The Mandalorian Jedi

Chapter Twenty Four

Norah found me not long after Obi-Wan left. She looked exhausted, her hair a mess, tangled up in her horns,
"Rhea we need to talk."
"What's happened?"
"Nothing, just please?"
"Of course." She swallowed and led me into a side room. Naakla and Ka'ra sat down on either side of the door, glaring at anyone who looked at them. Norah didn't sit down so neither did I, she was pacing back and forth, muttering to herself until I laid a gentle hand on her shoulder,
"Nor, whatever it is, I'm here for you. Okay?" She swallowed, nodded, sat down and then stood once more.

"I know I've been acting... strange recently and I feel as if I owe you an explanation."
"Norah you don't owe me anything-"
"No! Please just listen to what I have to say. I love you, Rhea."
"I'm sorry?"
"Ever since we were children..."
"No, Norah. You can't- what the hell are you talking about?"

The world had started to spin, to close in on me. It was like I was being crushed slowly so as to make sure I felt every second of it. My heart was pounding in my chest, my airways constricting, my fists crushing the sleeves of my robes. Pure and complete panic because this was never meant to happen. We weren't meant to fall in love. We were meant to be friends. Nothing more nothing less. We weren't allowed to love and yet here I was so utterly distraught at what this confession would do to me. I couldn't say yes. How could I possibly say yes? There was no way for me to do anything but kill the butterflies in my stomach because if I did there would be no stopping it. If I let myself love her as she loved me the world would be over before anyone could realise what was happening. There was a reason Mace had trained me to not use the force to my full potential, he knew that if I did I would bring civilisations to their knees as I myself crumbled away into dust and in that moment I realised why he had so adamantly lectured me about never ever falling in love. Love like that, burning and passionate, it would take control until I lost it completely.

Ka'ra was up an pacing, growling and Naakla, ever calm and collected had her eyes fixed on the fallen face of my friend,
"Rhea please. We can figure this out- if Anakin can do it then why can't we?" her voice was little more than a broken whisper as she stared down at where I sat. There were tears falling in an unbroken stream down her face, "I need you Rhea, I need you more than anything else in the galaxy." Her eyes were so broken, so full of waning hope and I felt as if my heart was about to cave in on itself because Anakin couldn't do it. That was clear to me now, his love for Padme was what Palpatine was manipulating him with and I knew if I allowed myself to love Norah the same would happen to me and billions would die because of it and so I stood up and wiped the escaping tears away,
"Ni ceta, Norah."

And I walked away.

Ni ceta – I'm sorry – rare form of 'sorry', literally means 'I kneel'

Three chapters in one day?! I'm on fire! Like Anakin will be in the next chapter or two-

Bad joke. Sorry. I'm just trying to mentally prepare myself for the emotional trauma that will be the next few chapters.

I do need a little advice here, I am wondering whether I should finish this at the end of Order 66 and then start a new work that kind of continues on a few years later? I feel like it's quite a good ending that then allows for a new start with a slightly more traumatised and brutal Rhea. Idk but please do tell me what you think.

Thanks for all the love and support!