Sunshine
The shuttle descended through a blanket of brilliant white clouds, revealing a world awash in vibrant greens and endless stretches of turquoise coastline. From her window, Ivy caught glimpses of white sand beaches nestled against dense tropical forests, with the Kattadan sea glittering beneath the afternoon sun. It was beautiful. Peaceful in a way that felt almost unreal after everything she'd left behind.
The landing struts settled onto the durasteel platform with a gentle hiss. For a long moment, Ivy remained seated, fingers resting on the strap of her satchel as passengers filed past. Two months ago, she'd still been processing lab results beneath fluorescent lights, wondering why every day felt heavier than the last. Now she was stepping onto a planet she'd only ever seen in holobooks, chasing a path she'd spent most of her life pretending wasn't meant for her.
It was terrifying. Liberating. For the first time in a long time, the future felt like something she was choosing.
... ... ...
A terminal attendant apologized profusely to Ivy while explaining the mix-up. Unfortunately, a minor scheduling mishap meant her transport had arrived at one of Kattada's larger civilian spaceports rather than the smaller landing zone adjacent to the Jedi Enclave. The next shuttle headed toward the Enclave wouldn't depart for several more hours.
Ivy smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "That's okay. It happens." She accepted the inconvenience with far more grace than she might have only a few months ago. After all, she wasn't in any hurry.
The attendant helped Ivy load a local topographical map onto her datapad. A blinking marker indicated the Enclave several kilometers away along the coast. A maintained footpath wound its way through the jungle before eventually reaching the beaches where the Temple stood, which wasn't too isolated to interfere with her datapad's short-range comm signal throughout the route. Only a few hours on foot, Ivy calculated. Fresh air. Exercise. Time alone with her thoughts. After everything that had happened to her recently, a quiet hike seemed nicely therapeutic.
Before setting out, Ivy ducked into a small neighborhood market tucked beside the terminal, picked up a few snacks and a bottle of water, and stuffed them neatly into her backpack.
... ... ...
The first hour passed pleasantly. Warm ocean breezes drifted inland through towering palms, carrying the scent of saltwater and blooming flowers. Brilliant birds darted between the canopy while unfamiliar creatures chirped and clicked somewhere beyond the undergrowth. Sunlight filtered through broad emerald leaves, painting shifting patterns across the forest floor.
The jungle felt... alive. Not merely with wildlife, but something deeper... A subtle sensation she couldn't quite describe. Every now and then she'd pause, almost expecting to hear someone whisper her name before realizing it was only the wind moving through the leaves.
Eventually she reached a fork in the trail. One direction continued along the well-worn travelers' path toward the Enclave. The other wasn't exactly a path; more of a narrow game trail weaving deeper through the jungle. According to her datapad map, it would cut nearly forty-five minutes off the hike before reconnecting with the main trail farther ahead.
Ivy studied the map for another moment. The route wasn't marked as dangerous. Just... less traveled.
She shrugged to herself. A little adventure never hurt anyone. Clutching the datapad in front of her like a steering wheel, Ivy stepped beneath the thicker canopy.
... ... ...
The jungle grew quieter. Not silent, but... watching. The air felt cooler beneath the dense foliage. Thick vines hung from enormous trees while giant flowering plants crowded either side of the narrow trail. Everything seemed lush beyond imagination. As Ivy admired a cluster of enormous blue blossoms, something brushed her ankle.
She looked down. A vine. Probably just moved by the breeze. She stepped over it.
Another vine curled gently around her boot. Huh? She bent slightly, reaching down...
The vine tightened. Not painfully. Just enough to stop her foot from moving.
A nervous laugh escaped her, trying to keep her cool. "Oh-kay...?" She gently pulled her leg free. The vine slowly retreated into the undergrowth. Weird.
She'd barely taken three more steps before another tendril wrapped around her wrist. Then another around her backpack.
Leaves rustled all around her. Ivy's heartbeat quickened. "Hey..." She pulled free again, this time more firmly.
Several vines recoiled—only for half a dozen more to emerge from nearby shrubs.
The hairs on the back of Ivy's neck stood upright and her smile disappeared. Nope. The young woman broke forward with a long stride, hoping to outrun the foliage.
The jungle erupted. Roots shifted beneath the soil. Living tendrils dropped from above and slid across the ground with surprising speed. Branches bent low, weaving together across the trail ahead. Vines latched around both of Ivy's ankles. Another wrapped around her waist. Ivy stumbled forward only a few steps before the living plants tightened their grip—not crushing, but impossibly firm. She pitched awkwardly against the restraints, catching herself before she could fall face-first into the moss.
Her breathing quickened. Think. Ivy tried to calm herself. She still had options... Her blaster. Her knife.
The thought barely crossed Ivy's mind before several slender vines darted to her utility belt, as if the jungle had sensed her intentions. They wrapped delicately around both wrists, pinning her hands several inches away from the weapons without hurting her. Ivy's datapad slipped from her fingers, striking the ground with a dull clack.
Panic surged through her. Ivy twisted, pulling desperately against the vines. The more she struggled, the tighter they became, binding her arms to her sides while thick roots coiled around her boots. Her breath came faster. Confusion mixed with fear until neither could be separated from the other. After everything she had been through and convincing herself to take this leap... Was this really how it was going to end?
"Help!" Her cry echoed through the dense trees. Ivy swallowed hard against the growing lump in her throat. She felt ridiculous. Scared. Powerless. Defeated. "Somebody! Hello?!"
The only answer was the sound of the swaying canopy. Ivy sniffled as she hung her head. Tears trickled down her cheeks as months of bottled-up hurt came rushing to the surface. She wasn't angry. She wasn't even certain she was in danger anymore. The vegetation wasn't hurting her. If anything it was almost... holding her. The jungle seemed to breathe, the vines surrounding her moving in slow, rhythmic motions like the rise and fall of a sleeping creature's chest, hugging her gently. Which only made the storm inside her feel worse. Past and present blurred together, bound by a desperate plea that had only ever tried to make sense of everything that was happening to her:
What did I do?
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