**Chapter 392: Unspoken Feelings**
**Senator Riyo Chuchi's POV**
The healing gardens of the Jedi Temple were one of the most peaceful places on Coruscant. Soft sunlight filtered through the leaves of ancient trees, gentle fountains bubbled in the background, and the air carried the faint, calming scent of blooming flowers. It was the kind of place where troubled minds were supposed to find clarity.
Riyo Chuchi sat on a stone bench beside Dagon Marek, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. She had requested this private conversation, and he had agreed without hesitation. Now that they were here, alone except for the distant hum of the Temple, she found herself completely lost for words.
Dagon waited patiently, his scarred face calm, though she could see the exhaustion still lingering in his eyes from the recent events on Naboo and Malachor.
Finally, Riyo took a shaky breath and spoke.
"I… I don't even know where to start," she admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "I've been thinking about you for so long. Since Randon. Since you promised to help Pantora when no one else would. You sent forces to protect us when we were vulnerable. You were kind when I told you about my engagement. You supported me even though… even though I think part of me always hoped you wouldn't."
She looked down at her hands, fingers twisting together.
"And then the war happened. You became this… legend. The hero of Christophsis. The one who saved kashyyyk. The man who burned Zygerria to ash because your padawan family were being sold into slavery. The one who nearly died on Tatooine and then again on Naboo, shielding an entire planet from a virus that could have killed millions."
Her voice cracked.
"I was so angry, Dagon. Angry that you kept throwing yourself into danger like that. Angry that you nearly died so many times and never once contacted me. Not even a message. Not even to say you were alive. I sat in the Senate, listening to everyone talk about the 'Death Fleet' or the 'Storm God,' and all I could think was… why didn't you reach out? Why didn't you let me know you were okay?"
Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to hold them back, but they spilled over anyway.
"I know I have no right to feel this way. You're a Jedi General. I'm a senator with a fiancé. But every time I heard you were hurt, or that you were fighting alone again, it felt like someone was tearing something out of my chest. And now… now you're here, recovering from almost dying again, and I still don't know what to say to you."
She broke down completely, shoulders shaking as quiet sobs escaped her.
**Dagon's POV**
*Okay. This is bad. So bad.*
I sat frozen on the bench, watching Riyo Chuchi cry. I hadn't even done anything this time — and now I had a crying senator on my hands.
*Damn it, Dagon, think. Think.*
Ahsoka's voice came through the bond, warm and teasing.
*Master, you should move on to the next stage with her.*
Stella's voice followed, light and playful.
*Yeah, we wouldn't mind.*
Kayla added with a hint of amusement,
*Yeah… the more the merrier.*
*Girls,* I sent back quickly, *she is a senator. That is not a line I want to cross.*
Riyo continued crying, soft and heartbroken. I felt completely out of my depth.
*Relationship advice 1: when a girl is crying, just hug and apologize.*
I shifted closer on the bench and gently pulled her into my arms. Riyo stiffened for a moment, then melted against me, burying her face in my chest as her sobs grew stronger.
"It's okay," I murmured, one hand stroking her back while the other cradled her head. "I'm very sorry for hurting you. I never meant to make you worry like this. I've been… focused on the war. On trying to keep everyone alive. I should have reached out. I should have let you know I was alright. That was unfair to you."
Riyo clutched my tunic, tears soaking the fabric. "You nearly died so many times… and I just sat in the Senate listening to everyone talk about you like you were some kind of myth. I kept thinking… what if this is the time he doesn't come back? What if I never get to tell you…"
Her voice broke again.
I held her tighter. "I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere. And I'm sorry I made you feel like you didn't matter. You do matter, Riyo. More than you probably realize."
She pulled back just enough to look up at me, eyes red and glistening. "Do I? Because sometimes it feels like I'm just another senator asking for help. Like on Randon. Like when I asked for protection for Pantora. You helped… but you never… you never looked at me the way you look at them."
I hesitated. The bond with the girls flared — Ahsoka's curiosity, Zule's quiet acceptance, Kayla's amused encouragement.
"I… care about you, Riyo," I said carefully. "You're kind, brave, and you fight for your people even when it's hard. That's rare. But my life is complicated. The girls… they're part of that complication. I won't lie to you about that."
Riyo wiped her eyes, still leaning against me. "I know. I've heard the rumors. I've seen how close you are with Ahsoka and Zule… and the others. It's not normal for a Jedi. But nothing about you is normal, is it?"
A small, watery laugh escaped her. "I just… I needed to say it. I needed you to know that I've been thinking about you. That I was scared every time I heard you were hurt. That even though I have Cal, part of me always wondered 'what if?'"
I brushed a tear from her cheek with my thumb. "I'm glad you told me. And I'm sorry I made you wait so long to say it."
We sat in silence for a while, her head resting on my shoulder. The gardens around us felt peaceful, a rare quiet moment in the middle of endless war.
Riyo eventually spoke again, voice softer. "Will you… at least message me sometimes? Even if it's just to say you're alive?"
"I can do that," I promised. "And if you ever need anything — for Pantora, or for yourself — you can always come to me."
She nodded, then surprised me by leaning up and pressing a light, tentative kiss to my cheek.
"Thank you, Dagon."
I smiled faintly. "Anytime, Senator."