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THE DUSTY streets of the city on Geonosis felt eerily quiet, the sky above them tinged with the planet's ever-present orange hue. The mission had been straightforward: infiltrate the droid factory and gather intelligence on the Separatists' latest weapons development. But for Aruna, nothing about today felt simple.
Her mind was elsewhere, swirling with the echoes of her conversation with Senator Chuchi. The senator's words had been gentle yet piercing, leaving Aruna unsettled in a way she couldn't quite shake. She had spent the past few days trying to push it all away, to focus on the task at hand. But here, in the middle of a tense mission, her mind kept returning to the same place—her feelings for Anakin.
I'm not jealous of Padmé, Aruna repeated in her mind for what felt like the hundredth time. I'm not.
"Aruna," Anakin's voice cut through her thoughts, sharp and commanding.
She blinked, realizing she had stopped moving. The team was supposed to be advancing toward the factory entrance, but she had fallen behind, her hand gripping her lightsaber hilt tightly. Anakin was already several meters ahead, his blue eyes narrowed as he turned back to look at her.
"Are you coming, or are you planning to daydream all day?" Anakin asked, his voice laced with impatience but carrying a teasing undertone.
Aruna quickly shook off her thoughts, stepping forward to catch up with him. "I'm coming," she muttered, trying to sound normal, though her voice lacked conviction.
As they moved through the city's labyrinthine alleys, Anakin fell into step beside her, his eyes flicking toward her occasionally. She could feel his gaze on her, studying her with that same intensity he always had when something wasn't right.
"You've been off today," he said after a moment, his tone more serious now. "What's going on?"
Aruna clenched her jaw, keeping her focus straight ahead. "Nothing. I'm fine."
"Uh-huh." Anakin's skepticism was obvious. "You don't seem fine."
"I'm focused on the mission," Aruna replied, her voice a little too sharp. She didn't want to have this conversation, not now—not with everything Chuchi had stirred up inside her. "Can we just get this done without another lecture?"
Anakin raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Fine. But whatever's going on, you'd better get your head in the game. We can't afford distractions right now."
Aruna swallowed the retort that threatened to slip out. He was right, of course. They were in the middle of a critical mission on one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy. This wasn't the time for personal distractions. But no matter how much she tried to focus, the memory of Chuchi's words kept pulling at her.
You're jealous of Padmé because you care about him.
I'm not. I can't be.
"Aruna, look out!" Anakin's shout brought her back to the present.
