The Color of Truth: The Places in Between

Chapter Twenty-Seven

As everyone from the town and the Temple enjoyed the warmth of the evening fire, it became obvious there was someone missing.

I enjoyed the camaraderie of gathering together to sip on a hot beverage each evening while remarking on the hopes of a successful sap or flax harvest. It was always an enjoyable time and had given us the opportunity to get to know the townspeople. No one else seemed to enjoy it as much as Leia, though, which is why I worried how long it would be before she returned to her normal life.

I sat next to her father and sipped on my spiced tea. There was a chill in the air tonight and I had brought along a wonderfully soft quilt Dela had made for me last year to lay across my lap. Off in the distance at the top of a knoll next to the Temple, I could see the shadowed form of Leia. Instead of staring into the fire, she had chosen to keep her distance and stare upward at the stars.

Everyone was concerned. It had been a month since Jaxson's death and although she hadn't actually mourned for long, she had been moping around since.

"I know," Obi-Wan said quietly. "I'm worried about her as well."

It was true that I missed the bond. Because of it, Obi-Wan and I had been able to become closer than most in a short time. However, we'd been together long enough to realize what the other one was thinking without its help.

"She won't even talk to me about it," I complained. What she had done was necessary to protect me, though her method of justice had to have bothered her. Leia was too sweet-natured for it not to. "What do you suppose she thinks about every night while she searches the sky?"

"We all have our different ways to connect to the Force," Obi-Wan informed me.

"Do you think that's all it is? She's meditating?" Obi-Wan always seemed more peaceful and content after his meditations. Our daughter didn't appear to change at all. I was worried this difficult lesson in love and trust had damaged her in more ways than one. She didn't seem as playful or happy as she once was.

I attempted to distract myself by listening to stories I'd heard at least a dozen times before when Leia surprisingly joined us. And not only that, she smiled and sat down at our feet

As casually as she could, she turned her head and announced. "A Jedi is coming. Her name is Aayla. We've been in contact for a while, but like me, she isn't very trusting. She's Twi-Lek and should arrive tomorrow."

We glanced over to Qui-Gon who shrugged his shoulders. He didn't know a thing. Neither did Quinlan apparently.

"You can reach them?" Obi-Wan asked, his surprise evident.

"Sure," Leia replied. "There's a few more, but I can only focus on one at a time. I like Aayla. She seems nice."

"Well, ok," Obi-Wan said, smiling contently at me while taking my hand.

I wasn't satisfied yet and had more questions. "So, that's what you've been doing this entire time up on that hill? You've been contacting other Jedi?"

"Yeah," she answered casually as if we ought to understand. "Although not at first. I was just looking for answers. Why I am the way I am and what I'm supposed to do. Where do I fit in? The Force must've been listening, because one night, Aayla answered. There are many Jedi out there like me. More than we thought. I'll invite them all, and maybe then I won't feel so alone."

Obi-Wan squeezed my hand. "You'll never be alone," he reassured her.

"That's right," I concurred. "Your Dad and I will always be here for you."

"Realistically, that's not possible," she argued sweetly. "But it's good to know that my life now has a purpose. I've discovered my own truth and I'm quite happy about that."

Our attention was drawn back to the fire where I envisioned a future that didn't necessarily reside in the Light, but it didn't thrive in the Darkness either. It was located somewhere in between, which is the only place true balance can be after all.

/End

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