Lord Avarik stormed down the hall, a growl of anger passing his lips as he moved away from his quarters. Through his eyes, Aila did not understand anything. Everything he had done was for her and she was throwing it all away because she did not approve of his current alliance with the Sith. She failed to realize that it was the Jedi that had tried to split them apart, not the Sith. Additionally, that alliance with the Sith was only temporary until he had formed a plan to oust his current Master and seize control for himself. He could not fathom how Aila could be against this, as Emperor and Empress they could dictate the laws of the galaxy and build a safe and secure world that accepted them and allowed them to raise their family.
With a frustrated roar, Avarik abruptly turned on his heel, his eyes flashing dangerously. His actions startled a few members of his crew that had been walking a short distance behind him. They immediately fled down the corridor in the hope that they could evade their commanding officer's volatile wrath.
For the last few weeks, Avarik had agonized over the loss of his wife and now that he had found her she had promptly cut off their Force bond in an attempt to punish him for "kidnapping," her. He had not "kidnapped" her. She had said herself that she would have gone with him, so she was a willing party in this, not a victim. She was being stubborn for no reason and he refused to let her shut him out of her life. She was his wife, and soon to be mother of his son and he was going to be a part of her life whether she liked it or not.
His intent was to march back to his quarters and force Aila to see things his way. Although the Jedi had warned him against such actions he was readying himself to alter her memories to achieve the desired results. Around him, the Force rippled a warning at this, but Avarik was too focused on his anger to notice it. Just as he was about to open the door to his quarters, a voice in the Force made one last plea. "She loves you."
Avarik's right hand froze over the door as his mind processed that last statement. He clenched his hand into a fist as his conscience fought with him. Aila had said that she loved him, and despite their argument he loved her as well. He might want to grab her and kiss her stubborn lips into submission, but in the end a kiss was a show of love and not anger.
Continuing to fight with himself, Avarik clenched and unclenched his fist several times before he forced himself to turn from the door to his quarters. He exhaled a frustrated sigh as he absently made his way towards the strategy room, which besides the room Aila now occupied, had become his sanctuary of late. However, this time he was not going to be mourning a loss, but thinking of a way to convince Aila to let him back into her life.
Aila's tears had stifled so her body was only racked with shaky sniffles. She was still sitting on the bed she had settled herself upon after Lord Avarik had left. The room was a drab gray color, mimicking the gloominess of her own feelings. The room was simply furnished, only a small bed, closet, a few sparse shelves, and a doorway that led to what Aila assumed was the fresher. It looked nothing like the apartment she had shared with Obi-Wan.
However, Aila was not interested in her surroundings; her mind was focused on what she had just done. She held her head in her hands, slowly massaging the ache in her forehead caused by her tears. She always dreaded closing her Force bond off with her husband. Every time he went away on a mission for the Jedi Council, she always flinched when their bond had been closed. She hated the feeling of emptiness that accompanied it.
Whenever Obi-Wan had returned to her and their bond had been opened she had relished in the feelings of love that emanated from him to her. Similarly, when he had awoken her on Earth a few hours ago, she had felt great elation and relief at being able to feel him both physically and through their bond. She had felt alone when she thought he was dead and had been elated to find she had been wrong.
However, all of her happiness diminished when she had found out what Obi-Wan had done to both her and her parents. Once again he had manipulated her to get what he wanted. Yes, Aila knew in her heart she would have gone with him, but he should have given her the opportunity to make that decision on her own. Her parents probably would have argued against that decision, but Aila should have been given the chance to talk to them herself. Instead, Obi-Wan, or Lord Avarik as he called himself, had forced her into a decision.
A long time ago, Obi-Wan would have never done that. It was not until the Sith started sinking his claws into him that Obi-Wan began manipulating her mind and consciousness to hide his dark activities. Their relationship had gone from being open to one clouded with secrets and lies.
Now that they had been reunited she was not going to let Obi-Wan treat her like that again. Additionally, she was not going to let him force her on a dark path that he had mistakenly decided to follow. As that thought crossed her mind she remembered her last statement to him. "I married Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. Until he shows his face again, I will not open up that bond. A Sith does not deserve it."
Aila's eyes scrunched in a pain filled grimace as she recalled this statement. The man who had just stormed out of the room had been Darth Avarik and not Obi-Wan Kenobi. Her husband would have never been as cold and callous as the Sith Lord had been.
To mock these thoughts another memory from her argument with the Sith came to the forefront of her mind. A few moments ago, Avarik's hand gently caressed her cheek while he softly apologized to her. "I'm sorry."
Aila slid her hand from her forehead to the spot the Sith had caressed. She still remembered the familiar brush of his fingertips. That gesture had not been from Avarik, but from Obi-Wan. In essence she was living with two men, one light and one dark, a man she loved and one she hated. She had just argued with Lord Avarik and closed her Force bond to hurt him, but at the same time she was also hurting Obi-Wan and that filled heart with regret.
Aila gave a weary sigh as she fought the urge to open her Force bond with her husband. She was struggling against the guilt that she had hurt Obi-Wan and the anger that Lord Avarik had used the Force to manipulate her. Additionally, Lord Avarik had practically threatened to continue to use the Force against her if she did not follow his wishes.
Silence permeated the room while Aila mulled things over. Deep in thought, she jumped in surprise when an unfamiliar male voice called out. "You know, he does love you."
"Who… who is that?" Aila asked shakily, scanning the room for the voice's source and growing more concerned when she could not find anyone.
"A friend to both you and Obi-Wan, even if he will not listen to me." The voice answered.
There was something familiar about the voice, but Aila could not recall its origin. Therefore, while she continued to scan the room for the voice's source, she repeated her previous question. "Who are you?"
"Qui-Gon Jinn, milady. Your husband's former mentor."
