Obi-Wan handed her a cup of water as he sat down across from Ariea. "It is comforting to be in the presence of a force user. It has been too long."
She tilted her head. "I never found it comforting. Being in his presence was nerve wracking and painful." Her hand absentmindedly rubbed a scar on her lower arm.
He reached for her hand and pulled her sleeve up enough to catch a glimpse of several scars. "What did he do to you?"
"This was one of his many attempts to pull me completely into the dark." Her eyes pricked with tears. She hadn't talked to a soul about her experience. She had suppressed the memories of the torture she endured.
The older man's eyes softened. "How old were you when you finally left?"
"16." She replied.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "If you would like I can try and help you let go of that experience and find peace."
Ariea looked into his eyes, her own filled with surprise and gratitude. "I'd like that a lot."
Scene
It had been a month since Obi-Wan had started to teach Ariea how to properly meditate. Two weeks in he discovered that she had never found shelter and insisted that she stay in his spare room until she found one.
He told her about the height of the Jedi Order. All of his friends that had been killed. And he told her how he had been forced to fight his former apprentice that he considered a brother. He had never shared the details of that day with anyone before and she comforted him as he broke down. "He left me no choice." He choked as he told her how it ended.
Ariea moved to sit next to him and grabbed his hand. "You did what you had to do Obi-Wan. The person you knew was no longer there."
He looked into her eyes, his own glassy with unshed tears. At that moment he felt something that had been forbidden to him for so long. Something that Jedi were denied. His eyes flitted to her lips and then back to hers. Her expression did not change but it did not show any sign of denial or disgust. Slowly, he lent in a brushed his lips against hers. She was hesitant at first but after a few beats she responded. Snaking an arm around her back, he pulled her closer to him. The kiss did not last long as she pulled away, placing her forehead against his. "I can't do this. Not when there is so much about me you don't know."
"Of course I know about you." He insisted, leaning forward to recapture her lips.
She pushed away and stood up. Turning she looking out the window. "No, you don't."
"What is it that I don't know about you?" Obi-Wan pressed.
"You don't know where I come from." Ariea responded.
"That doesn't matter." He walked up behind her and placed a hand on the small of her back.
She shook her head. "This will matter. I'm afraid if you know it will change how you feel about me. That I will lose everything I have gained this past month."
"That won't happen." He insisted.
She turned to him, frowning. "I know it will."
"Just tell me. What is this horrible secret that you believe will cause me to change how I feel about you?" He said reaching for her hand.
"You know I was trained by Sidious but you never once asked me why. Why he would take another apprentice when you know he had others during that time?" She started.
"I just assumed he wanted to replace them with you. That he saw to raw power and wanted it for himself." Obi-Wan explained.
"At first the others were holdovers until I go stronger. But then, then I became a disappointment. I didn't grow into what he wanted. It didn't matter what he did. The dark side just wasn't in me. At least, not how he wanted it to me."
"How did you get out alive?" The Jedi asked.
"I think he believed I would return. That I was simply rebeling." Ariea shrugged.
"Rebeling?" He questioned.
She paused. "Yes, like most children do against their parents."