Leilani often feared the moment when she had to stay still and let others resolve a conflict; she felt helpless, lost in thoughts while waiting for a solution and it was eating her alive.

She locked a snarl behind her teeth, twisting the emblem on her Serennian cape. She hated this. Hated it.

If something she clearly understood about herself, was her role. Being a Jedi and a General...a Master to Nia and most importantly, a protector. She stayed right in the middle of the conflict, only to protect the ones who needed it the most; to shield her troopers, to defend the temple — to fence against false beliefs. She was never the one who had to be protected. Even when the most desperate, she could have faced death without flinching, and gripped her lightsabre tightly, thinking how the ones she loved the most would need her. And that love became her strength.

"Skimmer is still nowhere to be seen," came through the voice of Blaze, intending to keep Leilani up to date with the events below deck. "We have men everywhere, and the Generals are locking down everything, the escape pods included."

She swiftly thanked him and was fairly glad that her troops worked with at least Anakin and Captain Rex before. Only then, she inclined to do something else; so she cautiously exited the small chamber and headed back to the main hall to rejoin the Senators. They appeared oblivious to the emerging mystery, sipping their drinks and discussing trivial matters, their demeanour calm and unperturbed, with no sense of any impending threat.

Therefore, she acted the same; showing little to no signs of a disturbance, reaching out in the Force to mask her emotions and features carefully while joining the conversation again — which shifted tremendously with her arrival. Senator Aang was arguing on a recent topic, with the attempt to deregulate the banks and consequently provide the Supreme Chancellor with even greater power than before. While Senator Vivyn harshly opposed it. She would have preferred peace and negotiations, like so many would have in the Senate. To end this far quickly and without any more damage to people.

Leilani supported the same belief. Politicians solving their issues with one another, and the Jedi no longer acting as a standing military. She felt that their essence was long-lost; peacekeepers and empaths turning into mindless soldiers, carrying out tasks and orders from their so-called superiors.

They were slaves of regulations, politics, the Senate and their own blindness.

And it was certainly not the Jedi way.

Lies and deception were everywhere; burials and friends passing away one by one — it was no way to live.

"Then what would you have us do, General Serenno?" asked Senator Tanner, as she voiced her thoughts.

She holds back a sneer. "Oppose the war as a threat to life itself. If we deregulate the banks and comply with ordering more troops, our situation would only get worse and this battle may never end."

"Yet some might argue that the strongest defence is a swift and decisive offence," Obi-Wan says, appearing in the door frame, alone. He shakes his head, sending a silent message over to Leilani, while he takes a few steps forward and pauses to stand between the politicians.

Leilani looked at him questioningly, wondering when the man changed so much — he used to be on the same side as her, and perhaps, she expected him to be even more against it after losing Qui-Gon in a direct duel with a Sith. "I don't remember you as one to take violence so lightly," she said finally, her tone dropping slightly.

"And I don't remember you as one to shrink from responsibilities," came the response.

Her brows furrowed, as she looked at the man with a hint of disdain; as to why he had so drastically chosen to stand opposite her, couldn't reach her mind. It has been eleven years, and while for now, with only formal interactions, it seemed that nothing had changed, this opened up her eyes. Battles and experiences scarred them both, and just as they were far, they changed to be even further apart.

Strangers, only sharing memories.

It pained her how mature Obi-Wan looked and how his voice had changed over the years, yet now it seemed that his views hurt her even more.

"Republic military presence would be the only sure defence against the Separatists on Serenno, following a war that could be an easy one," Obi-Wan pressed.

Leilani blinked, scrunching her nose at him. "With a war that could cause the end of a whole population or plunge it right into a civil war. We have to be mindful before jumping into yet another war. Think and try to reason, even with the extremists."

Obi-Wan stepped closer to her. "Perhaps, if one can hear his thoughts over the clanking of their battle droids."

Leilani moved in as well, with both of them expecting the sudden closeness to unsettle or give pause to the other, but it only fuelled their anger. She stood directly in front of Obi-Wan, arms crossed, deliberately leaning forward until their noses were almost touching.

"The fallacy of a fighter."

"The mirage of a martyr."

"You think military presence is the answer to every problem? What's next, occupying every planet which is somewhat a Separatist sympathiser? You can't enforce peace with the point of a lightsabre, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan folded his arms, unfazed. "And you can't achieve it by sitting back and hoping the galaxy will sort itself out. The Separatists aren't known for their diplomacy. It's naive to think we can just talk them into submission."

The tension between them was palpable, like a live wire sparking in the air. Leilani looked into his eyes, her own darkening for a moment, unconsciously taking up a battle stance, while her muscles tensed. "Naive? Coming from the man who believes that the Jedi Council always has the right answers? How's that working out for you?"

A murmur rippled through the senators, sensing the shift from civil discourse to something more personal. Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. "You're one to talk about following orders. You have a history of bending the rules to suit your own agenda."

"At least my agenda doesn't involve plunging entire planets into chaos," Leilani shot back. "There's a difference between bending the rules and breaking them to fit your own narrow view of justice."

Obi-Wan, for once, had no reply—his mind teemed with hundreds of possible retorts, but none made it to his lips. Instead, he simply stood there, eyes locked with Leilani's. They were still close, mere inches apart, her breath gently brushing against his face. He focused on her lilac eyes, searching for a hint of softness amidst the tension, yet seemed to find none. His gaze drifted to her slightly parted lips, a soft shade of rose that held his attention for just a moment too long. The proximity was intoxicating, and he knew he should step back, yet something kept him rooted in place.

Yet, a smooth foreboding started to cut through the thick air.

It started with a distant thud, almost imperceptible, but enough to make everyone pause and glance around. Leilani's ears perked up; she had heard that sound before—an explosion far away, but not so far that it didn't signal something ominous. Her gaze shifted to Obi-Wan, who was already scanning the room, his hand unconsciously resting on his lightsaber.

The second explosion was larger.

It shook the whole of the ship, sending the panicked senators to the ground; while even Leilani and Obi-Wan could barely keep their balance.

The lights flickered, and the older Jedi followed his instinct, activating his lightsabre with a quick motion while his left hand extended to be in front of Leilani. He checked the senators' well-being over his shoulder while lifting his right to activate his comm. "Anakin?" There was no reaction, "Anakin!"

"Yes, Master?"

"What is happening down there?" Obi-Wan asked, looking bewildered.

They could hear a faint snickering on the other end. "Oh, you know, just a little explosion," Anakin said finally.

"Anakin!"

"Okay, okay," she could hear Anakin sigh. "One of the containers blew up below deck, but we are handling it with the boys."

Obi-Wan took a glance towards Leilani and deactivated his lightsabre. "Do we know who is responsible for this attack?"

"That's what I am trying to figure out," grumbled the young Jedi, while cutting off the transmission abruptly.

Leilani glanced around the room, surveying the senators, then turned her attention back to the Jedi. "Stay with the senators. I'll check the surveillance."

"My lady, I don't think that's—" Obi-Wan began to protest, but Leilani was already racing out into the corridor, avoiding the guards. He shook his head and muttered to himself, "Why do I even bother..."

Leilani was as wild as Qui-Gon and her brother, a trait Anakin embraced shortly after reaching adulthood. She was well aware of it, as was Obi-Wan. But when the situation became grave or life-threatening, she responded without hesitation. This was one of those moments; so she took a deep breath, gathered herself, and dashed down the corridor, examining the doors for the appropriate one. Her senses condensed to a single goal: locate the needed chamber and take action. One of her troopers was missing, and the ship was on the point of exploding, so she wasn't going to hesitate—there was no time to waste.

She burst into the room and promptly activated the Holo, entering the surveillance system codes. Her fist tightened as nothing appeared. Whoever was behind this knew how to hide their trails—or so they thought. Leilani centred her attention on the panel's access, tracking every movement: who had entered, where they had gone, whose level and room. She was determined to uncover a clue to seize control before things got out of hand. With her fingers on the screen, she magnified the view of one of the panels, screening out all known movements and leaving only those that appeared suspicious. She recognised her own access code, Obi-Wan's, and even Blaze's from not long ago, but there was one, sharp as the moonlight on Serenno, that claimed to be just what she needed.

She narrowed her eyes, shifting in closer to the holotable to ensure she was viewing it thoroughly, even though she recognised a movement. She allowed the shadowy figure to approach while falsifying clumsiness and inattention until a vibroblade was pushed against her throat.

"All those attempts to locate you, you're the one who ends up finding me," Leilani remarked, her words measured, her neck held motionless as the blade hovered over it. Though she was fairly sure he wouldn't actually kill her, she wasn't about to take that risk.

"You're coming with me, General," he stated, his voice dropping an octave as he pushed Leilani to the door. She sensed an inconspicuous pause, his emotions rising, but his grip was firm and assertive as he guided her into the hallway. He was aware that Leilani wasn't going to put up a fight, as much as her instincts would have guided her to, she let herself be the victim, dragged around like tooka doll in fear that she could harm him. He was just as close to her heart, as any trooper; creative, unique and deserving of freedom—a personality she cherished since the clones were assigned to her—and so she refused to harm him in any manner. She could sense his thoughts, clouded, darkened by selfishness and ego, plagued by an unknown force and promises that were never to be fulfilled; and so, she forgave him, there and then, choosing to play along rather than risk ending his life.

"What did they promise you?" she pondered, as he pushed her towards the cockpit.

"Freedom," Skimmer snarled, pushing in the doors. The pilots looked towards him, perplexed, not nearly understanding what was going on—only then, did the Lieutenant shoot, taking out the seemingly innocent officers one by one.

Leilani blinked, throwing sidelong looks at the man and repeating the motions, her heart sinking as she struggled to grasp what was happening in front of her. Skimmer was a person she trusted with her life. Yet here he was, a cold-blooded killer, firing his blaster without hesitation. The weight of his betrayal hit her like a punch in the gut, making her breath catch as she sought to maintain her composure.

How could he accomplish this? Her mind raced, looking for any clue, any indicator that could have pointed to this transition. Did she miss something? Ignored a warning? This wasn't the Skimmer she knew, the one who shared stories and laughed with the other troopers. This was someone else—someone who had chosen violence over loyalty and his brothers.

Skimmer opened a communication channel to request reinforcements, and while a tactical droid appeared on the holographic display, Leilani barely noticed. She failed to pay attention until they abruptly dropped out of hyperspace, making them susceptible to assault. "How can you betray your brothers like this?" she asked then, voice low as she intended to make eye-contact with the man; unsuccessfully.

He let out a derisive laugh. "Leave it to a Jedi to ask that," he replied. "The Republic treats us like property, nothing more than obedient charhounds to use as they please. We're just pawns, slaves fighting in a war that was never ours to begin with."

"Did I ever—"

"No."

"But—"

"No!" he repeated. "I am doing this for our freedom. And all you need to do is to obey my orders for once and keep quiet." He snickered, holding her closer and pressing the blade once again tightly to her throat. Leilani could feel the cold of the blade, it slightly tugging into her skin, barely brushing past it, as Skimmer tightened his grip around her body and pushed her past the door again.

He triggered another explosive device on the ship, weakening its structure just enough for several boarding pods to crash into it. Anakin and Obi-Wan reignited their lightsabers, positioning themselves in the centre of the corridor as the super battle droids burst through the hull. Anakin swept his sabre to the right, spun it behind his back, and took down two droids with a swift motion. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan focused on defence as he was surrounded by five droids.

Anakin's lightsaber sliced through the air in broad, deliberate arcs, each swing perfectly timed to intercept blaster bolts or slice through the metal casing of battle droids. His movements were fluid yet powerful, his strikes deliberate but graceful—a sharp contrast to the chaotic barrage of firepower that filled the corridor. The walls of the corridor bore the scars of errant shots, and the floor was strewn with the wreckage of dismantled droids. Obi-Wan took a more calculated approach, adjusting his stance, sabre in hand, as he deflected incoming shots with precision. His every move had a purpose—each block and parry not only protected himself but also kept Anakin and any other Republic personnel out of harm's way. Obi-Wan's focus remained fixed on the surrounding droids, ready to strike when the moment was right. When that moment came, he pivoted and delivered swift, decisive slashes, reducing the droids to piles of sparking metal.

All the while, the ship groaned under the impact of boarding pods slamming into its hull. Panels rattled, and sections of the corridor's lights flickered, creating eerie shadows that danced across the walls. Anakin took advantage of the shifting darkness, weaving in and out of the shadows to make himself a harder target. He cut through a pair of droids with a fluid horizontal sweep, then quickly spun to deflect a volley of blaster bolts aimed at Obi-Wan.

"Where is Leilani?" Anakin asked, panting slightly, as he cut down another droid.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "She went to check the surveillance a while ago."

"And you let her?"

"Do you think she gave me a choice?" he looked at his former Padawan quizzically, holding back a sneer as one of the shots almost hit him.

"Then what are you still standing here for?" Anakin replied, casting a sidelong glance at him. "Go find your girlfriend, and I'll deal with this," he teased, launching himself into the air to strike down the last of the droids without waiting for an answer.

"Right," he replied, heading off in the other direction. "Hold on! Anakin, she's not my—" The rest of the sentence trailed off as he realized what Anakin had implied. But there was no time to correct him or argue with him now.

He raced down the corridors, the plush red carpet blurring beneath his swift strides. His thoughts were focused on one thing: finding Leilani before it was too late. His mind replayed a haunting memory from Corellia—Leilani being captured by a bounty hunter because she had let her guard down. It was a moment he did remember and he'd vowed never to relive, and he wasn't about to let history repeat itself. Simultaneously, Leilani was caught in the same dangerous déjà vu. The cold edge of the vibroblade brushed against her skin as the armoured figure dragged her through the narrow corridors, his grip as harsh as the blade's threat. The flashback to Corellia was almost too much—she'd been in this position before, and the thought of enduring it again sent a shiver down her spine. But she wasn't the same person she was back then. Fifteen years had transformed her—she'd become stronger, more attuned to the Force, and far less naive. Even so, the risk hadn't lessened. It was as real and perilous as ever.

Obi-Wan soon appeared in the same corridor as the two were in.

Leilani blinked. Once, twice, hoping that it was just a mirage and he would disappear, but no.

He was there.

Skimmer tightened his grip on the blade, his eyes fixed on the Jedi with a grim intensity. Fear sank its teeth into her courage as the vibroblade pressed against her neck, a cold, sharp reminder of how close death was. The edge brushed against her skin, then sliced ever so slightly, drawing a thin line of blood. It wasn't a fatal cut, not yet, but it was enough to turn her stomach to ice.

"Drop the weapon," Skimmer commanded Obi-Wan, but the Jedi had no intention of complying. He kept his sabre raised, his gaze fixed on the clone while seeking a solution. He reached out through the Force, attempting to connect with Leilani, but there was no response. All he could do was watch, waiting for a moment to act. "Drop it, Jedi, or she dies," Skimmer sneered, pressing the blade against her neck.

Leilani felt her eyelids grow heavy as her blood trickled down her skin. Her hand moved instinctively towards her lightsabre, driven by one instinct that cut through the fog in her mind.

To protect.

To sacrifice.

To do it. For him.

She nearly sensed the blade slicing through her body, penetrating through Skimmer's as well—a faint feeling that lingered at the edge of her consciousness, signalling her readiness to break her only vow. She was prepared to do so, yet only with the closure that she dies with it, now.

"I'm sorry, Ben," she murmured quietly. It was the kind of whisper that made Obi-Wan's heart sink—he sensed her resolve weakening, the despair and blood loss creeping in; and he attempted to send a calming wave through the Force, hoping to bolster her strength, but it seemed futile. The energy barely registered, like a faint echo. Obi-Wan hesitated to move, knowing that even a single step could provoke the unstable trooper.

Skimmer rolled his eyes, taking a step backwards. "Well, we really must get going, General. Say farewell."

"Leilani," Obi-Wan tried.

"It's okay," she whispered, her eyes softening as she looked into Obi-Wan's.

It's alright.

Only that, she is not able to move, not even as she feels the man's gloves tuck into her skin; all she can do is stare at Obi-Wan, note his saddened eyes and how his is gripping his sabre, tighter with every moment.

He would blame himself, if anything happened.

So she could not let it.

Skimmer's sneer was full of contempt as he pulled Leilani backwards, toward the nearest pods. His grip was tight, but he gave her the smallest, most crucial opening, and she took it. She let her body go slack, feigning submission, and then, with a sudden drop of her weight, became a dead weight in his grip. It took him by surprise, his balance faltering just enough for her to twist out of his hold. The movement was swift and desperate, a burst of energy that came from a deep place inside her, and it caught Skimmer off guard. He stumbled, his grip loosening just enough for Leilani to pivot and weakly slam her elbow into his chest. The vibroblade clattered to the ground, and she snatched it up, turning to face him. Her breathing was ragged, her chest heaving, and her legs felt like they could give out at any moment, but she held her ground, blade in hand.

Skimmer chuckled, his voice low and taunting. "Interesting," he said, brushing off his chest as if nothing had happened. "But we both know you won't do it."

Leilani shook her head, taking a glance towards the other Jedi, who did the same, both expecting the other to move; and while Leilani didn't dare, Obi-Wan didn't want to.

"But I will," came the sudden voice, and even before Skimmer could have turned around, the shot came, blasting through his armour.

Leilani wasn't sure what made her feel like fainting—the stinging pain from her neck, the thud of Skimmer's lifeless body hitting the floor right in front of her feet, or the sight of her Captain standing over his fallen brother, blaster still smoking.

"Blaze," she choked out, her voice barely audible as the blade fell out of hand and her legs turned to Andorian jelly. Both men moved toward her, with Obi-Wan reaching her first, catching her before she could hit the ground. He gently lowered her to sit, keeping her steady as he urgently called for a medic.

Blaze sank to the ground beside Leilani, soon watching as a medic tended to her. The immediate danger seemed to be over; her injuries were not severe, and the bacta-patch was quickly applied to her wound. Leilani blinked slowly, relief easing into her expression. But Blaze could only sit there, his gaze fixed on his dead brother's body—he occasionally glanced at his own hand too, the same hand that had pulled the trigger as he struggled to come to terms with his actions.

The chaos gradually calmed down, and Anakin seized control of the ship, attempting to return to Coruscant as quickly as possible. He felt a surge of relief that he hadn't witnessed the violence first-hand or that the trooper hadn't arrived too late. Obi-Wan sat beside him, his head resting heavily in his hands, hovering just above the control panel. Neither spoke, both overwhelmed by the shared burden of Leilani's injuries and the haunting "what ifs" that loomed over them. Obi-Wan silently chastised himself for not acting earlier and for letting her go off alone. Anakin, too, felt the weight of guilt for not being there when it mattered most. The prospect that a single moment of hesitation could have drastically altered their fates gnawed at them, leaving both to grapple with their own inner turmoil.

But even stars die, Anakin Skywalker—and there will be a time when you can't be a hero.