CHAPTER FIVE
❝ broken and bruised ❞

Obi-Wan desperately struggled to conceal his suspicion. Despite their initial encounter, Nerezza took it upon herself to guide the group towards the temple, with all the appearance of a good host.

"Now that you're here, you must meet the rest of the Kro Var Council," the older woman declared. She spoke directly to Obi-Wan, all but ignoring her daughter as she clasped her hands together in interest. "I must say, I try not to involve myself in Jedi affairs, but your name has become quite notorious."

Obi-Wan arched an eyebrow. "How interesting. I didn't realize."

Nerezza continued to observe him, a smile twitching at her lips. "Oh of course not. I often forget how humble you Jedi are."

"I cannot say I take pride in the circumstances of my arrival," Obi-Wan said. "They are most unfortunate."

"I suppose that is the reason you came. To explain why the galaxy is now at war?"

"You are quite wise, Nerezza," Obi-Wan said, his smooth voice promoting excessive flattery. "I see now where your daughter got it from."

He paused briefly to look back at Alysia. They locked eyes and he winked subtly.

She rolled her eyes.

Nerezza's eyes went dark as she glanced between the two Jedi. "It seems my daughter has left a lasting impression," she said.

"I suppose you could say that," Obi-Wan chuckled.

"Well," Nerezza said curtly, "Enough with the pleasantries. If you'll follow me." She began to pull ahead of the two Jedi and strode out of the entryway, into a narrow hallway with tall ceilings.

Once she was far enough away, Obi-Wan turned to look at Alysia, confused by the display. "What did she mean by that?"

"You seem to have forgotten that my mother can't stand me," she declared pensively. "There is no greater insult to her than being compared to me."

It confused Obi-Wan, how anyone could be disappointed to know Alysia. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "She should be honored," he said softly.

A look of surprise flashed across her face. "Thank you," she said after a moment of silence.

All the words Obi-Wan wanted to say died and caught in his throat. There was so much to unpack between them. Starting with why neither of them had reached out for all those years.

But now was hardly the time for that.

"You . . . You're welcome."

As they were forced to move after Nerezza and walk deeper into the hallway, they began to pass a section of large, framed portrait that lined the wall. Obi-Wan took in each one, lingering for so long at each that Nerezza disappeared from sight.

As he came to the last one, a painting of a young girl and an older woman, Obi-Wan let out a sharp breath. The girl looked nearly identical to Alysia at that age. Yet her position was horribly stiff. The woman beside her was undeniably beautiful, with dark ebony hair and fair skin. He observed it carefully. The woman could have easily been Alysia's mother if not for the gentle upturn of her smile.

"Is that you?" Obi-Wan asked, gesturing at the young girl in the photograph.

"No, actually," Alysia responded, stopping by his side. She gazed at the pictures with a look of nostalgia. "That's my mother. The older woman is my grandmother, Ginevra Rayne. My grandmother came with the colonists to Kro Var when she was just a baby." Echoes of a soft smile emerged on her face. "I always loved my grandmother. People think that Shapers are inherently violent, but she taught me otherwise."

"I never knew that," Obi-Wan said. He couldn't keep himself from asking more. "What happened to her?"

"She was murdered in a political uprising when I was just a child," Alysia replied. "That was a dark time. The cruelty I saw then . . . I can only hope to never see again." She took a shaky breath before continuing. "After she died my mother took it as a sign that she needed to enforce order on the planet. I was young, but I remember life changed. Kro Var used to be my home but it became unbearable."

"I'm so sorry, Alysia," Obi-Wan murmured. There was a pause before he asked, "Qui-Gon came soon after that, did he not?"

A genuine smile brightened Alysia's features at the thought. "Yes. He and Carmya came about a year after the turn of power. I still remember how gentle his aura was." She shook her head and chuckled quietly. "It's true what he used to say; I followed him around the planet like a little shadow. It was the first time since my grandmother died that I felt I could trust someone."

"Qui-Gon had that effect on people," Obi-Wan said.

Alysia's smile faltered. "Not a day goes by that I don't miss him." She unconsciously reached forward and took his hands in her own.

Warmth rushed through Obi-Wan as their skin touched. He looked down at their clasped hands and tried to savor the moment.

"Me either," he admitted. "It was more difficult than I can say raising my own padawan without his guidance."

Alysia suddenly grinned from ear to ear. "Karma perhaps?" she suggested playfully. "You sure gave Qui-Gon a rough time in the beginning."

"I did," Obi-Wan admitted ruefully. "And now the cycle has come full circle."

"The poor boy," Alysia declared. "Having you as a master must have been horribly difficult."

Obi-Wan's mouth fell open. "Poor boy? He blatantly disobeys. . ."

He would have continued except for the mischievous look on Alysia's face that clamped his mouth shut. His cheeks turned pink at the realization that she was messing with him. He weakly thought that he needed to stop himself from blushing an entirely inappropriate amount.

Nerezza peered back at them from around an open archway, providing the perfect distraction. "Alysia, it's not polite to make the others wait," she chided. Her tone was light but there was a dangerous undertone.

"Yes, we were just coming," Alysia replied, doing little to conceal her irritation.

When the Jedi arrived at the open archway that led into the conference room, two more individuals were waiting to greet them.

"Master Jedi!" a shrill female voice exclaimed.

Alysia scrunched her face at the sound.

The woman rose from her seat, flashing a smile that revealed pointed incisors. Blonde hair so pale it was almost white fell all the way to her waist, and she wore an extravagantly decorated headpiece.

Nerezza went to stand beside the woman. There was a sense of camaraderie among them that made Obi-Wan uneasy. "Echidna, this is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Obi-Wan bowed in greeting.

"It's an honor to meet you," Echidna said. "I am Echidna Nox, head of the Fire Clan." She gestured to her sitting husband as she said, "And this is my husband, Typhon, head of Earth Clan."

Typhon said nothing, only eyed the Jedi deprecatingly.

Alysia scanned the room and took a survey of the people dining, quickly noting an absence from their usual party. "Where's Athena?" she asked, turning to her mother.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be here," Nerezza shrugged, with a dismissive wave of her pointed manicured hand.

Alysia raised her eyebrows in suspicion. "Athena is never late."

"Don't be ridiculous, darling," Nerezza chided. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

But the uneasy feeling that had been building inside Alysia's stomach only grew worse.

✦✧✦✧

The meeting began normally enough. All of the party settled into seats around the table. For a short while as they settled into discussion, Alysia entertained the idea that Obi-Wan might be able to reason with the Shapers.

Unfortunately, this hope didn't last. Soon enough Echidna began asking pointed questions at Obi-Wan that made Alysia want to grab him and storm out.

"It's rather incredible, isn't it?" Echidna asked. She leaned forward to rest her chin on her hand, flashing ostentatiously manicured ruby nails. "The power we possess? Both Jedi and Shapers."

Obi-Wan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He rarely liked to think of the extent of his abilities. His eyes flickered to Alysia, clearly at a loss for words. "Well yes, I suppose so," he finally replied.

The tension in the room was becoming nearly unbearable. The look Alysia gave Echidna made Obi-Wan want to recoil into a corner, but the head of Fire Clan appeared not to notice.

A knock on the door provided a welcome distraction for the Jedi Master. A servant entered and placed a cloudy blue drinks in silver glassware down in front of them all.

Echidna laughed pitchily as she reached for her glass. "You're too modest! What else were we created for if not to be rulers?"

"I prefer to think of it as a blessing from the Force," Obi-Wan said measuredly. He swirled his drink around with the straw absentmindedly, not making any move to consume it. "That was gifted to me not of my own merit but out of graciousness. As such, it is my duty to share it with others."

Echidna tilted her head. She almost seemed amused by him. "Interesting. I believe it is our duty to impose authority on those who were made weaker than ourselves. For their own good, of course. People must be told what to think by those who know best."

Obi-Wan's eyes drifted over to Alysia. If he could tell after only a brief conversation with them that the Shapers had no interest in aligning with the Jedi, surely she knew as well.

When he spoke in response to Echidna's comment, he addressed Alysia. "I didn't realize the Shapers advocated tyranny."

"We don't," Alysia replied sharply.

"Forgive me then. That is what it sounded like."

Before Echidna could respond, Alysia cut in. "The Senate is idle. There is a reason the galaxy is at war, and it has everything to do with their negligence."

"The Separatists are fighting the wrong enemy."

"How can the Republic claim to be morally superior when it severely neglects the outer worlds and does nothing about the corruption plaguing the Inner?"

"Your concerns may be valid but the fact remains that the Separatists are not the answer," Obi-Wan countered.

The whole room fell into charged silence as the two glared at each other. It felt like being tossed recklessly into the past, where they would push each other until one of them snapped.

Few people had the nerve to ask questions with difficult answers. That had never been a problem for Alysia. It both infuriated and intrigued Obi-Wan. She never gave up until they laid everything on the table.

"And why not?" Alysia asked.

"Because Count Dooku is a Sith Lord," Obi-Wan stated curtly. "He tried to have me killed, not to mention massacred over a hundred Jedi on Geonosis." Those were the facts. His voice hardened even more as he added, "His violence will bring nothing but darkness to the galaxy."

His words had the desired effect. She immediately sank back into her seat. "I see," she whispered. He could visibly see the moment that she accepted his words as the truth. "I apologize for doubting you."

"You didn't know. But you must believe that the Separatists initiated this war. Not the Jedi."

"I do," Alysia murmured. "I believe you."

Obi-Wan's lips turned up into a half smile. For the first time, it felt like they were finally on the same team again. Where they belonged.

Before he could voice a less sentimental version of that thought, the sound of a throat clearing drew their attention.

Sometime during their conversation, all three of the older Shapers had abandoned their seats. They were now standing at the edges of the table, encircling them.

"I've heard enough," Nerezza announced. "Thank you for your visit, but I'm afraid it was futile. You see, we already pledged our allegiance to Count Dooku last night."

The words struck Obi-Wan cold. His conversation with Mace Windu began to roar in the back of his mind, demanding to be heard. He forced himself to look over at Alysia.

His breath caught in his throat and relief like he had never known before overwhelmed him. She appeared just as shocked as him. Immediately, he felt guilty for even considering that she would be helping them.

"What?" Alysia asked. Her voice wavered with hurt. "Mother, how could you?"

Nerezza sighed in annoyance. "Honestly Alysia, I'm getting a little tired of your dramatics. I kept hoping you'd learn, but clearly there's no hope."

The doors clicked shut behind them.

Obi-Wan whipped around to see the guards standing shoulder to shoulder blocking the exits.

"What is this?" Alysia demanded.

"I'm afraid you're our prisoners now," Nerezza answered. She opened up one hand and a flame ignited. Her face twisted into a cruel smile that morphed her entire appearance into a completely different person. "I suggest you surrender."