#ofdiplomacy

Theme for this post: Across The Stars-John Williams

The bright blue of hyperspace stood before Anakin out of the cockpit’s viewing area. While Padme was a good pilot in her own right, Anakin had lied to the Jedi Council about why he was going with her for the last bit of his vacation from The Clone Wars. Truthfully? Between the Senate and Anakin’s constant deployments, the two barely got to see each other. Even moreso when the Council kept Anakin at the Temple or Ahsoka struggled with something in her training.

Anakin wouldn’t complain however. His duty to the Jedi Order as well as The Republic were important to him. Despite that, the one thing truly important to him in his life was her. Every moment he got with her, be it five seconds or five months, Anakin treasured. Every battle, every victory was done and accomplished to ensure the very Republic she treasured remained intact, even if he didn’t agree with the Council or the Senate on quite a few things. It was the Senate’s inability to agree and compromise that had led to the Separatist Movement after all, at least in his view.

You better send me them straight to me ��

“My apologies, Ma’am, I did not see you there.”

She was empty. So much of her time over these last few days had been spent crying that there were no more tears left in her. She thought for sure, sitting graveside, getting handed that flag, would end with her sobbing once again--but it didn't happen. She just accepted the flag from Kingpin, tight-lipped and stone-faced. Even when Debbie Mitchell broke down beside her, even when she robotically comforted the woman who'd just lost her youngest son, Liv was forged from iron--nothing but a hollow suit of armor.

They'd buried Gideon the day before.

They were serving lunch for the families at the home of one of Jack and Gideon's comrades, orchestrated by a bunch of military wives who had no idea what it felt like to lose a husband no matter how many times they said, "My heart is going out to you." Every moment these stupid traditions were dragged out was another moment wasted, in Liv's opinion. The last thing she wanted was to eat, to have to socialize. She whispered as much to Debbie as they got back in the family car and rode back to the funeral home.

Kyla was waiting there. Liv wasn't surprised to see that. She hadn't really seen Kyla; she was the type to blend well when she wanted to blend at all, so she'd only caught glimpses of her. It was a relief, to know she wasn't going through this alone. That there was someone who understood. As soon as she was out of the car, she gave Debbie her car keys and made a bee-line for where Kyla was leaning against the door of her car. A beautiful woman, even when she was veiled black with grief and mourning.