- Joined
- Dec 15, 2018
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Two weeks before the Last Goodbye...
Her body relaxed against the back of the tub. Neck rested on the brink, hair draped over the edge, she fluttered in and out of focus. Her fingers grazed the surface of the water, each nail leaving a ripple she could not pry her eyes from. She drifted in reflection. Slowly but surely, her mind was lost. Thoughts of the war, pictures of the dead, memories of the lost. They evaporated like the steam of the bath, but refusing to let go, she clung to them and slid farther into the tub. In the warmth and comfort of the water, Leah found some semblance of peace. Threads of hair floating under the murky surface, eyes sliding to a close. The silence was short-lived. Not a minute after she submersed, a familiar voice brought her to life. Or whisked her away.
“Is there something wrong, Leah?” They said. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
Her body tensed. Eyes opened, the young woman turned to see the face of her husband. Dark hair combed back, cheekbones sharp with a concerned smile, blue eyes glued to hers. Eli Reach was everything she could have wanted and more. Clever, handsome, brilliant, and he was standing in the door of the bathroom. She should have felt shocked or vulnerable, but she wasn’t. While the water was murky, even transparent, she would not have cared. He was hers, and she was his. However, their relationship was now tested. Jedi as they were, she was hiding something. Eli didn’t need the Force to know it. Leah made a terrible liar.
“It’s nothing.” She answered, shifting in the water. Her fingers ran through her hair, pulled back, and she struggled to lock eyes with him. Her husband sighed and walked closer to the tub. Perched on the edge of the bath, he leaned in close, trying to garner her attention.
“Leah, please. Look at me.” With one hand, he gently gestured her forward. She remained stubborn. “You can tell me anything. Whatever it is, we can work through it.” He gave a soft smile and echoed the same vows they shared on their wedding day. “I am yours, you are mine.” They never failed to strike a chord with the young woman, and slowly, she turned to face him again. For the longest time, there was silence. Awkward, deafening silence. Until she finally answered, “I’m pregnant.”
His eyes widened. In now stunned silence, she was him rise from the tub and turn his back to her. Leah feared for the worst. She was never sure how he might take it, especially given the state of the Jedi and the galaxy. She didn’t believe he would welcome the news. However, she was surprised to see him smile wider than before as he dramatically turned around. He laughed. “What? Are you kidding? That’s wonderful news.” Leah chalked up a laugh too, still surprised by how well he was taking everything. In fact, he loved it. “Really?” She said, not sure if what she was hearing was the truth. “Of course, Leah. I know it’s early but— I’m happy. For you, for us.” He leaned back against the tub and towards her.
“I know. We are in the middle of a rebellion. There will be risks, threats, dangers. But that can change.” Plucking a soaked flower from the surface of the bath, he held it in his hand. “We have a purpose now, for our child. We will fight the Empire. The reign of the Sith will end. And our child will know a freedom and peace that we never did.” In his fingers, she watched the flower blossom, nourished purely by the Force. Red petals stretched out and she watched in wonder. “Don’t give into fear, Leah. Have hope.”
She smiled, and jokingly, fired back. “Oh, Eli. An idealist through and through.” He chuckled. “Isn’t that why you married me in the first place?” He wasn’t wrong. “I can’t believe you sometimes.” She said, rolling her eyes as she chuckled. That elicited a raised brow out of the man, who stood from the tub and stepped into the bath. “Wait, what are you— Eli!” She cried out, voice mingled with laughter, smile wide. “You’re going to flood the bathroom!” Her husband looked at her straight in the eye and answered, “And?” Sharing in her laughter, he leaned down and kissed her. Water spread across the tile floors. The flower he gave her followed.
Leah emerged out of the water and back into reality. Lips cold, longing for his touch. Eyes blank, knowing it was only a memory. The Jedi Master was shaken to her core. Every piece of her missed him, her husband, and no matter what she did, there was no escaping the past. Mind wandering, she mulled over his loss, her grief, and then the child she gave birth to in the months following that memory. It was a boy. She named him Elias, after his father, and she loved him more than anything. He was her greatest purpose, the driving reason to fight against the Empire, because she wanted him to live in a galaxy without the Sith. Without having to hide. It was what convinced her husband to call for the remnants of the Jedi to Dantooine, where they might begin a true Alliance.
Needless to say, tragedy was inescapable. As time went on, and the Sith Empire stood strong, Leah feared for her son and his safety. They had lost a child before, and with rebel efforts intensifying, she refused to train him to join his father in a revivified Jedi Order. He was too young and the risk too great. However, her overprotection became her downfall. Elias disappeared not long after. For whatever reason, Leah couldn’t say for sure. But she blamed herself, and she missed him as much as she missed her husband. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of him, where he was, or what he was doing. She hoped for the best. Little did she know, her son had fallen to become the worst.
Done staying alone with her thoughts, Leah left her bath and dried off. Given some time, she slipped into her usual outfit. Flowing robes fit for an ambassador. She was ready for another day of negotiations, diplomacy, planning. There was much to do with the Alliance, and the Jedi she had unintentionally led to ruin. A part of her always believed what was going on was her fault. Hers alone. Many times before, Leah considered leaving. In truth, she had decided last night it was time to announce it. Before the Rebel Council. They needed Aurora and Valentine. With Vu’thari back, she trusted he might lead the Order back into the Light whereas she could not. She trusted in him. She trusted in the Force.
She opened the door of her chambers. Her eyes connected with another. Not rebel, not Jedi. She was not sure who but fear took her. Heart sinking, blood racing. A masked man, hair pulled back, thin and slender. A Sith, but not in the flesh. Her right hand instantly fell to her lightsaber, ready to rip her enemy in two. Until she sensed something else. Someone else. Her voice fell to a whisper.
“Elias?” It couldn’t be. Her son. Her dear boy.
“Is there something wrong, Leah?” They said. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
Her body tensed. Eyes opened, the young woman turned to see the face of her husband. Dark hair combed back, cheekbones sharp with a concerned smile, blue eyes glued to hers. Eli Reach was everything she could have wanted and more. Clever, handsome, brilliant, and he was standing in the door of the bathroom. She should have felt shocked or vulnerable, but she wasn’t. While the water was murky, even transparent, she would not have cared. He was hers, and she was his. However, their relationship was now tested. Jedi as they were, she was hiding something. Eli didn’t need the Force to know it. Leah made a terrible liar.
“It’s nothing.” She answered, shifting in the water. Her fingers ran through her hair, pulled back, and she struggled to lock eyes with him. Her husband sighed and walked closer to the tub. Perched on the edge of the bath, he leaned in close, trying to garner her attention.
“Leah, please. Look at me.” With one hand, he gently gestured her forward. She remained stubborn. “You can tell me anything. Whatever it is, we can work through it.” He gave a soft smile and echoed the same vows they shared on their wedding day. “I am yours, you are mine.” They never failed to strike a chord with the young woman, and slowly, she turned to face him again. For the longest time, there was silence. Awkward, deafening silence. Until she finally answered, “I’m pregnant.”
His eyes widened. In now stunned silence, she was him rise from the tub and turn his back to her. Leah feared for the worst. She was never sure how he might take it, especially given the state of the Jedi and the galaxy. She didn’t believe he would welcome the news. However, she was surprised to see him smile wider than before as he dramatically turned around. He laughed. “What? Are you kidding? That’s wonderful news.” Leah chalked up a laugh too, still surprised by how well he was taking everything. In fact, he loved it. “Really?” She said, not sure if what she was hearing was the truth. “Of course, Leah. I know it’s early but— I’m happy. For you, for us.” He leaned back against the tub and towards her.
“I know. We are in the middle of a rebellion. There will be risks, threats, dangers. But that can change.” Plucking a soaked flower from the surface of the bath, he held it in his hand. “We have a purpose now, for our child. We will fight the Empire. The reign of the Sith will end. And our child will know a freedom and peace that we never did.” In his fingers, she watched the flower blossom, nourished purely by the Force. Red petals stretched out and she watched in wonder. “Don’t give into fear, Leah. Have hope.”
She smiled, and jokingly, fired back. “Oh, Eli. An idealist through and through.” He chuckled. “Isn’t that why you married me in the first place?” He wasn’t wrong. “I can’t believe you sometimes.” She said, rolling her eyes as she chuckled. That elicited a raised brow out of the man, who stood from the tub and stepped into the bath. “Wait, what are you— Eli!” She cried out, voice mingled with laughter, smile wide. “You’re going to flood the bathroom!” Her husband looked at her straight in the eye and answered, “And?” Sharing in her laughter, he leaned down and kissed her. Water spread across the tile floors. The flower he gave her followed.
Leah emerged out of the water and back into reality. Lips cold, longing for his touch. Eyes blank, knowing it was only a memory. The Jedi Master was shaken to her core. Every piece of her missed him, her husband, and no matter what she did, there was no escaping the past. Mind wandering, she mulled over his loss, her grief, and then the child she gave birth to in the months following that memory. It was a boy. She named him Elias, after his father, and she loved him more than anything. He was her greatest purpose, the driving reason to fight against the Empire, because she wanted him to live in a galaxy without the Sith. Without having to hide. It was what convinced her husband to call for the remnants of the Jedi to Dantooine, where they might begin a true Alliance.
Needless to say, tragedy was inescapable. As time went on, and the Sith Empire stood strong, Leah feared for her son and his safety. They had lost a child before, and with rebel efforts intensifying, she refused to train him to join his father in a revivified Jedi Order. He was too young and the risk too great. However, her overprotection became her downfall. Elias disappeared not long after. For whatever reason, Leah couldn’t say for sure. But she blamed herself, and she missed him as much as she missed her husband. Not a day went by that she didn’t think of him, where he was, or what he was doing. She hoped for the best. Little did she know, her son had fallen to become the worst.
Done staying alone with her thoughts, Leah left her bath and dried off. Given some time, she slipped into her usual outfit. Flowing robes fit for an ambassador. She was ready for another day of negotiations, diplomacy, planning. There was much to do with the Alliance, and the Jedi she had unintentionally led to ruin. A part of her always believed what was going on was her fault. Hers alone. Many times before, Leah considered leaving. In truth, she had decided last night it was time to announce it. Before the Rebel Council. They needed Aurora and Valentine. With Vu’thari back, she trusted he might lead the Order back into the Light whereas she could not. She trusted in him. She trusted in the Force.
She opened the door of her chambers. Her eyes connected with another. Not rebel, not Jedi. She was not sure who but fear took her. Heart sinking, blood racing. A masked man, hair pulled back, thin and slender. A Sith, but not in the flesh. Her right hand instantly fell to her lightsaber, ready to rip her enemy in two. Until she sensed something else. Someone else. Her voice fell to a whisper.
“Elias?” It couldn’t be. Her son. Her dear boy.