Chapter One: Things Left Unspoken

Approximately two years after the start of the Clone Wars...

Nine months ago, had anyone asked the clone captain Stonewall if he'd ever considered the idea of entering the Jedi Temple and just walking up to a certain Knight's quarters, he would have thought them to be a few players short of a bolo-ball team. However, there had been some function a few months ago – a meeting of generals and clone officers that Chancellor Palpatine had arranged – so the Jedi had been asked to show the clones around their Temple. It had been a much talked-about affair, for the Order was reticent to let outsiders meander through the hallways of their home, but in the end it had turned out to be quite a pleasant evening.

At least, it had been so for Stonewall and Kalinda.

At some point during the affair she had approached him and indicated that he should follow her out of the main room and into one of the ubiquitous turbolifts that were situated throughout the Temple. As they rode he'd asked her where they were going but she only smiled at him and said nothing until they reached a long corridor. She led him past a series of identical doors before stopping at one and holding out her hand, which he'd taken.

"Here we are," she'd said to him as the door slid open. "Home sweet home."

Even now the memory made him smile.

It was late afternoon when he made his way through the rear entrance to the Temple, pausing only to swipe his guest pass at the panel stationed at the inner door before heading to the nearest turbolift that would deposit him on Kali's floor. The Temple was quiet, almost unnervingly so; most of the Jedi were involved in the battles that were raging all across the galaxy. Stonewall saw no one besides a group of younglings who did not spare him a second glance as he stepped into the lift, which indicated that it was not so uncommon to see clones in the Jedi Temple, though it was by no means the norm.

His body sank down slightly with the upwards acceleration of the lift. Nice to have a little bit of leave after we've been running around the galaxy for so long. This thought made him pause, as he knew that most of his brothers would not share his view on the situation; indeed, the other members of his small squad had been chafing at the hiatus from action as much as he'd been enjoying it. Though I suppose our experiences have been very different this past week.

When the lift stopped and the door opened, Stone made his way to one of the identical doors down the carpeted hallway, pausing at his goal to take a deep breath as he reached for the chime that would announce his presence. Tonight's the night I'm going to tell her.

Before he could activate the chime, however, the door to Kali's quarters slid open, revealing the dark-haired Jedi he had begun working with over nine months ago. "Hello there, Captain," she said with a grin that he had come to know well. She wasn't wearing her traditional tunic and robe; instead she was dressed in a soft, light-blue dress that fell to her knees, below which she was barefoot.

"General," he replied with the best salute he could manage, given the things he carried. "Mind giving me a hand?" He indicated several canvas bags that he'd brought along with his pack and she took a few, her expression puzzled as the clone entered the room and made his way to the cooking area. Though he had not seen any other Jedi's quarters, Kali had told him that all Knights were allotted the same type of space: a small apartment that featured a living area, bedroom, 'fresher and kitchenette. The colors were soft and muted, though he could see Kalinda's hand in multiple places, namely the row of gleaming instruments along one wall of the living area.

"What's all this?" she asked, watching as he placed the bags on the small counter and began rifling through them.

Stonewall pulled out several containers of fresh vegetables and assorted other foodstuffs. "Dinner." He glanced at Kali and smiled to himself at the startled look on her face as she watched him arrange the food on the counter. "I said that I had a surprise for you, remember?" The kitchenette in her quarters was small but sufficiently equipped, so he'd only had to bring a few additional items to put his idea into action. "You look lovely, by the way."

"I thought you'd like it," she said after she thanked him, though she continued to stare as he worked. "You can cook?" Her tone was incredulous as he pulled out a few large utensils from the nearest bag and set them beside the stove.

The clone captain turned to face her. "Better than you? Yes, very much so." He raised an eyebrow and kept his face as serious as he could as she studied him.

At this she chuckled. "I wouldn't gloat, Captain. That's not saying much." With a laugh, Stonewall continued to arrange ingredients before reaching below the small stove, opening a wide compartment and pulling out an assortment of pots and pans, all coated with a thick layer of dust. Kali gaped at him. "How did you...has that stuff been there all along?"

It was Stonewall's turn to look surprised, though he realized in a moment that he shouldn't have been. "Saw them the last time I was here. You didn't know?" He turned to the sink and began rinsing off one of the larger pots.

Shaking her head, Kali began to investigate the food that he'd set out. "That's what restaurants are for. And we have a perfectly nice refectory a few levels down." She held up a purple and white striped fruit and sniffed it. "Where did you get all this?"

"I have my methods," he replied, grinning as he reached for another pan to rinse off.

She regarded him a moment longer before shaking her head and smiling as she leaned back against the counter alongside him. "Need any help?"

Stone set the pans aside and glanced around. "I think I'll be okay. Besides, if you want to help, I'll have to ask that you first get a fire extinguisher out so we can be prepared." He moved to stand before her and put his hand on her waist, the other reaching up to smooth a strand of hair off of her forehead.

Kali cast her eyes to the ceiling. "That was one time, Stone," she replied, shaking her head as she leaned into him. "And it was months ago...are you ever going to let me live it down?"

"It took the entire squad almost an hour to put out that fire," he replied as he held her close. "That bit of forest on Agamar will never be the same...so, no. I won't." Keeping his mouth in a firm line he looked down at her, willing himself not to laugh as she gave him a mock glare.

In response, she leaned up and kissed him; the sensation still sent chills down his spine, even after almost a year in each others' company and he found that he never wanted to stop. It feels so right when we're together. Nothing else could ever be as good as this.

However, in that moment her comm began to chirp and they broke apart. Kalinda sighed and cleared her throat before activating the device to voice-only. "Yes?"

"General Halcyon." Mace Windu's voice almost echoed in the small space. "Please report to the Council chambers at once." Without waiting for a response he signed off, leaving Kali and Stone in silence. After a moment she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry, Stone," she said. "Duty calls. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He cupped her cheek and held their faces close. "Come back hungry." She smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him hard one more time before she moved away to pull on her boots, throw her robe over her dress and exit the room, leaving him alone in her quarters. For a moment, Stonewall could still feel her body against his and he gave a quiet sigh before he returned to his bags and pulled out one last item: a datapad that contained the recipes he was planning to re-create.

Several minutes later he had a pot of sauce simmering on the stove and was checking the 'pad for the next step; he selected a portion of vegetables and began to chop them into small pieces while he considered his plan as he made sure that the measurements were correct. It may not be how these things are supposed to go. But I think it will be nice, anyway. With this notion he felt his stomach churn with nerves, though he tried to push the feeling aside and focus on the task at hand. At least, I hope it will be.


Kalinda's footsteps echoed down the hallways as she hurried from the turbolift to the Council chambers, though she paused outside the door and took a few deep breaths to steady herself and smooth out her robe. Hopefully this won't take too long. Stone seemed like he had something on his mind. Once she was sure that she looked presentable she entered the wide doors. The room was spacious, with massive windows that overlooked the streams of traffic that moved through the Coruscanti sky.

With the recent wars, most of the Council members were away on campaigns, so there were only Masters Yoda, Windu, and Obi-Wan present. Though it had been some time since Kali had spoken to her former lover, she found that being in his presence again was...strange. It doesn't hurt like it used to. That's got to be a good sign. Perhaps things have changed for the better.

Mace Windu nodded to her once in greeting before he began to speak. "I know that you were supposed to be on leave through the end of the week," he began. "But a situation has come up that requires your immediate attention."

"Of course, Master." She held her disappointment back, as she had hoped to spend every bit of her free time with Stone. "What's the problem?"

"The system of Aruna is experiencing some turmoil," he continued. "You recall King Badal and his Queen?"

At the mention of that particular planet, Kali felt her throat tighten, though she refused to look at Obi-Wan as she nodded. "Of course, Master."

Yoda's large eyes studied her, giving the impression that he was not fooled by her outward composure. "Died, the king has. Some six months ago." His eyes closed for a moment before opening and looking back at her. "Much disorder there has been, in the time since. Considering joining the Separatists, the young queen is."

Kali's brows knitted. "But why? Aruna has always been a strong supporter of the Republic."

"That's what we're hoping to uncover," Obi-Wan said, causing her to turn to him. "The Queen has requested a meeting with us."

"Us?" Her stomach turned to ice as her earlier feeling of complacency vanished. He can't mean...

Obi-Wan gave her a tight smile. "Queen Sita has asked us to speak to her Parliament on the Republic's behalf, Kalinda."

"You will both journey there tomorrow," Mace Windu said, leaning back in his chair. "But there is more..." He paused and shared a glance with Yoda before continuing. "We need to know if the Separatists could be behind some of the trouble on Aruna. Your squad will accompany you and see if they can't get to the bottom of this matter. They have proven themselves to be suited for the task." His words gave Kali a glow of pride as she thought of the team of clones she'd been working with for the past six months.

"Is there anything else?"

Mace shook his head. "No. You may go. Obi-Wan will brief you on the details. May the Force be with you."

Nodding, Kalinda exited the room as quickly as she could, though she heard Obi-Wan's footsteps behind her. After their last shared mission on Basrah – over six months ago – she had taken great pains to close her mind to him, both to keep him from knowing that he had hurt her again and because it was easier to do so rather than dwell on the broken bond; in the past they had been able to communicate through the Force, but she found that it was easier to cut him off completely than leave any part of herself open to him.

The turbolift doors were open before her as if in invitation and for a split-second she considered rushing for them. But we're not kids anymore. We have a mission and a duty. With that thought she paused and waited for him to reach her.

For a few moments they simply stood before each other in the corridor; he looked older, she realized, more careworn and tired. But his eyes...his eyes are the same, even after all these years. Underneath everything, he's still Ben. The thought brought back a rush of emotion that she was hard-pressed to push to the side, though she managed.

"Are you alright?"

His voice snapped her out of her reverie and she shook her head. "No. I mean...yes, I am." Frowning, she took a deep breath while trying to be discreet about it. "Badal's death...it's just a surprise. Poor Sita; I can only imagine what she's going through right now."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I know. I felt the same way when we received her message. She still looks so young..." he trailed off in thought. "There have been...happenings, according to her, that we think may be linked to the Separatists."

"Happenings?"

"She was unclear," he replied. "But it seems as though their gods are angry now that she is the sole ruler on the throne and are making their displeasure known." At this they shared a look; a very similar thing had happened during their last mission to Aruna, though they were able to save the young woman's life in the end and bring peace to the world.

Kalinda leaned against the wall beside the turbolift and crossed her arms, trying not to think of Stonewall in her quarters, cooking her a delicious meal. "More 'signs' from the gods?"

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and ran a hand through his beard. "Of a different nature, I believe," he said. "As I said, she was unclear as to the specifics." He was silent for a moment and Kali felt a flicker of impatience, though she tamped it down as she smoothed out her dress. At this, Obi-Wan looked at her. "You look nice." There was a hint of a question in his tone, though he didn't voice it.

"Thank you."

After another moment he inhaled deeply and gave her a polite smile. "Well," he said, gesturing to the turbolift. "I'll let you get on your way. We'll have plenty of time to discuss this tomorrow. Shall we set out at 1500 hours? Will that give your men enough time?"

"It should be fine. I know they're anxious to get going again."

He activated the turbolift door for her. "Until tomorrow, Kalinda."

She nodded and stepped inside. "Until then."


Stonewall had just set down the last plate when Kali returned to her quarters; it had taken a little bit longer than he'd anticipated to cook the meal, but he was pleased with the results. As he looked up to greet her, he noticed that she seemed a bit shell-shocked as she stood just within the threshold for a moment, her gaze fixed on the floor. "Is everything okay?" he asked, coming to her side. "What did they say?"

Rather than answer him right away she blinked and looked around her quarters: he'd lit at least a dozen candles and set them around the area that functioned as a dining room; the table was set with plates and flatware that she'd had on hand and he'd managed to find some ambient music that he knew she liked on the radio. The room was bathed in a soft, golden glow and filled with the scent of the food he'd cooked. She stepped to the table and studied it before turning back to him, her dark eyes wide. "Stone...what is all this?"

"I told you," he replied, feeling uneasy at her startled expression. "I wanted to have dinner with you." He frowned. "Is it okay?"

"It's perfect," she replied; he was relieved to see that she was regarding him with tenderness. "You don't do anything half-assed, do you?"

Laughing, he pulled out her chair and handed her a glass of pale wine as she sat down. "Corellian?" she asked as she sipped it. He nodded and she looked up at him, her smile wide. "You never cease to surprise me." She watched as he laid the food down in front of her. "Thank you, Stone. It's lovely...everything is just perfect."

"Don't say 'perfect' until you've tried it," he replied as he took his own seat across from her. "This was my first attempt." He lifted his glass and she did as well; they clinked together with a light, musical sound. "To nine months," he said with a smile at her. "Here's hoping we have more."

"Many more." He knew her well enough to see that she was still distressed, though he could tell that she was attempting to mask the feeling as they began to eat. After a few bites she grinned at him. "Delicious...and I've never had anyone cook for me like this before."

"Really?" he asked, pleased. "I find that hard to believe."

Spearing a piece of vegetable she smiled again. "Well, unless you count the field rations that Crest has prepared." At this she paused and looked at him. "How are the others? I haven't seen them this week."

"Anxious, from what I can tell," he said after a moment. "They don't like sitting around Coruscant quite as much as I do."

She seemed to consider something for a moment. "Well, they can relax," she said. "We have a new mission." After she explained the particulars to him, he nodded.

"I'll let them know when we're done here," he replied. "Aruna. Should be interesting." Again, he smiled at her but she merely looked down at her plate. "Kali...is something wrong?"

He watched as she sighed and reached for her wineglass, taking a deep drink before looking at him. "Obi-Wan's coming as well," she said after a moment, studying the pale liquid. "We were there for her wedding some years ago and the queen requested that we both return to offer some assistance now." She met his gaze and he was struck by the agitation in her eyes.

Stonewall nodded, though inwardly he frowned at the mention of the Jedi's name as his memory cast back to a night just over nine months ago, after Basrah. It was the first time that he'd seen anyone, let alone a Jedi, look quite as stricken and pained as Kali had and it had all been because of her relationship with Obi-Wan. General Kenobi, he thought, chiding himself. It won't do to have you thinking of him in any other way besides 'General.' He looked back at her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure," she replied after a moment. "I think so. It's just...unexpected." She took a deep breath and seemed to mentally shake something away. "In any case, it doesn't matter right now," she said, straightening and sipping her wine again. "Thank you again for all this, Stone. It's wonderful...but, is everything okay on your end? You seem a little nervous."

Jedi senses. Of course, the woman I fall for happens to be one who can pretty much read my mind. "I was worried it wouldn't turn out well," he said, indicating the food. "I've never cooked like this before." It was true, but it was not the truth.

She reached across the table and took his hand. "Well, you can be rest assured that it's amazing, Stone. Thank you."


Later, when they were in her bed and she was drifting to sleep, he was wide awake. I should have told her, he thought as he looked down at Kali's somnolent form beside him. But she seems troubled by this new assignment...it wasn't the right time. Soon, though. She stirred and nestled closer into him, wrapping her arm around his chest and heaving a sigh when he stroked a lock of dark hair off of her face. After a few more minutes he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but couldn't get the restless, anxious feeling out of his mind. I do wish I had been able to say it. His arm tightened around her shoulders. One way or another, I have to tell her.