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❝ i wish i could've been stronger. ❞

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CARINA CONTINUED TOWEL drying her damp hair as much as she could, placing the towel back onto the table before fixing her white tank top.

Algora reached for the brown leather jacket she'd always worn, slipping her arms through the sleeves and tucking her hair out. A soft sigh escaped her lips, Carina would never admit it— but she'd been starting to grow familiar with simply being with herself.

The mother had always hated being alone, because it'd leave her only to her thoughts— which were never joyful.

She always busied herself with others, having been when she was training Luke, or helping Leia with patrol, or perhaps simply when she had a task at hand occupying her thoughts.

It always felt like she was purposely drowning herself— in hopes to keep her mind from what she feared most... confrontation.

Carina was never fond of admitting how hard things hit her, always preferring to simply mask it with another emotion to keep from dwelling too long on it.

But now, she had nothing. No one to distract her, no one to busy herself with, no one to worry about, no task to drown herself in. It was simply her.

As terrifying as her mind made it seem, it was slightly comforting. She allowed herself to indulge in the thoughts she always kept away, in a way— it was like she was finally allowing herself to heal.

Not as much as she could be after twenty years, but it was a start. Some nights she would sleep peacefully, not a single dream or thought haunting her. It had been too long since she last slept that well.

Carina patted her comforter down, making the bed when the door to her chamber clicked open. Annoyance flickered through her eyes at the sudden intrusion. Algora knew who it was merely by his presence, and his mechanic breaths engulfing the room.

Carina straightened up, the same blank expression she usually wore caressing her features before she turned to face the Sith Lord.

Before words between the two could be spoken, Vader tossed an object at the brunette who's reflexes kicked in and caught it. Carina glanced down at her hand to see her lightsaber.

Confusion flashed through her eyes, brows pulling themselves together before she looked back up at Darth.

Vader studied his wife's reaction and fought the tender sensation that filled him upon seeing her brows crease together with her lips pursed. The expression she always wore when she was confused.

The male tipped his head up slightly, "Thought you might want to stretch."

Carina clutched her old weapon tightly, "What?" Vader watched his wife's tense figure, a small hint of wariness evident in her amber eyes, "Or would you like to stay in here?"

The mother raised a brow at the male, "How do you know I won't just cut through all of your troopers and fly off?" The nagging question in her head about why he had given her the lightsaber back had overcome her.

Why would he have enough trust in her to willingly give her such a weapon?

Darth Vader merely shrugged, and Carina fought to imagine the expression he could be wearing under that wretched mask. "You could. I have no doubt that you could."

Carina narrowed her eyes at him, "And yet?"

"Even without your lightsaber you could easily escape, and yet you haven't." Darth watched the woman's gaze falter slightly, "You can but you won't."

Deal silence was his response from the brunette stood only a few feet from him.

The Sith Lord moved in a way to gesture towards the door, no words left him but Carina knew it was a silent invitation.

Her options ran through her head, she could simply ignore him, throw the lightsaber back as he did and stay in her room with no one but herself.

Though a part of her longed to take her pent up frustration out on something, against someone she didn't have to pull her strength on.

That sounded like a much better option in all honesty. Carina walked past the man, stepping out of her cell before turning to face Vader once more, "Lead the way."

Darth couldn't help the surprise glint that shone in his light eyes that hid behind visor that shielded them from anyone's gaze.

The man composed himself before taking the lead as he lead her to the training facility, the iron doors slid open— revealing the room inside before he turned back to see Carina glancing over every inch of her surroundings. Her eyes lingered on the two doors opposite of the room for a second longer.

Still observant, he noted.

Carina licked her tainted lips, her scanning eyes landing on the male watching her. The brunette adjusted her tight grip on her weapon, a brow raised before she spoke up, "Who am I humiliating?"

Vader couldn't help the slight grin that tugged on the corners of his lips, he knew she was being very serious. He could tell by the slight glint in her eyes and her stance, she was craving to hit something.

The Sith male unclipped his own weapon from his utility belt, his eyes set on the woman, "Me."

Carina paused for a moment, before a determined look flashed through her eyes. Hurting the root of all her problems seemed very therapeutic, "No force, simply saber fighting."

Vader nodded slightly, agreeing to her terms before igniting his weapon. Red shine brightly as the noise filled the room.

Carina took a deep breath before turning her weapon on, yellow mirroring the red that was only a few feet ahead.

Carina twirled her saber in hand, she wouldn't strike first. She especially needed to see if the man still fought like before— or if he'd made some changes.

Vader moved first, clashing his weapon down on Carina's. The brunette tilted her head slightly before twisting their weapons to slip behind him— but he'd anticipated that move.

The male quicker turned, blocking the strike she was about to hit him with. Carina pounced again, shifting her feet before clashing down on the opposing red that shone in her eyes.

The mother blinked, and suddenly she was looking into the eyes of the man she once knew. It was like she had been transported back to the time they first fought against one another— on Mustafar.

Carina's anger rose before she used all the strength in her arms to push the male back, but not before grazing his upper chest.

Vader blinked as he stumbled, surprised by the sudden outburst his wife had suddenly gotten. Now that he looked at her— she looked livid, chest heaving rapidly as if she was seeing something else.

Darth had paused his movements to question the brunette when she suddenly struck again, this time harder— faster. More force was now put into each of her hits, her agility bewildering him as he kept up with each of her strikes as best he could.

Carina maneuvered her way around him before kicking her leg out, going to trip him but Vader reacted quicker before side stepping her.

Algora grit her teeth, her pace picking up rapidly to which the Sith Lord had to keep up with. Carina swung her lightsaber upwards just as Darth's crashed down against hers.

Yellow and red struggled against one another. Carina's blazing eyes looked into Vaders through the mask.

"Carina—" The male tried, feeling the pure anger emit from the brunette who seemed to be acting upon it.

Carina pushed against Vader, eyes narrowed with her jaw clenched, "Anytime I see the colors orange or red... all I see is Mustafar."

Darth's stance faltered slightly upon the name— making a bitter chuckle slip from his wife's lips, "You remember, of course you do. It's where you almost choked your pregnant wife to death."

Carina jutted her arm upwards, hitting the mama helmet before slicing her weapon upwards only for Vader to barely catch the strike.

"What? Too hard for you to even think of?" Carina pushed all the strength she had into her arms to push against the fully armored male, "Never did you think to put yourself in my place, huh? To think about what you did to me."

Carina pushed against him and Vader let go of his force to stumble backwards willingly. He breathed heavily, watching a fire burn within his loves eyes.

Algora attacked again, hitting and hitting— strike after strike, never faltering. Darth forgot just how long Carina could last in a fight, her stamina wasn't one that wore out quickly.

The mother only grew more frustrated with each hit the Sith Lord continued blocking, she forgot just how well each of them knew the others offense and defense.

They knew each others mind too well.

Carina attempted to think of something that would catch him off guard— a move he wouldn't suspect.

Their sabers clang together once more, but this time Carina pushed the arm wielding the saber up before doing a roundhouse kick to send the weapon flying from his grasp and sliding onto the concrete floor.

Algora moved quickly, shooting her hand out to summon the saber into her free hand before she igniting it. She spun on her heel before caging both of her arms around Vader.

Her yellow saber dangerously close to his front while his own was lingering by his back. One wrong move and he'd be done.

Carina breathed heavily, finally coming down from her adrenaline high with her anger subsiding.

The mother blinked, gritting her teeth slightly before spitting out, "That's what I thought." Her eyes wandered over his helmet, landing on where she place were where his eyes were and gazed into them. A soft silence falling into place between the two of them.

She shut off the two weapons, putting a good amount distance between her and him. Carina averted her eyes, a sense of acceptance weighing upon her. Of course he hadn't cared, foolish was she to think otherwise.

Algora threw the two lightsabers at his feet, the clanging noise of metals ringing in her ears before she turned away— having begun to make her way back to her cell before his mechanical voice called out.

"I did. Everyday. I always put myself in your head, thinking about how it must've been for you that day. I've never done anything right when it came to you... and I'll always hate myself for that."

His words struck a part of Carina she'd locked away too long ago, her chest tightening. But there was nothing that could undo the past, she now lives with the pain he'd caused.

That would never change, no matter what Vader said.

Carina turned her head almost unnoticeably, her movements paused for what felt like an eternity before she moved.

The doors closed behind her and Darth Vader was left alone.

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AUTHORS NOTE,
what kind of interactions would you guys wanna see between carina and vader, im in need of ideas to get this building up