Never Hide Your Heart
"Never Hide Your Heart"
The space port of the Kattadan Jedi Enclave was quieter than most ports Katarine Ryiah had passed through, but it was not calm. There was always movement in places like this such as ships lowering onto landing pads in bursts of steam and engine heat, droids chirping as they hauled supplies, travelers weaving in and out beneath the glow of overhead lights, and Jedi going about their daily tasks. The air carried the familiar scent of metal, fuel, and overbrewed caf.
Katarine stood just off to the side of the main terminal thoroughfare, one shoulder leaned against a support pillar as she waited.
A steaming cup of caf rested in her hand, more for something to do than from any real desire to drink it, though every now and then she lifted it to her lips anyway. Her green eyes tracked the steady flow of beings moving through the port, alert and thoughtful, searching for any sign of the Jedi she had supposedly been sent to meet.
The Council had been frustratingly vague, as usual.
She had been told only that she was being assigned to a mission and that her contact, the Jedi she would be working with,would meet her here at Kattada. No name. No detailed briefing. Just enough information to get her onto a ship and drop her into waiting.
Katarine hated waiting. She hadn't always been this way but her recent mood swings and the dark cause behind them had made her a volatile person she hardly recognized.
She was dressed more like someone prepared for trouble than someone expecting introductions. Tight black pants hugged her legs, tucked neatly into dark boots built more for practicality than fashion, though she wore them well enough to make it hard to tell the difference. A white tank top clung beneath a black leather bomber jacket that looked slightly worn in the way good gear always did. It gave her a sharp, guarded look, one that paired naturally with the faintly impatient set of her mouth. The clothing itself was several centuries old, but then again so was Katarine. That was a long story for another day, however.
A few loose strands of dark hair shifted near her face as a shuttle thundered somewhere overhead, stirring the air. She took another sip of caf and glanced toward the docking bays again.
Still no sign of anyone approaching her. Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup. This had all the markings of one of those assignments the Council liked to pretend were simple. A meeting in transit. A mysterious partner. Minimal information. It usually meant complications, secrecy, or both. Katarine could already feel a low irritation stirring in her chest, though she kept it tucked neatly behind a composed expression.
She pushed off the pillar and adjusted her stance, straightening as another small transport unloaded passengers into the port. For a fleeting moment she wondered if she would recognize the Jedi on sight, or if they would simply appear at her shoulder with some maddeningly calm greeting while she stood there half-finished with her caf.
The thought almost made her smirk.
Almost.
Jared Starchaser