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Luminara was certainly not in good shape, but she was still conscious enough to open her eyes when something hit head on the outside of the unfamiliar building she was in. Some dark fabric plunged her into an agonising darkness that she had forgotten and caused an irrational fear to rise up inside her.
Calm down, think with your head, keep your cool.
After a few long seconds, her brain took over from her primal instincts and she began to analyse the situation with the little information she had. It was not as if the restraints on her movements or her injuries would allow her to go anywhere else, anyway.
So. From the sound of it, it could not have been anything particularly heavy or resistant that had caused the crash, everything here was made of thin, fragile sheet metal, every sound or word reverberated into every nook and cranny to such an extent that Luminara had been able to hear several languages when her captors were talking amongst themselves, not that she had understood anything, unfortunately. Her best bet would be that someone had thrown a person and was continuing to do so, the echo of a scuffle spreading very quickly through the hangar to where Luminara and her other companions in misfortune were stored awaiting their transfer.
Something strong and bright burned in the Force, so Luminara worked hard to make her presence known and studied her surroundings with as many senses as she could muster at once with her physical senses heavily blocked by the blindfold, so using mainly the Force to get her bearings. Taking a deep breath to help her centre herself, Luminara estimated that the other captives around her were exactly the same number as the last time she had been awake and that the most active presences – and therefore not drugged like them, like her – were further to her right.
Fighting against the influence of what she had been given was exhausting, and she could not remember the last time she had eaten anything healthy anyway, but the Mirialian forced herself to draw on the last of her strength to tear the blindfold over her eyes just enough to catch a glimpse of something, concentrating especially on the tissue in her mouth which finally came off at the cost of precious time that was hopelessly lost in tiny, insufficient victories. All around her, everyone was blinded and silenced like her.
The sounds of battle reverberated closer and closer and echoed louder and more menacingly off the walls, making those around her tremble and moan, but Luminara could only feel relief through what little emotion passed the total fog she felt inside herself. This was a Jedi, and she suspected that now, even if it was not necessarily their original purpose, they would come for her.
She barely remembered the landslide that had trapped her and most of her travelling companions on a stopover to Mirial, just that she had lost her weapon and passed out after the effort only to wake up in chains, but she had been gone long enough for her family to notice and worry about her tardiness.
A familiar, reassuring green light began to appear and the only worry she had that the other Jedi might get hurt or even die because of her faded as the other's fighting skills showed in his ease at fending off dwindling opponents. He was good, so she closed her eyes until she heard nothing more, checking only as he cautiously approached their wretched gathering, checking that no one was trying to run away or sneak up on him, but even Luminara could sense that there was no one left to fight.
She recognised the face when it came into the light, although it took her a little longer to put it back on. It had to be said that the last time she had seen him, he must have been around thirteen years old and had just obtained the ritual tattoos of adulthood in his culture, so he was in the age bracket below her own.
- "Kolar!" she finally shouted, startling everyone around her with her outburst and the painful cough that followed.
The Zabrak looked carefully before hesitantly coming over to her, carefully tearing off the rest of the fabric on her face, staring at her in disbelief after watching her more intently.
- Knight Unduli? What are you doing here?
- "I was visiting my family on Mirial", she explained briefly, "if you could make sure I got to them after helping these people, I'd really appreciate it..."
- Unduli? Unduli!
But Luminara was not listening any more, she was far too... tired...
*
Waking up with the feeling that her own body was made of wet cotton was a sensation that Luminara hated but had learned to accept and be grateful for. It meant that she was being cared for, so that someone was taking care of her and going out of their way to make her feel better, so she was grateful, even if at the moment she was struggling just to open her eyes. Force, her eyelids were so heavy and the fatigue so strong.
The familiar ceiling of her room reassured her before worrying her far more than it had before, because why would she be hurt when she was at home... oh, that's right.
The attack.
The captivity.
The rescue.
Movement next to her would have startled her if she were in her normal state, but right now she could barely keep her eyes open so nothing really transmitted her alarm to her surroundings.
- Luminara? Can you hear me?
Her Aunt Baeri.
- "A little", she murmured, trying to tilt her head to one side.
But she could not.
- A man brought you back yesterday.
- "A Jedi", she murmured, fighting sleep.
There was something... off. Something was not right.
- "What’s wrong?" She asked with difficulty, unable to ignore the tension in the room that was not coming from her and even seemed to be coming from the whole house.
- When that man gave you back to us... you...
- Please tell me.
- "You had your hair completely free", her aunt then said hurriedly, relieving herself of a burden that Luminara received with full force.
- I... what?!
- I'm so sorry.
- Are you sure I was...?
But the verdict was clear.
- I saw it with my own eyes.
And the sentence was irrevocable.
The hand on her shoulder was of no help and no ounce of comfort that could be offered would be received, pretending to be asleep so that she could cry alone was the only thing she could do.
Kolar had no idea, but the second he saw her without her veil, she had been dishonoured, besmirch forever. She had lost her honour, her dignity, her desirable place in the eyes of her family and all her people. Continuing to claim to be an Unduli would only bring shame on her Clan, she would be the laughing stock of her comrades and through her all her Clan and every one of its members, she... she would probably be repudiated to save her family honour, she realised with distress, unable to hold back her pain and sadness.
Even sleep refused to come to her, and it was out of sheer exhaustion that she reached it.
*
She was not much better the next morning when Chevalier Kolar paid her a visit, his face sombre, looking around as cautiously and suspiciously as he had in that dark warehouse.
- What's the matter?
- I had to insist on seeing you. Insist a lot. Is it something typical for your people, or are they really behaving strangely?
- "The situation is... a bit exceptional", she replied with a tense smile because he deserved to be reassured, hoping in her heart that he would not ask any more questions.
- "Well, yes, you're not captured and destined for slavery every day", the Zabrak replied curtly, settling himself on a stool before crossing him arms, looking... annoyed.
- Did I upset you in any way?
- "You fainted on me and I have no medical skills of any kind other than trying to stop the blood coming out from when it bleeds", he replied sharply before rubbing his face. "I was really afraid you were going to die in my arms".
- I'm sorry I caused you so much trouble.
- I'm not... That's not what I fucking said! It's not your fault, but being so helpless and clueless isn't pleasant, it puts me in a bad mood, but frankly it's a huge blind spot that would have blown up in my face sooner or later.
Luminara silently sympathised; she knew how important it was to know how to take care of people, so he did not need to convince her.
- Anyway, how are you? I haven't really been kept up to date.
- As it should, you're a man.
Kolar frowned and looked at himself before scrutinising her with interest.
- Yes, I'm a man, that seems pretty clear to me. Are you under the influence of something?
- "A Mirialian woman's private life and health are none of the business of men from outside her family", she explained with a smile.
- Oh, sorry, I didn't know that-
- I'm a Jedi, so I have a more flexible view on the subject, and I could hardly reproach you for being concerned about the health of a comrade. I'm fine, I wasn't really badly hurt, just exhausted.
- "Well, then maybe you can explain to me why several people here are talking about you as an outcast or a dying woman", he continued firmly, his fists clenched.
Oh, he already knew. Her family must not have been very discreet, they had so few outside guests that they had probably already forgotten about him when he was not in their field of vision.
- Unduli?
- "Have you seen my hair", she said in a slightly more aggressive tone than she had intended.
She did not like being pressured into giving answers she would rather not give.
- What about it?
- To be seen by a man other than one of her concubines is the ultimate dishonour for a Mirialian woman.
- "You didn't choose it", he stressed, leaning forward, forearms resting on his knees, hands clasped. "It was under duress and in very specific situations, isn't that an acceptable exception?"
- A good Mirialian protects her honour, if she couldn't do it then she was too weak and therefore unworthy, only medical care would forgive what happened.
- It doesn’t make sense!
- "You know", she continued wistfully, without listening to him, "it's said that a Mirialian's soul is in their hair. Babies born with hair are considered to have a particularly strong soul, and from birth the hair is covered and never revealed to the public. From puberty onwards, young people hide their hair even from their families. You may think it's stupid, but our veils are in a way like your Zabrak tattoos, they're... an irreplaceable symbol".
- Is there really no way for you to make the fact that I saw you like that acceptable?
- Unfortunately, there isn’t, as I said, only my husbands are allowed to do it and no one else... and anyway, you're not the only one who's seen me like this.
- I may not be the only one to have done so, but I am the only one still alive.
- I beg your pardon? I didn't quite catch that.
- During our way here and while you've been resting, I've been going over the security camera footages of the hangar and the ship that brought you there. From what I've seen, none of the other prisoners have seen your hair, the only ones who have are the three pirates who captured you, their comrades haven't come to see you and the photos they took to try and make pre-sales hadn't been released yet.
- "Okay, so four people saw me", she murmured softly, trembling slightly.
It was worse than expected.
- What I'm saying is that these three died when I attacked the warehouse.
- Did you kill them?
- "Only two of them", he answered frankly, "the last one fell down a staircase in the heat of the battle and broke his neck. Which makes me the only person left who saw you without a veil".
- "Yes, but don't go killing yourself for my honour", she warned, only half joking, not knowing the other Jedi's state of mind.
- Okay but... is there really nothing we can do to appease your people and your family? Nothing at all?
- "Nothing", she repeated wearily. "As I said, only a husband would be legitimately allowed and justified in-"
- Then we could get married.
Luminara put a hand to her forehead and checked her pulse. Maybe she really was high.
- I mean, neither of us is supposed to get married, but since we're not madly in love and lost in the throes of unreasoning passion, it seems rational to me. If I marry you, you will have done nothing dishonourable and your family has no reason to know that the marriage will have taken place after your rescue. Going to rescue my wife would be another reason for me to act. Does that sound so far-fetched?
- In fact, not at all. The practice of arranged marriage for exactly this reason is actually quite common to make up for this kind of transgression.
- "So be it, let's do it", he suggested. "I wasn't planning on getting married anyway, so it might as well serve a worthwhile purpose if I have to attach my name to someone else's. What does it take to get married in your culture?"
- "A few words and a kiss to seal the deal", she answered slowly, more than a little disturbed but refusing to let that stop her.
It was her only viable option to make up for this mess. She could not thank the Force enough for sending her Knight Kolar and not someone less favourable to unorthodox solutions such as this one.
- Your hands, please.
He held them out and moved closer, looking slightly puzzled.
- Wait, you mean we can do it just... like that? Without witnesses?
- "Mirialian marriage doesn't need witnesses, it's a moral contract first and foremost", she explained briefly. "Still in it?"
Determination replaced hesitation and he nodded.
- I choose you this day, I offer you protection in exchange for an eternal covenant, do you accept?
He nodded but said nothing, so Luminara clarified:
- You must vocalise your agreement.
- Oh, sorry. I accept.
- "Then you... are... mine", she finished shyly.
They looked at each other awkwardly until Kolar looked away before looking at her again, seeming to gather his courage.
- So... we kiss?
- I... yes?
- Okay. Now?
- "That would be preferable", she replied, flinching when the other abruptly approached to press his lips to hers for a second before stepping back and looking at her uncertainly, half-sitting on the bed.
- Is it over?
- Yes, it's over.
He clumsily ran a hand through his hair and leaned forward to offer her a brief, awkward but comforting hug before stepping back again and sighing fatalistically.
- Well... I don't know why, but I don't think this is what the Council had in mind
when they sent me on this mission alone for my Trials.
- … what was that?
- "Investigating and dismantling this criminal network was one of my trials to become a Knight", he explained with a small smile, fiddling with a tiny braid she had not noticed in his long hair tied up in the Zabrak traditional way. "And I'm coming back married".
Luminara was distinctly less amused:
- You mean I MARRIED A PADAWAN?!