Temper the Blade

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In the mountains of TATOOINE…

Jun wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand, then brought a pair of electrobinoculars up to her eyes. The haze made the rolling sand dunes appear to dance, distoring her view and frustrating the young Atrisian. She sighed, shaking her head. Jun loathed desert worlds- why would the Masters think there's anything out here? Perhaps it was another attempt to embarrass her. Nearly a year of training and practicing, yet here she was, Masterless and alone on an errand-boy's mission to find old bones on Tatooine.
She'd had enough for one day.
The girl tossed her binocs into the nearby landspeeder, took one final, solemn look at the sandy highlands, then clambered into the craft. The trip back to Mos Motesta wasn't far, but every minute beneath the blistering twin suns felt like an eternity. Even beneath the protective hood she's pulled over her head, she was sweltering. Luckily, the prospect of fresh water, a clean bed, and something to eat made the journey bearable. Within the hour, the sandstone cuboids of Motesta came into view. Jun eased her way by the patrol of local guards who circled the outskirts, avoiding them simply to dodge the hassle of another pat down. She had nothing to hide, and nothing to risk, but the locals were leery of Jedi and had made it quite known upon her arrival.
The speeder came to a stop just outside the cantina, a small watering hole where the townspeople and wanderers alike came to rest. She kept her cowl on and her mask up, leaving only her purple eyes visible. No one paid her much mind, save for the barkeep, who'd been expecting her. Jun hoisted herself onto a stool and scooted it forward.
"You're later than usual," he said idly, not stopping his bartending as he chatted.
"I didn't want to leave empty-handed again."
The man chuckled.
"But'cha did, didn'tcha?"
Jun glared from behind her mask, but she knew the man meant no harm. He was just trying to make small talk, and she actually appreciated his effort. She was alone out here, and he'd been the only person in Mos Motesta to give her the time of day. He placed a cool glass of blue milk on the bar next to her. She sighed as she pulled the mask down and took a grateful sip. The cold liquid was thick and strangely sweet, but it instantly cooled her down as she drank.
"Nothing out there but sand, sand, and- oh hey! More sand..."
The bartender laughed deep, from his belly, and it brought a little smile to the girl's face. He started about a story from his youth, when he was a Rimward Ranger on the hunt for some kind of criminal in the Dune Sea... it was intriguing at first, but Jun's mind began to wander. Her eyes drifted over to the cantina door. All she could think about was getting to her room for the night. Or better yet, her room back at the Coruscant temple... she even, for a split second, yearned for her bedroom on Atrisia.
Anywhere but here.