I always wanted to know what a Star Wars: The Old Republic Sith Warrior would say to a Jedi Knight. Well, what if she apprehended him for delivery to the Emperor, and their ship was set adrift?
He has just a few precious weeks to talk his way out. To bring one more person back to the light.
Same Ruth AU rules. She was Light Side, she was betrayed, she lost her way. This time, Jedi Knight Rho reaches out to her.
It’s on AO3 and in PDF form.
“All right. Turn and turn about, Wrath. Were you ever in love?”
Her face clouded. He felt an unaccustomed pang when she stood up and turned away. “I thought everyone was, at one time or another.” There was an edge her voice had when she was being Wrath that kept slipping away when she talked like this. “Of course I was.”
“This isn’t something you…obviously. Talk about.”
“No,” she told the far wall. “It’s really not.”
He stood up as if that would bring him closer. “What was he like? This person who earned your regard.”
She turned back to him, looking pale. “He was a good Imperial. A model Imperial, up to and including maintaining loyalty to the motherland over loyalty to anyone or anything or any promise or any…” Her mouth twisted down. “I would have given him the galaxy. But he didn’t want that from my hands. He betrayed me at the man who was then my master’s command.” She took a quick shallow breath. “He tried to kill me. Personally.”
“I…had no idea. That must have been terrible for you.”
She glared. “You can’t imagine the loss. Somehow I don’t think you’ve ever invested so much of yourself in someone else.”
“Doing so would go against the vows I swore.”
“Love has a way of getting around vows.” She blinked hard. “But only sometimes, and only for some people.” Her brow drew down. “Spare me your oaths, Jedi. Words are worthless.”
“I think many people can be taken at their word.”
She shook her head and made a cutting gesture. “That’s what I can’t understand about you. You’re so innocent it hurts. You trust people. I think you would even trust me if I made you some promise right this minute. Knowing I am what I am, knowing I have every reason to lie to you. I think you’d still believe.”
“I find most people are all right, if you give them the chance.”
Heartache suffused girlish features while she tilted her face up towards his. “Don’t you understand? I did.”
“I’m so sorry.” As if unconsciously he brought his hand up to splay against the forcefield between them, the contact warm and faintly prickling.
And as if unconsciously, she brought her hand up to meet him, her fingers entirely eclipsed by his. “You’re sorry for me a lot.”
“Yes. You’ve lived your life surrounded by such cruelty, such brutality. It’s no wonder you don’t trust anyone. I could show you worlds where that isn’t the basic assumption of life. Where you don’t have to be the strongest every minute of every day just to stay alive.”
“Those worlds aren’t mine,” she said softly.
“They could be.”
It’s on AO3 and in PDF form.
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