Private Breath Between Stone

[Lumiya Dara]

Lumiya listened quietly as he spoke, her attention remaining on the final securing of the bandage around his leg. Her movements were smaller now; less urgent than before, but no less careful. When he thanked her, her gaze lifted briefly toward him. The softness in her expression shifted almost imperceptibly; not surprise, not quite relief, but something gentler in response to the sincerity she heard in his voice. “You’re welcome,” she said softly. The words settled easily between them. But the ease didn’t last long. Not truly.

Her hands stilled again as he explained about the one who had escaped. The weight of it settled immediately into the quiet space around them. More could come. Not eventually. Soon. Lumiya lowered her gaze for a moment, thinking. “A flare would be seen too easily,” she said after a brief silence, her voice calm and measured again. “Smoke too.” Her eyes shifted briefly toward the fractured opening of the wreck, toward the canyon beyond. “If they’re still searching…” A small pause followed. “We’d only be guiding them back to us.”

Carefully, she began repacking part of her kit, her hands moving automatically while her thoughts continued elsewhere. “The canyon walls are interfering with the signal,” Lumiya murmured softly. Not guessing. Reasoning it through aloud now. “Anything electronic down here would be weak at best.” Her fingers slowed slightly before continuing again. “But above the ridge…” Her gaze lifted back to him then. “It might carry.”

The suggestion hung there quietly for a moment before she continued. “I can go,” Lumiya said. There was no dramatics in it. No attempt to sound brave. Just simple willingness. “If you think it’s best.” Her eyes flickered briefly toward his injured leg, then back again. “You shouldn’t be climbing in your condition,” she added gently. There was no criticism in the words. Only practical concern. “And they’ll need someone here who can defend them if the others return.” A small breath followed. “I don’t think I’d get far if they found me alone,” she admitted softly. Honest, as she had been with him before. “But I could send the signal quickly.”

For a moment, she seemed about to say something else. Then stopped herself. Instead, her hands settled quietly in her lap as she held his gaze with that same careful steadiness that had carried them through the crash, the fighting, and everything after. “…unless you already have a better idea.”

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko mulled over Lumiya's suggestion, lapsing into silence for a few moments as he did so. His fellow Jedi was correct- he was in no shape to make the treacherous climb. Similarly, he saw no reason to question her logic as to where the signal needed to be broadcast from. Technology had never been his strong suit, and so he trusted her instincts.

Frowning, Xuko was forced to admit to himself that he didn't have a better plan. Using one of the mercenary's speeders to navigate towards the nearest settlement would take much longer, and that was assuming they could find a settlement to begin with; or that the trip to do so didn't involve running into more mercenaries on the way. "I do not" he finally said, impressed at Lumiya's willingness to volunteer for the mission. She had already saved several lives today, and if her climb was successful she would save many more. "If you are willing, that may be our best option" Xuko said.

After reassuring the other survivors of their current safety, Xuko accompanied Lumiya outside the shuttle and to the canyon wall, choosing a spot that looked relatively scalable on the side of the canyon that was in shadow. Not only would it be cooler, but Lumiya would avoid casting her own shadow across the side of the canyon while she climbed, which might help her climb go unnoticed.

"At least three points of contact at all times" he said, guessing that Lumiya knew this but not knowing what else to say. "And may the Force be with you" he added, meaning every word.


Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

Lumiya listened to his answer in silence, though something in her shoulders eased once the decision had finally been made. Not because the task ahead was simple. But because uncertainty no longer sat between them. “If I’m quick,” she said softly, “they may not notice at all.” Whether she believed that fully or not was difficult to tell.

Once the survivors had been reassured and settled as best they could manage, Lumiya followed Xuko back out into the cooling canyon air. The shift from the fractured stillness of the wreck to the open desert felt strangely sharp after everything that had happened. Evening had deepened while they worked. The heat was fading now, replaced by long shadows stretching across the stone. She studied the canyon wall he selected with quiet concentration, her gaze tracing possible handholds and safer routes upward. It was not an easy climb. But it was possible. At least three points of contact at all times. The faintest trace of warmth touched her expression then; tired, but genuine. “I’ll remember,” Lumiya answered softly.

Her eyes lifted toward him at the blessing that followed. For a moment, neither of them moved. “And with you,” she replied quietly.

Then she turned toward the canyon wall. The climb began slowly; not from fear, but from caution. Lumiya tested each hold before trusting her weight to it, fingers tightening carefully against rough stone while her boots searched for stable purchase below. There was nothing elegant about it. No effortless grace. Only patience, balance, and determination carrying her upward one careful movement at a time.

Sand loosened occasionally beneath her boots, scattering softly into the canyon below. Each sound made her pause instinctively before continuing again. The higher that she climbed, the more exposed she became. Lumiya tried not to think about that. Instead, she focused on smaller things. Breath. Stone beneath her fingertips. The next movement rather than the distance remaining. Somewhere below, she knew Xuko was still watching the canyon floor, guarding the survivors despite his injuries. The thought grounded her more than she expected.

Halfway up, she paused briefly against a narrow outcropping to steady her breathing. Her hands trembled faintly now from exertion and exhaustion alike, but not enough to stop her. Not yet. Her gaze lifted toward the canyon rim above, where the fading light painted the stone in amber and deepening blue. Just a little further.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Time was of the essence, and Xuko tried not to think too much about his internal clock as he watched Lumiya begin to scale the canyon wall. The surviving mercenary's base, or reinforcements, could be anywhere, but Lumiya healing him had certainly ate into any time they'd bought by rebuffing the first attack. Briefly, the Zabrak wondered if he shouldn't have eschewed the healing in order to speed on Lumiya's descent, but then remembered that they'd only discussed their next steps after she'd tended him. Besides, Lumiya was right; should the mercenaries return, they'd all need to be as capable as possible.

XUko massaged a kink in his neck as Lumiya continued her ascent, checking their surroundings every so often for danger. The mercenaries had shown a surprising amount of cunning in their takedown of the ship, and even their assault on the downed ship had seemingly been done with some planning in mind. He had no idea what their Plan 'C' might look like, and willed Lumiya onwards and upwards in the hopes that he wouldn't have to find out....

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

The climb grew steeper the higher Lumiya ascended. The easier handholds had long since disappeared, replaced by narrower ridges worn smooth by centuries of desert wind. Her fingers ached now from gripping stone, small abrasions burning against rough rock each time she shifted her weight upward. Still, she continued. One careful movement at a time. No rushing. No panic. Only persistence.

Below her, the canyon had begun to shrink into shadow. She risked a glance downward only once. Xuko remained near the wreckage, small against the vastness of the canyon floor, his attention never settling in one place for long despite the obvious strain in the way he carried himself. Watching. Guarding. Readying himself for another fight if one came. The sight grounded her more than she expected.

Lumiya drew in a careful breath and resumed climbing. The final stretch proved the hardest. The canyon wall angled outward slightly near the rim, forcing her to search longer for stable purchase. Loose sand crumbled beneath one boot, sending a cascade of grit downward into open air. Her body pressed instinctively closer to the stone as she stilled completely, listening. Nothing answered.

Slowly, she continued. At last, her hand caught the edge of the ridge above. Relief arrived quietly; not triumphant, not overwhelming. Just enough to keep her moving as she pulled herself carefully onto the canyon rim and rolled onto the cool stone beyond it. For several long seconds, Lumiya simply remained there on her back beneath the deepening twilight sky, breathing hard and staring upward as the first stars began to emerge overhead. The galaxy felt impossibly wide from up here.

Then practicality returned. With effort, Lumiya pushed herself upright and reached for the small transmitter they had salvaged. The indicator flickered weakly at first before stabilizing now that the canyon walls no longer smothered the signal. A small breath left her. “…Please work,” she murmured softly. Her fingers moved carefully across the controls, boosting the emergency frequency as far as the damaged system would allow before transmitting their coordinates along with the ship’s distress code. Once. Then again, to ensure it carried. The signal vanished outward into the desert night.

Lumiya stayed still afterward, listening to the faint crackle of the transmitter in her hands while wind moved softly across the canyon rim around her robes. For a moment, nothing happened. But then a faint pulse answered through the static. Weak and distorted. But real. Her eyes widened slightly as she adjusted the receiver closer.

“…Repeat last transmission,” a distant voice crackled faintly through interference. “Unidentified distress beacon-signal unstable-”

Relief struck so suddenly she almost laughed from it. Instead, Lumiya closed her eyes briefly and exhaled a shaky breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “We’re here,” she answered quickly, her voice quieter than intended from exhaustion. “Transport down in the southern canyon basin. Multiple injured survivors. Please-”

Static surged again. Then the response returned, stronger this time. “Coordinates received. Rescue dispatch inbound. Estimated arrival…” More interference. “…hold position.”

Lumiya lowered the transmitter slowly afterward, her hands trembling now from exhaustion more than effort. Below her, somewhere deep within the canyon shadows, Xuko and the others were still waiting. And for the first time since the crash, help was truly coming.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Slowly, almost painfully, Lumiya inched upwards, and Xuko watched with bated breath as she reached the final portion of her climb. This would be the toughest part, he knew; burdened by the strain of the ascent, with muscles beginning to crap and exhaustion taking its toll, the temptation to finish the last few meters quickly could prove almost overwhelming. Therein lay the risk; one mistake at that height would certainly prove fatal.

So it was that Xuko let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding as he watched Lumiya disappear over the canyon ledge, safely on solid ground once again. It was a truly impressive climb, and one that deserved as much thanks as Xuko and the rest of the survivors could give.

Assuming we got out of this alive.

Freed from the need to watch Lumiya climb, Xuko kneeled down facing the direction that the surviving mercenary had fled in and began to meditate, noting the way his injured leg protested at the movement. Not good, but it would have to do. The Zabrak placed his lightsaber hilt on the ground in front of him and rested his hands on his knees. It was a position that, to the casual observer, looked like surrender. But to a Jedi it was a position of patience. Serenity. Calm before the storm.

And so Xuko waited; Lumiya had done her part. Now, if the mercenaries arrived before their rescue did, he would do his.

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

The wind at the canyon rim had shifted. Lumiya felt it first as a change in pressure rather than sound; a subtle wrongness beneath the desert’s usual quiet rhythm. The kind of silence that didn’t belong to stillness, but to distance. Her fingers tightened slightly around the transmitter without her consciously deciding to do so. For a moment, she didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Then she looked outward.

The canyon stretched wide beneath her, shadows pooling deep between fractured stone. From up here, everything looked smaller. Safer. But that illusion lasted only as long as nothing disturbed it. A faint flicker of movement caught her attention near the far ridge line. Not clear. Not certain. Just....a suggestion.

Lumiya’s posture shifted immediately. Exhaustion remained, heavy in her limbs, but something sharper threaded through it now; awareness returning like a reflex she couldn’t fully turn off. She lowered herself slightly behind a broken slab of rock near the rim, keeping low as she adjusted the transmitter closer to her side.

Below, the canyon floor remained mostly still. But not entirely.

And then she felt it properly. Not through sight. But through the same instinct that had carried her through the wreck. Presence. Faint. Distant. But moving with purpose. Her breath slowed. “....Xuko,” she whispered into the comm quietly, keeping her voice barely above the wind. “Something’s shifting down there.”

Her gaze narrowed slightly as she focused harder, trying to distinguish whether it was survivors, rescue, or something that didn’t belong. “....I think that we may not be alone yet.” The transmitter crackled faintly in her hand, still holding the open channel to incoming rescue. Still broadcasting their coordinates into the darkening sky.

And somewhere below, in the canyon shadows, something moved....

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko sensed the new arrival as well, just a couple seconds before Lumiya's hushed communication confirmed his suspicions. There was... something... nearby in the canyon.

Xuko resisted the urge to turn his head and search for the new arrival, remaining motionless in his meditative position; even if every sense was on high alert. Remembering how the mercenaries had set a trap for him earlier by drawing his attention in one direction and then attacking from another, the Zabrak waited as patiently as he could for this new arrival to either make its presence known, or move on. Although he didn't know what exactly was nearby, he hadn't ruled out "curious wildlife" as the culprit.

Hopefully, "curious" didn't also equal "deadly" on this planet.

However, as the creature's grunting sounds reached his ears, it was also accompanied by a vague sense of unease. The trepidation was only increased when the species' name surfaced through the fog that usually shrouded his memories; whatever this was, it wasn't friend-shaped.

Gundark.

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

Lumiya did not respond immediately. The word itself didn’t carry meaning at first; only Xuko’s tone did. The shift in him. The stillness that sharpened rather than softened. Her grip on the transmitter tightened slightly as she lowered it a fraction, listening harder than before.

Below her, the canyon seemed unchanged. Which somehow made it worse.

Then she heard it too. Not clearly. Not yet. Just the faint disturbance of sound carried wrong through the stone and wind; something heavy moving where nothing light should be. A dragging rhythm between the rocks. Followed by a low, guttural echo that didn’t belong to any human throat. Her breath slowed. “....I hear it,” she whispered back, almost soundless. Then, more carefully she added: “....how many?”

She shifted her weight slightly behind the broken slab of stone, pressing closer to cover without standing fully. The transmitter remained active in her hand, it's faint crackle now feeling far too loud in her grip. Lumiya glanced once toward the canyon floor again. Still nothing fully visible. Only suggestion. Movement in wrong places.

Her mind moved quickly, but her body did not rush. That was the only reason she stayed steady. A Gundark. She didn’t know much about them; only enough to know that alone was not a comforting word in the same sentence.

Her voice came again, quieter. “If it’s just one.... it might be drawn to the crash remains. And if it isn’t....we may need to change where we’re positioned.”

Her eyes flicked briefly to the transmitter, then toward the open sky above the canyon rim where rescue had promised to arrive. Still coming. Still too far away.“....Xuko,” she added softly, more grounded now, “tell me if it gets closer to you.” She didn’t move from her position. But her hand adjusted slightly around her medkit strap this time instead of the comm. Not ready to run. Just ready not to be surprised.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

How many? Xuko couldn't help but feel fear as Lumiya raised the possibility of there being multiple gundarks. He'd forgotten that they could be found in packs, and he hoped that it wouldn't be the case, here. Even one was most unwelcome.

At least the other survivors were safely tucked away inside the remains of the ship. He and Lumiya had found a compartment in the ship that could be mostly sealed off from the outside, and had relocated the other survivors there with strict instructions not to open up for anyone other than the two of them. It wouldn't stop the mercenaries for long, given their ability to deploy modern cutting tools, but it might be enough to frustrate a gundark.

Xuko breathed out his fear as best he could and re-focused on the shuffling, grunting noises of the nearby gundark. The Zabrak remained completely motionless, still kneeling on the canyon floor with his lightsaber in front of him. Movement would only attract attention.

As it was, stillness wasn't enough- it must have smelled him instead. That made sense; Xuko was on the wrong side of a ship crash, a fight, and a blaster bolt; and the first thing on Xuko's list should they be rescued was a long, hot shower. If they were rescued.

"Lumiya" Xuko said, as the gundark softened its breathing and began stealthily picking its way through the boulders. "It is now hunting me."

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

For one terrible moment, Lumiya nearly told him to run. The instinct rose immediately; sharp, frightened, and human. But she forced it back down almost as quickly. Running from something already stalking by scent through a canyon maze would only turn him from prey into fleeing prey.

Her breathing slowed deliberately instead. The canyon around her felt suffocatingly still now. Even the wind seemed quieter, as though the desert itself were listening. Lumiya carefully lowered herself further behind the slab of broken stone near the canyon rim, forcing herself not to look too quickly toward where she imagined the creature moving below. Panic would make noise. Noise would make mistakes. “It knows where you are,” she whispered softly into the transmitter. “So don’t move unless you have to.”

Her eyes scanned the canyon edge around her instead; fractured rock, loose debris, narrow ledges. No weapon. No clear shot downward. Just terrain. Then her gaze settled on a fist-sized stone half-buried near her knee. An idea formed. It was small and fragile, but better than helplessness. Carefully, slowly, Lumiya reached for it without shifting enough to silhouette herself against the skyline. The stone felt rough and warm from the lingering heat of the day.

Below, somewhere in the canyon shadows, another low sound echoed upward; heavier now. Closer.

Lumiya swallowed hard. “Xuko,” she murmured quietly, tightening her grip on the rock. “The moment it focuses somewhere else, you move toward the ship. Understand?”

She waited only long enough to judge the direction of the creature’s last movement. Then, gathering one sharp breath, Lumiya hurled the stone hard across the canyon. It disappeared into darkness for half a second before striking the far wall with a loud crack that shattered through the silence and sent smaller rocks clattering loudly down the slope beneath it.

Lumiya immediately flattened herself lower behind cover afterward, pulse hammering violently in her chest as the echoes rolled through the canyon. Then she listened.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

As Lumiya's voice crackled softly through his commlink, urging him to move at the first opportunity, Xuko's mind raced as he desperately tried to think of a different plan. It wasn't that he didn't think hers would work; it was that it would then be Lumiya stuck outside with an angry Gundark. The beast's presence would likely hinder any rescue efforts as well, which meant that simply hiding from it wasn't an option.

That meant that Xuko's two options were to either drive it off or kill it.

The Zabrak hoped he'd be able to do the former. Although it was clearly a fearsome creature, it was simply following its instincts- and that it was here at all meant that their ship had probably crashed inside its territory.

Any further thoughts were cut off by the clattering of a rock on the far side of the canyon. Clever. Lumiya had thrown it so that the sound would originate behind the Gundark and away from Xuko, giving him the best possible chance to run for the ship. It's attention would be pulled in opposite directions and the surprise of the new sound behind it would most likely startle the creature; a fact that Xuko hoped to capitalize on.

Xuko leaped to his feet, igniting his lightsaber as he did so and charging at the Gundark while yelling as loud as he could. He spread his arms wide and waved them wildly, trying to look as big as he could despite his size disadvantage; the glowing of his lightsaber would certainly help. He hoped that this second surprise in as many seconds would be enough to scare the Gundark off.

It almost worked.

Just as Xuko locked eyes with the Gundark and read terror there, Xuko's injured leg betrayed him. It was no fault of Lumiya's- he'd simply pushed too hard, too soon, and the sudden buckle was all that was needed for the Gundark to sense weakness as Xuko's loud charge slowed to a painful hobble.

Xuko cursed himself- he should've listened to Lumiya, and now he was listening to a Gundark scream its victory to the sky as it slowly began approaching its challenger-turned-prey.

"Lumiya" Xuko said, his voice tinged with a mixture of shame and regret. "Do you have any more rocks?" He didn't know what good that would do, but he couldn't think of anything else in the moment.

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

For a moment, Lumiya simply stared at the transmitter in disbelief. The distant roar of the Gundark echoed through the canyon. Then came Xuko's voice. "Do you have any more rocks?"

Lumiya closed her eyes. Not because she was frightened. Because she was trying very hard not to laugh. Or scream. Possibly both. "You were supposed to run," she whispered into the comm, equal parts relief and exasperation threading through the words.

The canyon answered with another thunderous bellow.

Lumiya risked a careful look over the edge of her cover. Far below, she could just make out flashes of blue light reflecting against the stone walls and the massive silhouette advancing toward him. Her stomach dropped. He was still standing. Barely. But standing. "Of course you charged it," she muttered softly to herself.

The Force stirred uneasily around her. Fear. Pain. Determination. Most of it wasn't hers. Lumiya's eyes swept across the canyon rim, searching desperately for anything useful. Loose stones. Larger rocks. A fractured shelf of weathered stone protruding above the Gundark's position. Then her gaze lingered. An idea formed. It was not a particularly good idea. But unfortunately, it was the only one she had. "Yes," she answered into the transmitter, already moving toward the unstable outcropping. "I have more rocks. Try not to heroically inspire it this time."

Carefully, she crouched beside the fractured ledge and placed both hands against the stone. The slab was enormous. Far too large for her to lift. But she didn't need to lift it. Only to encourage gravity to do what gravity had always wanted to do. Lumiya took a slow breath and reached through the Force toward the cracked stone beneath her hands. "Also," she added quietly into the comm, "if we survive this, I'm adding 'listen to Lumiya' to your treatment plan."

The fracture gave way with a sharp crack. For one suspended heartbeat nothing happened. Then half the ledge collapsed. The boulder tore free from the canyon wall and plunged downward, gathering speed as it bounced from outcropping to outcropping. Stone shattered beneath it. Smaller rocks exploded outward in it's wake, creating a thunderous avalanche that echoed through the canyon. The Gundark reacted instantly. It's advance toward Xuko halted as the creature wheeled toward the noise. A deafening roar erupted from it, part anger and part surprise. The first impact struck only meters away, showering the beast with dust and stone fragments. The massive creature lurched backward. It was not injured. But startled. Another cascade followed. Smaller rocks rained around it, forcing it to retreat several more steps as the canyon filled with dust thick enough to obscure sight.

For a few precious moments, the Gundark's attention was no longer on Xuko. It was on the collapsing cliffside that had suddenly decided to attack it.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko waved his lightsaber at the Gundark, doing his best to keep it at bay while also staying upright on one and a half legs. Losing his balance now would put him in an even worse position.

Thank the Force, Lumiya had more rocks. Many more.

Any hope at responding to her wisecracks- which Xuko conceded that his fellow Padawan was more than entitled to- was drowned out by the small rockslide that Lumiya created. Xuko decided to follow the Updated Treatment Plan to the best of his abilities and gave ground before the Gundark, hobbling his way back towards the ship as it struggled to escape the avalanche. A few moments later and Xuko had reached the ship- about the same time that the Gundark decided that it wanted to be elsewhere and beat a hasty retreat off into the canyon.

"Thank you" Xuko said into the commlink, once the avalanche had petered out and his ears had stopped ringing. "I will listen better next time." For the moment, the canyon was mercifully silent.

"Will you be climbing down?" he asked. He wouldn't blame her if she decided to stay topside, since it afforded a commanding view of the canyon and wouldn't risk a fall on the climb down. That said, all of her patients- with Xuko begrudgingly including himself in that category- were in or near the crashed ship.

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

Relief washed through Lumiya so suddenly that she nearly sat down right there on the canyon rim.

The Gundark's retreating roars echoed faintly through the stone corridors of the canyon before fading into the distance altogether.

For several seconds she simply stood there, one hand braced against the rock face while her heartbeat gradually remembered how to behave normally.

Then Xuko's voice crackled through the transmitter. "I will listen better next time."

A faint smile finally appeared. "I am recording that for future medical documentation," she replied. "It's important to preserve rare events." The smile lingered only briefly before her attention shifted toward the open desert beyond the canyon. Rescue was still coming. At least, she hoped it was. But if they arrived while she was below, there was every chance they might miss the narrow access route entirely.

Lumiya lowered the transmitter and surveyed the canyon rim. After a moment she began gathering stones. Not because she particularly enjoyed moving rocks today. She felt she had already exceeded a reasonable daily quota. But because it was practical. One by one she arranged them into a broad arrow across the flat stone near the highest visible point of the canyon rim. Large enough to be seen from the air. Obvious enough that even a distracted pilot would notice it. The arrow pointed directly toward the narrow descent route leading to the crash site below.

When she finally stepped back to inspect it, the marker looked crude but unmistakable. Good enough. Only then did she raise the transmitter again. "I'm coming down," she said softly. "Someone has to make sure you don't challenge any more wildlife."

With that, Lumiya clipped the transmitter back to her belt and carefully started down the canyon wall. The climb was slower than she would have liked. Her muscles still ached from the crash, from the healing, from the long hours that seemed determined to become longer still. But the danger had passed for now. And below, waiting beside the wreckage, were people who needed her. So down she climbed.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko arched an eyebrow as Lumiya responded, deciding that he found her gentle teasing amusing; and accurate. Although he wished that he could play along, sarcasm was not one of his skills. "Point conceded" he replied, his tone indicating that no offense had been taken, either. He then hobbled over to where he could keep an eye on his fellow Padawan as she descended the canyon wall.

As the adrenaline died down a little, Xuko found himself hoping that he'd get to go on a proper mission with Lumiya in the future- assuming they made it out from this one. The human had proven herself to be skilled, resourceful, and adaptable to a variety of situations and dangers; skillfully triaging a mass casualty event and undertaking a risky climb. Her quick thinking with the Gundark had likely saved his life, which made Xuko wonder how much more effective she'd be in a situation or mission that she had prepared for.

These thoughts- and more- went unsaid as Lumiya's return to the canyon floor coincided with the distant whine of engines approaching. "Perhaps this is the rescue team" the Zabrak said, but he prepared himself regardless. He found a piece of wreckage that he could brace against, supporting himself with one hand and using it as partial cover while leaving his other hand free to wield his lightsaber. Remembering the pirates' diversionary tactics earlier, Xuko checked their flanks and the ridgelines, but it appeared that whomever was approaching was only doing so through the canyon floor itself.

Xuko glanced over to Lumiya, anticipating her thoughts. "I will only do what is necessary" he promised.

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

Lumiya's boots finally touched the canyon floor with a soft scrape against the stone. She paused only long enough to steady herself before crossing the remaining distance toward Xuko.

The growing whine of engines echoed between the canyon walls now, louder with every passing second.

She followed his gaze toward the mouth of the canyon, then looked back at him as he shifted to brace himself against the broken wreckage, lightsaber still ready in his hand. His promise drew the faintest smile. "I know," she said quietly. Without another word, she stepped alongside him and gently rested one of his arms across her shoulders instead, encouraging him away from the jagged metal. "Lean on me." There was no fuss in her request. No lecture about worsening his injuries. Just a simple practicality about her tone. "If this is our rescue team," she said softly, "I'd rather that they find you standing with help than collapsing because you were too stubborn to accept it." She adjusted her footing until his weight settled more comfortably, taking as much of it as she reasonably could despite her own lingering aches. Only then did she look back toward the approaching engines.

The sound grew rapidly until the first transport rounded the bend in the canyon, followed closely by another. Their searchlights swept across the rock walls before catching the crashed freighter and the two stranded Padawans beside it. The broad stone arrow atop the canyon rim had done its job. Dust billowed outward as the transports slowed. Figures began disembarking almost before the landing skids fully settled, spreading out with practiced efficiency to secure the area and search for survivors.

Lumiya released a slow breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "They found us." The words were spoken scarcely louder than a whisper. Only then, with the danger finally giving way to relief, did she allow herself to believe that this mission was truly over.

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko about to argue that he was not being too stubborn when he realized that not only would that just confirm Lumiya's point, she was also correct in her assumption. He was sometimes stubborn, and he'd already pushed his luck multiple times this mission. Wordlessly, he allowed her to support some of his weight, taking a breath to calm the rising tension he felt as the whine of engines approached- their rescuers, or their latest threat.

It was only once he'd confirmed that these were indeed allies that he began to let his guard down and turned his attention to his fellow Jedi. "You were most impressive during this ordeal" he said, his eyes loosely focused on her while his mind replayed the many ways in which Lumiya had distinguished herself. "I can say with confidence that many here- including myself- owe their lives to your quick thinking and healing skill."

Although they'd been found by the rescuers, more uncertainty lay ahead; not the minute-to-minute scramble for survival, but the kind that stemmed from the ever-uncertain future. "What will you do now that this is over?" He supposed that they would part ways eventually, but they were now connected by a bond that could only be built by facing danger together.

Lumiya Dara

 

[Lumiya Dara]

Lumiya lowered her eyes for a moment, the praise seeming to make her far more uncomfortable than the Gundark had. "I don't know about impressive," she admitted with a quiet smile. "I was frightened for most of it."

She glanced toward the rescue personnel as they spread through the crash site, already tending to the wounded and accounting for survivors. "I just happened to know a few things that were useful." Her gaze returned to Xuko. "And none of us would be standing here if you hadn't of helped." She smiled gently. "You kept the Gundark occupied. We both simply did what we could." She then gave the slightest shake of her head. "I don't think that anyone survives something like this alone."

For a few moments she watched the organized bustle around the transports, relief crews moving with practiced efficiency through the canyon.

His next question drew a thoughtful silence. "What will you do now that this is over?"

Lumiya looked toward the fading sky above the canyon walls. "I'm....not entirely sure." The answer seemed to satisfy her just fine. "I'll probably stay long enough to make sure everyone is recovering." She smiled faintly. "It would feel rather irresponsible to disappear before my patients stop trying to injure themselves." The teasing glance she sent Xuko made it clear she included him in that observation.

After a moment she looked back toward the desert beyond the canyon. "After that..." Lumiya offered a small shrug. "I suppose that I'll see where the Force leads me." She spoke the words without mysticism or grand expectation. But more like someone describing the next bend in a familiar road. "There's usually someone who needs help somewhere." Her smile returned. It was both quiet and content. "And eventually I seem to find them."

She shifted slightly beneath his arm as another pair of medics approached to relieve her. "I imagine that our paths will cross again someday." There wasn't the slightest hint of certainty in her voice. Only a small hint of hope. "The galaxy has a funny way of bringing people back together when they still have something left to learn from one another."

Tag: Xuko Pagoi

 

[Xuko Pagoi]

Xuko nodded as he digested Lumiya's words. If her praise embarrassed him, he didn't show it; but that didn't mean that he wasn't honest. "I was afraid, too" he admitted, eyes flicking over the rescue workers as they went about their business. "Fear is normal. It is how we respond to our fears that defines us."

The Zabrak's eyebrows knitted together in thought as he considered Lumiya's next words. While what she described sounded a little too much like simply drifting around, he had to concede that she'd certainly been in the right place at the right time; and if she continued to see a pattern of being able to help people while she roamed the galaxy, then he wasn't about to tell her otherwise.

Especially since he'd be opening himself up to more of Lumiya's incredibly sharp wit. At her most recent zinger, though, even Xuko couldn't help but to smile. "Perhaps if we meet in the future I will be more prepared to banter with you, Lumiya" he said, understanding that there was far more he could learn from her than just that. "Until, then; thank you."

"And may the Force be with you."

Lumiya Dara