Title: Sith do not cry
Author Jenna Raven Rose
Chapter 2 of 2
Padiwan Anakin Skywalker" said the older man as though he were introducing himself to a potential friend. She frowned and conceded one small point what would her name matter. "Why do you want to know?" she asked. The padiwan was staring at her, "because we are curious as to why a Sith is on corusant" said the older one.
She felt a gentle push of the force and realized the padiwan had pushed back her hood. She frowned in irritation because the boy was still staring at her. "Do you like what you see? Perhaps you should take a holo it'll last longer," she said suddenly irritated by the boys manners. He blushed in response but looked at his master instead. "Perhaps we shall," said the older Jedi. She envisioned her picture on wanted holo's across the galaxy. They were both scrutinizing her now. She held her ground and watched them in return. "What were you doing at the club?" asked obi.
'Why is that any business of yours?" she replied. The lift came to a stop and she moved towards the door. The boy pushed the close button before the doors were fully opened and the lift continued. "Jedi business" he cited to the angry protests from the people waiting on that floor. "Who is your master?" she laughed at him.
The lift stopped again and the door opened a child rushedin and Anakin almost closed the doors on the harried father. The dad scooped up the child and held her. The child stared at the woman standing behind her dad "are you a Jedi?" asked the child innocently. "No" she replied "then why are you wearing a light saber?" asked the child. "We also use light sabers" she replied casually.
"We who?" asked the kid obviously curious. Raven sighed, kids "the Sith" she replied "what is a Sith? 'asked the child
"The reason you don't talk to strangers" she answered. The kid shuddered and she could feel the child's fear. The lift stopped and the man hurried off the elevator with his child clutched tightly in his arms. The two Jedi remained silent through the whole exchange. By the look on their faces she could tell that they were surprised at her behavior.
Perhaps they thought she would hurt the child, she had noted that their hands had strayed awfully close to their saber hilts. She smiled glad to at least catch them off guard somewhat. "Why are you here?" asked the master. She frowned so it was back to that. "I'm enjoying a night on the town" she answered as if they would believe her anyway. She could have told them she was writing their epitaph they might have believed that.
The boy was still staring so she stared back a pity he was so young, he was actually quite cute. She had the satisfaction of seeing him blush. "Now I remember where I saw you" said the elder Jedi. She rose a single eyebrow in curiosity "really where?" She asked curious a little herself. She also felt she knew this man but couldn't place him. "In the temple, your one of the lost twenty!" said the boy. Voicing what his master was going to say, the elder glared at him.
She didn't bother to deny it; yes she had been a Jedi once upon a time before, well before she woke up. She nodded "we're right aren't we?" the boy pressed. The boy seemed to be trying to remember a name. "Your…Verilyn Lux aren't you?" she nodded. Yes that used to be her name a long time ago; so long she had almost forgotten it herself.
"You were at the temple the same time I was" said Obi rembering a younger version of the woman before him. One with light in her once blue eyes and a warm friendly smile. He wondered what happened to her to darken it. "You know her Master?" asked Anakin "once, along time ago" said Obi.
"She was Master Windu's Padiwan, we all thought she died on a mission" answered Obi staring right at her. She looked at the floor. "Why didn't you come back?" he asked. "No one bothered to look for me" She said softly "it was your trials you were supposed to find your own way home," said Obi wan
She looked at the older one closer trying to put a face and name to an old memory. "Ben?" she said using his old childhood nickname. "Yes it's me, Veri" she frowned he still remembered her nickname as well. "Who?" she asked indicating the robes. That's right he rembered she had vanished a few days before Qui gon had chosen him. "Qui Gon Jinn" he said.
"How is he?" she asked. She saw the flicker of pain in his eyes "dead, he died on Naboo" she stiffened "who?" she asked wondering "a Sith, a Zabrakian" He answered "Darth Maul," she said it like a curse. "You killed him for it I hope" if not she would personally. He nodded yes "good" she said. Qui Gon had been a friend to her whether she was a Sith or not he still was, at least in her book. "I'm sorry," she said, " he was a good man," she said softly
"Who?" he asked indicating her robes "Darth Tyrannus" she answered. "So the rumors were true," he said "what rumors?" she asked suspiciously. "That you and Dooku were lovers" he said she looked mortally offended and a little grossed out. "Eeew No! that was not true" Though grudgingly she admitted that perhaps he did find her attractive. "If you didn't love him why did you leave the order for him" asked Obi sounding very confused. He had assumed that there was something going on between them but she just denied it.
She sighed " I didn't leave the order for love Obi, I left it because I lost faith in it" she answered softly
"Come back with us, Master Windu will surely wish to know you're alive," said the kid. So young, so naïve she thought I pity the universe the day this child wakes up.
"I doubt that" she said envisioning the hurt on her former masters face. "Besides I wouldn't make it through the front door kid" she said envisioning herself dying on the front steps at the hand of one of her former mentors. "We would rather you come with us willingly" said Obi. "Or you'll do what, try and take me by force" she said coldly sneering as she did so.
The boy tightened his grip on his saber."Veri wait, he misses you just tell him he didn't send you to your death" said Obi "and comfort him by letting him know he did worse?" she answered. "Then do it for Siri's sake" said Obi
"Siri's dead Obi, I doubt my decisions carry any weight with her" she said bitterly "no, but her memory should" he said softly. She looked away from him anywhere but at him. Her vision blurred and she wiped at her eye.
The hand came back wet."Sith don't cry, Veri," said Obi softly. He wanted to reach out and hold her, as he would have a long time ago. "Guess I'm not a very good Sith either" she said with a bitter laugh. He extended his arms to her and she hesitated but allowed the embrace. If it was a trick then so be it.
"Come home Veri, we all miss you" he said softly into the younger woman's hair. She sighed it felt so good in Obi's arms. She just wanted to stay there and forget they had ever been enemies. She didn't blame Siri for loving Obi, she saw why. She kept her face buried for a moment breathing in the mans' scent and committing the smell to memory.
She force pushed one of the buttons for the next floor and the lift came to a stop. She broke off the embrace. "Once you leave that way you can never go back, you know that," she said softly.
She started for the door "just tell him I'm alive" she said, "he'll ask about the rest" said Obi. "Yeah I know just tell him… tell him if he wants to talk to me to leave a message for me at the Corellian Whore, it's a bar" she said, "The bartender will deliver it" she started to walk out the door.
Anakin stepped in her way "Obi tell your padiwan to get out of my way I don't want to hurt him, but that doesn't mean I won't" she said
"Anakin, move, let her go" said Obi "but master," said Anakin protesting letting a Sith go "get out of her way Anakin, now" said Obi in a tone that brooked no defiance. He saw that she was reaching for her saber. The boy stepped aside and the Sith woman went out the door. She glanced at the boy one last time and then vanished into the underground night.
"Master why did you let her go?' Anakin asked as the doors closed and the lift began to rise again. "Because she's not entirely evil," said Obi "how do you know that master?" asked Anakin sounding very confused. "Because Sith do not Cry" he answered simply and left it at that.
The end