Private White Sandy Trouble

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

Spira. The resort world had seen its better days, but it was still one of the most beautiful and most traveled to worlds when it came to a tropical getaway. Judah had not ventured to the world too often. His idea of a beach day had always come with a trip to the Gold Beaches of Corellia at the family bungalow Katara had been gifted. There were many good memories to cherish from those days. Judah was trying to make more, find more.

The message had seemed important. Malcoma never reached out unless she needed something. Typically it had something to do with her girls, the ones she had taken under her charge. Judah had helped to protect them numerous times, and he had seemed to endear himself to the headmistress and even more so to the girls themselves. He was supposed to be discreet, so no Jedi robes.

Judah managed to wrestle together something that would pass for a trip to Spira with the help of a padawan his nephew seemed to know. The kids spoke with so much slang that the older Jedi did not understand he had to nod a lot, pretending he knew what it meant to be “fly” and “dirppin.” He shook his head just remembering the conversation. Judah certainly knew how to find them.

A beachfront condo was rented. It had been some time since the Jedi Master had rented anything so luxurious. It had been a while since there had been any reason to. Even if it was for business, it did not hurt to splurge just a little from time to time. After all, the Jedi was loaded. The cool breeze and the sound of the waves washing up onto the beach were an added bonus. Judah quickly found the nearest sofa and laid down.

He was past the age of caring whether he was asleep or awake when his company arrived. They would have keys waiting for them at the front desk, traveling under the guise of family no doubt. With his eyes closed, Judah let himself drift off to a rest and sleep he had not enjoyed in some time. Judah Lesan was truly relaxed.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan

​

That was the guise she was travelling under.

It was either an easy trick to pull over the eyes of the resort receptionists, or they were not paid enough to ask questions. Maybe both. It was at least not unbelievable that the hapan was related to the human—at least not from a visual perspective. If the circumstances of Malcoma's life hadn't had her grow such a thick skin, they might have even seemed sibling-like in personality.

Speaking of her usual edges, she had not originally left them behind in her office on Coruscant, but by the time she arrived on Spira, they had weathered off. They would surely grow back in time, but for now, she sat opposite Judah in an armchair. Legs kicked up and folded over one arm, and leaning back over the other, she looked out over the ocean's surface over the patio's railing. It was relatively calm; so was she, almost completely still as steam rolled from the mug that she cradled just above her lap.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

Judah was not sure how long he had been asleep. It could have been for a few minutes, or it could have been for a couple of hours. All he knew is that the familiar perfume of one Malcoma Hesse was the first thing he could smell, even before he opened his eyes. He reached out through the force.

She was calm.

She was worried.

A smirk pulled at Judah’s lips. He was not in a hurry to open his eyes, and naturally an opportunity to tease the younger woman was something he could never pass up.

“Nice of you to let me sleep. Spira seems to agree with you.”

Of course he knew better. Malcoma usually had a bite, but something was clearly on her mind. Judah opened his eyes and sat up. His arms stretched above his head to the sound of his bones creaking slightly. Age was catching him after all. Judah stood and walked to the small cold storage unit which was on the patio. Two cold bottles of water were pulled out, one of them offered to the blonde.

“Credit for your thoughts love?”

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan

​

"Of course," she whispered towards the sea. "Stalwart defender like you needs his eight hours."

She wasn't biting. At all. This trance she was in was weird. She didn't sound like herself, at least not the Malcoma that Judah had come to know; she didn't even look like herself in an outfit of a simple knotted up tee-shirt and a palm frond printed maxi skirt.

She finally looks up at him when a bottle of water enters her peripheral vision, glances from it up to him, and shakes her head at both his offer and his ask. "It's not worth a credit...

"It's priceless, being a mother." That really meant headmistress, but she was like a real mother to her girls, and Judah knew that. "All of the experiences that come with it. The fulfillment, the joy, the worry. And right now, I'm worried."

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

“So this is about one of your girls then,” Judah stated as he sat on the arm of the chair Malcoma occupied. “The loss of your edge has me worried. I’ve seen you worried about your girls before, but not this worried.”

Judah opened his bottle of water. There did not seem to be a need to roll into the usual banter the two found with such ease. Mal was not in the mood for it anyway. Whatever was going on, it had her full focus and attention. He wondered why the meeting needed to be secret, and part of him suspected he was about to be drawn into something that was slightly less than legal. He had bent before, and often, but the level of worry coming from the blonde had Judah pretty worried himself.

“All ears, Malcoma, what’s up?”

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan

​

At first, it wasn't clear if she was going to respond, eyes fixed again to the water far out on the horizon.

But then, "It's one of the twins," she said after a long few moments. "Iayn. She's checking out of the Guesthouse, which under any circumstance besides this one would make me very happy..." Malcoma paused to sip her tea. The movement of mug to lips advertised the trembling of her hands. The ceramic of the vessel clinked softly against her perfectly white teeth.

"She wants to be like me, Judah."

The insinuation hung in the air like sea salt.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

One of the twins.

Judah had met them and he recalled several of the girls Malcoma was helping. She had a good heart in what she was doing even if her methods were sometimes questionable. Judah was not one to judge, however. As a Jedi he often did things which other Jedi would question. Methods were fluid as long as the outcome was what it needed to be. Judah would never abandon the light, but he often flirted with the line.

“She wants to be like me, Judah.”

The words hung in the air. Mal certainly did not want to say it, not readily, but she also did not go any further. Judah knew what she meant, and part of him wanted to reassure her that was a good thing. He also knew what Malcoma went through on a regular basis to accomplish what she did for the girls.

All he could do for the moment was nod as he debated his response. A sip of his tea delayed it longer.

“I can understand the conflict,” he said cautiously. “On one hand mothers are often proud when their daughters want to be like them. On the other hand, it is not safe to do what you do.”

Judah took another sip.

“What part of it scares you the most. That it is dangerous, or that she will be good at it?”

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

That question would have made her mad immediately if she wasn't so tired. Instead, it just threw her through a loop. To give herself time to think up an answer, she slowly unfolded her legs from the chair's arm, pivoted her torso to sit forward, and set her mug down on the nearby coffee table. Dregs danced in a few drops of liquid as it sloshed, then settled back into a consolidated pile.

"The latter," she admitted to them both. "If she's good at it, she'll drag this out." Malcoma put her hands on her knees and glanced to Judah. She gave him a tightlipped and lopsided smile plus a small shrug. "I took her out of that life. And now, sh-she wants t-to..." One of her arms retreated, palm rising to cover her mouth. Frustrated, she got up and walked over to the window.

Judah Lesan

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

“She wants back in…” Judah finished what Malcomma did not want to.

They had a complicated relationship, and yet it was also pretty simple. Maybe it was Judah’s lot in life to be a sympathetic ear to many. Malcomma had often come to Judah with trusted secrets others may not have known. Yes they may have known about the school and where the girls came from, but they did not always know her methods of getting the girls.

He smiled as he stood. Maybe she would let him get close, and maybe this time she would not reject the comforting arm he intended to place around her. Either way, his words would have to be something she heard. The blonde would also have to know he spoke the truth even if she did not want to admit it.

“You had to know one or more of your girls would see the vision of what you’re doing and want to help, or even more, start their own thing.”

Judah let the quiet sit for a minute before he continued.

“You can try and stop her, or you can help make sure she stays out of the kind of trouble you experienced starting up. Besides, the bird did have to leave the nest some time. You can’t always keep them.”

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Mal let him come close, touch her, speak his mind.

She really was having an off day.

What's more, she leaned into Judah's arm. "Will you help me?" she asked. "Help me watch out for her? I can..." She stopped herself, thought on what she had really meant to say, then rephrased. "I ought focus my energy on teaching the others to fly."

Judah Lesan

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

Judah nodded. Malcoma needed his help, and as usual he would give it. What was different about this particular situation is that she let her guard down. She leaned against him. She let him touch her. They were closer than they had ever been, and not in some lustful or carnal type of way. Whatever it was, it was nice.

He leaned his head against hers, keeping his eyes on the waves the room faced.

“You need to let them learn how to fly, but not today. Today you need to tell me how I can help, and then forget why you’re so stressed, hmmm?”

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan

What could he do? Malcoma watched the water with him silently for a few minutes, thinking it over. She didn’t want to ask for anything overburdening of Judah or too overprotective of Iayn.

Finally, she settled on a question. “Would you be her godfather, Judah?” she asked quietly, sincerely. “Maybe not permanently; just though this. Just to keep an eye on her. Have no hand in her doings, but…perhaps advise.”

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

“So let her fly, but be there to catch her if she falls.”

It was not a question. Judah knew what Mal was really asking. It was more for her own peace of mind, that she could know that someone was looking out for one of her girls when she could not.

It made him smirk.

Malcoma cared a lot more than she let people realize, and as much as she tried to hide behind her rough and tough exterior, even around Judah, he had seen enough to know the soft shell that was beneath all of that. Her girls were her soft spot, and Judah knew well enough not to mess with that. He had seen what the woman was willing to do, and did, when their lives were put in danger. He had helped her on that front.

“Yeah I can do that,” he said as a hand went to her chin.

Judah wanted her to look him in the eye. She needed to see he meant what he said. With how close they were, whatever tension there may have been between them hung in the air for a bit. Judah had never been able to say no to tough cases, and Malcoma certainly was one in her own way. He was always torn with her. Mal was like him in a lot of ways. Both them existed in a world that did not quite seem to suit them, and yet they fit perfectly into the lives they had each chosen for themselves.

His rough hand moved to her cheek. The temperament in his eyes changed slightly as his focus seemed to change.

“I’ll look after Iyan… and maybe while we still have the beach maybe you might find some time for yourself too?”

Was it an invitation to something? Judah did not really have the answer to that. He just knew that Iyan was just one of many things Mal could worry herself with. She needed to take care of herself as much as she did her own girls. If Judah would be willing to admit it, he needed time for himself as well.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan

She nodded at his interpretation of her question. If she had her usual sense about her, she would have put an end to the bird metaphors. They were apt, sure, but she and her girls had weathered enough dehumanization in their lifetimes to make even well-meaning comparison of them to other animals traumatic.

"Thank you." A hand of hers slid over his moments after it rested on her cheek. "A good idea, Master Jedi," she mumbled sincerely but tone still clouded with forlornness. She pulled his palm off of her skin gently and pressed a soft kiss to it instead. "A proper meal is in order, then." She had been subsisting off nothing but liquids since the morning before last, her worry propping up her body since. In this moment, she was finally starting to feel her suppressed appetite crawling its way out of her tightly knotted stomach.

She slipped into the kitchen and began looking through the refrigerator. "For both of us," she added. "What sounds good?"

Perhaps Judah might offer to cook instead, but the slight glow returning to her aura, he might also realize she was at her best when she was taking care of those she cared for. She was happiest too. There was something magically healing about choosing to be of service rather than being forced to. It was her self-care, as much as she tried to hide it when anywhere outside of her few safe places: the Guesthouse, the Undoubtedly, and that was about it.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

It was a tender moment. The times Judah shared those with anyone had been few and very far between since the passing of his wife. Part of him had been afraid to open himself to anyone in that way again, and part of him sought the fun which came without attachment. Loss had been far more painful than he wanted to admit, and perhaps he only truly shared those feelings with his closest friend, the blue twi’lek. It was the similarities between the Jedi and the blonde which allowed Judah to drop his guard for the moment, whether brief or longer.

He did not want to pull away when she kissed his hand, but her words moved them on from the moment. Certainly at the mention of food his stomach growled loud enough that he chuckled. A sheepish grin tugged at his lips with a small shrug before he kissed the top of her hand and let it go.

“Surprise me,” he said.

There were rare moments where Judah did not like something. Usually it was a safe bet that he would enjoy whatever was put in front of him. Normally he would offer to cook as it was one of the things in the galaxy which allowed him to escape the burden of his chosen path. It was his escape in every sense of the word, but something about the color and happiness which Mal was displaying in the thought of cooking a meal for them both kept him from offering.

She needed this, and Judah seemed to know it.

“I cannot remember the last time I actually enjoyed a home cooked meal. I’ve been very busy in the aftermath of the New Way bombing on Coruscant. I’ve been working on the investigation to find those responsible. They covered their tracks too well, however. It seems that force users are once again to blame for the ills of our galaxy, and this time it seems this group is gaining some traction with that message.”

Mal was not the only one with things to be troubled with. Judah's mind was always occupied with how much there was for him to do.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

Judah Lesan

Hmm.

She pulled some produce out of the fridge, set them on the counter, and took a peek in the pantry. Spiced meatballs with red sauce, couscous, and side salad it was.

She hummed at Judah's revelation as she preheated the over. After, she turned on the sink faucet to wash her hands. Yes, she had heard about that bombing some time ago. Damris had been busy during its aftermath too, but in beefing up the Guesthouse's security. In fact, he had locked it down for a few days until she had put her foot down. "Of course they are," she agreed gently. "And it will only get worse now that the Galactic Alliance may finally be at peace—" she switched over to preparing the meat, "—after putting down the Maw at Exegol."

A quick glace up from seasoning the ground beef. "Not that I'm sympathetic, and I hope I'm not prophetic." She got back to it. "I only understand why a supernatural power differential gets the people that it doesn't favor up in arms. It makes people like me—" non-Force-sensitives, "dependent on people like you—" Force Users. She knew quite a bit about how dependence could make a person bitter, but also how it could be a godsend. She began forming meatballs against her palms. "Now that non-Force-sensitives need less, if any, protection from the Sith and their allies, at least perceivably, they'll act up all the more."

A baking sheet full of meatballs went into the oven. "Would you like me to ask around the underworld?" she asked. Of course, when she said me, she meant Damris, and when she said ask, she meant snoop.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse


"They are always to blame, and that is as much a problem as anything else."

Judah figured Mal would understand what he meant. It was human nature to fear or hate what was not understood or what was different, and while Judah spent much of his life fighting against that, he was only one man. His own views on such things many times were just that, his own views.

He shook his head at the question.

"Not if you're thinking you'll use your girls or Damris."

The loss of the Maw in the galaxy would make the Jedi a target once more, but it would also eventually see the rise of a greater evil. Often it was force users who filled that vacuum, but not always. Judah hoped it would not turn to active terrorism, but it was the battle he was currently fighting.

He came up behind the blonde and looked over her shoulder to see what she was cooking. Reaching around her, he pinched some of the seasoning mix and sprinkled the food. As much as he enjoyed the fact someone was cooking for him, Judah could rarely stay out of the kitchen. Cooking was something which often relaxed him, and there was something about being in the kitchen which made him seem more human than he already was.

"Sorry…"

Judah was not sure why he felt like he needed to apologize. Mal would tell him if she wanted him to keep his nose out of it all. Judah liked to be useful, and it was rare he allowed himself to be served even when offered. Besides, it felt good to be in the kitchen with someone rather than the lonely nights he often spent cooking for just himself. Being a shadow was not conducive for allowing people into his life, even though he had tried before.

"Someone will fill the void the Maw left behind," he returned to the subject at hand, "it's only a matter of time."

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

"Not if you're thinking you'll use your girls or Damris."

"Ah, look at that, me losing my mysterious edge," she jokingly complained. She ducked under his arm seasoning the red sauce she had been working on, then retreated down the kitchen island to where the salad greens were drying on a cutting board. That was now his responsibility. Hers would be the vegetables and their dressing.

"What if I went?" she offered instead as she began shredding the greens into a large bowl. "If I broke a nail, I'd naturally send you the salon bill, but if it might help you get out ahead of 'a matter of time'..." She trailed off but looked over at him. "Or we could go together. I do miss outrunning you in heels."

The prickly flower was perking back up.

 

[Judah Lesan]

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C U R I O U S

Wearing: xxx
Weapons: xxx x2
Tag: Malcoma Hesse

"Oh there is plenty about you that's still a mystery, but we've worked together enough that I know Damris is more than what he seems."

It was all Judah needed to say. He did not care to know the details because it would not change the way he saw the blonde. She was fun, carefree in a certain kind of way. Malcoma also carried a similar sense of responsibility that Judah did. It made him understand her in a way that ensured nothing else really mattered. They were both more alike than either likely would admit, and if Judah was honest it made him a little more nervous around the woman than he usually was.

It seemed the sauce was his to take care of, which meant he was going to lower the heat a little. Judah preferred to let things simmer a bit more than others, especially when it came to sauce.

"What if I went?"

Judah paused and tasted the sauce before turning to look at the blonde. She was being serious, the offer to go, even work together again. A smirk pulled at his lips as an errant jest crossed his mind. For once he let it go instead of following the path it could take him down. In truth he was flattered. He was used to working alone as she was, but it was nice to have a partner on occasion especially one that could anticipate what the other would do.

Judah turned back to the sauce.

"I can afford your nails, but I better tag along to make sure you don't break on purpose to get free manicure outta me."

He could never give her a direct yes in the same way she wasn't going to ask for him to tag along in a way that indicated she liked his company.

"Besides I'm gonna have to outrun you in heels one of these days. Now is as good a time as any."

It was good to see her in a better mood.

"Sauce is ready… taste it…"

Judah held out a spoon with a small amount on it.

 

[Malcoma Hesse]

"I can afford your nails, but I better tag along to make sure you don't break on purpose to get free manicure outta me."

She scoffed, playing offended as she mixed up a simple salad dressing. "Me? Never."

She turned and strode over to him to taste the sauce. "I didn't know Jedi were trained in hospitality." It was the closest he'd probably ever get to a true compliment from her, but if he had a real problem with that, he wouldn't have invited her here in the first place.

She took the tossed salad to the dining table, then returned to the kitchen for things with which to set the table. It was her turn to speak again to the real matter at hand: "You have my frequency. Give a ring when you want to start."