Ascending Legend
The beach had been Braze's fault.
Not directly, of course. He hadn't dragged her here, nor had he arranged the transport or packed the small bag resting beside her towel. But he had planted the idea. A beach. A change of scenery. Something fun. Iandre still wasn't entirely convinced she remembered how to have fun, but she had decided it was worth attempting before dismissing the concept entirely.
The coastline stretched before her in a sweep of pale sand and turquoise water, gentle waves rolling ashore in a rhythm older than governments, wars, and all the other things people insisted on making complicated. Naboo seemed unfairly beautiful at times. The kind of beauty that made it difficult to stay angry for long. She had spent most of the afternoon walking barefoot along the shoreline, sandals dangling from one hand while she collected shells she had absolutely no practical use for. A younger version of herself would have found the entire exercise ridiculous. The current version wasn't entirely sold on it either, but there were certainly worse ways to spend a day.
The sundress she wore was simple by design, a flowing burgundy garment that reached her calves and moved easily in the coastal breeze. No armor. No robes. No insignias. Nothing to identify her as a Jedi, a soldier, or a former representative of a government that no longer existed. Just a woman sitting on a beach with a growing collection of shells and entirely too much time to think. That last part remained the problem. Her gaze lingered on the horizon as sunlight danced across the water, and despite her best efforts, her thoughts occasionally wandered toward everything she had left behind. Somewhere ships crossed hyperspace lanes. Somewhere, politicians argued over borders and trade routes. Somewhere, people still needed saving. And for the first time in her adult life, none of it required her immediate attention.
The thought should have been liberating. Instead, it felt strange. She rolled a smooth shell between her fingers and let out a quiet sigh. "You're getting better at this," she informed herself dryly. "Only thought about rebuilding a government three times today." A small smile followed the remark. Progress, perhaps. Not much, but enough to count.
A distant rumble echoed across the water, drawing her attention upward. Dark clouds had begun gathering offshore, slowly swallowing the bright blue sky she had enjoyed all afternoon. At first, she paid them little mind. Naboo's weather was usually gentle and predictable. Then the wind shifted. Another rumble followed, deeper this time, and within minutes the sunlight was retreating behind a wall of gray. The first cold drops struck the sand around her, quickly followed by a great many more. "Of course," she muttered, gathering her things as the drizzle transformed into a proper downpour.
Laughing despite herself, Iandre hurried along the shoreline with her bag tucked beneath one arm, black hair immediately plastered to her face by the rain. The storm swept across the coast with remarkable enthusiasm, reducing the beach to shifting curtains of gray and silver. Through the downpour, she spotted a small seaside shop tucked just off the beach, its stone walls and weathered wooden sign half-hidden among a cluster of wind-bent trees. Warm light glowed through the windows, and someone had thoughtfully propped the door open despite the worsening weather. It wasn't much, but it was shelter with walls and a door that could be shut against the storm. More importantly, it was dry. Or at least dry enough. Climbing the short set of steps, she ducked beneath the stone roof and brushed rainwater from her face as the storm hammered against the coastline around her, content for the moment to simply wait and watch the sea disappear behind a veil of rain.
Muad Dib
Not directly, of course. He hadn't dragged her here, nor had he arranged the transport or packed the small bag resting beside her towel. But he had planted the idea. A beach. A change of scenery. Something fun. Iandre still wasn't entirely convinced she remembered how to have fun, but she had decided it was worth attempting before dismissing the concept entirely.
The coastline stretched before her in a sweep of pale sand and turquoise water, gentle waves rolling ashore in a rhythm older than governments, wars, and all the other things people insisted on making complicated. Naboo seemed unfairly beautiful at times. The kind of beauty that made it difficult to stay angry for long. She had spent most of the afternoon walking barefoot along the shoreline, sandals dangling from one hand while she collected shells she had absolutely no practical use for. A younger version of herself would have found the entire exercise ridiculous. The current version wasn't entirely sold on it either, but there were certainly worse ways to spend a day.
The sundress she wore was simple by design, a flowing burgundy garment that reached her calves and moved easily in the coastal breeze. No armor. No robes. No insignias. Nothing to identify her as a Jedi, a soldier, or a former representative of a government that no longer existed. Just a woman sitting on a beach with a growing collection of shells and entirely too much time to think. That last part remained the problem. Her gaze lingered on the horizon as sunlight danced across the water, and despite her best efforts, her thoughts occasionally wandered toward everything she had left behind. Somewhere ships crossed hyperspace lanes. Somewhere, politicians argued over borders and trade routes. Somewhere, people still needed saving. And for the first time in her adult life, none of it required her immediate attention.
The thought should have been liberating. Instead, it felt strange. She rolled a smooth shell between her fingers and let out a quiet sigh. "You're getting better at this," she informed herself dryly. "Only thought about rebuilding a government three times today." A small smile followed the remark. Progress, perhaps. Not much, but enough to count.
A distant rumble echoed across the water, drawing her attention upward. Dark clouds had begun gathering offshore, slowly swallowing the bright blue sky she had enjoyed all afternoon. At first, she paid them little mind. Naboo's weather was usually gentle and predictable. Then the wind shifted. Another rumble followed, deeper this time, and within minutes the sunlight was retreating behind a wall of gray. The first cold drops struck the sand around her, quickly followed by a great many more. "Of course," she muttered, gathering her things as the drizzle transformed into a proper downpour.
Laughing despite herself, Iandre hurried along the shoreline with her bag tucked beneath one arm, black hair immediately plastered to her face by the rain. The storm swept across the coast with remarkable enthusiasm, reducing the beach to shifting curtains of gray and silver. Through the downpour, she spotted a small seaside shop tucked just off the beach, its stone walls and weathered wooden sign half-hidden among a cluster of wind-bent trees. Warm light glowed through the windows, and someone had thoughtfully propped the door open despite the worsening weather. It wasn't much, but it was shelter with walls and a door that could be shut against the storm. More importantly, it was dry. Or at least dry enough. Climbing the short set of steps, she ducked beneath the stone roof and brushed rainwater from her face as the storm hammered against the coastline around her, content for the moment to simply wait and watch the sea disappear behind a veil of rain.
Muad Dib