolitude​​ & @thebetrayal​​  

an imperial senator’s daughter,  the princess of alderaan,    [  they wouldn’t dare, they wouldn’t dare, they wouldn’t -  ]           a broken record repeats the mantra like a lifeline,  but the grip against ben’s hand is unbreakable.   she won’t let him die for rescuing her.   leia wants to hide,  to become as unknown as the seeker droids that revealed their location so easily to him.  her hand tugs harder, wanting to run, wanting to get out.  ❝  — i’m sorry, i’m sorry, i’m sorry.     ❞  

                    he  was  all  that  stood  between  darkness  &  light.   half  of  the  galaxy’s  only  hope  stood  behind  him  (  the  other  still  unknown  to  rage  incarnate  ).   he  would  do  anything  to  ensure  she  survives  ,  to  ensure  she  finds  her  sibling  lost  within  the  sands.   if  it  means  giving  his  life  ,  he  would  do  it  without  hesitation;   it  couldn’t  come  to  that  ,  his  purpose  hadn’t  been  fulfilled  (  when  it  does  ,  he  can  finally  smile  ).

                    fingers  tightened  their  grip  around  her  hand  ,  sharing  as  much  comfort  as  he  could  in  the  face  of  danger  (  revenge  born  from  years  of  hatred  ,  locked  into  one  mechanical  body  ).   head  snaps  back  to  her  briefly  ,  eyes  betraying  the  firm  expression  he  puts  on  for  her.   ❛  it’s  going  to  be  alright.   no  matter  what  happens  to  me  ;  run  ,  okay  ?  ❜   his  head  is  pulled  back  to  gaze  at  the  man  he  once  knew  (  if  only  he  knew  the  true  identity  of  the  girl  behind  him  ).   if  it  wasn’t  for  his  failings  ,  perhaps  this  meeting  could’ve  been  celebrated  in  the  light.   instead  ,  it  was  strangled  within  darkness.   ❛   it’s  me  you  want.   let  her  go.  ❜   a  demand  ,  not  a  request.   his  heart  aches  for  hiding  the  truth  from  them  both  ,  albeit  his  free  hand  grips  his  lightsaber  &  ignites it  (  hope  erupting  from  the  blue  hues  ,  conflicting  from  anakin’s  terrifying  crimson  ).

@jedisolitude· plotted

vencikye hadn’t expected much out of a mission to tatooine,  in truth.  there just wasn’t much happening there,  and she couldn’t see what intelligence they could obtain that’d be worth the trip.  (  freeing slaves was worth the trip,  at least;  but no matter how many they freed,  they could not end the slave trade without drawing unwanted attention.  )  at least,  she couldn’t see it until she was staring right at the face of jedi master obi-wan kenobi.

her first thought wasn’t intelligence for the rebellion when she saw him,  however.  her first thought was,  i thought you were dead.  i thought you’d died without knowing who i was.  suddenly there were tears pooling in her eyes,  though she blinked them back before she approached him and caught his sleeve.  she was careful not to say his name  —  she herself was operating under an alias,  and the same might be true for her father.  her father.  gods,  they’d met so briefly,  so many years ago,  and she had only been satine’s niece.  she had to wonder if he would even remember her.

“  i know who you are,  ”  was all vencikye said,  her voice cracking.  she was still holding his sleeve.  “  and we need to speak in private.  ”

                    so  many  had  told  him  to  let  go  of  his  past  ,  to  move  on  from  his  mistakes  &  bury  the  past.   if  only  it  were  so  easy  ,  yet  it  should  be  (  for  a  jedi  ).   yet  ,  how  could  he  overcome  his  failings  ?   beyond  that  ,  there  were  ties  cut  too  soon  (  connections  lost  before  they  can  be  found  ).   some  ,  however  ,  withstood  the  test  of  time.   sometimes  ,  they  waited  this  long  for  a  reason  ,  to  be  hope  when  it  was  needed  most  (  or  a  reminder  to  keep  fighting  for  it  ).

Was she really mistaken? No, she was not, she knew who she was looking for, and that was him. Brown eyes refusing to look away from the other before her. Was he a coward? Because that was not what she heard about him. In fact, it was the opposite of that. Maybe he heard about what she had done. With the Empire on her back word did seem to travel fast and far. Glancing around quickly, she had not had a moment of rest in DAYS, always looking over her shoulder. Every noise caused a gut reaction of jump and grab for the blaster at her hip. “Look, I’m not a fool. Okay? I… I know you can help me.” Seeing the way he seemed to gulp down an emotion, eyes narrowed. “Is it because of who I am? More so what I used to be?”  

                        being   here   at   the   jedi   temple   —   it   doesn’t   feel   real.   it   feels   like   a   dream,   one   that   he’ll   sooner   or   later   wake   up   from   and   be   back   on   tatooine. (   back   with   his   mother.   )   he   misses   her,   more   and  more   with   each   that   passes,   but   qui-gon   had   told   him   that   this   is   where   he   belongs.   that   he   is   meant   for   much   greater   things.

 but   that   doesn’t   make   it   any   less   terrifying.   the   jedi   halls   are   enormous!   he’s   never   been   someplace   so   big   before!   it’s   almost   overwhelming   …  and   the   only   thing   that   seems   to   help   ground   him,   is   wrapping   his   hand   around   two    of   obi-wan’s   fingers   and   gripping   on   tightly.   ❝   i   —   i   know   obi-wan,   um,   sorry,   master!   ❞   he   quickly   corrects   himself   with   a   shake   of   his   head.   ❝   it’s   just   …   i’m   afraid   i’m   going   to   get   lost.   this   place   never   ends!   ❞

     ❛❛     i don’t know,   aside from my generally deceitful nature,   i cannot think of a reason,   …     ❜❜     weight shifts on her feet,   and she sucks her teeth.     ❛❛     i guess you will just have to trust me.     ❜❜

                        they   work   in   such   unison,  that   no   thought   is   required.   anakin   doesn’t   need   to   think   of   the   next   step   he   needs   to   take,   because   he   will   have   already   taken   it.   now,   he   stands   back   to   back   with   his   former   master,   his   brother,   the   other   half   of   the   single   warrior   they   make  up.   kenobi   and   skywalker,   they   were   unstoppable.

 ❝   that’s   why   i’m   suggesting   it,   master!   ❞   he   calls   back   as   he   swings   his   lightsaber   around   to   deflect   a   blaster   shot   coming   their   way.   ❝  so   next   time   you   insist   on   running   off,   let’s   make   sure   to   bring   the   backup   with   us?!   ❞   another   deflect,   before   he   looks   over   his   shoulder   at   obi-wan   with   a   smirk.

                    jedi  knights  (  master  &  apprentice  ;  brothers  )  defy  all  odds  as  they  become  swarmed  by  separatist  forces.   their  steps  part  of  their  routine  ,  taken  before  words  were  even  needed.   together  ,  they  were  unlike  any  other  power  known.   together  ,  their  names  become  one  (  &  it  was  known  across  the  entire  galaxy  ).