From where I was standing, I could tell he was shocked. His face was as pale as a ghost, and I could tell he was at a loss of words. He didn't know how to reply to the question I had asked him.

Probably because he never thought I'd get smart enough to ask him that question.

For years I thought my father was dead. My mother would never talk about him, and the times she did, she would end the conversation either with anger or in tears. After I found out Korkie was my brother, I tried to see if he had a better chance at cracking her.

He didn't, but he sure did try.

After the both of us tried to make our mother crack, the next best option, at least in my opinion was to try and sense it through the force. Or at least in my case, try and dream it into existence.

That didn't fucking work.

While some portion of me felt like Obi-Wan was my father, I never in a million years believed for him to be my biological father. But then again, I never expected Korkie to be my brother.

Nor did I expect to be chipped as a baby.

Or be force sensitive.

Or be able to heal myself.

Or…well…you get the idea.

I firmly stood my ground as we looked each other in the eyes. He still didn't know what to say. All I wanted him to say was something.

Anything.

I'll even take a 'go fuck yourself, Aurora'…though I knew he'd never say that to me.

"Do you have anything to say?" I sneered at him.

He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh.

"I can't put the words together, to even respond to a question like that." He replied quietly, opening his eyes again.

"Because it's a lie…or it's the truth?" I asked, still angry at him.

He looked at me in silence. I knew what he was thinking. I could read his mind. He knew that I knew what he was thinking.

"Answer my question." I demanded. "Yes, or no?"

He was quiet for a moment, debating on what he was going to say, before he said the word I'd never thought he'd say.

"Yes."

My eyes narrowed, as I turned around on my heel and began to walk down the hallway in anger.

"Aurora, please wait, let me explain." He began.

My eyes narrowed. "You act like you didn't know I existed and wanted nothing to do with me for most of my life, and now, you want something to do with me."

"I didn't have a choice!" He shouted making me stop in my tracks and turn around to face him.

"What?" I asked in disbelief walking slowly towards him.
"I didn't have a choice." He explained with a sigh. "I didn't want to leave you and your brother…but I had to."

"So, you abandoned Korkie and I?" I asked still with anger.

"Aurora, your mother wanted me to leave."

"What?"

He sighed again. "After you and your brother were born, I said to your mother, had she said the word, I'd leave the Order. For you…for your brother…your mother."

"Why didn't you?" I asked, my arms still crossed.

"Your mother never told me to leave."

I shook my head. "That's impossible. Every time I brought you up, my mother deflected talking about you. Every time I mentioned or brought up the idea of my father, she'd say you were dead."

"That was done to protect the Crown." He explained. "At the request of your grandmother."

"Did you know she was the person who placed the inhibitor chip in my neck?" I asked, starting to feel my anxiety begin to creep up on me.

He shook his head. "It was only until after the procedure was done that your mother told me. Your mother kept me in the dark for most things."

I huffed in dark amusement and rolled my eyes. "Figures."

He also huffed in amusement. "She was…"

"Kind of a tyrant." I smiled in amusement.

He nodded. "But brilliant, what did she always use to say about people who weren't prepared to speak to her?"

"That they were uncivilized." I said with a small laugh.

He nodded. "That's right, not bowing to her in a public setting?"

"Uncivilized." We both said with a laugh.

"Not being a pacifist." I began.

"Uncivilized." We both said again with a laugh.

Just as I fell into a pleasant mood, it was gone when I remembered how my mother died.

"I miss her." I explained looking down at my feet.

"I know…I miss her too." He sighed. "But I remember that her memory is with you and your brother."

"It probably doesn't help that I look like her." I began looking up to meet his eyes. "She'd used to tell me that I was my father's daughter."

He laughed at that comment. "I'd like to think you have the best qualities of the both of us…though where you got you rebellious side from…that is one of my life's greatest mysteries."

We both fell silent again, as we both knew that no matter how hard we tried, this would cause a permanent divide in our relationship. He might be my father, and while he abandoned my brother and I, it would take a good period for me to forgive him…if I ever do. Even after everything he just told me, he'd never help me take back Mandalore, because he cared too much about the Jedi Council. Because of the pressing matters at hand, I knew the rest of this argument would occur…but not now. It'd probably occur later.

After I gave him a small nod, I turned around to head toward the hangar. I knew Korkie was probably either hunting down Bo-Katan or in his room, dealing with anxiety of his own, making me begin to wander the far side of the hangar.

"What're you doing?" Alex's voice called from his spot sitting on the ramp of his ship.

I shrugged as I lazily walked over to him. "Not much."

"Did you talk to him?" Alex asked as I walked up to him. He stood up in response.

I nodded.

"And?"
I sighed and crossed my arms trying to get some warmth.

"I don't think our relationship will ever be the same." I sighed.

He in response pulled me into a hug, which I greatly accepted, as he was one of the few people who I allowed to see the real side of me. One of the few people I allowed to see the real side of my trauma and emotions.

Probably because we had such similar mental and physical trauma.

As we pulled out of the hug, he kept his hands on my hips.

"Where's Zara?" I asked in curiosity.
"Trying to calm your aunt and brother down." He sighed.

"And you wanted nothing to do with it?" I asked with a smirk.

He smiled in amusement and shook his head. "No…no, I needed time to think."

"About what?" I frowned.

"How we were never trained for this." He began. "This is going to be the fight of our lives…it's like a death sentence."

I reached my right hand up to cup his face.

"You don't have to this…any of this." I practically whispered. "I don't deserve it…especially since we might not make it out of this one."

"I promised you; I'd never leave you…I'd follow you to the ends of the galaxy…of any galaxy."

My arms lazily wrapped around his neck. "Why?"

He gave me a small smile. "Because I love you. And if this is the end…I want to spend the little time I have left, with you…taking back our planet."

I gazed deeply into his blue eyes. Something was on his mind…but I couldn't figure out what was on his mind.

"What's wrong?" I asked with concern.

He shook his head, with a sheepish smile. "I've been wanting, waiting actually, to ask you something."

I frowned. "What?"

"Marry me."

My eyes widened in shock, as I thought back to the last time, he asked me this question. And now I know what you're all thinking…when did he ask the question? Well, it happened a few weeks ago…after he had a nightmare.

Flashback: 6 Weeks Ago

Location: Cantonica

I was sound asleep that night, but was awoken by something, or more so someone kicking my legs. Because I was such a light sleeper, I immediately woke up to see Alex, who was sound asleep beside me thrashing the sheets.

He was having a nightmare.

Gently, without rousing him, I reached over, gently touched his cheek, and closed my eyes. Recently, I found out I could wake people out of their dream states. I found this out when I woke up Raya out of a nightmare a few weeks prior…and when I did it, it was instant.

"Alex." I softly said. "Wake up."

Almost instantly, his eyes opened, and he sat straight up, hyperventilating. I placed my hand on his bare shoulder.

"Hey, it's just a dream…I'm here." I explained trying to calm his breathing. "It was just a dream."

I watched with concern as he ran a tired hand over his face, before he wrapped his right arm around me, pulling me back down to sleep next to him. I knew he was tired…we both were.

We were tired of everything.

He closed his eyes and murmured "Marry me."

A small smirk came onto my face in both shock and disbelief. "What?"
"Marry me." He repeated.

"I think you're dreaming, Alexsandr." I murmured, and he was already asleep before he could reply.

Present Day

"Are you dreaming?" I asked in disbelief. "Because the last time you asked me that, you had a nightmare."

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm serious. Will you marry me?"

"You mean if we make it out of this alive?" I asked in seriousness.

His smile grew. "I mean regardless."

As much as I tried to conceal it, a smile broke out onto my face, before I placed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked after I pulled away.

"I can't read your mind." He admitted making me laugh. "But I don't need to read your mind to know your answer…is that a yes?"

I nodded. "Yes."

This time he pulled me into a hug. "I can't wait to rub it in Saxon's face when I see him."

I laughed. "I told you, you get first crack at him."

"His blood will boil…especially with you wearing the ring."

My eyes widened. "The ring?"

He nodded. "I got you a ring."

I shook my head. "I don't want it, until all this is over, and we are keeping this between us until now."

He nodded in agreement before we pulled away from each other as we both noticed Anakin and Geenine walking toward us. Immediately upon seeing Geenine, I knelt to greet her, hugging the bronze and white droid.
She beeped in both happiness and annoyance to see both Alex and I.

"We missed you too." Alex smiled, placing a hand on her bronze dome.

"But I missed you more." I explained as I stood up, noticing Anakin's stern expression. "What's wrong?"
"While Obi-Wan and I won't be able to specifically help you, as we are being called to aid the Chancellor, we are sending the 501st." Anakin explained.

"Of course he's playing politics." I murmured. "God, I thought the father-daughter heart-to-heart would've changed his mind."

"WHAT!" Anakin shouted in disbelief.

"She didn't tell you?" Alex asked in disbelief and amusement.

"No, she didn't!" Anakin said with annoyance. "What the actual fuck, Ro? Do you know that Ahsoka and I tried to figure out who your dad was a couple of years ago, and we hit dead ends?"

"And they say you're the best the Jedi have." I said with a laugh. "Don't worry though, I only found out a couple of months ago."

Anakin still shook his head in disbelief. "We're talking about this later, but I must head to Coruscant. Good luck to the both of you, and I'll see you on the other side."

"Wait!" I explained as he started to walk away.

"What?" He asked.

"Take Geenine with you. I want her to look out for you and Obi-Wan. I know Arfour is co-piloting Obi-Wan's starfighter, but I want her as his backup Astromech…but I also want her back after this!" I explained.

Anakin nodded. "I'll return her to you."

I looked at Anakin for a moment before I pulled him into a hug.

"Don't die." I whispered.

"You too." He whispered back before we pulled away from each other. "May the Force be with you."

I nodded. "And you."

As I watched him walk away, I felt a pit in my stomach, as I didn't know if this would be the last time I saw him. While I hope it wasn't, I genuinely wanted to see Anakin soon, as he was like another brother to me.

All I wanted was for Mandalore to be in my family again, so I can finally retire from all of this.

I needed to rest.

I've been running my whole life…and after this…I'm done running.