Okay so this is Chapter 1 of a Lumiwan fanfic. It's going to be a maximum of 3 or 4 chapters because they're so long, and I hope someone else actually likes this. I'd luv a review cuz I feel like I'm the only lover of Lumi/Obi and need some likeminded friends rn. Anyway, hope someone likes this. And pre-warning, Dooku is quite OOC.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was tired.
Geonosis had always been a more difficult place to keep hold of; the Geonosians would always be loyal to the Separatists and were dangerous rivals at the best of times. And it wasn't that Obi-Wan disliked having to fulfil his role as a Jedi—the opposite was true, in fact he was proud to be a Jedi—but sometimes the constant action made him feel ever so...tired. Not physically perhaps, but mentally he was exhausted. It was as if something was missing, some sort of rejuvenating quality that Obi-Wan was missing out on.
Everyone wanted to leave Geonosis, but there weren't enough ships to carry everyone back to Coruscant straight away so they had to stay for the night. Obi-Wan and Anakin had helped the clones put up shelters until it got dark, and Obi-Wan was happy to be in his own shelter at the end of a terribly long day, enjoying the calmness of the moment.
The curtain of his shelter opens and Obi-Wan is surprised to see Luminara Unduli standing before him, still head to toe in her robes, with a melancholy smile on her face. "I sensed you were disturbed, Master Kenobi." She says softly. "I wanted to see that you were alright. It's been a long day, after all."
He nods, purely out of courtesy. In reality he isn't really okay at all, but he is a Jedi, so he ignores any reservations he has and puts on his brave face. "You needn't worry about me, Master Unduli. I am quite fine."
She doesn't say anything for a minute, just looks at him, searching for answers in his eyes. The silence isn't uncomfortable at all; more like the two of them were seeking unconscious comfort in each other's presence. "I think that we have differing opinions of the definition of the word 'fine'." She says finally. Luminara had the uncanny ability to be calm in any situation, Obi-Wan found, and that was one thing he truly admired her for. She never let anyone know when she was scared or frightened, and had a solid grip of her emotions in every situation he'd seen her in.
"Please. Sit." He says, gesturing to the empty spot next to him on the makeshift bed he'd put up. She nods and sits down next to him with a natural grace that she'd always possessed, even as a child. "I believe you're right—about the definition of fine." He pauses, making eye contact with her properly for the first time. Her eyes are a deep and bright blue, gentle and trusting eyes. Obi-Wan had never realised how beautiful they were. "And I don't think I have one. A definition, I mean. Does anyone?"
Her eyes look into his curiously, as if she's trying to read the truth from his expression again. He wonders if she can. "I suppose fine means to be perfectly capable in a situation, but not quite sure if you feel negatively or positively about it." It was said as if she'd thought about every word carefully, like she'd been preparing to say that for a while. "It's a word often used to deflect questioning, and keep ones troubling thoughts to oneself, which is entirely self-destructive."
Obi-Wan presses his lips together and looks to the ground. He knows it is cowardly, not to look her in the eyes, but he isn't sure how else he can deal with such a situation. His whole life he'd been trying to drill cowardice out of himself and yet in his most vulnerable moments it still returned to him, as it did with everyone, he was sure. In truth, he hadn't been aware this was a vulnerable moment until he'd done that. "I just—it's hard to explain."
"Try." She almost whispers it. "Please. For me."
"We are brought to the temple as infants." He begins, still not mustering the courage to look at her in the eyes. "Taught to fight for the good of the people all our lives, as peace keepers and protectors. I can't help but feel like that the Jedi are turned into killing machines over time, and I worry that's all I am. We can never feel love, never have a family of our own. And while that's selfless I can't help just wanting the things that everyone else takes for granted." He sighs deeply and does looks up at her. "Are we all just machines inside, Luminara?"
"I have similar thoughts sometimes." She admits, and Obi-Wan can feel her tensing a little even though she's trying to hide it. "But I think that what we do is what must be done. I believe in a path that everyone must follow, that our lives are already written for us and we must follow the path set. My home planet is Mirial but I haven't been there since I was an infant, my entire purpose is to be a Jedi. The universe doesn't want me to be a regular Mirialan woman, else wise I wouldn't have been given the force and taken to the temple. If I wasn't a Jedi...then my life would have been wasted."
He looks up at her, seeing a certain sadness in her enchanting eyes that wasn't there before. He wonders if she is saying this out of complete truth or she is trying to make him feel better. There is another comfortable silence while they absorb and contemplate what's been said. "Do you ever think about it?" He asks. "What our lives would be like if we weren't Jedi?"
"I think it's best not to." She shakes her head. "If I do, I might upset myself, and it wouldn't be proper." She puts her hand on his, feeling the warmth coming off him. It is comforting on both parts, sometimes it takes a little human contact to help calm oneself. "Though sometimes it is inevitable." She continues. "When I was younger, about ten or eleven I think, I used to wish I could run away and find someone who I could love and who would love me back. I dreamt of having a family, but I now see that it was never to be. Just childish fancy."
He knows she is sad talking about it, even thinking about it. They both want that, deep down, though know it can never be. And she's right—it's best not to think about. Speculation is often the hardest part.
What he doesn't expect is the tear that falls down her cheek. She's always been in such perfect control of her emotions, so level headed. "Oh, don't cry." He whispers, wiping it away with his finger and pulling her into a hug against him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up."
She chuckles bitterly against him, secretly savouring in the contact that she'd been deprived of her whole life. "I've never cried before, at least that I can remember. I can't say I quite know what do."
They pull apart and Obi-Wan puts his arms on her shoulders, giving her a very serious look. "You know I'm always here. If you never want to talk to someone about anything, I'll always listen to you, any time, any day."
She smiles gratefully to him. "Thank you, Master Kenobi."
"Obi-Wan." He says with a true smile. "You can call me Obi-Wan."
"Obi-Wan." She repeats, now smiling as well.
"Do you ever wonder," He begins, studying her face as he talks. He had never really studied her face properly before—never noticed the curve of her lips, the glimmer in her eyes, the significance of her tattoos. She's beautiful, he realises. "what would happen if forgot we were Jedi. Just for a night."
They can both feel their faces edging closer together, can both hear the mix of nervousness and excitement bubbling up inside them through the force. "Yes." She replies breathily, gazing into the pair of sapphire eyes looking back at her. "Too often."
Their lips meet in a moment of passion, her arms wrap around him and they both revel in the true and deep emotion between them, the contact they had never been able to feel before. They felt alive.
Luminara pulls away, the sudden severity of her actions dawning upon her, the code rushing back into her mind. "We can't..." She stutters, putting her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry, Obi-Wan, I can't..." She stands up and rushes out of his shelter.
He feels guilty too, deep down. But the feeling he's getting isn't one he'd experienced—the closest he'd ever experienced of love. Obi-wan wonders if she feels the same and stands up, running a hand through his hair.
His question is answered when Luminara runs back into his tent and kisses him with more fire than the last time, with a passion that was so unexpected and so welcome. He kisses her back with equal fire, feeling the way her body feels against him, the way they just fit together. "Just for one night." She whispers to him when they pull apart. "I want to feel something that isn't pain."
Obi-Wan answers by kissing her again. He can feel her pulling his shoulder armour over his head, and once the armour's off he places his hands on her hips, both of them finding a pleasant rhythm so to best enjoy their forbidden dance.
His mind briefly flicks back to the code, but banishes the thought as quickly as it came. He pulls his top off in one quick motion, with a type of adrenaline that neither of them have ever felt before. Luminara's fingers gently brush against his muscles, the likes of which she's never seen before (or never looked at, she's seen muscular men before since she lived with a couple hundred of them, but had never really looked). His arms are strong and firm, something that you couldn't tell when there was fabric and armour hiding it. There is a large scar on the right side of his chest and she touches it softly looking up at him with a worried expression.
"It's healed now." He whispers, holding her against him. "Healed."
She kisses the scar softly and then reverts her attention back to his mouth. Her hands run up his chest and meet behind his neck. Luminara can feel his hands on her back undoing her tunic and in a moment of panic the steps back, wrapping her arms around her chest. "I'm not...I'm not beautiful, like you." She says through deep breaths.
"You are. Everything about you is beautiful to me." He replies, offering his hand out to her.
"No one's ever seen me..." She says, taking his hand and coming back closer to him slowly. "I only worry that you might not like me."
He smiles—a soft, gentle smile that sends love strait to her heart. A real smile. "This is like a journey, Luminara. No one's ever seen me either." He takes both her hands in his and looks into her eyes. "Let's do this together, eh? Together."
"Together." She repeats, letting him remove her tunic as she kicks off her boots. Underneath she wears a black piece of fabric that is tied around her chest and a pair of black boy shorts. Their lips meet again, and they fall back against Obi-Wan's small-but-practical bed and explore each other like they never thought they would.
It's early when she wakes, the sun is only beginning to rise and it's mostly still dark outside. Luminara is unaware of her surroundings at first which is unusual for her—she can't remember ever feeling this disoriented before in her life. It's only when she feels an arm around her naked form that she remembers where she is and what she's done. Guilt washes over her immediately, but when she sees his sleeping form next to her, so calm and neutral; she can't help feeling some of the love inside her that they'd shared the night before.
Should I wake him? She thinks, and even though she's reluctant to leave his warm embrace, she knows that she cannot be seen walking out of his shelter. Making the final decision to leave him be, Luminara gently removes herself from his arms and quickly dresses herself, making it back to her shelter before anyone suspects anything.
There is a warm feeling throughout her body that is such unknown territory for her that she doesn't know how to react. Just one night, they had agreed. But now she wanted more. She wanted to feel him inside her again, to have his arms around her and their lips meeting with a fire and passion she could find nowhere else.
But no, they'd agreed. And while she would never forget what happened, she knew she must try and put it behind her. She was still a Jedi, despite her big mishap, and had to continue as a Jedi.
It wasn't long before Barriss entered her shelter, an early riser like herself, with a smile on her face. "Master. I trust you slept well."
Luminara nods. "Very well. And you?"
"Just fine." Luminara almost laughs when Barriss says 'fine'. "The Captain said that the ships from Coruscant have entered the atmosphere and should be fit for boarding in about twenty minutes."
"Yes. That's good." She wonders if she should wait for Obi-Wan and take the same ship as him, but quickly puts the idea behind her. Don't get sentimental now. "We'll get on the first one. Have you got everything you need ready?"
Barriss nods. "Yes Master." Luminara was very proud of her apprentice; Barriss was everything she could have asked for in a padawan and more. The girl was a complete reflection of how Luminara had been at her age; obedient disciplined, clever and compassionate.
Due to their upbringing, Jedi grew up very quickly. Luminara was only 24, Barriss was in her second year of being a padawan, though many thought her to be at least ten years older. It wasn't that she looked particularly old at all, but she'd always been mentally older than she was physically. Barriss was much the same, the perfect Jedi. Well, I was the perfect Jedi until last night.
They go outside of the shelter and receive a status report from Captain Rex. "There's definitely enough ships to take everyone back to Coruscant, we've estimated that the trip will be shorter than the one we took coming here due to us losing about half the men. Master Kenobi said to tell you not to worry about writing up the events, and that he would take care of it."
Luminara wills herself not to blush and manages to keep a completely straight face. "That is kind of him." Barriss says with a smile.
"The first of the ships are actually ready to head off." Rex points to a carrier ship that was quickly filling up with clones.
"I think we'll take that one, don't you Barriss?" Luminara forces a smile and thanks Rex before heading off to the ship. Part of her feels guilty for not waiting for Obi-Wan, but she quickly reprimands herself for thinking like that.
Obi-Wan comes out of his shelter and meets Anakin. "Where are the others?" He asks him, wanting to talk to Luminara before they got back to Coruscant.
"Ahsoka's helping Cody pack up some of the shelters; Master Unduli had just gotten on a carrier ship with Barriss." Anakin replies, pointing to the ship they have just boarded. Obi-Wan knows he won't make it onto the ship and lets the rational side of his mind reassure him that it isn't a problem, he can always talk to her later.
He watches their ship go up and catches Luminara's eye. She smiles at him—not one of her fake smiles, a real one—and he smiles back. There is a sort of childlike excitement between them, they have a secret, a special something that's between them and them alone. She's beautiful, he thinks.
Anakin grins at him. "I think you've got something for Master Unduli."
"Got something?" Obi-Wan replies, surprised at his own ability to lie about everything so easily. "I'm not quite sure what you're trying to insinuate, Anakin."
"Sure." Anakin crosses his arms and smirks, nodding slowly.
"I'll go and get Ahsoka. I want to get off this planet as soon as I can." Obi-Wan turns around and begins to search for Anakin's equally feisty padawan, only to stop in his tracks completely when he heard an crash behind him.
It wasn't just a clone dropping something, he knew, for the ground literally shook. There were only two instances where that would happen, and since if the crash had been a bomb Obi-Wan would be dead, he knew exactly what had happened.
Anakin was running towards the crash scene and by the time he turned, but Obi-Wan's body was completely paralysed.
The ship had crashed. Her ship.
He snaps out of his daze and rushes over to where Anakin was starting to get clones together and rescue them. "What happened?" He demands, watching as the clones rush to help get survivors out of the rubble.
"The engine must have failed or something, I don't know!" Anakin seems shocked too, and soon enough Ahsoka had arrived next to them asking similar questions. They all cough, waving their hands around to clear the air, the sand from the Geonosis floor had floated upwards and was getting into their mouths and eyes.
"Get them out of there!" Obi-Wan shouts throatily to the clones in a tone he almost never used, one of such anger it scares himself. This was what the Jedi code spoke about. Love led to anger, and anger led to—
No. He wouldn't think about that, not with Luminara in this shipwreck. The clones were working as fast as they could, and he knew that rationally, but he couldn't think rationally. That should have scared him, but it didn't. It wasn't fast enough. And he didn't care about anything else.
Feeling completely useless, Obi-Wan watched the clones continue working. They recovered some other clones, but after fifteen minutes there was still no sign of Luminara or Barriss, and the crippling anxiety was threatening to overcome him. It probably would have, if it weren't for Anakin and Ahsoka keeping him in the present. "Master." Anakin says to him, putting his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder gently. "We need to leave. I don't think the clones are going to find Luminara and Barriss, and while that's a great loss, we need to go. The Jedi council need to see us before the end of the week and we won't get there if we spend much more time looking."
"You're right." Obi-Wan rubs his hands together and closes his eyes. "The clones aren't going to find them."
He steps forward onto the cracked ground, trying to sense any other life force underneath the rock. Obi-Wan begins lifting in a state of utter concentration, moving boulder after boulder until Anakin is yelling his name to stop.
And then they heard it.
The scream. It was muffled underneath the rubble, but it was distinctly female and there were only two female passengers on that ship, so Obi-Wan's heart skipped a beat. "You found someone!" Anakin shouts, racing down to where they held the scream and helping Obi-Wan move the last rock. They jump down, only to find Barriss on her own and in tears.
"Master Kenobi? Master Skywalker?" She sniffles, standing up and practically falling over. Barriss was clutching a wound in her side, at first it appeared like something she'd gotten in the crash but it didn't take him long to reason it was from a blaster.
"How did you get this?" Anakin asked in great urgency as if he was reading Obi-Wan's thoughts. "And do you know where your Master is?" They wrap their arms around her shoulders and help her get up the surface.
Barriss shook her head and was still crying, and would have taken a fool not to realise something had happened and it hadn't ended well for either Barriss or Luminara. Obi-Wan could feel his heart sinking inside him.
They both help Barriss up to the surface where a medic is sent to her strait away. "What happened, Barriss?" Obi-Wan asks again.
"There was...this man..." Barriss was clearly fighting to stay conscious. "We tried to fight him but we were both already weak from the crash—she protected me but I couldn't save her..."
"Couldn't save her?" Anakin feels somewhat guilty for drilling her the way he was but continued anyway. "Did the man kill her?"
Barriss shakes her head. "I don't think so. He just shackled her and took her...away. She resisted to start with and said that she'd rather die but...then he shot me and said he'd kill me if she didn't come willingly so she..." There were more tears and Ahsoka hugged her, careful not to touch her wound in any way.
Selfless, Obi-Wan thought to himself. He knew that directly it hadn't been his fault, but he still felt like it was in some deep, dark part of his mind. Before they could ask Barriss anything else she was being taken up to the cruiser where they had a proper med-bay. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka got on the next carrier.
"That's so awful." Ahsoka says as they take off. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone that shaken up. I mean, she was in pieces. And poor Master Unduli. We need to find out where she was taken."
There a literal infinite amount of places Luminara could have been taken, and Obi-Wan hadn't got a clue where to start. She had just disappeared. They'd sent out troops to find her but he knew that if this man was powerful enough to defeat Luminara and Barriss—even though they were slightly shaken up—and take Luminara captive, they had no hope.
I will find her though, he promises himself. Even if it takes me a thousand years.
Anakin and Obi-Wan had just finished briefing the council on the events of Geonosis. "And me and Master Kenobi wanted permission to conduct Master Unduli's rescue mission." Anakin ends.
The council was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure." Mace Windu replies. "You've just come off a large mission. I think it'd be best to set Master Unduli's rescue to someone with more rest."
"I have to disagree, Master Windu." Obi-Wan says. In truth, he hadn't even considered the possibility that they wouldn't get her rescue mission. "As me and Master Skywalker were present on Geonosis we feel it would be easier if we attempted to track her. We'll more of a chance of tracking her successfully, we believe."
"Right, he is." Yoda chimes in, smiling at them like he knows there are underlying reasons for their will to be given the mission but won't inquire about it. "Receive this task, they should."
Mace nods. "Fine. Master Skywalker, Master Kenobi, you are charged to find Master Unduli with the assistance of padawan Tano."
They both nod and exit the room quickly. Mace turns to Yoda. "What do you think of this mysterious kidnapper? It all seems a bit...planned."
Yoda nods. "Meditate on this, I will. Find Master Unduli, we must, to shed light on these most unusual happenings."
She is once again surprised when she wakes—but in this case, it is an unpleasant surprise. She was being held in a similar contraption to the one she'd been held in by Queen Karina, though this time she is very unsure about her location. The last thing she remembers is being knocked out on Geonosis.
The door opens and to her great surprise—another unpleasant one—Count Dooku himself was before her. "Master Unduli." He seems to be oddly happy, like he's won a great victory. Luminara wonders if it's her capture he's gotten so excited about, and if so, why? She certainly isn't a particularly valuable prize, and was willing to die before giving up any information about the Jedi. "You cannot imagine how grand it is to have you in my possession."
"Can I not?" She replies, calm as ever. "And why is that?"
He chuckles and grins at her, an unusual set of actions for him and it makes Luminara feel uneasy. Still, she doesn't show it, and just glares at him. "Now that would be telling." He releases one of her arm restraints, only to shackle said arm, and proceeded to do the same with the other arm. "You're being moved."
She raises an eyebrow at him. "Was that torture cell too comfortable for your liking?"
Dooku doesn't reply, but he's still smiling which tells her that he's probably taking her to be tortured somewhere else (somewhere damp and dark, from what she's heard about his tastes in torture). "Last time I saw you, you were a padawan. They all thought you'd be such a good Jedi." He sighs, and Luminara remains calm, despite the jab.
Still, it wasn't like she was the perfect Jedi anymore.
He takes her into a room that has a comfortable looking bed, en suite bathroom and bookshelf. "You'll be getting three meals a day. If you desire anything, anything besides freedom and death, you may have it. I will visit you at least twice a day; I don't want you getting lonely, Master Unduli. And if you do lonely, just call my name and I'll come over." He has a vile grin plastered over his face.
Leaving before she has a chance, Luminara doesn't have time to ask him any more questions. She is still a prisoner, she knows—being locked away is essentially the definition of prisoner—but this isn't like any cell she's seen before. It looks more like a guest's room.
First of all, she promises herself that she won't ever call for him (and why would she, he's a Sith psychopath!). The cameras in the corners of the room aren't hard for her to notice, and she comes to the conclusion that this must be some sort of experiment. What else could it be?
Cautiously, Luminara begins to look around. In the bathroom there is a large bath, showerhead and a variety of different soaps (many in scents she's never heard of, but then again, she never really was a girl to focus on that kind of thing), as well as several luxurious fluffy white towels, a sink and toilet. The floor is white marble and almost reminds her of a spa (not that she's ever been to a spa apart from the time she arrested someone there) and the curious part of her mind is becoming ever desperate for answers.
The main room is much like the sort of bedroom she'd wished for in her teenage years. There was a big bookshelf with what must have been about a hundred books, as well as an armchair that she assumed you were supposed to read in. The bed was big and Luminara had never slept in anything like it, being a soldier didn't normally include big, cosy beds. She notices a bowl of fruit on the bedside table, and despite being starved, she chooses to leave it. Being poisoned was low on her list of things to do.
A wardrobe on the far side of the room catches her eye also, and slowly Luminara approaches it, gently opening the wooden doors. She is surprised that it is full of clothes, and when she looks at it she realises that there is a mixture of battle gear, oversized t-shirts and sweatpants (she couldn't imagine why). Part of her wanted to change, considering how filthy her clothes were, but she was still reluctant to use anything that Dooku had given her.
"What is this?" She whispers to herself and looks up to one of the cameras. "Why are you doing this?" This time she speaks louder and directly to the camera, knowing that she won't get any response. What am I supposed to do?
A small serving droid enters through a cat flap looking entrance in her door with a bowl in its arms. "You are hungry. Count Dooku brings you food." The droid says. Luminara takes the food and sets it down on the floor, waiting for the droid to go. Once it's gone she tries to open the flap again so see if she can get out, but it's locked again by the time she gets to it.
In the bowl there is a themed set of foods. Funge-bread, a type of bread that's eaten predominantly on Ryloth, was on the ride of Rycrit stew, another Twi'lek food. She wonders why the food is themed, but deems in unimportant and looks at it closer.
As far as she can tell, it is completely edible. It smells the way it should and looks the way it should and she is starving. Though no, she will not, it is dark temptation and she will resist. Luminara walks away from the food and towards the bathroom where she can't see or smell it.
Obi-Wan, Anakin and Ahsoka were meeting in Anakin's apartments to discuss their rescue mission, and where to begin.
"We could get Barriss to help us." Ahsoka offers. "She might know something, maybe saw the species of the person or, I don't know, something that would make them recognisable. We could get somewhere from that, if she's willing to aid us."
Obi-Wan nods. "Yes, she'll definitely want to help us. Her and Master Unduli were very close."
"Do we agree that this was the Separatist's work?" Anakin is twirling his lightsaber hilt in his hand absentmindedly, wondering how you find someone who just disappeared.
"I think so, it must be." Ahsoka says. "And I think there's a good chance she's still on Geonosis, maybe in some catacombs we didn't find. There must be miles of those things under that planet."
"That's a good suggestion, actually." Obi-Wan's eyes light up at that, he gets some paper and makes a note of what Ahsoka said. "I'll ask the council to send someone to do a scan of Geonosis. If they find traces of a Mirialan, we'll narrow it down indefinitely."
"I'm gonna go and find Barriss, see if we can talk to her now." Anakin says, receiving nods of approval from Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. He leaves them in his apartments and goes to find Luminara's Padawan, who would most likely be in the library after recently leaving the medical wing.
"You know, Master, we will find her." Ahsoka says, sensing that Obi-Wan was on edge.
He acknowledges what she says, but doesn't reply to it. "Have you ever been to Mirial, Ahsoka?"
She shakes her head. "Have you?"
"I went once, many years ago with my Master. I don't suppose you know much about him either, his name was Qui-Gon Jinn. The best man I ever knew. Anyway, we went to Mirial for purely diplomatic reasons. Nothing much happened there, but I have to tell you. It's a dry planet, and cold. But the sunsets on Mirial are truly beautiful." Just like her, he adds mentally. He remembers it clearly, fondly, and finds it no surprise that Luminara would come from such a beautiful place (though he had to admit Mirial wasn't quite so pleasant during the day).
"I hope that one day I will get to go there under peaceful circumstances." Ahsoka replies. Obi-Wan had grown to like Anakin's padawan a lot. She balanced Anakin out well though seemed to have inherited some rash motives. Obi-Wan had been asked to consider taking a second padawan, but had decided it was too soon after Anakin and had chosen to help his former apprentice with Ahsoka instead.
She goes on to discuss Shili, her own home planet, and before long Anakin returns with Barriss.
"Master Kenobi, Ahsoka." She says formally, the tone Luminara had taught her to use. Anakin pulls out a chair for her and they all sit in a circle.
"We wanted to talk to you about what happened on Geonosis." Anakin starts. "You said you saw a man. Did you see anything about his appearance that might help us identify him?"
She is quiet, biting her lip nervously, trying to recall the memory. "He had cloth over his moth and most of his head, and he wore brown robes. Most likely human like you, I think, since around his eyes his skin colour was the same as yours." Her eyes are closed as she pictures the figure. "He was definitely a man, his voice was deep and you could just sort of tell. I think he had a lightsaber on his belt, but he didn't use it, only a blaster and the force.
"I wish I could tell you more." Barriss was still clearly unsettled by the situation. Her wound was practically healed from a bacta-bath, but Obi-Wan knew the mental wound would still sting for a lot longer. "I suppose the only other thing was that he was clearly after my Master, not me, and I think he was responsible for the ship crashing. I don't know why."
They were all quiet for a moment, taking everything in, and Ahsoka was scribbling down what Barriss was saying. "Was Master Unduli behaving...I don't know, a little different around the time of the crash?" Anakin was taking this remarkably seriously. Well, for Anakin.
"I don't think so." She frowns, once again trying to recall the memory. "I suppose she seemed quite...happy. Like she'd slept well. She was probably just happy to have Geonosis back under control."
"Thank you so much, Barriss. That'll definitely help us." Ahsoka sounds encouraging, Obi-Wan thinks. Yes, she will be a good Jedi.
"Can I help you?" She says, though seemed somewhat reluctant, though Obi-Wan puts that down to shyness. "It's only, I think I'll just be doing research until my Master returns or I'll be..." She gulps. "Reassigned. But maybe if I could just help you, we could find her quicker, and then I'd get my Master back..."
"We'll ask the council." Obi-Wan tells her. "I don't see why they'd have any problems with it. And it'd be good to have an extra set of eyes while we're scanning the starcharts."
"Thank you Master Kenobi!" Her face seems to light up as he speaks, and that's when Obi-Wan realises the one big difference between Luminara and her apprentice. While Luminara was graceful and calm, Barriss was more excitable and found it harder to keep her emotions under control. Though really, in comparison to Luminara, everyone found it difficult to keep their emotions under control. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing though, if anything it reflected her age, she was still young.
Master Yoda and Master Windu were meditating.
There was something new, Yoda felt, something strong in the force that had been dormant since Master Unduli's capture. Something strong and important, a message the force was desperately trying to convey. "Do you sense it too?" Mace says, his eyes opening.
"Sense something, I do." Yoda nods.
"It's almost familiar." Mace continues. "Something I've seen before, but stronger, more apparent. I feel that it somehow connects to Master Unduli, yet I'm unsure how."
"Similar things, I see." It was frustrating, like something you can see but not quite reach, or an old face that you just can't picture. Yoda had seen flashes of Master Unduli, enough to know she was alive. He's seen her asleep once, looking somewhat peaceful, and then her screaming in tremendous pain. How this connected to whatever was happening...he had yet to find out.
He looks to Mace with a gentle smile. "Notify the council of this we shall. Seen it to, they must have."
"I agree." Windu nods. "I believe that finding out the meaning of this disturbance is paramount."
Little did they know what the most dangerous and wonderful of thing in all the universe was taking place right in front of them.
It had been a week, at least, she'd slept seven times.
Luminara had refused to eat for the first few days, and Count Dooku had begun tasting all the food given to her before she ate it to make sure she ate something. She wished she could know why, he obviously had some agenda and needed her alive, but for what? Why was she so important?
She'd showered for the first time, putting a piece of fruit under the water first before to check it wasn't acid or something like that. She was constantly aware that she was being watched and hadn't been able to shower naked, so she'd taken some of the undergarments from the wardrobe and worn them under the water. Of course they were soaking by the time she got out, but the serving droid had come to collect them soon after, apparently to have everything washed. It was like being at a very constrictive hotel.
The clothes in the wardrobe were quite nice, she'd taken to wearing a black combat dress that was quite similar to what she wore regularly, since she was beginning to feel quite disgusting wearing her own battle gear for a week straight.
Count Dooku came to see her every day. He never gave any sort of explanation of what he was doing with her, but spoke of a great manner of things. Different civilisations, her opinions on politics and slavery, the force, what he could do to make her more comfortable.
"Could I ask for something?" She says on the seventh day, less self conscious around Count Dooku as she had been when they'd first seen each other.
"Of course." He replies, seemingly happy that she had deemed herself able to ask for something. Perhaps he thought he was gaining some sort of trust, though that would have been terribly naïve of him.
She pauses, studying his face, wondering what he'd say if she asked for her freedom. She knows he'll never let her have that. "Could I have punching bag?"
Luminara could have laughed at the look of shock on his face when she spoke. It wasn't that much of an odd request, she thought, considering how much of her life had been spent sparring. He gives her a strange look, and finally says: "But why, if you don't mind?"
"I've spent my entire life training to fight things. I feel awfully immobile not being able to do anything other than stretches." She smiles at him then—a fake smile, not like the kind she gives Obi-Wan. "You understand, do you not?"
"You may have one. I'll have the droids fit it here by the end of the day." He nods slowly. Part of her, the civilised part, feels the need to give him her thanks, to think maybe he isn't so bad. It is in that moment that Luminara realises that the civilised part of her mind is completely useless. Count Dooku could give her a bunch of flowers and a palace and she would still rather kill him than thank him. She despises him with every inch of her being. "Could you answer me a question, Master Unduli?"
She didn't expect him to call her 'Master Unduli', though suspects he hasn't lost all the etiquette he learnt during his many years as a Jedi. "It's not as if I can stop you."
He ignores her comment and continues. "How do you get along with Master Windu?"
"What?" She gives him a confused look. "We sit on the council together. But other than that I don't know him well."
Count Dooku seemed almost surprised by this, though she could tell he was trying to keep his face neutral. "So, who are you closest with?"
"Why do you ask?" He does not reply. The feeling of passing personal boundaries is all too clear, she knows he wants an answer and she's afraid to give it. Who does he want me to talk about? She can feel her body tensing and stands, looking away from him. "Probably my padawan, considering that we share apartments. Though I suppose you should have already guessed that."
She cannot see him, but can sense he is unhappy with her answer. He does not press any further though, and leaves her room.
Oh, where am I? She thinks, falling back in the little chair in her room. Inside she was desperately hoping that the Jedi were looking for her, but she couldn't begin to imagine where she was.
Places like the Citadel were ruled out immediately, since she assumed bases designed for physical torture didn't contain cells like the one she'd been given. It was also obvious that her capture had been planned for, especially considering Count Dooku had provided a wardrobe full of clothes in her size. But beyond that, she didn't really have any clues at all, since she'd been unconscious upon arrival.
Obi-Wan wonders how long it will take the others to give up, and knows that he will never will. So far Anakin, Ahsoka and Barriss have all been very eager and active, perhaps partly due to Luminara being Barriss's Master, but he knows that should they not get any further their enthusiasm will die quickly.
Jedi Knight Adi Gallia had been sent to Geonosis and had had spent five days scanning the planet to no avail. They had considered sending more Jedi to other grey planets that Luminara could be on, but knew that this method would take too long and would likely be unsuccessful.
There was something different in the force, everyone sensed it. Master Yoda had told all the Jedi not to worry about it and that he and Master Windu were taking measures to work out what was happening. Obi-Wan hadn't really gotten the energy to worry about it, his mind was entirely focussed on Luminara.
"It's tricky." Ahsoka says as they all looked at a hologram map of the gray and Separatist planets. "We didn't see any ship or speeder that she took to get to wherever she went, which makes her practically impossible to find with the regular methods."
"I think out best option at this point is to meditate on it." They had all been meditating on it a lot recently, but no one had gotten anything more than a few flashes of her in a holding cell or asleep.
Barriss bites her lip—an apparent nervous habit she possesses—and looks at the hologram. "I can't help feeling like we're missing something."
"I think that's how everyone feels." Anakin replies, running his hand through his hair. Obi-Wan doesn't know how much of a relationship Anakin and Ahsoka have with Luminara. He knows that they've worked together before, and that Ahsoka have saved her life in a battle with Asajj Ventress, but outside of mission work he wasn't sure they had really spoken.
Obi-Wan had known her for a very long time, he was only two years older than her so they had been a younglings together. They'd been very good friends as children, he still remembered them taking extra Puff cakes from the canteen and hiding it in their dormitories, and her fighting him everyday without any weapons for years until she finally beat him.
They had only seen each other every few months once Obi-Wan became a padawan, and he'd become infatuated with Duchess Satine Kryze on a mission to Mandalore. When he thought back to Satine, he realised he'd just been caught up with the way she looked (and the fact she was an older woman who clearly wasn't stupid), and he hadn't ever seen anyone else in that light. It wasn't love, he knew. Love was what he had with Luminara, a feeling that had laid dormant until their night in Geonosis.
He wouldn't let that be his last memory of her.
"Serenno." Obi-Wan says, a little unaware he'd spoken it aloud.
"What about it?" Anakin says, looking at the planet on the map.
"It's Count Dooku's home planet. I don't think Luminara is there, but it's worth checking out, don't you think?" Serenno was deep in Separatist territory and even though it was unlikely Luminara was there, Obi-Wan was sure they'd be some information about it there.
Anakin almost laughs. "We could never go to Serenno and escape alive. And there's no way she's there, it's like his personal planet, he wouldn't have a Jedi in his home unless it was life and death."
They all leave to meditate and nothing else is said about Obi-Wan's proposition, but for some reason he can't get Serenno out of his head. He knew Count Dooku must be involved in it somehow—he was involved in everything that was to do with the words 'pain' and 'Jedi' put together—and Obi-Wan just wanted someone to tell him, make it clear what in the name of force was happening.
It was late one night, three weeks after Master Unduli had gone missing, that the truth dawned upon him.
Yoda was out of bed like a shot, he ran to the Jedi archives to assure himself. Yes, he said to himself. This is it, this is it.
His dream had been hard to decipher at first. He'd seen Master Unduli lying down grimacing, a few tears running down her cheeks. Weakly begging for something to stop, though it wasn't clear what. Then she's screamed. She'd stopped her screaming after a minute, and despite the sweat and tears on her face she allowed herself a small smile.
And then it had started again, but differently. She was screaming inaudible words, Yoda suspected some of them were in Mirialan, crying with a depth and sorrow he hadn't seen in years. There was only one situation where a person could be crushed, so broken, so gut-wrenchingly pained and Yoda had lived long enough to have seen it in all its horror.
How this dream had connected with the great disturbance in the force hadn't been clear at first, but after he woke and had time to think about it, it made sense. The Jedi had been wrong about something for years, and the truth had been realised far too late. Count Dooku had gotten to it first, and that was a grievous problem.
Yoda's only consolation was that they had time to rectify their mistake, and that Luminara Unduli was a very strong Jedi. He remembered the day he'd first seen her like it was yesterday. Ki-Adi-Mundi had brought her in to the temple after a battle on the planet Kiros where her parents had taken semi-permanent residence, and were killed in the crossfire. He'd found Luminara, a nine month old infant, alone in her crib and using the force to bang a sundial against a window—he assumed to attract attention from her parents.
The entire council had been impressed by young Luminara. In her infancy she had been bubbly and excitable, though once she reached the age of three she had already become studious and mature. Quite quickly she'd become good friends with Obi-Wan Kenobi and it had made Yoda proud to see her develop lifelong relationships so quickly.
Though the main thing everyone had been so impressed by was her persistence, her complete refusal to give up at anything. She'd been told at age 6 by another youngling that she would never be able to become a Jedi Knight because she was a girl.
In response to this, she had become one of their fastest ever padawans to pass their graduation at age 17. Obi-Wan had graduated at 17 also, but it had been under different circumstances since he's lost his Master. She had never been particularly good with children, but had an empathetic link with those who had lost their parents in a similar manner to her and made it her job to protect those who had less than her.
Yoda hoped that Luminara wouldn't lose her will, though from what he'd seen it would be impossibly hard for her. And should they ever get her back, Yoda knew what he would have to do to her, no matter how much guilt it made him feel.
Wherever you are, Luminara Unduli, let the force guide you.
The punching bag Luminara had been provided with had taken a significant bashing.
She liked to imagine Dooku's face as she hit with all the force she could muster, as she pounded it with her knuckles and smacked with her heel when she spun around to kick it. Still, ever a down to earth person, she knew she'd never be satisfied whacking a floating bag. The real thing would be so much more satisfying.
Her arms practically ached to hold her lightsaber again. It had been her life, she'd constructed it herself at age 12 with her Master, and hated the fact that she couldn't use it.
Exhausted after abusing the bag for a solid three hours, Luminara collapsed on the bed breathing shallowly and wiping the sweat off her forehead. She needed a shower, she knew, but the whole process of showering with underwear on made her uncomfortable—albeit less uncomfortable than she'd feel showering naked, but uncomfortable nonetheless. Count Dooku had informed her a few days ago that she needn't worry about nudity and no one would judge her, to which she had firmly stated she had no intention of becoming someone's afternoon video enjoyment.
He'd laughed then, and said he didn't remember her having such a dry sense of humour.
She'd said she wasn't joking.
Supposing that it was better to shower now than put it off, she pulled her tunic over her head and took a fruit from the bowl before entering the bathroom. She still but the fruit under the water before she went under it, just to make sure they didn't change it to acid on a sudden whim to murder her. By 'they' she meant Count Dooku and whoever else found it amusing to keep her locked up (though she had a suspicion it was just Dooku and his weird fetishes).
Despite its comforts, her room really did feel like prison. Sure, there was a bed she could sleep in, books she could read and a floating bag she hit but she still didn't have her freedom. It made her think of the poor Twi'lek slaves, scandalized at such young ages and forced to sell their bodies; should she ever get out of there alive, she would certainly want more missions involving the rescue of Twi'lek slave girls.
The one question she couldn't stop asking herself was why was it her being locked up, of all the Jedi. Why was she different from the others, what about her meant she didn't get a couple weeks of torture and painful execution like everyone else?
Luminara stepped under the water after testing it with the fruit and let the water soak into her hair. Mirialan's all had black hair as a general rule, and hers wasn't any different. The women kept their covered up at all times before they found their lifemates, and even though she had Obi-Wan, it was still comforting for her to wear it. And it wasn't like she wanted to exploit the fact she'd broken the code.
The first person to ever see her hair was Obi-Wan on their last night together, he'd called it beautiful and said that he's never seen a more stunning person in his life. Never seen a more stunning person in his life. Part of her was thinking about how cheesy that was, and the other half was getting all giddy like a child with a Puff cake.
She picks up a bottle of shampoo—the scent is Rominaria flower, not that Luminara knew what a Rominaria flower was—and starts to massage it into her scalp. Her underwear is beginning to soak up uncomfortably and she tries to ignore it as she lathers more the soap into her hair.
Moving onto her body, she rinses her hair out and takes out the shower gel (this time scentless, which she appreciated, since the Rominaria flower was starting to make her feel a little sick). As she gets to her stomach she realises something was wrong.
Her body had been always exactly the same since the end of her adolescence, her arms and legs toned, breasts a medium size and stomach flat. As her hand ran over it, Luminara couldn't help feeling like there was a slight curve to it. Something wasn't right.
Quickly rinsing herself off, Luminara exits the shower and looks at herself in the mirror. She turns sideways and looks at the reflection of her stomach. She can't really see anything different, perhaps it is just a trick in her mind.
Shrugging it off, she towels herself dry and spends the rest of her evening reading a book on the history of Tatooine.
Yoda had called an urgent meeting with Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka and Barriss, and Obi-Wan was beyond confused.
He was hopeful that the Grandmaster had discovered something vital and was close to finding Luminara, but wasn't naïve enough to believe it true. It was probably going to be something like 'you've looked long enough, the time has come to let her go'. Obi-Wan wouldn't let her go for as long as his heart pumped blood and his lungs breathed air, and even longer if he could manage it (though he hadn't quite figured out how that would work).
The four of them come into a meditation room where Yoda had said to meet, and was already in meditation. They all sit down, wondering if someone should say something or he was just waiting for the right moment to start their rendezvous.
Finally, he opens his eyes. "Still looking for Master Unduli, you are, I trust." He says, a melancholy smile on his face. They can all sense that something's wrong, but are almost too afraid to ask.
"We are." Anakin says. "Is something wrong, Master?"
The old Jedi has an uncertain expression on his face, which unsettles everyone. Normally he is cheerful in the most dire of situations, often letting out a little chuckle and keeping in a positive state until the end. "Seen something unsettling, I have." He begins, legs still crossed in the meditation position. "And regarding Master Unduli, it is."
"You said you and Master Windu were looking into the disturbance we all felt." Barriss states, clearly taking everything beyond seriously. "Is my Master related to it?"
Yoda nods. "A prophecy there is. The Chosen One, it discusses." He looks to Anakin. "You, it is not, young Skywalker."
Hearing Yoda say that, Obi-Wan worries that Anakin will get a little angry, but instead he looks completely calm, if not relieved. "I don't understand, Master." Ahsoka says. "How does this relate to Master Unduli?"
"Is the chosen one my Master?" Barriss asks, clearly shocked at this announcement.
Could Luminara be the Chosen One? Obi-Wan thinks. She was certainly powerful, a highly skilled and empathetic Jedi, but the reason Anakin had been thought to be the Chosen One was because of how completely apparent it had been that he was different. If Luminara was the Chosen One, surely someone would have noticed it before she got kidnapped, wouldn't they?
"Calm yourselves, you must." Yoda always seemed to be in a state of absolute peace. Obi-Wan wondered how he did it. "Master Unduli is not the chosen one. Connected to the chosen one, however, she is."
"So...if we are ever going to find the chosen one, we need to find my master?" Barriss asks slowly.
Yoda nods. "Correct, young padawan."
"So what your basically saying is that we need to increase our efforts to find her, to ultimately locate the Chosen One?" Anakin says.
"Done some research, I have." Yoda replies. "Track her lightsaber, you can. Ask Master Ti, help you she can. Go, you must. Find our missing Master Jedi."
Anakin, Ahsoka and Barriss all run out of the room in search of Shaak Ti, but Obi-Wan lingers, looking to the old grandmaster. "Is she alright?" He asks, reluctant to hear the answer.
There is a long pause before Yoda finally replies. "For now."
The small green creature left Obi-Wan alone in the meditation room. He wasn't aware that you were able to track lightsabers unless you had part of the crystal inside them. Maybe that's what Master Ti knew about, maybe part of Luminara's crystal was still in the Jedi temple.
For now. What was that supposed to mean? It was a time reference, and Obi-Wan knew that could only mean her time was running out.
Perhaps the thing that scared him the most was that it'd be too late by the time he got to her. He'd been too late to save his Master, had to leave him to die while he fought of the Sith apprentice that had murdered him. He wasn't sure he could do that again with Luminara, everything that had happened with Qui-Gon had shaken him more than he would have liked to admit.
Luminara would have understood him. He wished she was with him, willed her to appear next to him with a smile on her face and a laugh in her throat. Rationally, he knew this could not be. But Obi-Wan was becoming truly sick of being rational, why couldn't the universe just be everyone's perfect fantasy?
Did she think of him, wherever she was? Did she miss him like he missed her, feel the loss like he did? Was she cold, was she starving and exhausted?
Could he save the one woman he loved more than anything, or would he lose another part of his heart?
"What's wrong, Ani?" Padme asks as she runs her hand though his hair. He's been ever so stressed recently and she hadn't been able to see him as often as she would have liked.
He sighs, kissing her softly and closing his eyes. "It's this mission. Master Unduli went missing more than a month ago now and we're getting really close to locating her, but I'm worried that we won't be able to get to her."
"Master Unduli? I haven't heard that name before." Padme says, trying to think about all the Jedi she's met. She knew a fair few of them, the ones who spent a lot of time in the senate and the ones Anakin spent a lot of time with, but she hadn't ever crossed paths with 'Master Unduli'.
"Luminara Unduli. She's Mirialan, I doubt you'd know her, if anything she tries to steer away from the senate." Anakin says, sitting up. "She was quite close with Obi-Wan, I think. He's not really the same now she's gone."
Padme smiles at him. "I'm sure it'll turn out fine, you and Obi-Wan are the two best Jedi I know, she couldn't have better people looking for her."
"Master Yoda says she's connected to the chosen one." He'd told her strait away that he wasn't the chosen when Yoda told him. He'd been ecstatic. There had always been so much pressure on him to be the best Jedi, to do more than any Jedi had done before, but he had never felt right for it. He only felt sorry for the real Chosen One, the pressure was crippling. "And if Yoda knows that, the Separatists probably know that too. I think that's why they're keeping her captive."
She takes a moment for that to sink in. "Is there anything I can do? You say she's Mirialan, maybe I could find out who opposes Mirial the senate. Try and get information that way."
"I'm not sure that would help. It isn't about her race; it's about what she can do. And we're still unsure about that too, she might not even know it herself." Shaak Ti had helped them get a hold of part of Luminara's lightsaber crystal. Apparently when she was building it her crystal had been too big, so they had to melt it down and take a third of it away. It had been kept in the archives for years in case it was needed for studying or something like that.
They had used the crystal to scan the atmosphere for any identical objects, using reliable bounty hunters and spies in separatist planets. So far they hadn't gotten anything useful, but now it was just a matter of time.
"She's a really good person, Padme." She can tell he means everything he says from the sincerity in his voice, and wishes there was something else she could do to help him. "I've worked with her a couple of times. You should have seen her on Geonosis, she was brilliant. I'd heard that Mirialan's were flexible, but I swear she was like a gymnast as she tore through those droids. It was like an art."
"She sounds like an amazing woman. I'd love to meet her one day." Padme says truthfully—the way he talks about this Jedi makes her curious. She knew that Anakin admired Obi-Wan a lot, and Qui-Gon from the littler time he'd known him, but she'd never heard him talk about any other Jedi that way.
His communicator beeps and Anakin automatically answers it. "Master? What is it?"
"We've picked up a signal. We've located her lightsaber." Obi-Wan says, and Padme can't help but notice he sounds a little solemn through the transmitter.
"Well where is it?" Anakin asks, standing up and preparing to dash off. Padme would be lying if she'd say she wasn't disappointed. It was the first time she'd been able to see him all week, both their schedules didn't really leave much quiet alone time. Still, she knew it could wait, and this Master Unduli situation was clearly more urgent that Padme Amidala missing the man she loves.
There is a pause, as if Obi-Wan is nervous. "I was right, all that time ago. Serenno."
Anakin freezes. Padme knew of Serenno, as everyone in the senate did, it was Count Dooku's centre of action. He lived there and ruled the planet, he had a palace there in which he lived, a fortress. The planet was so heavily guarded that no Jedi had even attempted to go there. She dreaded to think that Anakin and Obi-Wan would try, no matter how amazing this woman they were trying to save was.
"I need to go." Anakin says to her. "You understand? I'm sorry."
She nods, letting him run off and hearing the lift open for him. Oh, be safe Ani. Don't go dying for some woman that's gotten herself captured.
Obi-Wan was sitting in a control room when Anakin rushed in, breathing shallowly since he'd clearly been running from wherever he came from. He would have called Ahsoka and Barriss too, but they were watching the younglings with Master Yoda for the afternoon so he thought he'd brief them later.
"I came as fast as I could." Anakin gasps, leaning against the wall as he caught his breath.
"Clearly." Obi-Wan replies, raising an eyebrow that makes Anakin snigger. It's soon forgotten as Obi-Wan brings up a hologram of Serenno and they observe it. "It's a rural planet, Dooku's home. Apparently he has a palace there in which he has held multiple prisoners in the past and subjected them to unimaginable torture. No enemy of his gets out of there alive, at least no one had to date." He gulps as he says it, thinking of poor Luminara. "It's a stronghold. There's a whole Separatist fleet protecting it. We'll have to plan extensively if we're going to get in."
Anakin studies the planet, in deep thought. "There must be some way in."
"The only thing I could think of was entering in disguise with someone who visits him amicably, and the only person I could think of filling that criteria was Asajj Ventress." Obi-Wan says, wondering how on earth they were going to get her to help them.
Anakin lets of a bitter laugh. "I love her. This should be easy."
"I wish I could think like you do." Obi-Wan replies, but he's smirking. "I'll talk to the council about building up a plan tomorrow. Do you know when Ahsoka and Barriss will be done with the younglings?"
"No clue." Anakin is still looking at the planet studiously, like he's trying to figure out to get there through the hologram. "I can check, if you like."
Obi-Wan shakes his head, "No. That's fine—can we just go to the canteen? I haven't eaten all day because I've been tracking the lightsaber and I'm starved."
"I'd love to, Master." Anakin says, smiling despite the situation. "I could have a Puff cake myself, now I'm thinking about it. And maybe a cookie. You know, the kind with Warra nuts in it. Oh, and maybe some stew. It goes well with everything, stew does."
Obi-Wan rolls his eyes. "You're going to hover up the entire canteen one day, you know that?"
"And Master Vos? Do you like him, are you two close?" Dooku asks her, reclining on her bed as she sorts through the books. They hadn't been arranged in alphabetical order, and it was annoying her. He was annoying her too.
"We are acquainted, that is all." Luminara replies, not bothering to look at him. It's been two and a half months now since her arrival—at least that's what Dooku said, and she isn't sure why he'd lie about that—and she is getting quite sick of their daily catch-ups. He was getting increasingly interested in her relationships with the other Jedi. He'd asked her about every Jedi she could think of and a few senators too.
His nature is quite relaxed around her; she assumes this is because he wants her to relax around him. She never will, and he must know that, but he had still been trying his hardest. "What's your opinion of love, Luminara?" He asks and she tenses, giving him a glare.
"It's not a subject I know anything of. I am a Jedi, the Jedi do not love. I would have thought you'd remember that since you were once a Jedi like me." She says simply, desperately trying to banish Obi-Wan's face from her mind. If she gets too sentimental about him Dooku will be able to sense it, and that is exactly the opposite of what she wants. "And I never gave you permission to call be Luminara. Master Unduli will do just fine."
He frowns. "Oh, aren't we friends, Master Unduli?" He feigns upset, and Luminara fights the urge to slap him.
"I am your captive. We are not friends."
"Of course you'd think that. You're a Jedi." He mutters, sticking his feet up on her bed and calling on the force to knock the books she'd neatly stacked onto the shelves onto the floor. She glares at him, but says nothing, simply picking them back up. "But don't you ever wonder what it'd be like to feel something real? With another person, I mean?"
"No." She says quickly and firmly. "Jedi do not love. Love leads to anger, and anger takes you down a path you can never come back from." She looks at him then, hatred clear as day. "That's the path you stepped on years ago. I'm sure you're familiar with it."
He doesn't appear to believe her at all. Stupid bastard, she thinks to herself. Though he's not stupid, and she knows it. Count Dooku had been trying to give her the impression of being omniscient, and while she knows this isn't possible, she can't help feeling like he knows something she doesn't. Though, when she thinks about it, he probably does. Because she doesn't know why he's keeping her prisoner like this, and he—unless he's gone completely mad—does. "Spoken like a true Jedi." He tells her, a grin playing over his features.
He gets up, opening the door to leave and then pausing. "I think you lie far more easily that you intend to, Master Unduli." He says. "And we all know what path that leads down..."