To the Stars

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Fridheim, Westmark

He had barely gotten any sleep. Much of the night was spent looking out his window at the clear midnight sky and the millions of stars stretching as far as even the old All-seer himself could see. Growing up on Midvinter has left him unafraid of many things, but that up there? There is no telling what might happen, what he might encounter. While enormously excited about getting to see other parts of this vast galaxy they were all part of, he could not help but feel great trepidation of the trials that no doubt lay ahead.

Or maybe he was just scared to leave the nest. All he's ever known was the comfort and protection of his family and friends. Today he was giving that all up for the chance to prove himself, to find out who he could become in a wider world, with all the perils that entails.

Step by step he made it downstairs, counting each one as if making a mental note of everything around him. This was his family home, where he grew up, learned to walk and talk. Would he ever see it again?

It got even worse as he stepped into the living room where his father awaited him, braving a smile just for him no matter how easily one would spot the sadness in his eyes. Thirdas could scarcely meet his gaze, even as he felt his strong hand upon his shoulder. "That lady-friend of yours, Nida," his father said, making the hairs stand on his neck for fear of the conversation turning awkward immediately. But then Thurion nodded towards the door and continued, prompting a quiet sigh from Thirdas. "She's waiting for us by the transport, over by the landing pads. With your mother."

Thirdas nodded in return, looking up into his father's face. Scars aside, anyone could see the weary, worn-out look in his eyes. For a moment he hesitated about what he was about to do, thinking that he would soon have the same look in his eyes once having seen action with the Rangers. Nida had been kind to send his application for him in advance, so they knew he was coming. "I love you, Dad," he suddenly spoke up. The words had a noticable effect on Thurion, grimacing trying to hold back tears.

The two embraced, with the son burying his head in his father's chest. "And I love you, my cub..." They lingered like so for a while longer, until finally the two made for the Jedi transport heading for Kashyyyk countless lightyears away.

[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]​

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

They are too young ..

​

The though through her mind as her black eyes drifted from the undercarriage of the transport to the young lady standing by herself wait for Thirdas. Coci circled, absently checking the ship making sure it was in good order before travel taking with it, her last born. Yet, her gaze continually returned to Nida standing awkwardly alone no doubt wishing for Thirdas to come quickly. The sight of the girl pulled her lips into a grin, it was obvious their friendship was a strong one maybe more, maybe in time and yes they were too young not that this was what she worried about now.

Coci believe they were too young to go off fighting against the galaxy and all it will throw at them. It was very different when Théo left, although only fifteen at the time, he had already experience much in his young life, Thirdas has not and although he spoke to his mother of the future and what his destiny was, she hated the day when his destiny would arrive. Maybe that was it, maybe she hated this day because he had grown up and on the verge of manhood, no longer her little boy, wayward and head strong, stubborn and determined. Just like his mother.

He is not there yet ..

The final circle brought Coci back to the young lady, with pink cheeks not only from her colouring but the cold. Nida had been with the Dawnguard for a while and her abilities had advanced for one her age but now it was time for her, and Thirdas to build upon their abilities whether through the force or as a soldier. On board the transport a small black case rested on Thirdas' assigned seat, a beaten up case and inside was her first nightstingers, the one she had shown him how to use, The White Mouse. It was now his, and she hoped it would serve him well as it did her.

"You are cold child", Coci raised her hand to cup Nida's face to give warmth to her. "Everything is prepared for you arrival at the Silver Jedi".

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Nida Perl"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida stood outside the transport, body rigid from a potent mix of anxiety and the cold. Really, she should have been used to it by now, right? Her eyes shifted back and forth between the horizon from which Thirdas would eventually appear, and his mother. Grandmaster Heavenshield was a kindly woman, but there was a sense of protectiveness around her where her family was concerned. Not that Nida could blame her, especially so considering that this would be the day her lastborn jumped into the proverbial abyss of the galaxy.

In nearly every aspect of her life, Nida had been a follower. Always gingerly handled by her family, lead carefully through any trials, never alone. Part of it had to do with being the youngest of a large family, but part of their treatment towards her had to do with her past situation. It was only recently had she begun to experience the banes and boons of independence, but the little Zeltron had grown stronger for it. Even something as simple as sending along Thirdas’ paperwork to the Silver Jedi was strangely empowering. For once, she was not the little doe-eyed child waiting for someone to take her hand and lead the way. The prospect of helping Thirdas begin his journey, as well as continuing to forge her own path ahead, was exhilarating.

Inhaling fully, she allowed herself a small smile.

Coci approached, noting the rosy touch to her already pink features. “O—oh…” Nida was brought back down to Midvinter, and now her face was flushed with embarrassment. “I’m not…” But she was, that much Coci would feel when she reached out to cup the Zeltron’s cheek, palm radiating both warmth and a sense of comfort. It was a mother’s touch, and in that moment her heart swelled with all sorts of familial feelings. Nida missed her mother, she missed her siblings and her home. She always did, in the back of he mind, but this was a small reminder of what she’d left back on Zeltros. And scattered across the galaxy, for the Perl family never did seem to rest.

“I suppose that I should have gotten used to it by now.” A bit of anxiety twitched her lip as she smiled. “Um, I promise that I will be a good friend to Thirdas. I bet that he will make many friends among the Silver Jedi. He is very kind.” It seemed like such a silly thing to say, but Nida truly believed it. She was trying to imagine what her own mother had worried about when Nida left for the Silvers as well.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

As they walked the streets of his childhood Thirdas felt the strong grip of his father's hand on his shoulder, encouraging and urging him onwards to new things. They did not say much on their way to the shuttle, with Thurion allowing his son to take in his surroundings one last time in silence. He'd never had that feeling of walking away from all you know; when Master Asha took him away from Pelagon as a child he scarcely knew his way around the one city block. Thirdas may not have been born on Midvinter - that honour belongs to Corellia - but it was beyond a doubt the only home he's ever known.

Rounding the circular landing pad to find the staircase, the shuttle was already gearing up to take off. Now came his mother and Nida into view, and his heart both soared and sank in equal measure. He almost stumbled and slipped on the stairs when Nida's gaze found his, but once more his father was there to steady him.

Walking over to where the two waited his hand slid along the metallic hull of the shuttle, sizing it up as if he had any knowledge of starships. He knew his way around a longboat just fine, but this? How anyone could ever amass the knowledge to build something like this, let alone make it fly, was beyond him. "It, uh... L-looks good," he nodded to himself, trying his best to appear confident despite knowing literally nothing of space travel. "I'm sure the pilots know what they're doing," his father assured him with an amused look.

"Hello, Nida," he greeted the Zeltron, letting out a sigh of relief. "We're finally here, I can't believe today's the day." One of the pilots appeared from the entrance of the ship and offered to take his luggage, which was not much more than a backpack plus the case his father had carried for him. "Do we... Do we need to show tickets or something? Never done this before." He was able to relax a bit now that Nida was here, knowing for sure that their plan to travel together was set in stone. He wasn't looking forward to making such an epic journey all alone.

But then his mother stood before him and he was immediately struck with intense homesickness, even though he had yet to leave home. What if this was the last he ever saw either of them? Maybe he should stay after all? Of course his papa had to make it worse when he sidled up beside his wife, putting his arm around her to complete the picture.

[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]​

​

(Sorry for the very long wait!)​

 

[Théodred Heavenshield]

The sound of snow crunching under horses hooves cut across their conversations. If little brother thought he was getting away without say goodbye to his brother, he was mistaken. Théo pulled the horse around the landed ship, some Jedi bucket of bolts that looked as though it would not get off the ground, frozen up in the Midvinter cold. There was a smirk on Théo's face, remembering the day he left home for his journey among the star along even though the circumstances where different, the scene before him the same. Mother and father standing there with faces as long as the horse he was riding.

He dismounted and strode toward the gathered group, clapping his hands together to gain warmth in them as the snow began to fall around them all. "I see I am not too late", he greeted them all before approaching his mother for a kiss on the cheek, and to his father a smile before pulling the old man into a hug. He gave the young girl the once over, looking her over from head to foot before flashing a knowing look to Thirdas, a pretty motivation.

"Thirdas a word", Théo's large hand took hold of his brother scruff and pulled him away from the group out of hearing. With his back to them, Théo place both his hands on his brother's shoulders leaning down to look him in the eyes. "Make sure you get into trouble, I will be disappointed if you don't. But if you get into serious trouble and need me to come, use this", big brother reached into his pockets of his long black cloak and gave Thirdas a communicator, a private one that would reach Théo personally. "I will find you no matter where you are". The look on big brother's face was ernest.

"I almost forget this", it was a identification card which he placed in his hand as well. "You are going to need some credits, use them unwisely". A big grin followed by a hug engulfed Thirdas and lasted longer than necessary. Although there was years between them, blood is blood and Théo vowed he would do anything from him the day he was born and a vow is a vow.

"Remember we love you". He pulled back from the embrace before turning them back to the family.

​

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[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]​

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

The unexpected arrival of Théo made his heart soar with joy, having assumed him too busy to come see him off. Immediately he acted the role of a big brother, grabbing hold of him and pulling him away from the others for some sage advice. "I think trouble will be unavoidable where I'm going," he gave him a light shove, only to be presented with a small object he recognised as a communicator. He slipped it into his pocket and saw on his brother's face that he was being serious. "I'll hold you to that," he replied, attempting to keep up appearances. He was also given a card for "monetary emergencies". After this it became impossible to hold off any longer and the two embraced one another.

"I love you, Big Brother." A rare thing for someone like Thirdas to admit so openly and earnestly, but this was a very special occasion after all. What if he never returns? What if something happens while he's gone, to his family?

But it would turn out Théo had not come alone, as one by one more lone riders appeared in the form of family and friends. The first was his sister Nina, eldest of the Heavenshield children, sat atop her trusty Beorni companion and protector Arnor. A rather humorous sight to behold, for even as a grown woman she appeared no more than a child when compared to the giant bear-man. With the grace of an angel she slid down the side of the white fur until her feet hit the ground, and without a word she took and held in embrace not only Thirdas but Théo as well, the three siblings reunited. "Gosh, you two! Used to be I was the tallest, you know." She motioned for Arnor to join in but the Beorni did not take the subtle hint and simply stood there, ever watchingful but with the faint hint of a smile. "Look after Arnie while I'm gone, won't you?"

The second to arrive was a young man his own age, with long white hair to match his sister's. "No way," he exclaimed and his face shone up even further. "Made it just in time! Couldn't bare missing out on my best bud leaving home for the first time." It was Thrand, covered up to his knees in mud and dirt after a long, hard ride westwards. Thirdas clasped his cousin's head and grinned wide as they touched foreheads. "I can't believe you're here! I thought for sure they'd gone and made you King of the Elves or something by now." The two laughed and embraced as old friends do. "Hey now, I'm not married yet! But you better make time to attend the ceremony, I need my bestest man when the time comes." He nodded and smiled fondly, until finally all had offered their goodbyes. "I'll make it, Thrand. You have my word on that."

"Thirdas," his father called and reached into his pocket. "Almost forgot." He presented him with a round token made out of wood, adorned with the depiction of a lion. "You take this, son, and keep on you at all times. So that in times when you feel weak, you may draw strength from it. Remember who you are, and where you come from. You are a Lion of Midvinter, a Heavenshield." Thurion cupped his hand using both of his, eyeing him with the distinct ferocity of the same creature their family took their sigil from. As Thirdas accepted the gift, his father softened and once again embraced his youngest cub.

Then came the hardest part in saying goodbye to his mother, who he felt had always understood him the best all this time growing up. "Mama..."

[member="Coci Heavenshield"] | [member="Nida Perl"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida’s shoulders softened in relief as Thirdas appeared. She didn’t realize how tensely they’d been hunched, but couldn’t place her finger on what exactly she was anxious about. The young Zeltron had grown close to Thirdas during her stay, and he’d come to the decision of traveling among the stars with her, back to the Silver Jedi. Was it the fact that his parents, absolute legends, were here? Or was she having nerves over starting a new adventure?

“Hello, Thirdas. It’s good to see you.” She returned his greeting in kind, unable to help the easy grin on her face. “Everything is taken care of, your mother helped me to book our passage off world.” His unease was not lost on her empathy, and was to be expected. Even for someone as brazen and eager as Thirdas, leaving home for the first time was not without its difficulties. She supposed it might be easier if you had little attachment, but Thirdas had a loving family.

Next came a tall, dark haired man—she recognized him as Théodred, the eldest brother of the Heavenshield clan and who’s wedding she’d attended. He glanced over her and she flushed, still not accustomed to having eyes on her even if his glimpse was not a judgmental one. Then came Nina, the snow-haired eldest child and after that, a young man Nida did not recognize. Among the Valkyri giants, she suddenly felt embarrassingly short.

Nida paced herself back a step or two in order to give the family some measure of privacy as they said their goodbyes. It reminded her of her very first excursion leaving Zeltros alone to take up the Silver mantle. Only it had been louder, with crying. Yula and Dagon had to pry their mother off of Nida. She smiled at the memory, it was a fond thought but it made her miss her home.

She continued to observe, hoping that her presence wasn’t intrusive while she watched Thurion and Coci bid their farewells to their youngest child.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]

[Sorry for delay! <3]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

As Théo moved off to stand by Nina and Thrand, her lastborn stood before her looking like the young boy he would always be in her eyes. Her hand raised and gently took hold of his long braid feeling his soft golden hair in her palm, it felt the same as Thurion's and for all the world the same colour and she knew that once he was on Kashyyyk and among the army, it would be gone. Coci smiled at him, looking into her eyes that matched his, two pools of deep black that would see more than most and she knew they would serve him well, especially in the dead of night. "My son", she replied.

She took him into a hold, so much the man now her arms could all but wrap around his body, and she kissed his cheek allowing her lips to settle there to warm his cheek. "I love you my son, from your first day into the next life". It was hard to take her arms away, but she knew he would be fine among the Silvers at the Rest. His destiny was his own now, and to make of it what he will, besides she knew Théo had his back. "It is time", she nodded toward the waiting ship.

Nida stood a little away from them giving them space for farewells. Coci approached her now, and placed her hands on the young girls shoulders, "Make sure you contact your mother when you arrive, she will be most anxious to hear from you". But regardless, Coci would send word to Joza that they were on their way to Kashyyyk. "May the force be with you Nida".

Coci stood by her husband, on her other side was Thrand, all a man now. "Théo and Nina will be staying with us tonight, so will you", she smiled at him, excited that their home would be filled with children once more. "I am sure you will not be missed for a couple of nights", she smiled at the handsome young man who looked for all the world like his grandfather.

​

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[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]​

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Had it been any other day his mother's lips on his cheek would have been the worst embarrassment imaginable, especially in front of others, even if family. But today he relished the moment, knowing he would likely not receive another for a long time. It was almost unbearable, now that they were all gathered just to see him off; rare were the days the family of five were ever in the same room together throughout his upbringing, what with both his siblings leading their own lives by the time he was born. "I'll take good care of her," he whispered, referring to the White Mouse lying dormant and disassembled in its weapon's case. He was just barely able to refrain from shedding tears, especially as his mother pulled away from the embrace.

"Thank you, all of you," he said, looking them all in the eye one last time. "I will contact you once I'm settled in, I promise. Don't... don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, okay?" If anyone of them got hurt or worse and he was not here to help, then... "How could we? You're bringing all the stupid with you," Thrand chimed in with a smirk.

With that, it was time to go. He had to fight his body to even turn and step up onto the ramp of the shuttle, instinctively taking Nida by the hand for support. He turned around one last time as the ramp then rose behind them, but not before his father took a step forward. "Thirdas! Do your duty. Act with honour. But do not forget your family." That was the last straw that pushed him over the brink as tears formed in the corners of his eyes, quickly wiped away with his sleeve as he was shut off from his family, closed in behind cold steel walls.

Thirdas slumped down into the nearest seat, his mind swimming with thoughts and emotions. He'd never felt this terrified before. But he held onto Nida's hand, now with both hands as the shuttle took off. Looking out the view port he saw his hometown turn to a dot on the landscape as all of Midvinter lay before them, only for it too to fade away into obscurity until all was just a white haze. By now he closed his eyes, wanting to maintain his life-long view of his homeworld. He refused to see as just another faceless galactic entity. He didn't open them again until Midvinter was out of view, and now he instead marveled at the sight of a billion stars in the emptiness of space.

"By all the gods," he let out, now glued to the view port. A long sigh escaped him, as if letting go of some of the trepidation he'd felt all morning. "This is really happening, isn't it," he turned to Nida with a look of disbelief, soon turned into a look of excitement.

[member="Nida Perl"] | [member="Coci Heavenshield"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida involuntarily stiffened as [member="Coci Heavenshield"] turned her attention towards the young Zeltron. She answered with an earnest nod of her head and a “Yes, ma’am”, reminding herself that mother was liable to send Yula or [member="Dagon Perl"] after her if she hadn’t checked in in a while. Or worse, the brood mother herself would be liable to show up, too. “Thank you, Grand Master.”

Thirdas had good family. Nida had good family, too, and it highlighted just how fortunate they were. Ever since stepping out into the wider galaxy, she’d encountered so many people who didn’t have the love and support she had. It was even not uncommon among the Jedi, for many recruits had been taken in by the Silvers when there had been nowhere else to go.

The farewells came to an end, and the pair climbed into the shuttle. Ascending, they eventually had a spectacular view of Midvinter as the snowy landscape curved with the planet. Thirdas’ hand on her own was not unexpected, but her heart leapt all the same.

“Yes, and this is a good thing, Thirdas.” She placed her other hand atop his as they clasped her own and squeezed. “You’re going to do so much good, and your family are going to be so proud of you. I’m sure of it.” The thought of using her pheromones to induce him to a state of calm crossed her mind, but she quickly rushed that idea away, figuring that Thirdas was the type to want to feel his emotions.

“You may be shocked to learn that I too, was anxious leaving my home for the first time.” She smiled at him, genuine and perhaps a bit goofy.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

"I hope so," he sighed and slumped down into the nearest seat. "That's the plan, anyway." As Nina then spoke her own experience of leaving home, Thirdas couldn't help but smirk and raise an eyebrow. "You, anxious? I would have never guessed," he spoke with obvious sarcasm. She had not exactly struck him as someone with an immense supply of self-confidence thus far, but Nida had so many other good qualities about her that he didn't mind in the slightest. On the flip side, he'd always been known to have too much confidence, so together they balanced each other out quite nicely.

As Nida sat down beside him, he dropped quiet suddenly and his body stiffened as feelings of awkwardness set in. He wanted to put his arm around her, but without it seeming too obvious. Or intrusive, for that matter. He put his feet up on the small table, trying to act casual. He began by propping his arm up on the back of her seat, strands of her hair tickling his naked forearm. Then, very slowly, it made its way down the cushioned leather seat until the palm of his hand settled upon her shoulder. When she didn't shy away he was finally able to breathe again as all at once his body relaxed again.

"Tell me about your homeworld," he cautiously asked, not knowing whether thoughts of Zeltros were welcomed ones. "Do you have any family still living there, or are they all out wandering the stars? Are they all Jedi?" He came to realise he knew very little of Nida's people and history, whereas he'd gladly prattled on about Midvinter and his own family.

"Prepare to jump to hyperspace," the pilot's voice blared through the intercom. "Hyper-what?"

Then suddenly the entire vessel was thrusted into what Thirdas could only describe as a maelstrom of light, as the stars turned to impossibly long lines of white and they now seemingly travelled with ungodly speed. Again he tensed up, but not for the same reason as before, and his arm around her tightened. Suddenly he wasn't so concerned with whether or not to be close to her.

[member="Nida Perl"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

Hands clasped together delicately in her lap, Nida stiffened when Thirdas’ hand first made contact with her shoulder. Touch was very common among Zeltrons, but Nida hadn’t experienced much of it outside of her family. Less so something more…intimate? Was a touch on the shoulder intimate? Maybe she was reading too much into things. Still, her cheeks flushed a shade of magenta he was all too used to seeing on her.

“Zeltros?” Nida seemed surprised that he would ask, even if it was the natural flow of conversation. The thought conjured images of her family, of the city she was born in. Great towering buildings of metal awash with every color you could think of, and more. Her thoughts were interrupted by the pilot’s announcement. Before she could explain, the ship lurched into hyperspace, hurdling them through the emptiness of space.

The hand at her shoulder tightened and she gave Thridas her best smile meant to soothe. The sort of look she gave patients, particularly children, before they had their blood drawn or received an injection. “Not what you expected?” She had forced her own shoulders to relax by now, allowing herself to sink back into the seat. For some reason, Nida had always found space travel soothing. “We’re going really fast now! If we were traveling to Kashyyyk the old fashioned way, it would take eons.” Well, probably not that long.

“Most of my family that still live on Zeltros live in the capital, or just outside of it. My mother and my oldest brother, Alan, live there to take care of my mother’s company. She runs a lot of the night clubs in the city.” Among other things, but Nida was either not privy to those or did not think them appropriate to share. Still, she hoped that it would be enough to distract him from the fact that they were rocketing through the void. “My other brother, Dagon, is a police officer on Terminus. I think that’s also where my older sister Yula is living now, but she does a lot of traveling among the stars.” Thinking for a moment on his final question, she shook her head.

“My mom trained as a Jedi, but she left them after having my brother. I think that right now…I’m the only one.” She wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Of course, her family had declared their support for her, even if it took all of her siblings to be able to pry Nida from her mother’s grasp. “Maybe someday, you’d like to visit Zeltros?” There was an unintentional hopeful not in her voice, even if t would be a different environment than what he was used to for sure. And then there were the pheromones to contend with.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

"Huh," he remarked, having settled down some from the startling experience. Nida's voice did a lot to calm him. "By the sound of it, our two families are not so different. Except for the... pink." He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking what he said sounded stupid or perhaps insensitive. All his life he'd been surrounded by people who looked like himself; he had a lot to learn where other races were concerned. Fortunately Nida looked and acted very much like a human save for the pigment of her skin and colour of her hair and eyes, and he'd had no trouble understanding her when the two interacted. But what if he bumped into something so otherworldly he could not make heads or tails of it?

"Do you... do you like it, being a Jedi?" From the outside, and from what he'd seen through his mother, it all seemed so stale and rigid. All that learning and meditation, it honestly looked a bit boring for a free spirit such as himself. "Has it been everything you wanted it to be? I know you were young when you joined them but, you must have had other interests even as a child?"

By now the jump to lightspeed was no longer of interest to him, and as he felt more relaxed he was even brave enough to tilt his head to the side, resting it against hers while she in turn rested on his shoulder. He gently took her hand and turned it until her palm faced upwards, caressing it with his thumb and following its lines. The low hum of their vessel was enough to lull him to sleep had he not wished to spend more time awake with Nida. Right now he was just enjoying exploring her as a person, even as simple as noting every detail of her palm and how similar it looked to his own. The bright pink skin he found so exotic, he could not take his eyes off it.

Then a hard swallow as his heart skipped a beat inside of his chest, and the words came all on their own. "I think I'm in love with you..."

[member="Nida Perl"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

“Hm?” Nida had gradually sunk against Thirdas, idly resting her slight frame against his much larger one. A thoughtful silence hung between them as she answered slowly after a few moments, honest but not enthusiastic. “I do.” There was another pause as she took the time to collect her thoughts, for once not frantically searching for words. They had all the time in the galaxy, right now. “What I like the most is getting to help people and study medicine. I was always told that Jedi are peacekeepers, but I didn’t know that the cost of peace could get so…high.” She had another silent moment of reflection, of the battlefields she’d been on, the frustration of trying to wash the dried blood from her robes.

“I think it’s more than I’d bargained for. I’d always pictured Jedi as peaceable scholars in ivory towers, defeating evil with magic on the side. I never thought that there’d be so much blood.” Suddenly feeling as if she had said too much, especially as Thridas was slated to become a solider, Nida tried to reel things in with a smile. “I don’t regret it, though. The Jedi help a lot of people, and they’ve shown me that there’s still much work to be done in the galaxy. I hope that we can both be a part of that.”

She tried to ignore the electrifying sensation of his hand on her own, fingers tracing the creases and dips of her palm. Nida had never allowed herself to become this close with someone outside of her family, bad intentions and worse case scenarios plaguing her mind and frightening her off. Whether or not those were true or an artifact of her own experiences and anxieties remained to be seen, but she wouldn’t deny that a small part of her wanted to run away and hide right now.

An even larger part of her kept her firmly planted there, indulging in the comfort of Thridas and the sense of a more intimate closeness. She’d never gotten those bad impressions from him, not once. He was kind and gentle, always treating her with respect, always honest with his words and actions.

When he spoke next, Nida lifted her head off of his chest, vaguely surprised that it had been there, but even more surprised at what he’d said. It took her a few moments to realize that she was just staring, magenta eyes wider than the Tatooine sun.

“I don’t know much about love…” She managed to get out, not wanting to reject Thirdas, but unsure of where this would lead them next. A great many feelings were swimming around inside of her, none of them she was able to pin down. Love, what did she know about love?

A few more moments of stunned silence and her head found its way, nestled against his chest again. She felt the dull thudding of his heart, the muffled rhythm soothing in it a primal way. She felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he took each breath. Nida closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into how much she enjoyed being next to him. “But…I feel so safe when I’m with you, Thirdas.”

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Thirdas had never felt so brave and terrified at the same time. The fact that she had not outright rejected him was more than he could have hoped for. "Me neither," he said softly, feeling more at ease knowing they could share such personal thoughts and experiences.

There had been plenty of girls to choose from where he grew up, of course. They all knew him as a lord's son, a Heavenshield. But he'd never taken a fancy to any of them in spite of their advances; perhaps they were simply too plain for him, or not at all his type. His desire to see and experience new things had managed to influence even his lovelife, it would seem. Nida was different from all those girls, and her uniqueness was what had intrigued him in the first place. Of course none of this was said aloud, for someone like Thirdas simply did not have the words with which to express himself.

"But if this is it," he continued, holding her to his chest and nuzzling into her hair, "then I could get used to it." He'd never felt more unsure of himself, which in itself was a scary concept for such a confident young man to grasp. Ever did he plunge heedlessly into situations, never thinking things through. But with Nida, he always seemed to stumble and hesitate. She had become his one weakness.

Moments of silence followed as Thirdas very much enjoyed their closeness, losing track of time entirely. "I want us to go out there and help people, one day," he then broke said silence. "Together. I would keep you safe." It was a somewhat childish fantasy which sprung to mind, that he and Nida would become as his own mother and father back in the day; heroes of the galaxy, fighting side by side. "Would you... like that?" Again he lost all his confidence when she looked up at him, her face mere inches away.

One last act of bravery. He leaned in closer, his entire body stiff and fighting him at every turn. But then their noses got in the way, ruining the moment completely. "Where do the noses go," he could not help but smile at the silly situation and for having to ask the question at all, which did help to alleviate some tension.

[member="Nida Perl"]​

 

[Nida Perl]

Nida found it difficult to be close to other people, aside from her family. Skittish as she was, her trust was not easily earned and physical intimacy was a downright mystery. This was new territory for Thridas too, and that helped to ease the nerves knotting her stomach, if slightly. Whatever path this was, they’d blindly bumble down it together, hand in hand.

At some point her head had nestled comfortably against his chest, chin tilting upward to meet the gaze of his dark eyes. Idly, she marveled in the brief realization that they were the deepest shade of onyx she’d seen on a humanoid. For someone coming from such a colorful race, the Zeltron sure hadn’t seen everything. “Yeah.” Was all she could manage to answer, soft and earnest. She wondered if this close, Thirdas could feel the rapid beating of her heart. Still, Nida couldn’t help but smile with genuine affection up at the Young Lion.

Though her primary instinct was to flee as he moved in closer, Nida did not move, nor did she steel herself. Instead she remained where she was, trembling slightly in his arms as if every nerve connected to her was on fire. Then there was a pause, and a murmur from Thirdas as their noses nudged. Usually, nearly every move she made had some thought put into it. In weighing pros and cons, Nida could get so lost in imagining outcomes that she’d forget what she was trying to do. Instead of doing any of that, though, she tilted her head to the side and inched forward, pressing her lips to Thirdas’ own for the briefest of moments.

She pulled away dazedly, face beet red and still trembling a bit from the nerves. But, she was smiling. Being around Thirdas had made her a little bit brave.

[member="Thirdas Heavenshield"]