A/N: Two things. First of all, I know I have other stories to update, but I've been suffering from major writer's block. If I'm lucky I will update before Sunday. Second, I was inspired to write this after reading JA #14, The Ties That Bind. I'm too old for those books, but I can't stop reading them.
The timeline is about 5 months before ROTS.
Senator Keara L' Genyia strolled briskly through the Temple halls, her quick pace an attempt not to let the Jedi who were there not notice her fear. I could ruin everything, she thought. Perhaps she was just being impatient…
No. Her husband would have contacted her by now. They had been married 12 years and had an 8 year old daughter, Celacia.
She had always known that marrying a Jedi and mothering his child had its risks.
Twelve years ago, on his first solo mission to the senator's home planet of Hiros, Jedi Knight Drave-Harr Villois had come to oversee the negotiations of a marriage contract between the children of the rulers of the planet's two major cities. It was there he met her, there they fell in love; there they were secretly married. Three years later, Keara had moved to Coruscant to represent her home planet.
They were happy as two who had a forbidden marriage could be, until the war started.
Up until now, the knight had sent his wife and daughter holos every week. It had been 4 weeks since they had last received one, but his death had not been announced on the holo-net.
So sick with worry, rather than waiting another week Senator L' Genyia chose to the Temple to see if they had word of him.
"I'm here to see master Windu," said Keara in her most official voice to the secretary droid. She had scored a last minute appointment with the famed Jedi Master before he went off to war again.
"Master Windu, I hate to disturb you, but I am here to inquire about a friend's brother, Jedi Knight Villois. His sister has not received word of him for a month and is frantic. They didn't grow up together but were close nonetheless. I am asking in place of his sister as she travels a lot and is unable to ask you herself."
The Master gave a slight frown. "We had no records of Knight Villois having any family. Odd… Anyway, I sincerely regret to inform you that Villois was killed when the squadron of clones he was leading was bombed, most unfortunately. We were unaware of any close family of friends outside of the Order, and so with the many killed each day we chose not to announce it, if nobody would listen.
A minute later, the scent of smelling salts was in her nose, and a concerned face was peering down at her.
Tears spilling out of her eyes, she just shook her head and quickly walked out of the Temple. Once outside she hailed a cab to take her back to the building where most of the Senators lived.
A/N: There will be a follow-up to this; hopefully tomorrow.