Private Echoed Adventures

[Iandre Athlea]

The room was quiet, the faint hum of the space station vibrating beneath the floorboards, light filtering softly through the high, reinforced windows. Beyond the glass, distant stars drifted slowly against the black void, a gentle reminder of the vastness surrounding them. Iandre settled cross-legged on the polished floor once more, dark hair braided neatly, one hand resting near her lightsaber at her hip. The stillness was not empty—it hummed, alive with the faint threads of the Force weaving through the space.

Her eyes closed briefly, sensing the presence before she opened them. A familiar ripple in the Force drew her attention, and a small, serene smile touched her lips. She tilted her head very slightly toward him, a subtle gesture of acknowledgment and warmth, fingers brushing the air between them.

"Zinayn," she said quietly, her voice warm and steady, carrying across the meditation room. "It's been some time. I wondered if our paths would cross again, and yet here you are… Even here, above the expanse of stars, the room feels the same. Though it seems we have both changed since the first time, when I was on the verge of breaking. And since my promotion, I've found new ways to center myself, new ways to… endure."</color>

Her gaze softened as she regarded him, remembering that first moment—the tension, the struggle to stay grounded, and the quiet understanding that came from shared presence.

"I hope the time has treated you well," she added, her tone gentle, inviting. "It is good to see you again, in a place meant for reflection and quiet, rather than chaos and hurry. Even with the hum of the station beneath our feet, this stillness feels… enough."</color>

Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn entered the room, immediately recognizing the stark contrast between the loud and echoing corridor outside and the intimate, soft environment in the meditation room. He paused in the threshold, eyes fixed on the woman sitting across the room. For any that did not know him, his crimson gaze would seem cold and detached. Though Iandre would know better. Her voice carried across the room while still being filled with warmth and familiarity, prompting him to approach.

His gray cloak whispered mere inches above the floor as he glided forward with an unintentional elegance, stopping smoothly a respectable distance from her. Then he lowered himself to the floor, mirroring her posture. He took a moment to observe her as Chiss did, reflecting back on the last time they were here, when she was a cadet in the Lilaste ranks, still adjusting to her life in this galaxy that seemed new to her. Now he saw the same woman, but with something different in her eyes. Confidence and a sense of belonging to the family she'd become a part of in the Diarchy.

Zinayn returned her gesture of greeting, inclined his head faintly. "It has been some time, Iandre," he admitted, surveying the room and the stars outside before returning his eyes to her. "I see you've successfully adjusted to your new life here. What have you been doing recently?"

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre inclined her head slightly in return, a faint, composed smile brushing her lips as she regarded him. "It has been some time, Zinayn," she said softly, her tone calm and deliberate, carrying the quiet confidence of experience.

She let her words settle before continuing. "Much has changed since we last met. I have been promoted to Second Lieutenant, and in recognition of my service, I have also been knighted. The responsibilities are considerable, but they are work I have chosen—and work I believe in."

Her grey eyes flicked briefly toward the stars outside the meditation room, reflecting their faint light. "Beyond duty, there have been other developments. I am engaged to Diarch Rellik. Our partnership—while it brings challenges—is a source of balance for both of us. He acts with instinct, often impulsively, while I remain grounded, steady…providing the anchor where it is needed most."

She returned her gaze to him, calm but observant. "All of this—rank, knighthood, personal bonds—requires awareness, careful thought, and discipline. There is little room for error, and yet there is…a measure of fulfillment in the service itself."

A quiet, reflective breath followed. "It has been a time of learning, of understanding my place and purpose. I would value your perspective, Zinayn—seeing these changes from your point of view."

Zinayn

 

[Zinayn]

Zinayn followed her words closely, nodding intermittently. Iandre's promotions and her engagement to the Diarch highlighted her quick adaption to life in the Diarchy and with people she had never met before. These developments had happened in the background of numerous bloody battles, high-stress tactical skirmishes, and constant training exercises meant to break soldiers to build them up better. And yet Iandre managed to find the time and energy to make friends, find a lover, and give it her all in combat.

The Chiss tilted his head slightly in calculation as his friend asked for his perspective. He remained quiet for a moment, formulating his sentence carefully, as Chiss did, before replying thoughtfully, "It is a point of no argument that life in the Lilaste Order and Diarchy as a warrior is structured to break you to construct an improvement in that stead. Training is grueling, and you can meet death on any of the battlefields we frequently fly into. I can imagine that this takes a toll on many. And yet, your resilience is showcased in your ability to witness death and destruction on the battlefield, and still be able to come home to your lover and friends without losing yourself." He paused, leaving silence in the room for further analysis.

"In the grander scheme of things, your resistance to things that could change you for the worse uncovers your strong roots centered in balance. Never letting one side of your identity pull too far as to weaken the other. You are a warrior, and that requires you to see things most people wouldn't even have nightmares of. You must have a tough exterior so you are not taken as weak," he said, fist clenching just slightly on the table before relaxing. "On the other half of you, you are a friend and a...wife? Or is it fiancée? In both of these roles, you are a loving and kind individual. And do not take this as an insult, but soft as well, whereas your warrior side is tough and unyielding."

Zinayn leaned back and concluded, "This is what I see from your change. Your resilience. The balance you have established in your life. And I postulate that you could be quite the exemplar for other warriors of the Diarchy."

Iandre Athlea

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Iandre listened quietly, her hands folded neatly on the table, grey eyes reflecting the cool light from the room's viewport. Zinayn's words held the careful precision of a strategist, but beneath it, she heard something more—a rare thread of warmth that few outside the Chiss ever managed to convey.

"Fiancée," she corrected softly, though her lips curved faintly, not at the title itself but at the simple normalcy of saying it aloud. "For now, at least. I think the word still feels… strange. Not unwelcome—just something I never thought I'd claim again."

She looked away for a moment, gaze tracing the outline of the stars beyond the glass. "You're not wrong about the balance," she said quietly. "But it isn't easy. It never was. I've lived through one war that broke everything I believed in, and now I serve another cause I have to believe is different. Some days, it feels like the Force gives me the strength to hold the line… and others, I wonder if I'm only pretending to be whole."

Her voice softened as she turned back to him. "You see resilience. I see… endurance. Maybe they're the same thing, or maybe one is just the mask for the other. But I try." She hesitated, then allowed a small, rueful smile. "And I suppose Rellik would say that's all that matters—that we keep trying, no matter how heavy the weight gets."

Her tone lightened slightly then, the faintest teasing glint returning to her eyes. "And as for being an exemplar," she said, arching a brow, "I think the Order's had enough of my example to last them a lifetime. But… thank you, Zinayn. Truly. Coming from you, that means more than I can say."

After a pause, her expression softened again. "And you? You've always watched others, measured their growth. But tell me—what about yours? What has changed for you, while I was busy becoming someone you barely recognize?"

Zinayn