𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚. 𝐬𝐤𝐲𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫

04

THE DIM lights of the training chamber cast long shadows across the floor, the only sounds the soft hum of the lightsabers cutting through the air. Aruna stood in the center of the room, moving through a series of fluid katas, her lightsaber a blur of blue in the dimly lit space. Each movement was precise, calculated—each breath in sync with the flow of her strikes and parries.

Her focus was absolute, the rest of the world fading away as she honed her connection to the Force.

Outside the training room, Anakin paused. He hadn't been looking for her—he had just been wandering the corridors of the ship, restless after a long day of missions and strategies. But seeing her there, practicing alone, he couldn't help but stop and watch.

For a moment, he considered leaving her to her training, but something drew him in. Maybe it was the way she moved, so focused, so controlled—qualities he sometimes struggled with. Or maybe it was just the familiarity of their rivalry, the need to see if he could push her a little further.

With a smirk, Anakin stepped into the chamber.

"Couldn't sleep?" he called out, his voice breaking the silence.

Aruna didn't break her rhythm, but her eyes flicked over to him, recognizing the familiar voice. "I could ask you the same thing, Skywalker."

Anakin stepped closer, arms crossed as he watched her move. "Training in the middle of the night? You're going to wear yourself out."

"Better to be worn out than unprepared," she replied, her voice steady as she continued her routine. Her lightsaber flashed in a sweeping arc before she deactivated it, turning to face him. "What's your excuse for being up this late?"

Anakin shrugged, leaning against a nearby pillar. "Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd take a walk, and here you are, practicing like you're still a Padawan."

Aruna smirked. "Unlike you, I don't rely on luck to get me through battles."

Anakin raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. "Luck? Is that what you think I've been relying on all these years?"

"That, and sheer stubbornness," she teased, clipping her lightsaber to her belt. "Though I guess the Force plays a part, too."

Anakin's smirk deepened as he unclipped his own lightsaber, activating it with a familiar snap-hiss. "Well, if you're so sure about your technique, why don't you show me? Let's see how well your 'preparation' holds up."

Aruna raised an eyebrow, but her own smirk mirrored his. "Is that a challenge, Skywalker?"

"You're always saying you can outmatch me," Anakin said, twirling his lightsaber lazily in one hand. "Time to prove it."

Aruna didn't need any more convincing. In an instant, her lightsaber was back in her hand, igniting with a vibrant hum. The two Jedi circled each other for a moment, the tension thick in the air, but there was no real malice—just the familiar rivalry that had defined their relationship for so many years.

"You're going to regret this," Aruna said, her tone playful but laced with the sharp edge of competition.

"We'll see," Anakin replied, his grin widening.

In the next second, they were moving. Aruna struck first, her lightsaber cutting through the air with precision, but Anakin was quick to block. The clash of blue blades echoed through the training room as they traded strikes, neither giving an inch.

Anakin, ever the aggressor, pressed forward with a flurry of rapid attacks, but Aruna was prepared. She dodged and deflected each strike with ease, her movements fluid and controlled, never losing her footing.

"You're too predictable," she teased, blocking another one of his heavy swings.

"Predictable?" Anakin parried her counterstrike, his grin never fading. "You say that every time, but I'm still standing."

"Not for long," Aruna quipped, spinning to the side and landing a glancing strike against his shoulder—enough to singe the fabric of his tunic but not enough to cause any real damage.

Anakin stepped back, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Okay, maybe you're a little faster than I remember."

"Faster than you, at least," Aruna said with a grin, already preparing for the next round.

But before they could continue, Anakin deactivated his lightsaber, stepping back with a contemplative expression. "Alright, you win this one."

Aruna raised an eyebrow, not expecting him to concede so quickly. "What, giving up already? That's not like you."

Anakin shook his head, his smile fading slightly. "I wasn't here for a fight, Souza. I just... needed a distraction."

The sudden shift in his tone caught her off guard, and for a moment, the competitive edge between them dulled. Aruna deactivated her own lightsaber, watching him closely. "Something on your mind?"

Anakin hesitated, glancing away for a second before looking back at her. "I don't know. This war... it's been getting to me. It feels like no matter how many battles we win, the fighting never stops."

Aruna nodded, stepping closer. "It's the same for all of us, Anakin. But we're Jedi. We don't stop because it gets hard."

Anakin sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know that. I just... sometimes it feels like we're not making any real progress. Like we're fighting a losing battle."

Aruna didn't respond right away. She had seen this side of him before—the side that doubted, that questioned everything, even when he was winning. It wasn't often that he let it show, but when he did, it reminded her that, for all his bravado, he carried the weight of the war as heavily as anyone.

"Maybe," she said softly, her voice losing some of its teasing edge. "But we're still here, and we're still fighting. That counts for something."

Anakin looked at her, something unreadable in his expression. "I guess you're right."

Aruna smirked, her usual confidence returning. "I usually am."

He chuckled, the tension easing as he clipped his lightsaber back to his belt. "Don't let it go to your head."

She shrugged, already turning back to the center of the room. "Too late."

Anakin watched her for a moment longer, the familiar smirk creeping back onto his face. "You know, if you keep this up, I might actually start thinking you can beat me."

Aruna glanced over her shoulder, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "You mean you don't already?"

With that, she returned to her training, her lightsaber humming once more as she flowed through her forms. Anakin stood there for a moment longer, watching her in silence before finally turning and walking away, the weight on his shoulders feeling just a little lighter.