Private The Lantern's Fleeting Flight

[Ala Quin]

ONDERON - SUMMER LANTERN FESTIVAL
One month prior to Blood Gulch
​

Onderon had become a bit of a stomping ground of late. Ala had spent much time here and had gotten to know the locals of this town in particular quite well. Martun, the shopkeeper who sold various metal work items in his small shop in front of his modest family home, had given permission for Ala and her Jedi companion to climb up the outside ladder onto the roof of their building. From there, the lantern festival could be viewed easily as a few streets over was the lakeshore, the sight for the lanterns release into the air.

"Come on silly," Ala pestered, "we are going to miss the launch. The sun is just going down."

She and her companion had spent some time dealing with a matriarch, and a krykna - not to mention the travel time to and from. This had afforded them several days to get to know one another, and Ala had found a quick friend in the quick tempered ashen haired Jedi. There was a lot that her friend needed to learn. Onderon was one of the places that Ala hoped that she could learn some important lessons, especially in the nearby cave system and all the glowworms with their strong connection to the lightside.

The sun was going down as she strode casually to the edge of the roof and dropped to her knees before swinging her legs over the side of the building. Her shoulders rose and drooped with a deep, calming breath. Hands kept balance, firmly planted on the roof to either side of her. The amber rays of the Onderon's setting star, shone across her face as eyes closed and she reached out to feel the flow of the Force.

"This is perfect."

| Aayla Shan |​

 

[Aayla Shan]

She tagged along loosely, more amazed by the joyous rancor around them than anything else really. Also, hampered by the fact she was wearing a dress. Not that she wasn't interested in such things, but it was very rarely she donned dresses; generally it was for very special events. Ala had basically picked it out, while Aayla had vied to just wear her usual civilian threads. Even going as far as getting her hair redone for the event. What the dress did thankfully hide was that she was barefoot. Heels Ala? No way! As such she padded along carefully, holding the dress up about herself as the other lead her down a pathway behind some shops.

"Ala, some of these places have no trespassing signs..."

Aayla would note, though also seeing many people were heading up to their own roofs, and didn't seem interested in pursuing such petty qualms. Everyone was jubilant, and almost every face was smiling. Save for her own... How selfish. She tried to focus, and smile, at least be happy someone had taken the time out to show her something that didn't involve a lightsaber. When Ala called her silly, she just exhaled, and sped up behind her, eventually taking the ladder and, moving behind her. When Ala sat, Aayla sat as well; looking out on the horizon.

Now, to be fair Aayla had calmed down a lot since she had been cleared to act relatively independently again. Actually thinking before she spoke, and maintaining some decorum as a Jedi, but yeah, she had her moments. Not like she was going on a killing spree or anything...

When they sat, Aayla instead leaned back, letting her feet dangle from the roof, and would also sigh aloud.

"Dresses aren't for me, how can you fight in this thing?" she asked, mostly herself, aware Ala would have some snappy answer to the question, likely something truthful, but also not what she wanted to hear. All the same, Aayla sensed this was important to Ala, so she wasn't going to complain the whole time. Instead she silently waited, with her temporary makeover she had the looks to be a one day model, now jewel encrusted, and glittering, in more ways than one. She just didn't feel how she looked.

She felt for some odd reason like people knew this wasn't her usual dig, and were watching; as ridiculous as the premise was. As if anyone cared... Glancing around, everyone's (including Ala's) eyes were glued ahead, waiting.

As such, she waited as well. Ala promised a magical sight, and so far all Aayla was getting was dull summer heat. Well, in a way, it was surprisingly cool once the sun started to set, just warm enough to not be cold, and just cool enough to not break a sweat.

 

[Ala Quin]

Even before Ala's face turned to Aayla, her hand had instinctively reached out and her gentle fingers wrapped around Aayla's slightly rough, combat worn hand. She squeezed her friends hand briefly, but did not relinquish her grasp. Turning with a smile, she let her soft gaze linger even after she had stopped speaking.

"You do not have anything to fight here," said Ala.

After a moment, Ala turned back to face the lake and watch in the near distance as the sun spread its last few rays across her face. She could hear the increasing chatter coming from the shore.

"I will be escorting some Senators on a journey near the Bryn'adul border soon," she said quietly, it was more small talk than anything else. Something to break the quiet. But the idea of being close to the Bryn'adul again gave Ala some reason to pause, and enjoy the fleeting moments she had to relax and enjoy herself.

She realized then that her hand had not moved. Untwining her fingers, Ala pulled her hand away to rest just next to Aayla's. Eyes nervously flicked towards her friend and she offered and apologetic, yet sheepish nod, before turning back to see the first overly excited lantern float into the air. It wasn't dark enough for it to have its full effect. But it was the promise of things to come that forced Ala's soft smile into a full grin.

| Aayla Shan |​

 

[Aayla Shan]

Aayla looked at her own hand, indeed nicked, and lightly calloused; it was a farcry from her face, untouched by combat save for a near invisible nick across her lips. When she spoke, Aayla seemed perturbed, eyes moving to to lock on the other. She thought about that for a while, shaking her head. "More evacuations huh..." she said, smirking at that. Nothing would happen to Ala, she didn't have to worry about it. All the same, it was annoying that they were forced to do those sorts of things. Most had been warned of Bryn'adul aggression weeks, in some cases months in advance. They ignored it, waiting until the last possible second, then cried to the Jedi for help...

No one to fight here... Well, she supposed that was true. She just felt like... She felt like there was always someone to fight.

"We can't keep running from it... I wish our Masters... Hell, the galaxy could see that. We aren't moving out of their way, we're just giving ground... And they just follow. Like a shell game, but every time they find success, there's one less shell to hide in."

Aayla mused, shuddering once. Then turned to her friend as she pulled her hand away, Aayla noted this, but wasn't sure how to take it. Certainly not in the negative. Her mouth opened to speak, but then closed again. NO, she wasn't going to do that anymore, bite her tongue with people she wanted to grow bonds with.. She had done that enough.

"Were I not intent on becoming a Shadow, I'd go with you... Watch your back... Just be careful. You're a good person, If you got hurt that... Boy, that'd change me to be honest. So far its always been.. Strangers, you know. No one personal.."

At that point, she thought about what Ala had stated about there being no one there to fight...

Eyes spotting the single lantern, she smiled at it, realizing it would have been more beautiful once the sun set.

"When I was a kid, I asked my Master one time... Why do you teach us to fight, but always talk about peace... Stumped him." she giggled at that, then her face adopted a serious tone. "He told me... Its better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.. I honestly was such an idiot I didn't get it then... I get it now."

She peered at Ala's hand then, breathing in and reaching out to take it again. "I'll take care of what I can, when I can... I'll defend my garden, however I need too."

 

[Ala Quin]

No one personal.

Ala found herself glad that Aayla had made a move to take her hand again. She sat in quite comfort, pondering Aayla's words. Was this time for a lesson? Ala was after all a Knight and Aayla a Padawan. It was her responsibility to teach Aayla, but now? She really didn't want to spoil this moment with a lesson. It seemed so...inappropriate. Lessons could wait for another time.

Her hand intertwined again with Aayla's and her thumb casually caressed the back of her friends hand. What did that mean? Did it mean?

Ala became suddenly quite self-conscious, and even a little nervous. Her breathing picked up pace a little as she stared out over the new lanterns that joined the first in the sky. It was beautiful, but the thrill of just...touching Aayla's hand was preoccupying her mind.

Maybe a lesson would be good right now.

"Ah...be careful Aayla," she said in a whisper, a little nervous that she might interrupt the 'moment', "I really like you...I mean...you know. You know right? But, what I am trying to say is that you have a tremendous capacity for good, but you are so often balanced on the edge."

Ala turned towards Aayla, brow furrowing deeply in concern. There was an urge within her to shut up, and just look upon the view but if she cared, truly cared, she should say what needed to be said, right?

"I have fought more in the last few months than ever in my life. Horrors that I have seen, haunt me even now. But we...we must not give in to the darkness that wells up within us. Not for anyone. Not at any time. Promise me, Aayla. Stay the path of the lightside," she said, "so I can stay by your side."

| Aayla Shan |​

 

[Aayla Shan]

She was listening to her, smiling as Ala's thumb caressed her own hand. She listened indeed, eyes focusing out on the horizon. Aayla was young in the Force, but not stupid. That was a threat, as much as Ala may not have thought it was. Stay in the light, and I'll stay by your side....

A welcome threat, one she had no intention of pushing any further. "Nothing could make me... I've seen what Sith look like. I could never be a monster like that." she said lightly, unaware how easy it was; how suddenly the shift occur. Or perhaps, unaware how subtlety it could happen. If anyone, she was the most susceptible. Always ready to punish injustice on the spot, she could be turned more than she knew.

In any case, she nodded and held her head down in understanding. She was a firecracker at times, she had to curb that. Ala spoke truth. In any case, she would change the direction of that conversation around. "Maybe you should be worried about yo-.. By the Force, Ala LOOK!" she exclaimed, pointing with her free hand as the sun had dipped beyond the horizon. A plethora of lanterns floated into the sky. As if Ala hadn't seen this before, she squeezed her hand, grinning in amazement at the sight. The sky was quite literally polluted with them. Thousands, hell a few thousand lanterns floated peacefully.

She couldn't help but relate it to the countless souls lost to what was life for them. The constant ebb and flow of war. Ala was right... She'd be okay, and Aayla would be fine. She was misunderstood, but her heart was in the right place. That was all that mattered. She looked over to the other, silently, just... Gauging her. There was something she wanted to say, but didn't have the heart too. It didn't seem right, but to be fair Ala had impacted her like few in her life had before.

The darkness welled up, and so far Aayla had always been able to extinguish it with the light. Ala just underestimated her.. That was all.

"I'm happy you took me here... This was good for me." the padawan admitted, smiling to her compatriot. "Its not a coincidence you know... Everything is escalating, on all sides. I think it'll only get more serious from here on out. There has never been true peace, but I believe it's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.. Always darkest before the dawn right?" she said, looking again to her, this time her eyes carried a strange emotion. Deeper than friendship, deeper than companionship... Yet, she couldn't say what she wanted to say.

 

[Ala Quin]

Aayla's bright exclamation was enough to make her turn to face the show of lanterns floating in the sky, but she did not. Instead, she just allowed a moment to linger as she watched the joy spread across the Padawan's face. Her smile brought about Ala's smile, and Ala let herself pause to store the moment in her memory. These were the moments you would cling to when times were tough. Times with friends. Friend?

Finally, she joined in watching the visage before them. Multitudes of glowing paper baskets floating on the gently wafting breeze. They were headed up, and then to the east, set on a path that would take them over head. Her eyes relfected the light that they spread. Below in the streets, she could hear children running and playing, calling out that they were going to try and catch one of the lanterns. Again, another reason to smile.

Oblivious to the unsaid words from her Jedi companion, Ala just allowed the moments to fold into one another. The sights. The sounds. The...touch.

"We all need these moments, Aayla," she finally said after a long pause, "to remember what and who we are fighting for. To live the life, even if just for a moment, that we want to preserve for others."

A long deep breath was taken, as if she could breath in the feeling of the moment and capture it within her soul, and then she exhaled.

"No more talk of Bryn. Sith. Dark times. Or Wars. Just be still and know the moment. Know the Force," Ala said as she offered not a glance, but a gentle squeeze of Aayla's hand.

| Aayla Shan |​