Private In the Shadow of Old Ways

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

Naboo was an interesting world. Lots of wild spaces, beautiful cities, plenty of serenity. It was a distinct change of pace for him to be there rather than Coruscant. By contrast, one was a city planet which never slept and was plagued by crime simply because of the overcrowding and an inability to deal with it all no matter how hard they tried. The other was a world dotted with cities where crime was minimal, though still present. Originally Tycho had been against the expansion of the corporation to Naboo, but given their desire to expand their reach, and their proximity to Hutt space, he'd eventually been overruled.

Probably not a bad thing, anyway.

Naturally he'd made the trip to Naboo himself to oversee the construction of their new facility. As per usual, the corporation would comply with all applicable local laws and regulation. They operated within the acceptable bounds of the law and worked with local law enforcement, not against it, contrary to popular belief. But building a building took time, even with droids working on it, which left him time to wander Theed.

So it was that he had learned of their local Jedi group, the Order of Shiraya. To his understanding, they followed a different form of the code from the traditional one that the New Jedi Order followed, though they were all connected to one another. As a person who liked to study the history and ways of various different sects of the Force, he was naturally drawn to their temple. Of course that meant a trip out of Theed and to the Gallo mountains, but with the Force as his guide it wasn't that difficult to navigate the terrain and reach the secluded temple. No reason for him to be turned away given he was of the light. Not a Jedi, but definitely of the light.

He inquired within about their library, and made his way to it, intent on studying what made them different from the Jedi he already knew. Who knew what he would learn that day.

 

[Tova Rachi]

The library was more quiet than normal. The younger Daughters, trainees of their faith, were not present for their normal study time. One of teachers had them off on a field trip in Theed. They were likely visiting sites of the Cataclysm. The significance of the event was being drilled into the youth of the faith. This pleased Tova, it pleased her a great deal.

So the library was quiet, and she was simply fulfilling her assigned tasks for the day. It was her third day filling in for Daughter Faane. The peace and tranquility that came from the low level work gave her time to contemplate her future. Her training, indeed her time on Naboo, was nearing its end and she would soon be thrust into a world she had been preparing for her whole life.

She was ready for them. The aristocracy whether they were light or dark aligned, she was prepared for the machinations of either. Her senses were attuned and her mind sharp. Her role in securing Naboo's future would be a bright and vital one. Even if it did not lead to personal happiness. At least it would lead to fulfilment.

Dressed in her simple white dress, tied with a white chord around her slender waist, and with the normal crimson red cloak of her faith wrapped about her shoulders, Tova was the epitome of understated beauty. The make up applied to her lips, as it was every morning, was that of the Scar of Remembrance. Once it had been for the Queen of Naboo alone, but now her faith took it as a greater symbol of the restoration and thriving of Naboo after the cataclysm. Tova's long white hair framed her face in a simple manner, parted down the middle and evenly distributed across both shoulders.

Her attention was pulled to the sound of one wandering the library. Her senses indicated they were not local, not accustomed to finding things in the library. She stepped around the corner to find a tall man with his back to her walking down the aisle.

"Greetings stranger. Welcome to the Library of Shiraya. I am the attendant for this wing. May I be of service?" She said, her words were precise, clear and refined in their diction.

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

There was much to be said for a well-stocked library. Even though books were rare, they more easily survived the darkness than digitally stored data had. The result was that books still bore a breadth of knowledge that had not been explored yet by all, and for him they were quite the find. He rarely visited the Jedi temple on Coruscant even though the world had been his primary residence for some time. That might change with the more time he was spending on Naboo, simply because it was more peaceful, and he found himself needing that more often now.

The sound of someone behind him gave him paused, and he turned slowly to find himself looking at a young woman who, for all intents and purposes, could have been Kage, except that her eyes were wrong. Wrong for a Kage, but very right to her. There was a deep level of mystery hidden within them, something that intrigued him.

"I am curious," he said, his eyes focused on hers, "about the temple here and the philosophy of those who reside within. I thought I might study the history of both, but I admit I do not know where to find that."

The red of her clothing contrasted heavily with the white of her skin. A stark difference to his choice of white and black clothing despite his gray skin. The only pop of color was the orange in the Sentinel logo on his left breast. She embraced the contrast in tonality and it worked really well for her. Even the color of her lips, perfectly done, only served to make her stand out. Was she one of the followers of Shiraya? Did they all look and dress like this or was she just that unique?

"Forgive me. My name is Tycho. I find histories of various Orders very interesting."

Especially ones with such a curiously attractive woman serving as the library attendant.

 

[Tova Rachi]

Her eyes did not flinch, though her mind did ever so briefly. She allowed her interest to form a soft smile that creased her cheeks just slightly. Even with such a small gesture, it was noticeable how the light played off her pale skin and the shadows her smile formed.

"This is indeed the home for curious minds. I will assist you in finding the answers you seek," she said, with a dip of her head.

Walking towards him, she seemed to glide with hardly a rustle of her simple attire. Slender fingers waved for him to follow. "This is a temple not for the order of Jedi that have recently come to Naboo, but for an ancient faith," she said, softly correcting him and offering a keen sideways glance, "this is a library for the worship of the goddess Shiraya. May her light ever shine upon us."

"Greetings Tycho," she said, without looking back as she rounded a corner. Apparently, he was supposed to follow her.

"I am Tova, Daughter of the Scar."

Leading him away from the religious philosophy section, she turned only when settling amongst the tomes that taught of the Force. "While we are not Jedi. Our faith very much embraces the Force. Here you will find the ancient writings of our foremothers," she said with an open palm gesturing to he left and a series of well worn leather-bound volumes, "we praise the goddess for the gift of the Force, and willing share our knowledge with any of the light that wish to know."

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

Well now, that was interesting. He'd wandered into something else entirely. Perhaps it was just her that had drawn him? No, there were others there with definite strength in the Force. It would be easy to assume this was that temple, and not the temple of a religious sect. Certainly he knew of Shiraya, but he did not know they held a temple with devout followers. That was something entirely unexpected to him, but even more curious than the sect of Jedi that resided on Naboo.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tova," he said, her name rolling off his tongue almost as if he were trying to taste it.

Of course he followed her. How could he not? She intrigued him more than anyone he'd ever met, and that was saying something given some of the people he'd met. He didn't quite understand it. The only time he'd ever felt immediately drawn to someone before was that first time he'd seen Anneliese on Coruscant. Valery had told him it was normal for someone who wanted to help others to feel drawn to those who needed it. He had attributed his being drawn to her to that. Adopting her was just a byproduct.

But maybe he'd been wrong, and that this was the Force instead?

"I was unaware there was a devout order for Lady Shiraya. This is very intriguing. Might I inquire from yourself about your beliefs and their relation to the Force? Equally important to understanding is speaking with those who follow themselves."

He didn't refer to Shariya as a goddess because he was not a believer, but he did refer to her in deference as lady out of respect to Tova and those who did follow her. Whether Shariya was real or not he didn't know. Many things were true of the Force and there were certainly beings that existed more immersed in the Force than anything they could ever know. It was possible Shariya was real and looked after those who worshipped her, and especially that of Naboo.

"I am not a Jedi myself. I ascribe to no belief other than the existence of the Force but have studied the beliefs of other cultures as a means of learning more about myself."

 

[Tova Rachi]

Her chin lifted a little as he spoke, and eyes full of curiosity was his reward for openness. He was not a Jedi, but she certainly sensed light within him. It had always seemed that an Order of religion would be necessary to maintain a path on the light. For one to accomplish this without a distinct path to follow took a great amount of resolve and dedication.

She was staring at him.

Her eyes moved to a nearby volume, and she reached for it after a soft intake of breath. She seemed captured by something. She pulled the brown leather bound book from its shelf above her head. Without realising she had gone on to her toes and now dropped back down with book in hand. She held it reverently, with a hand beneath and another pressed on its top.

"The faith is older than the name Naboo...yet intrinsic to its very fabric," she said, heavy lidded eyes looking from tome to Tycho.

She turned to walk to the end of the aisle. No word was given to follow. She assumed he would.

Tova lay the book carefully on the table and then sat on a stool that was fixed to the floor beside the table. Even when sitting, she managed a degree of poise that was remarkable. Her back and shoulders held straight, and her gaze softly fixed on the visitor. She studied his features as she spoke again.

"Then we have much we can teach one another," she said, signalling for him to sit with her, "first it should be known that our goddess is not synonymous with the Force. She is one with it...and guides us...and can even at times affect this life...but she is not the Force."

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

I see you, you see me.

It was like they were both looking through each other. Not past, not beyond, just through the outer layers of finite fabric and to the inner layer of the soul, of who they were. She jerked her eyes away suddenly, revealingly, and then stood on her tiptoes to reach for a book. It was cute how she tried to hide her attraction. He made no such effort. Why should he? Why hide it? What would that possibly accomplish other than repression, inner turmoil, a lack of balance within the soul?

She spoke of Shiraya being essential to Naboo, older than its name, and he nodded his understanding, but didn't speak a word, not wanting to break the air between them as her voice lingered in his ears, sweet like honey, pure like snow. He followed her as she walked away and towards a table where she lay out the book with a reverence that he respected. His eyes followed her hands, up her arm, back to her eyes, as he listened to what she said, and joined her at the table.

While not poised in the regal manner she was, his own belied that of someone with extensive martial training. Even when seated in a place he need not worry he sat in a way that would allow him to move to attack at a moment's notice. It was something ingrained in every fiber of who he was.

"I had a feeling that was the case," he said when she spoke. "There are many beings within the galaxy that we do not see or understand, but feel the presence of from time to time."

There are beings they see and understand, and feel the presence of, but know not how to voice that in a way that is proper.

"My people have no such beliefs, sadly, but perhaps we will find another similarity between us as you tell me more."

 

[Tova Rachi]

She knew why he looked at her as he did. It was not something that was uncommon to her. Her breeding was one of centuries of refinement. The well known beauty of the average Nabooian was in no small part to the seeding of superior genetic lines within the population. The Daughters of the Scar were the culmination of the Shiraya Faith's long work. Tova had grown accustomed to the eyes of men and women lingering, or taking a second glance.

Tycho, though, was more than admiring her. He seemed to covet her. That was a new feeling, to be wanted so? Alas, nothing could come of his inclinations. And so she would do her duty and dissuade him from the notions that smouldered behind...those...eyes.

She suddenly wished that the younger students were here. This would be so much easier.

Tova realised she was allowing her gaze to linger on his face again. She looked down at the book and slowly opened to its index page. "Some endeavour to dismiss Shiraya as nothing more than the ghost of some land dead Jed'aii. But it is not so. Shiraya is thought to be a being independent of the Force...a true spirit...who has learned to communicate with us via the Force. Whoever she is, she guides as well. May she be praised."

She was curious as to his people. But more curious as to his intentions. "And why do you wish to find things in common, Tycho?"

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

His orange eyes might have betrayed his history if they weren't common for his species. They were not the orange of a darksider, though, and she would feel no inclination towards it from him. All she would feel was a light that burned with him, a fire that sought only justice where injustice was so common throughout the galaxy. That was what made him tick. That was how he, a non-Jedi, a member of no order, could be of the light despite being on his own in the Force.

And those eyes drank of her as though she were a cup on the precipice of emptiness. It was hard to focus on her words save for the fact that they were so melodious to his ear that he could almost close his eyes and just listen to her speak for hours on end. He had to snap himself out of it lest he drift away from their conversation!

"Spirits in the Force usually move on when their last wisdom has been past to those they know. They don't tend to linger unless they're malevolent in nature," he said, dismissing the theory of some long lost Je'daii. "As you say, she is more likely a being higher than our ability to understand."

The more she talked, the more he was starting to believe Shariya was real. Either she was extremely persuasive, or he was being foolhardy towards her. They had barely exchanged names and yet he felt towards her as he had only ever felt towards one other, and that one was forbidden to him. She very well could be too. Some religious orders practiced celibacy, after all. He hoped that was not the case here, but if it weren't, she could still be unavailable to him because of religious reasons, primarily his not being from Naboo and not of their faith.

When she asked him why he wished to find commonality between them it caught him off guard, and his eyes snapped back to reality, focusing on her white ones as he thought about how he should respond.

"The truth?"

He'd meant to ask that within his own mind, but it slipped from his lips just as freely. And perhaps that was, itself, the answer to the question. He was thirty-five years old, lived alone, had no one besides Annie and she was busy with the Jedi. What use was there in hiding feelings, emotions, thoughts away from someone. It would just hurt in the long run.

"The truth is, and I do not say this lightly, I find you breathtaking, and you should know that I am a Kage and everyone of my species is beautiful. But none compare to you. And your voice is like a song sung by a bird on a cool, winter's morning. I could listen to it forever."

And that was probably foolish of him to say that, but hell, he'd never said that to a woman before so why shouldn't he?

 

[Tova Rachi]

Her face froze. Her eyes simply stared at him. It took her several moments to comprehend that he had indeed just been so forward. "You are not the first individual to find a Daughter of the Scar to have such allure," she said while averting her eyes and looking down at the book.

Her hand trembled slightly as she opened the book. The pages fell to a section on the history of the Daughters. Her finger attempted to guide his attention and focus to the page before them both. "Corme Balent was the first recorded Daughter of the Scar, she is considered to be a myth for the most part."

She looked up at Tycho again, and cleared her throat. The way he looked at her was not like anyone had looked at her before. This was beyond the infatuation she had received from a few Naboo aristocrats. Her breathing hitched for a moment, but she regained her composure and looked back down at the book.

"It is said that Balent heard the voice of the goddess herself...that they shared a communion of spirit and thought for many days...she was the first of us...those that seek the voice of the goddess..."

She stopped and looked back up to Tycho. She felt so small, and yet so seen. But her training kicked in.

"Mr Tycho. I will leave you to read as you desired. If I can be of any further assistance...you may ask."

She stood to leave.

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

She liked what he said. She liked being told that. He could tell. It had shocked her almost as much as it had shocked him that he'd said it all so straightforward, but she clearly found something in what he said. As much as she tried to redirect him to the book, with talk of someone else, talk of the history of her order, she couldn't bring herself not to look up at him with fleeting glances, glances that betrayed that she understood he wasn't looking at her the way rich men did, like a prize to be claimed.

There was more to it. A deep feeling within, awoken towards her, a connection made through the Force, desired by the Force, desired by him and he hoped by her. How pleasant would it be to have someone care for him, to love him? He didn't know what it was like. No one had ever felt that way towards him. Not in a way that was between two equals.

And then it was like a switch was flipped and she rose, indicating she would leave, her entire tone changed. But he reached out a hand to grab hers, gently, but wanting to stop her.

"Don't go," he said, standing from the chair.

They were alone, at least for the moment. No one else was within earshot or vision of them, at least not that weren't hiding their presence in a very sophisticated and intentional manner. It felt off, the way she'd suddenly changed, like it wasn't her personal desire, but something else that was pulling her away from him. She felt it. He knew she felt it. But maybe she was scared? Or-

"Is what I said forbidden between us?"

 

[Tova Rachi]

When he grabbed her hand, she twisted her wrist with the grace of someone who had been handled before. He was left handling air. Her eyes spoke volumes. No matter how much he might find her appealing, she had not invited touch.

She would not deny she found him attractive. That mattered not at all. Her feelings, her needs, they were nothing. Nothing. Naboo was all she lived for.

"I am a graduate. A Lady of the Scar. My destiny is to marry for the good of Naboo," she said almost coldly. Her efficient, regal poise had been completely regathered. The dropping of her facade before had been a slip, one that she thought herself above. His ability to make her quiver and shake was an unpleasant indictment on her lack of readiness.

"I live to better my world. No sacrifice is too great," she said, her eyes failed their task of being resolute as a glisten of tears moistened the corners, "none at all."

She stepped away from the table, and pulled her red robe around her. The act seemed to close her off from Tycho.

"Enjoy your research," she turned to walk away. As she reached the corner of a shelf, rounding it to go down an aisle, she cast him a glance and she was gone.

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

The way she maneuvered away from his hand was smooth and fluid. If he hadn't been completely caught off guard by what she said after doing it, he would have admired her ability to get so smoothly away from him. But he words she said were... harsh. Not in the sense they were mean, just that they were hard to hear. They stung.

What she said meant that he was not good for Naboo.

It felt like an indictment of him as a person, but he got the feeling she meant that she was destined to marry someone native to the world, to continue the genetic line. To do what her religion told her. He didn't understand why, though. Why was it necessary? What end was worth that means? You continued a genetic line for what? Why was it necessary? How did that help Naboo?

He'd seen the tears in the corner of her eyes. He'd seen her look back at him. Even though she was locked into what she had to do, there was something inside of her that wanted something else. She wanted to be loved. Everyone wanted to be loved. He needed to know why. But he left it at that and left for the day, only returning two days later after meetings.

Again he returned to the library. He didn't search for her even though he wanted to. He didn't know if he would see her again. All he wanted was to understand. So he found that book again, the one she'd been drawing from, and took it to a reading book where he sat down, intending to read every single word of the book. He might not understand now, his heart might still ache, maybe it always would, but if he understood, it would ache less.

Hopefully.

 

[Tova Rachi]

Tova's mind was unsettled. Was it her nearing the time of her departure from her fellow Daughters of the Scar that had had made her unnecessarily wistful? She knew it was a short coming, those flights of fancy. Surely, this Tycho was another such fancy. A pretty face that took her by surprise. Soon she would be gone, and married and doing the work Naboo needed her to do...on some...distant world.

It was the dreams that most disturbed her. Why was he in her dreams? She did not know him. He had been far too forward, but then how else was one to let someone of Faith know of their interest. It was not like she was permitted to pursue him. A suitor's only chance would be to express the interest in the hope of a viable match as deemed by the elders.

Had she been too rash? Too zealous in her allegiance to her role? Perhaps she could marry one that wanted her for more than just the genetics she carried. Perhaps she could unite with someone who care for her.

Unlikely. It rarely happened.

She went about her tasks, and when he returned some days later, she largely avoided being in the same part of the library as he. Despite that she still stole glances from across the library, sometimes pausing at a bookshelf to gaze between volumes. He seemed so sincere.

Days, turned to a week, and his visits did not stop. Slowly, she allowed herself to be more noticeable, and her gazes more open. Before the end of the first week, she found herself pausing at the end of the aisle, leaning her head at the end of a shelf of books and looking over at him as he studiously read. She was grateful that his back was to her. It allowed her to linger, and daydream.

The longing for his attention grew with each passing day. But it became entirely apparent that she had completely spurned him. She tried to tell herself, that it was probably for the best. It could not be real.

On a fateful afternoon, in the quiet of the back of the library, she removed a book from a shelf just over her head. She was shocked to see. his face on the otherwise of the shelf. It appeared that he was looking for a book. Tova paused, catching her breath and then offering the smallest of smiles. The red make up on her lip curled into a sweet welcome.

"I am sorry. You have been learning of our people and our ways...but I have been a terrible host," she said, eyes soft and pleading forgiveness, "I was...afraid...that I could not be...what you needed me to be."

She moved another book aside, granting a clearer view. Her eyes looked down briefly. "No man has looked at me the way you did...."

"Rachi," she looked at him before explaining, "Tova Rachi is my name. Next week I leave my faith and will be sent to the Sith Empire as a concubine, or if I am fortunate, a bride. This is what I and my Sisters have been trained for...it is...political."

The wistfulness returned. "Speak kind words to me, Tycho...for I shall not hear them when I leave this home of mine."

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

It was more than a week that he kept coming back. He shirked his job of watching the construction process, passing it off to someone else, because of his own, private investigation. That was all he told anyone, that he was investigating something and had to do it alone. Nobody questioned him. He was the one to found the company, so what he did they didn't care about as long as he framed it as an investigation.

He sat in that library every day, reading different books, digesting everything he could about the culture of Naboo and most specifically the Sacred Scar. The tears in her eyes, the look back, they drove him to it. He had to know why.

Over the course of those days he barely saw any sign of her. He was certain she was there. Often he felt someone watching him, but didn't look up to see who. Sometimes he caught a glimpse of her while he was looking for a new book to read, but she would quickly disappear again. But as time went on, he found her more noticeable, appearing more often, watching him sometimes before disappearing when he looked up at her. She tried to hide it, how she felt, she didn't want to feel it because of what she was, but she did.

And he eventually understood.

Then one day, when he was putting a book back on the shelves, she pulled a book away from the opposite shelf, and their eyes met. Surprise flickered across her face, but his only belied the quiet resolve he had settled into, and the desire he felt for her. She didn't flee. Instead, a small smile, and an apologetic request for forgiveness from him. He shook his head; she need not ask.

"I understand, Tova," he said as she moved another book aside to afford a clearer view between them.

She spoke of how he looked at her, and he smiled a bit, knowing the feeling she felt inside. It was something he was used to as well. Being Kage meant looks from a lot of people, as most found his species to be beautiful. He'd dealt with the looks of those who wanted after his body but knew nothing of him and felt nothing for him. He understood better than she probably believed, but he didn't say anything, letting her finish what she wanted to say before he spoke.

When she mentioned where she was to go, he did wince but was careful to say nothing of it. What she did, she did for her people. It was admirable, but he believed that sending her to them was misguided. A Sith would never love her, and any slight whatsoever could set them off. They could ignore any agreement made on a whim; such was their nature.

"You need not ask me to speak kind words to you for that is all I have."

He stepped closer to the shelf, his eyes staring at hers.

"I understand what you do and why, now. I've read much of your people. I will not ask you not to go, though I wish very much to do so. What you do is noble, and I love you all the more for doing it. You fear you cannot give me what I need, but in a way you already have. I can see how you feel about me. I may not be able to marry you, but that doesn't mean I can't love you. You may not be able to marry me, but that doesn't mean you can't love me. There's a lot in this galaxy that goes on around us, but in the end the only thing that matters is our relationships with others.

"I will not stop you from going, but I will not stop loving you when you are gone."

 

[Tova Rachi]

He understood. He knew why. Her heart sunk but also filled with awe. Is that what he had been learning about this whole time? He had been trying to understand her?

She hung on every word. Lips parted with soft captured breathes. "You...how could you love me?" She said, utterly captured by his fervour, but her training demanding reality set in. She did not give into the training completely though, stopping short of telling he was wrong and instead asking how it was possible.

Her hand came up to the shelf, and rested there as she she clung to the spot so that she did not have to move.

"I will admit. My time filling in for the normal librarian ended...four days ago..."

Her admission hung heavy in the air. Her eyes searched Tycho's face, looking for some sign that he understood her meaning.

"...the same librarian...that has stepped out...for a moment..."

She glanced around her, nervously, knowing that should the next moments be seen by any that her life would shatter.

"...if what you say of your feelings be true...I bid you show me so." Her eyes went back to his, a lure into an embrace that was only separated by this simple shelf.

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

How could he not love her? The moment he lay eyes on her he could see the way she looked at him. It wasn't the same as what he was used to. Kage got stared at all the time, but she didn't look at him that way. She saw him, and he could tell because of the way her eyes always locked with his. She wasn't looking at him, she was SEEING him. And in everything he had read, and how he had taken notice of her, he could tell that she was special beyond compare, that loving her was what he was meant to do.

He didn't immediately voice that. In fact, he said nothing as she grabbed onto the shelf, her eyes locked with his. They were alone, he could feel that. No one was going to hide from him within the library unless they knew how to use the White Current, something Tycho had only read about, but never seen in use. He could hide himself, but not as completely as they could.

Then she bid him to prove it and he moved almost instantly. Not around the stacks, but through them. A trick he'd seen from Valery Noble one time as they worked together to take down an Imperial cell on Coruscant. It had only taken him seeing it, feeling it in use, for him to understand what she had done, and take it into practice himself. Phasing ones body through certain materials was easy when the Force was pervasive throughout both.

Doing so allowed him to reach her almost instantly, and his left arm slid around to rest hand upon the small of her back while his right hand lifted to touch her cheek and lift her chin up just enough so that he could lean down and kiss her. And the kiss was powerful, amplified by his connection to the Force, and the sudden connection between them. Think of a river that flowed until it was bottled up by a dam, and then a storm came and broke the dam and that water spilled forth in a raging torrent, but yet somehow managed not to destroy anything at all. That was the kiss, passionate, but genteel.

It was so easy to get lost in it that he, too, was afraid she would get in trouble, and so he wrapped them both in the Force, shielding them from being seen, another trick he'd picked up from Valery. Even if that librarian returned, she would see nothing. Nobody would save for the two of them: the Kage warrior, and the daughter of the sacred scar.

Only when he had to stop to breathe did he move his lips near to her ear and speak.

"I have loved you from the moment you looked at me and saw me, not the person on the outside," he said. "That love has only grown as I have learned of the sacrifice you make for your people. I said I understand, and I meant it. We may be from different backgrounds but I was raised as a warrior from the age of three, and you as a daughter. Not so different, but for different purposes. The Force brought us together for a reason, and I, for one, trust it."

 

[Tova Rachi]

Tova gasped, and stepped back in surprise as he shifted through the shelf. Hand went to mouth to stifle a cry of shock. She had heard of such abilities but never seen them. With his arms already wrapping about her, and drawing her in, Tova succumbed to his strength.

The security she felt in his arms was quickly overwhelmed as their lips met. Her senses lit up with a feverish need for him that he willing gifted. Her body pressed in against his, melting into the warmth and welcome of his arms. Her head tipped back, welcoming his searching, probing kiss.

The security dissipated quickly as her mind reeled with the understanding of her transgression. This was not simply discouraged, but expressively forbidden by her order. And yet, nothing had ever felt so inspired as this very act.

Her form pressed into his. As the kiss broke she turned her head and rested it against his chest. Her heart raced, and chest rose and fell quickly for want of air...for the intensity of the illicit emotional expression. She did not close her eyes though, instead staring at the ancient books on the shelf next to them. They condemned her. She didn't care.

"I...I...don't even know...your last name..."

The folly of the moment started to sink in as she tried to repeat his statement of devotion. Her better-mindedness was returning and it was bringing many objections with it. Still, she clung firmly to Tycho, her arms wrapped around his chest.

"...how can this thing be...if I am to keep my oaths...Tycho...how unfair on you it would be...to love that which could not be yours..."

Now her eyes closed, tears beading in their corners.

"...I did bid you speak kindness...and you have given your love so freely in an act so cruel as to bury my with yours from this day forward...you are wrong for what you have said...we, for what we have done..."

Despite her objections. She clung to him, and again looked up at the Kage locking her pure white irises upon his golden eyes.

"...but if you accept the cruelty of my declaration...then we two shall be most miserable...but at least honest...with ourselves...for I...foolishly...find my heart declaring love towards you also. You, Tycho. You have my heart."

Tycho Arak

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tags: Tova Rachi

"Arak," he said, though it was clear in the way he almost spat it out that he hated it. "Tycho Arak."

She clung to him and he had his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him, her head against his chest. It felt natural, right. The feeling of warmth from her against him made him feel right for the first time in his life. Complete. Whole. Why had it taken so long into his life for him to feel that way? He didn't know, and he didn't care. All that really mattered was that the Force had found a way to get him to where he needed to be in life and he was finally fulfilled.

When she said it would be unfair to him, he smiled a bit. A wry smile. Unfair was his life. It always had been and always would be. Just his lot in life.

"Unfair was when I was born to parents who only wanted me to be a form of currency for them to gain social clout. This is not unfair to me."

Not in his eyes, especially when she told him that she loved him. That warmed him more than anything ever had. His heard beat heavy and fast, but he still lifted a hand and brushed away the tiny tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes. He could not have her cry for him. It was her that sacrificed the most between the two of them. It was her who gave her life to serve her people, willingly going into a relationship with the Sith knowing full well they would not treat her as she deserved.

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"Two forever as one, even if denied by the lives we lead. When you go, find ways to see each other we will. I promise. We may be denied forever being together, but that will not stop us. Love conquers all in the end."

Even death.

"I will love you from afar, and know you love me, and in the meantime, I, too, dedicate myself to protecting this world, and the people whom you love."

 

[Tova Rachi]

It was too much of a risk. What he proposed. Too much at stake. It wasn't just her that she had to consider. It was all of Naboo. She did not know how much impact she might have on the galaxy, or Naboo's future. Given her training, there was no limit to the possible heights. But failure...would lead to utter despair.

All this dusted away in her mind when looking into his eyes. He was so earnest. It caused all protestations to drift away before they became words. Instead, her lips remained parted with unspoken objections.

"There is so much I must know of you. I feel your heart beneath my hand," she said as she lay her palm on his chest, "I beg to know what makes it beat...what makes it skip...what makes it stop...I would know you entirely, Tycho Arak."

And then he promised himself to Naboo.

Tova froze. Speechless. The tears now flowed unhindered, streaming silently from her as she gazed upon him. No greater gift could be given than to love her people as herself.

"If I dream. Do not wake me. I would slumber happily in this moment for eternity," she reached for his face, pulling him down to meet her lips once more. This time it was her devotion expressed, holding his face in place for long drawn out moments. It was not passionate. Instead the kiss was demure, delicate and precise.

Tycho Arak