LEILANI SERENNO bridged the past and the present, born into a family of cruelty and then groomed to fulfil a role in the grand scheme of things. She was a puppet manipulated by her brother, ensnared in a larger narrative orchestrated by the Force. Y...
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Returning to Coruscant felt cruel. Even now, seated in the quiet of her quarters, with the city stretching endlessly beyond her window, Leilani found no peace in its distant hum. The sky was an endless sprawl of golden lights and towering structures, yet it felt empty—a hollow illusion of life moving on while she remained frozen in place.
Her fingers rested lightly on the table, tracing absent patterns along the surface. The tea sat untouched before her, two cups left behind, the only evidence that Anakin and Ahsoka had been here minutes ago. They had spoken, but the words barely lingered in her mind. Because her thoughts had never left Naboo.
She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. She said something.
Not aloud, but in a moment that had been too sharp, too real, too unfiltered.
And Obi-Wan had heard it.
A knock at the door pulled her back into the present. Soft. Measured.
She inhaled, steadying herself. "...Come in."
The door slid open, and just as she knew it would be, he stood there.
Obi-Wan hesitated in the doorway, his presence filling the space even before he moved. He wasn't wearing his usual outer robe, leaving him in only his tunic and utility belt, the fabric still dusted from travel. But his expression—that unreadable, careful mask—was what caught her attention first.
Leilani didn't stand. Didn't move.
Neither did he.
The silence between them was heavy.
Then, finally, he stepped inside.
The door slid shut behind him, sealing them in.
For a long moment, he simply stood there, hands clasped loosely behind his back, eyes scanning the room as if searching for something to say. His gaze flickered briefly to the tea on the table before settling back on her.
"You didn't finish," he noted.
Leilani blinked. "What?"
He inclined his head slightly toward the abandoned cups. "The tea. Anakin and Ahsoka were here?"
"Yes." She let out a slow breath, her fingers curling slightly against the tabletop. "They left only moments ago."
Obi-Wan gave a small nod, stepping further into the room. "I take it Anakin had... thoughts on the Council's decision."
Leilani let out something between a sigh and a soft, dry laugh. "When does he not?"
The ghost of a smirk touched Obi-Wan's lips. "Fair point."
She studied him carefully. He was standing near the chair across from her but hadn't sat down. His posture was composed—too composed. There was something hesitant in the way he lingered, as if this conversation had not been planned, as if his feet had carried him here before his mind had decided what to say.
