Prologue:
When I first met my husband, I was a flighty girl with no true direction. With both Corellian and Twi'lek blood running through my veins, I was a natural flirt. I had dreams of becoming a singer or a dancer, or perhaps both. I also dreamed of helping many people, though I was not clear on how I would do that. I thought perhaps through song I could give people some measure of joy and perhaps give them something positive to think about.
That all changed when I became an exchange student.
Master Tobias McCal helped me find my self. He guided me and let me find a true direction… a path to follow that would help me help others. I guess it is hard not to make a great impact on someone who has a huge crush on you, as I did on him. Even then, I knew it was a crush and not true love.
Awin was the one to win my heart. Sweet, calm, strong, honorable and brave, Awin was my rock. If Tobias was the one to set me on the path, it was Awin who kept me there. He picked me up when I stumbled, and loved me unconditionally.
That all changed as the shadow of war claimed his soul and took him from my arms forever.
Change.
It can be good. It can be bad. It can be expected or come as a thief in the night.
Invited or not, it always comes.
I'm sure there will be many changes before I am able to be with my Awin.
From the journal of Senator Koria Rimstar-Cor, 19 BBY
Chapter 1: Reunion
"Koria, may I speak with you a moment?" Senator Amidala quickened her step to catch up to the Corellian Senator.
Koria Rimstar-Cor slowed her pace and looked solemnly at Padme, trying to smile, but found herself too weary to do so.
The senator from Naboo spoke quietly, "Are you alright? You look so tired."
Koria looked away from her friend. She spoke barely above a whisper. "This is for your ears only. I don't want anyone else to know yet."
Dread showed on Senator Amidala's face. "What is it?"
"I'm pregnant."
The announcement was delivered sotto voce, and Padme suddenly stopped in her tracks to look at Koria.
The Corellian senator stopped as well, and she could not help but notice that Padme put a hand to her own stomach. i Interesting/i she thought even as she kept her expression neutral. She was known as "Sabacc Face" in the press because her countenance remained neutral no matter who was speaking in the Senate or what was being said. When she spoke, however, her features were quite animated.
The gesture was only a brief one, and Padme reached out to touch Koria's elbow. "How far along?" The question was delivered in a soft whisper.
"Eight weeks." Koria looked away from her friend. I will not cry! She struggled to keep that promise to herself as she thought of Awin. He had been so happy when he found out she was pregnant. She wished she could have told him in person, with him here on Corruscant, but he had been on assignment as a war correspondent. As they spoke on the comm, there was a sudden explosion, and the signal was lost. She found out hours later that he was killed in the blast.
"I'm so sorry, Kor."
As she continued to struggle with her emotions and think up something to say, she caught sight of someone coming into the building. No surprise showed on the young senator's face when she saw the familiar figure from her past show up in the hallways of the senate building. Neither did she allow the warm feelings that accompanied the sight of the man that had the most influence on her outside of her parents and husband to appear in her bearing. A smile played upon her lips as he approached her. "Hello, Master McCal."
The Jedi approached the two women, bowing respectfully to both. "Good morning, Senator Amidala," he said, and as he turned to the woman who had greeted him, his face broke into a sincere smile. Taking her hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze, searching her jade eyes almost as if he were trying to discern how much she'd changed since they'd spoken last. "Koria - or I should say, Senator Rimstar-Cor - it has been too long. I hope the Senate hasn't tried to consume your life as it seems too many of the people here these days," he added, a quick wink serving to include himself in that group.
"The Senate is a voracious beast..." Koria's voice started out light, but an edge of bitterness and not a small amount of anger crept in as she continued, "... as is this kriffin' war." She took a deep breath as she tried to contain the flood of emotions that welled up inside her. She knew she was failing miserably to block even as she was able to school her features into a calm expression. Damned hormones!
As Padme reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, Koria asked, "I take it by your statement, you are the new Jedi liaison?" The previous one had been 'dismissed' by Palpatine on the grounds he was too invasive. Koria suspected it was because the Jedi in question refused to be manipulated by the chancellor.
Tobias glanced at Koria with concern before addressing both of the Senators. "That is correct. I was encouraged to leave my semi-retirement after resigning from the Council to take this position. It is hoped that my experience under both Chancellors Kalpana and Valorum might help to ease the tension between the Jedi Council and the Senate and her committees."
"Ah, Master McCal!" As Tobias finished speaking, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine joined the small knot of people standing in the hallway. As usual, his aide Sate Pestage was lingering just beyond, close enough to respond if he was needed but for appearances, far enough away to be out of earshot. The Jedi turned, noticing a ripple through the Force as he did so, rendering Koria all but indistinct within it.
"Chancellor," Tobias replied, giving him the same respectful bow he'd given the two senators. "I'm glad to see you again. It's oddly comforting to be back in the galaxy's government after being so long away."
The moment the supreme chancellor walked up to them, Koria managed to raise her shields very quickly, like blast doors slamming shut. She distrusted the chancellor and took a strong dislike to him as well. The young senator found him to be patronizing, manipulative, and a power-hungry warmonger. The fact that he had a charismatic personality to boot made it worse. She was tired and nauseous, and needed to go to the refresher. However, if she turned and left without the supreme chancellor acknowledging her, it would be all over the press that she slighted him. That was the last thing she needed, so she stood patiently with an attentive expression upon her face.
"It is good to see you as well. I am sure with a jedi diplomat of your stature, the friction between the Council and the Senate will be smoothed away in no time." Supreme Chancellor smiled assuredly.
The corner of Tobias's mouth inched upward, although there was no other indication of his amusement in his expression. "That is certainly the hope."
The two senators exchanged brief glances at that exchange, with Koria rolling her eyes and only a minute quirk on one corner of Padme's mouth showing amusement. The slightly older senator knew the hostility her Corellian counterpart held towards the supreme chancellor.
When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine turned to Koria, he reached out a hand, and she politely took it. Coldness ran through her as he placed his other hand on top hers as though a dark spirit was trying to engulf her in its grasp. "Again, I must apologize for your loss, dear. I admire how you carry on with your duties in your grief. You are very brave."
Apologies won't bring Awin back, you bastard! She bowed her head slightly as a show of respect, her features remaining stoic. "You are too kind. I fear bravery has little to do with it. Sitting at home allows the ghost of my husband to haunt me in my idleness, while here I can do something worthwhile to give his death meaning."
Patting Koria's hand before releasing her, he turned to Padme. "Senator Amidala, it's always a pleasure. I hope you found hope in the safe return of your friends Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker, as I did. I'm hoping they will be allowed to remain in the Core for a while yet," he finished with a questioning glance towards Tobias.
"I can't speak to Council's decisions on the assignments of other Jedi, even if I were aware of them," the Jedi Master said stiffly, a small frown on his face. He found no use letting on to the fact he was in the council chamber being informed of his re-assignment as liaison when the chancellor's hologram informed the council he wanted Anakin as his representative on their board.
"In any case, it's good to know that they were able to save the day," Padme intervened smoothly, trying to lead the conversation away from that rocky ground. "Losing you to the Separatists' grasp would have been quite discouraging."
With a smile and a small bow to each of them, the Supreme Chancellor excused himself and walked away. Once he'd disappeared in the crowd of beings ambling down the hallway, Koria murmured, "After his majesty leaves, his subjects stand in awe as they reflect he found them worthy to speak to."
Padme smiled, fighting the urge to laugh. The Jedi Master raised an eyebrow, glancing curiously between the two women.
Koria reached out and squeezed Tobias' arm. "It is so good to see you once more. We must have dinner sometime to catch up. Excuse me, please, I must go powder my nose." With that, she walked in a dignified yet swift manner to the nearest refresher.
Padme tilted her head in curiosity as she peered at Tobias. "So, how do you know Koria?"
The Jedi looked away from Koria's receding figure to the Naboo senator. "She was involved in an exchange program hosted by the Jedi Temple about six years ago. One of Master Yoda's pet projects. Koria was my student while she lived in the Temple. We kept in touch for a while after she returned to Corellia but fell out of contact between my resigning from the Council and her going to university." He glanced back towards where the Corellian senator had disappeared. "I'm glad that things seemed to have been going well, at least up until recently," he added softly.
"Well, she needs all the support she can get right now. She loved Awin so much... I can only imagine the pain she is going through." Without realizing it, Padme placed her hand on her stomach again as she thought of how she had thought Anakin was killed in the outer-rim sieges. Pressure on her bladder made the senator squirm slightly. "Excuse, my nose needs some touching up as well." She curtsied quickly before following Koria's path to the refresher.
Standing alone, Tobias thought back over the entrance of the Chancellor, coupled with Koria's shields slamming up. While he was no fan of the other man's style and policies, as well as his ability to retain office, Tobias was willing to bet that it wasn't just for those reasons that Koria deeply disliked Palpatine. He hoped that the young woman had truly wanted to catch up; he was concerned for her. Even insulated within the Temple, the Jedi Master had seen the reports on Awin's death, the HoloNet turning the unfortunate situation into a credit-making scheme, capitalizing on the story of two young lovers, one a Senator from Corellia and the other a hotshot journalist, and the tragedy the war had dealt them.
He was glad that the media was unaware of her pregnancy, despite the fact it was only a matter of time before someone broke the news. Tobias shook his head sadly, turning to go to his first meeting of the day. "First day back," he said quietly to himself, "and already waist-deep in intrigue." With a sigh, he added the thought, I'm getting too old for this.