Disclaimer: As much as I wish it were otherwise, I don't own Star Wars


Commander Bly sat on the bunk in his quarters, staring down at the helmet he held between his hands. He knew he should take off his armor, grab a shower, and get some sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to rise from the bunk. He raked a shaking hand through his short hair and took several deep breaths. It didn't help. The edgy, unsettled feeling didn't leave.

Bly had been training for combat his whole life and had spent the last two and a half years at war. Still, nothing had prepared him for the fear and utter helplessness of being held prisoner. He hadn't been held long, and his captors hadn't had a chance to torture or question him, but it had scared him more than he thought should be possible, especially for a commander of his rank and experience. He had never felt such relief before in his life as when General Secura and a squad of troopers pulled him out of the cell.

That was another thing that was bothering him. He had felt relief when he first saw his general, but there had been something else, too. It was something he had felt several times in the past when he was around General Secura, but it had never been so strong before. It was an emotion he had no name for, and he wasn't even sure what it was. Only that it caused his heart to leap when he saw her and left him feeling unsettled.

Bly scowled at his helmet. Thinking and wondering weren't getting him anywhere. He was a commander. The other troopers were counting on him. He just needed to move past what happened and get on with the next mission. Standing, he placed his helmet carefully on the bunk and was about to undo his armor when the buzzer outside his door sounded.

"Come in," he called, unfastening his pauldron.

He dropped it beside his helmet and turned to find General Secura stepping into his room. The door shut behind her. Bly instantly straightened, although Secura had long ago insisted they do away with such formalities in private.

"General," he greeted.

"Bly."

She hovered by the door, and if he didn't know better, he'd say she looked nervous. She kept glancing at him with an odd look on her face. "How are you feeling? I know the medics cleared you, but I wanted to come check on you myself."

"I'm fine, General. Just bruises. Nothing that won't heal in a few days."

"I see," she said absently. She was silent for several minutes, glancing around the room.

"General," Bly prompted, and when her large, hazel eyes snapped to meet his, he almost forgot what he meant to say. "Is-is something wrong?" he forced out.

She shook her head and took a step forward, still looking at him in that odd way. "No. No, nothing's wrong." She took another step forward. "I…just…"

She was right next to him now. Bly had been this close to her before, usually on the battlefield, but this time it felt different. He realized he was holding his breath.

"After today…almost losing you…"

Her voice trailed off, and she gazed intently at him. Then she leaned forward, wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, and pressed her lips to his.

Shock coursed through Bly, and he stood perfectly still. The only thought that registered in his brain was how soft her lips were. Softer than anything he had ever felt. The shock was quickly replaced by the strange feeling he had had, only now it was stronger than it ever had been.

Then his brain registered what was going on.

Jedi General Aayla Secura, his general, was kissing him.

It was against every regulation he had ever heard of, and he would be in deep trouble, as would she, if anyone ever found out. But he couldn't push her away. Something deep inside him that he hadn't realized existed wanted this more than anything, and he found himself giving in.

Almost without conscious thought, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before. It was wonderful, and he couldn't imagine it ever ending.

A sharp beep split the air, shattering the moment. General Secura pulled back as Bly's comlink lit up. Feeling dazed, he answered with his usual "Commander Bly here." His mind was spinning too much for him to concentrate on what Lieutenant Galle was saying, and when he finished the conversation, he honestly couldn't remember what it had been about.

Taking a breath, he turned back only to be met by an empty room. General Secura was gone. Bly blinked and swayed, placing a steadying hand on the wall. He stared around the room. 'Did that really happen?' he wondered. 'Maybe I dreamed or imagined it. I do need to sleep.'

Slowly, he reached a hand up and touched his lips. They were warm and moist. He knew it had been real. "General Secura kissed me," he whispered aloud. "She actually kissed me." The words seemed odd and foreign, yet somehow right. "I can't believe that happened," he murmured.

He closed his eyes. He could still feel the softness of her lips on his and the warmth of her hand on the back of his neck. It was more wonderful than anything he had ever imagined.

The room suddenly felt small and tight. He had to get out of it.

Bly picked up his helmet and stumbled out into the hall. For some reason, his legs felt unsteady. He wandered slowly through the halls of the star destroyer, barely noticing the troopers that passed him. His mind was still reeling, and he couldn't concentrate on anything. The only thing he could think about was that kiss and the feeling with no name that still hadn't left him.

"Sir?" said an uncertain voice.

Bly blinked and looked around. He had somehow wandered into the mess hall without realizing it. A young trooper stood before him, holding a tray of food and looking unsure.

"Are you okay?"

Bly forced himself to smile. "Yes, trooper. I'm fine."

The trooper gave him an odd look, but walked away. Bly took a deep breath and sat down at an unoccupied table. He couldn't believe he hadn't even noticed where he was going, let alone that he almost walked into one of his men. That had never happened before. He prided himself on being focused at all times, in all situations.

'How did I allow myself to get that distracted?' he thought, dragging a hand down his face. 'It's unacceptable. It can't happen again. I have to be focused. People are depending on me.'

His thoughts centered around Secura. She was still his general. They still had missions to complete and battles to win. This was a new dynamic he had not even fathomed. 'Will it change the way we work together? Our success rate with missions?' he wondered. His gaze drifted around the mess hall, taking in the groups of laughing brothers. He and General Secura were in command. The mission and the welfare of these troopers came first. It had to, as much as he suddenly wished it didn't.

He had to talk to her.

Grabbing his helmet, he jammed it on his head and raced out of the mess hall to find his general. After twenty minutes of near frantic searching, he finally found her in the strategic planning center. She looked up from a holomap as he entered.

"Oh, good. Bly, you're here. We just received new orders, and I need to brief you."

He studied her face and saw nothing except calm professionalism and the soft smile she always wore. Their kiss apparently hadn't changed anything. Bly thrust down the sadness and disappointment he hadn't been expecting to feel. She was the general, and if she wanted to pretend it hadn't happened, he would, too.

"Of course, General," he said.