The Kenobi Saga Book One:The Clone Wars

27. Debate

AN: I plan on avoiding the internet Friday so I don't get any Kenobi spoilers thus the perfect perfect time for an early update :)

"Who represents the clones in the senate?" Lore-Val asked from her seat on Padme's couch.

"No one."

"Why not?"

Padme sighed, purposefully avoiding Solitaire's gaze from where he sat fiddling with a data pad. "The clone's aren't considered citizens. Legally they're property of the Republic."

Lore-Val felt rage burning in her chest. If no one was representing the clones how could there be justice? After the war what would become of her friends? If the people in charge saw them as things, what would stop them from being thrown away?

She turned to Solitaire, "What can I do to help?"

"Help with what?" He asked. She gave him an unimpressed glare that he returned with a sincere smile, "Just keep doing what you're doing kid."

"But that isn't-"

"Lore-Val," he interrupted, "we like you. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

She frowned at him, "You deserve more than just me."

Padme frowned at the girl's words. She wasn't the right kind of professional to unpack that sentence but she knew what the girl was saying. It was the same thing Anakin said when he was feeling low. I'm not enough. I need to do more. I need to earn this. I need to earn you.

Padme crossed to sit next to Lore-Val and wrapped her arms around her. Lore-Val leaned into the touch.

"Your mother would be so proud of you," Padme whispered.

Lore-Val bit her lip and squeezed her eyes tight. She pulled away, pushing her hair out of her face.

"What about Fives and Tup?"

"They'd be proud too."

"No," she shook her head, "How do they get justice? How does anyone get justice?"

"The Chancellor's report says they were sick," Padme reminded, unsure if she completely believed her own words, "There is no justice in illness, but the rest of the army will be inoculated. Tup and Fives saved their brothers."

"Kryte spit," Lore-Val hissed, snapping up from her seat, "This whole Republic is just bantha fodder! The clones are good enough to defend them but not good enough to be citizens? I don't get it. And what about Mandalore?"

"What about Mandalore? They're a neutral system."

"I know that. But what changed about me between leaving Mandalore and landing on Coruscant? Just like that I'm someone that actually matters? Why don't my people matter? Why didn't my mother matter?" by now she was shouting. Tears were streaking her face but she refused to wipe them away, hoping ignoring them would stop them from making her look like a stubborn little kid.

Padme sighed before answering the girl quietly, hoping to defuse her emotions, "Lore-Val, they chose to go through the war alone, without the Republic's assistance."

"And I finally see why," Lore-Val snapped, "It's not about lives, it's about politics."

"That's not true-"

"How is it not true? The Republic sends thousands of men to their deaths everyday. If it were about lives, Obi-Wan wouldn't have had to sneak his way to Mandalore to help, the Republic would have jumped at the chance to save people and stop another war from starting."

Padme knew she wasn't going to get through to the girl right now. Not when she was so emotional. She did her best to be diplomatic, avoiding calling Lore-Val a child, not telling her she didn't have the full story with all the angles. Finally she settled on telling her they all wanted the war to be over.

Lore-Val didn't entirely believe that either. Just look at the Trade Federation or the Banking Clan, at this point you couldn't say everyone wanted the war to end. Padme wasn't listening to her, and she was just so tired.

"Maybe," she said, wiping her sticky dry tears away from her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be yelling at you. It's not your fault."

Padme stood and wrapped the girl in a tight hug, "It's alright."

"I think I need to go home," Lore-Val whispered.

Padme gave her one last squeeze before entrusting Solitaire to get her home.

AN2: Yay for hormonal anxious space child! Comments appreciated and may the force be with you as we approach the Obi-Wan Kenobi premier.