Of Love and War Book 4: When Darkness Falls

Chapter 7: Fire Grows

Force Forsaken politicians and their agendas and soulless, heartless, vile—

Zelina made sure to keep her current train of thought well-contained, sulking out of the office of yet another senator who had refused to hear her out about the bombing—or, as everyone kept insisting, the accident. She was starting to grow accustomed to being thrown out of offices.

It also didn't escape her notice, despite her fuming, that her mere presence was drawing unfriendly stares and causing whispers.

Perhaps she'd pushed the subject too much for too long...maybe it was time to back off. As much as she hated to let down Malachi and the others who'd been killed in the crash, she wouldn't be any good to anyone if she ended up branded as a Separatist Sympathizer or charged with treason.

Right now, she was on the fast track for exactly that to happen to her.

Zelina ignored the unfriendly looks being thrown her way, making her way towards the nearest exit where she'd parked the temple speeder. The trip made her self-aware of the hot water she'd voluntarily put herself in, and while she was aware of the danger it put her in, she was determined not to allow it to bother her—or make her paranoid.

It was a noticeable relief when she was no longer under the shadow of the Senate building, relaxing noticeably as she made her way towards her speeder.

Only to notice that someone was standing beside the speeder waiting for her.

For a moment, Zelina was braced for trouble, for some hire of one of the Senator's she'd pissed off to be waiting to jump her.

Maybe it was too late for her to not end up paranoid...

Once she came closer to the speeder, Zelina noticed that it wasn't some hired thug cocky enough to take on a Jedi, but one of her own men. Gambit, specifically, waiting for his general.

"Gambit—I wasn't expecting to see you hanging around here so close to all the politicians," Zelina quipped as she approached. Gambit snapped to attention briefly as she approached, then relaxed once again.

"Well, I knew you would either be at the Temple or here at the Senate, and when you weren't at the Temple..."

"You've been hunting me down, then? What's on your mind, Gambit?" Zelina asked curiously.

Gambit shifted uncomfortably, which surprised Zelina, considering her men usually were aware that she preferred they speak their minds. "General...I'm sure you're aware, but there have been...rumors circulating..."

Zelina's expression darkened slightly at his words. So that was what this was about. For a moment, she worried that some of her men might actually think there might be some truth to the rumors. But that wasn't giving her men nearly enough credit—they were all better than that.

"Yes...I'm aware. What about them?"

"They've got the men worried, General. Not that they're true, of course, but that they're going to put you in a...tight spot. No one's forgotten what happened to Commander Tano," Gambit said carefully.

Zelina had to fight off the instinctual wince at Gambit putting the possibility of what could happen to her out in the open, complete with a fresh dose of a reminder of Ahsoka's trial by fire.

"If I'm being honest...I'm a little concerned, myself. Even unfounded rumors can take good people out these days," Zelina admitted begrudgingly.

Gambit nodded like she had given him the answer he'd been expecting. "What are you doing that's started the rumors, General? If I'm allowed to ask."