Saga Untouchable: Clone/Jedi Romance, Adventure/Drama, Obi & OCs, [COMPLETE] 2/25/14

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@Nyota's Heart: Yes! Obi deserves a bit of lovin' after all he's been through. I know things ultimately don't work out very well with Satine, poor guy, but I like to think he gets a little happiness. And yes, the friendship between him and Kali will remain strong. Thanks so much for the comment!​

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Epilogue​

It was the moment that the entire city had been waiting for and Crest was nothing short of delighted to be in the thick of it all. He and his brothers – along with the queen's new guards – were escorting Sita to the market, where the main event was to take place. All around them, throngs of people had gathered to celebrate the coming of spring.


“Exciting, isn't it?” Crest shouted to Weave.


His brother looked at him in confusion, his hand held up to his ear. “What?”


Without our gear, we may as well be deaf, Crest thought as he grinned and shook his head. Indeed, he and the other clones had been given simple Arunai tunics and pants to wear in place of their armor and Crest again marveled at how different everyone seemed to regard the clones. Though it's not the absence of our armor...it's something else. Something better. He grinned again. This is going to be amazing.


Many of the festival-goers had drums, whistles and various other instruments with which they were creating a eccentric harmony to accompany the chanting and singing that rose from the throats of the Arunai themselves. Food vendors pushed their carts through the crowd, letting the scent of their wares call the hungry people towards them as no amount of shouting could carry over the din. Another glance around allowed him to take in the sight of the massive press of people and he noted the fact that everyone was carrying handfuls of strange packets and pouches that were filled with bright, colored powder.

“What's the powder for?” he called to the young queen, who was on his other side.


She beamed up at him. “It shows that we are all equals,” she said, her voice somehow carrying over the cacophony. Before he could ask what she meant, she continued. “At the same moment, everyone is to toss theirs into the air.”


“What for?” Milo shouted.


Weave sighed, though Crest only realized it because he could see the motion of his brother's chest. “Didn't you read any of that intel?”


The younger clone gave him a mock glare. “It didn't go into the minutiae of the local celebrations.”


“We don't all have so much time on our hands,” Traxis added, though his tone was light.


Before Weave could reply, General Halcyon and Captain Stonewall appeared in the midst of the group, their faces flushed. Sita gave the Jedi a knowing look. “You are just in time....it's about to start, once the sun reaches that spire.” Her hand lifted as she indicated a tendril of coiled metal that was placed at the top of the main temple. Presently, the sun appeared to be inches away.


Stonewall shielded his eyes and nodded. “It's imminent, then.” He looked down at the Jedi and smiled at her though his voice was chiding. “We almost missed it.”


“Almost.” She gave him a grin as she pressed something into his palm before turning to Crest, handing him several of the small packets as well; soon everyone was so equipped. “You'll know,” she said as Milo opened his mouth. “Trust me.”


All around them, the crowd seemed to undulate even as it thickened. Their anticipation was palpable as the harmony of the celebration seemed to coalesce and mold itself to fill not only the spaces between those who had gathered, but also the space above their heads, reaching into the sky as if it would touch the sun that even now was sidling next to the spire at the temple's zenith.


It was in that moment that the entire world changed.


Color exploded into the air: shots of turquoise, saffron, violet, magenta and dozens more sprang up, carried across the square by both the breeze and the joyful ululations of the audience members. Crest watched a young couple to his right shriek as they drenched each other with purple powder, their skin and hair already covered in bright red from their neighbors' enthusiasm. Beyond them he could make out a family, each of them dumping packets of color at one another, grinning and laughing.


Suddenly his vision was awash in azure and he turned to see Sita giggling and tossing the remains of her packets onto his head, her face already covered in rose and vermilion. As he laughed and sprinkled one of his own pouches of teal upon her, he glanced over at Stonewall and Kalinda – she was no general at the moment – who were each coated with a rainbow of colors even as they embraced like they were the only people in existence.


They were streaked with crimson and yellow, indigo, purple and bright green; when they leaned forward to kiss it was impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

The End​

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This scene was inspired by the Holi Festival in India, which is an actual spring festival. If you get a chance, ask google to show you some pics and videos; it's incredible. I hope to experience it in person one day. ​

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So, the main story is over, but we have one more loose thread to tie off...

Thanks for reading!

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What a multicolored and joyous festival - rainbow and sunlight all blended. Thanks for sharing this riveting, eventually mushilicious tale!

 

Nyota's Heart: You're most welcome! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for all the kind words.

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A/N: Crest had some unfinished business on Aruna....I wasn't quite ready to leave, either.

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Interlude​

Crest hadn't spent too much time in the palace gardens during Shadow Squad's brief tenure on the planet Aruna. Most of the mission had taken place either in the streets of Rudral, the capitol city, or the rugged mountains as he and Traxis accompanied the Jedi Knight Kalinda Halcyon and the young queen of Aruna to a distant temple.

Naturally, it had been an eventful trip.

Happily though, the hard part of the mission seemed to be over; the Jedi and her squad were now tasked with ensuring that the young queen's proposed changes in the social structures of the planet would proceed without further incident. I know it's important, Crest thought as he stood in the center of the palace garden and looked around. But does it have to be so boring? All those endless meetings were enough to make me want to jump off the nearest mountain just to shake things up. Spring had come in earnest to the city, evidenced by the myriad of flowers that had seemed to blossom overnight; even in the muted light of the sunset he could make out the vibrant colors that coated most of the shrubs and trees in his vicinity.

Once the official business was concluded for the day, things relaxed a little bit, particularly for the Jedi and the clone captain, Stonewall, who were – if it was possible – even more nauseating together than they had ever been. I don't mind a little PDA, but seriously....they need to tone it down. Indeed, none of the clones wanted to be anywhere near the suites where the Republic group had been staying when the lovers were....

Crest sighed. Enjoying themselves. I'll just leave it at that. Though his brothers had taken to exploring the city some more, he had elected to remain behind as he was feeling uncharacteristically melancholy. I don't know why I'm so mopey....I should be on top of the world; we had another successful mission and got to attend a massive festival. Despite these pleasant notions, his thoughts kept returning to a certain Arunai woman who'd left such an impression on him that he was still finding hidden flecks of colored powder on his skin days after the spring festival.

She's the ruler of an entire planet and I'm about as far from unique as you can get. Still though, it was nice to think that maybe a woman like her would even look at a guy like me. He frowned. Maudlin thoughts were not his forté, nor did he care for sulking.

Soft footfalls met his ears; a light jingling of gold made him turn to see the very person whom he'd been thinking of and he straightened his spine on impulse as Sita, the queen of everything he could see and stand on at the moment, approached him. Her alabaster hair glinted in the fading light and her eyes – the color of a morning sky – regarded him with curiosity even after she greeted him. “Where are your brothers?”

A unit, a set. What am I on my own? Kriff, I'm in a weird mood today. Rather than speak, he gestured to the cityscape below them and she nodded, a faint smile curving her cheeks.

“You didn't want to join them?”

This made him pause. “I thought I'd give the garden a look. None of us wanted to stay in our quarters; the Jedi and the Captain are a little too....enthusiastic right now.” His face felt warm despite the cool breeze that slipped across his skin. Am I seriously talking to the queen about this? That's got to be against some kind of protocol.

But she laughed. The sound reverberated around them and he felt a grin spread over his face. “They are, aren't they? Even Badal and I weren't that bad as newlyweds.”

The mention of her deceased husband – the former king, lest you forget – stilled him and his smile faded.

Sensing his unease, Sita took a step closer. Her skin was a warm reddish color and she smelled of jasmine. “I loved him very much,” she said in a quiet voice. “As he loved me. However, it is not the way of my people to let the shadows of those who have passed hang over us forever. He is gone. I have shed my tears. But the wonderful thing about life is that it goes on.”

Crest studied her. She was wearing a simple silk dress – if such a combination of words was possible – and her face held an expression that he could not read, though he was trying to. “I'm sure he loved you very much, your majesty.”

“Sita.”

Her eyes on his were pale blue and he could not look away as he said her name. “Sita.”

She stepped closer, closing the gap even more. Crest realized that her hand was on his arm well after it had happened; the press of her skin was soft and warm and unlike anything he'd ever felt. He was riveted by her gaze. Perhaps he said her name again, but at that point he lost track of the exact sequence of events. His feet were planted in the ground as surely as any tree and she moved to him like wind over the water. This isn't happening. This isn't real. The last of the evening birds had stopped singing as the crickets took over the music of dusk.

“Crest?” Her face was close to his; she was shorter than him and he had to look down to meet her eyes. She smiled, her hand still on his arm. “Are you well? Your pulse is racing.”

He nodded, but said nothing as breathing was also difficult. If I move, this will all vanish, I'll wake up....and I really don't want to wake up right now.

The queen of Aruna tilted her head up to him; her pale hair was loose and tumbling down her back. “Crest,” she said his name again, though it was a whisper. “Don't forget to breathe.” With that she leaned up and kissed him. Her lips were soft, softer than anything he'd ever known, and the scent of her skin was intoxicating. There was a moment of fumbling awkwardness before his body adjusted to the new experience.

Lucky I'm a fast learner.

After several moments they broke apart and he decided that he could overlook the captain's recent behavior. I had no clue what I was missing. No wonder he's all starry-eyed. He held her gaze and gave her a smile. “Breathe. Right. I think I need to work on that.”

Sita laughed and he thought that he'd never heard a more wonderful sound. “I understand how you feel.” Her skin was flushed, spots of color had appeared in her cheeks. “Perhaps with more practice, we could perfect our technique.” Pale blue eyes met his and he grinned at the glint of mischief he saw within them. All around the garden, cicadas and other night insects were calling to one another and the air was filled with the strange melody.

To hell with protocol. As if on instinct, his hands moved to her shoulders even as she leaned into him, pressing herself against his chest while he kissed her again. She was warmer than he'd imagined, and he held her as close as he could. When her arms wrapped around his torso, Crest thought that he could well and truly die happy right there.

But of course, it couldn't last.

Eventually they broke apart though they kept their eyes on one another. Crest took a deep breath to calm himself, because he was certain if he spoke immediately, his voice would crack like a teenager's. “Sita....”

She shook her head. “I know. But I also wanted to know what it would be like.” Her hands skimmed across the planes of his face as if committing it to memory. “And I wanted you to have something to remember me by on all your travels throughout the galaxy.”

“Trust me, Sita, I'll remember you, no matter what. However,” he couldn't help himself and he grinned. “I'd like to make absolutely certain that you'll remember me....just in case.” On impulse he kissed her once more even as she smiled again.

Afterward her hand moved to his and he savored the press of their skin. She looked at him a moment more before she turned to leave. “I will never forget you, Crest. You are a man like no other.”

As he watched her slip away through the garden, for one of the few times in his life Crest was speechless.


When his brothers found him some time later, he was still grinning.

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So, that's all for this story, folks! If you like my OCs, stay tuned. They have many more adventures ahead. ​

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Thank you for reading! ​

 

What a pleasant surprise And a lovely interlude, for Crest/Sita especially