Another win at the Belkada fighting ring on Canto Bight had left Bril Teg Arga with a pile of credits and a lot of free time. During his travels throughout the Outer Rim, he had heard of a planet that was viewed as a popular tourist attraction due to its pristine weather conditions and beautiful attractions. He had never been to the Selen or any of the planets in the Dajorra System, but he was aware that they were controlled by Clan Arcona. He didn’t know much about them save for his cursory reading of the Brotherhood’s history following his acceptance; perhaps he would learn more about them during his time on Selen and during his first trip to the Shadow Academy in a few weeks.
With no personal ship of his own, Bril used a few credits to secure passage to the Dajorra System soon after collecting his winnings from the Belkada’s owner, Vel Doriss. Stepping off of the landing platform, he gave his regards to the pilot before venturing into Estle City proper. The young Zabrak took a deep breath of fresh air, a welcome change from the admittedly stuffy air of the cruiser that had escorted him there. With no one to guide him, he decided to explore the section of the city marked as “Sinchi Ring” by a passing hoverfloat.
It was a good day for shopping. The hubbub of the merchants sector of Estle was always a busy crowd, but on a bright day as this, it was even more so. Schools were out, children perched on parents’ shoulders. Teens wandering between shops more so for the adventure of searching than for any particular purchase. Side stalls for food were flush with customers, and the streets full of a almagmation of aromas. Meats as a thick undertone backing various spices and herbs. Each corner was a new smell to take in, and a new sight.
Melissa was sitting on a bench in the middle of it all, eyes half closed as she took a breather. It was difficult, getting used to being around so many people. Alongside the flickers of visions, emotions from futures she could never begin to identify as well as current emotions. It was easier to shut herself off from the “Force”, as Ruka called it, for the present day than that of the future. But with so many people it was still a lot to take in.
Faces passed by, all kinds of people. She’d learned that the markings many people had were tattoos, ink in the skin. Some wouldn’t have hair, or would have more limbs. It was a strange world.
And a small one.
The Echani stood as if in a daze. A Zabrak. She’d seen him before, only a few weeks ago. Not.. not in person. It was a dream, a vision.
She went straight through the crowd, concern creasing her brow as the silvery woman made her way towards the stranger. Upon reaching his side she looked up at a sharp angle, straining her neck, and spoke with some concern, “Are you okay?!”
Following his arrival in the bustling Astle market, one of the first thing that had caught Bril’s attention was a stall ran by an older Nikto man. At least, he looked older to Bril; he hadn’t seen too many Nikto, so he wasn’t too familiar with their biology, but the man’s skin was a cooler tone than the warm, vibrant hues that he’d seen on others. When the man addressed Bril as “young man” during his approach, any doubt that he had regarding their difference in age vanished.
“Welcome young man, welcome to Pa Zoonn’s,” he said with a noticeable accent. “You look like the kind of gentleman who would enjoy the wares I have for sale. Come, have a look.”
Pa Zoonn’s lively greeting brought a smile to Bril’s face. Acquiescing to the man’s request, he stepped forward to look at the collection of items on display beneath a glass sheet. There were a number of carved figurines small enough to fit in one’s hand, a few action holofilm disks, and numerous baubles of varying designs. Leaning forward to take a closer look, he homed in on the bone statuettes arranged toward the front of the display case. His eyes widened for a second, and he looked up to Pa, saying, “The attention to detail is impressive. Did you make these yourself?”
“You bet! Been working bone my whole life.”
Just as Bril was about to ask another question, he noticed a woman approach him. Tilting his head a bit to get a good luck at her, he noticed that she had eyes the color of pure beskar. Curious. And even more curious was that she’d led with asking him if he were okay. Why wouldn’t he be? “I could eat, but besides that I’d say I’m doing okay,” he quipped. “Are you alright?”
The relief was great, but brief. It hadn’t happened yet, but that meant that it would happen. Soon.
She glanced to the shop owner, nodding in greeting as his brow creased in confusion. This would be weird for him. Weirder for the Zabrak. Maybe this had been the wrong time. But then when would she ever get another opportunity?
The Echani kept eye contact despite the angle, speaking with a firm intensity. “You won’t be. That-” Melissa paused. That sounded bad. “I had a vision, I don’t know when precisely but you’re in danger. Or you will be at least.”
Her response earned a quirked eyebrow from the Zabrak man. A vision? And he was in danger? Who even was this woman? He glanced at Pa Zoonn with an apologetic look and said, “I’ll circle back around to you.”
Then, he looked to the Echani woman and gestured for her to follow him a short distance away. Once there, he turned to her and began speaking in a lowered voice, “What do you mean you had a vision? And I’m in danger of what, exactly? This isn’t making sense.”
Melissa followed him along, taking a moment to calm down slightly.
“It was a couple of weeks of ago, I get them.” She shrugged as if dismissing that point, “I’m not sure what it is, but I saw your face. You were angry, scared but calm. A fight, I’d assume. Fighting.. It was something twisted, red. The kind of twisted that lingers, like.. like smoke on the lungs. It wasn’t clear but whatever it was got you. Your arm and abdomen, specifically. I’m sorry, I know it’s not very helpful but.. well. Be careful.”
Her brow was creased, concern wearing heavy.
Bril took a breath, “Let’s take a step back. What’s your name? I’m Bril. Bril Teg Arga.”
This certainly wasn’t how he expected his vacation to begin. Well, at least an ominous warning from a total stranger was better than a dull afternoon. “You’re Force sensitive, right? And the Force showed you a vision about me?” he inquired, hoping to tease out more details about this woman and her supposed vision. For all he knew, this could be a ruse designed to take advantage of him. All he knew right now was that she was indeed Force sensitive, but he wasn’t able to glean anything more than that. The Force wouldn’t reveal anything else to him.
“Oh- I’m sorry, that was all really rude wasn’t it?” Her face flushed.
“Melissa Luxor. And yes. The Force. I have.. Well I can use it.” It was hard to describe her relationship with something that she only learned the name of a month ago. It was just her gift. Her. “I saw you. Just your face, but the uh, tattoo stuff is pretty recognisable.”
He cracked a smile upon seeing her reaction, and he lifted his hands with his palms showing. “Oh, no, I wasn’t trying to give you a hard time, Melissa,” he assured her, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just trying to get the details in order.”
Bril ran his hands along his chest to smooth out any wrinkles in his dark grey and gold robes. “You sure that was the only recognizable thing that you saw?” He quipped, looking at her from the corner of his eye while rubbing his chin between his fingers.
“On a more serious note, what else did you see?”
“The rest was just feelings. Colour. Mostly it was like fire, but there wasn’t a fire. It was like something that embodied it in some way. Or evil. And then blood..” She trailed off, thinking it over again and then shaking her head, “You’ll know it’s coming, whatever it is.”
“Well, that’s certainly clears it up,” he said with a sigh. “I appreciate the warning, but I’m not going to worry about it too much.”
He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking, “When the time comes, or even if it doesn’t, the Force and the Ancestors will guide me.”
A loud rumble from his stomach told him that it was time to grab something to eat. He hadn’t had anything except water in the early morning prior to his fight. His quick dismissal of her concerns likely came as a shock, but even a cursory look into the Force would reveal his complete trust in his ability to operate in the present moment with guidance from the Force and these “Ancestors” he mentioned.
“Do you know of good restaurants near here? I’m starving.”
Melissa was intrigued. This was a very.. different view on the Force. But her intrigue would have to wait, as even as she checked him and found only confidence, Bril’s hunger bore through.
She laughed lightly, looking around to buy a few seconds before nodding, “There’s one not far. Ruka- a friend of mine- took me to it recently. It’s a little… fancy, but it was good food!”
“Now that’s what I like to hear. Fancy, I can do.” He patted his stomach, “I feel like I could eat an entire Bantha. I never eat anything in the lead up to match because it helps with pre-fight jitters, so I always end up really hungry afterward.”
Rolling his neck a few times elicited an audible pop, causing him to sigh in relief. The fight had lasted a little longer than he would have liked, but he fortunately hadn’t taken any serious damage; whatever wounds he had suffered weren’t visible to her.
After leaving the street market, they crossed onto a busy promenade leading to the restaurant in question. Although Bril didn’t know what it was or how it looked, following the flow of foot traffic was easy enough to get them where they needed to go. Seeing the large concentration of people gathered just outside the doors of a two story building. “Is this it?” he asked, pointing toward.
“I don’t know what a Bantha is, but we could ask!” She had responded with a laugh before leading the way. Melissa did consider trying to talk on the walk, but knowing what to say was quite difficult.
She nodded as Brilliant pointed, “It is. Welcome to the Porg Bridge. Its.. busier than it was the other day. But it should be fine.”
It was easy enough to go through those just taking a moment outside and find the short queue of customers waiting to go in. A menu was projected in front of the pale wall, showcasing the food and the drinks with prices included.
His eyes widened when he heard what she said. “You’ve never had Bantha before?” asked Bril, surprise ringing clear in his voice. “Bantha steak soup is one of my favorites. I’ll order a small bowl if you’d like to try it.”
It didn’t take long for the line to start moving, placing them just close enough to be able to see the menu. “What did you get last time? Was it good?”
Bantha.. steak.
“So is it like Dugar then? I’ll try that for sure.” Melissa was still confused but enthusiastic. There was so many new things! “I got the glow-blue noodles i think. They were very strange but really tasty.”
She leaned closer to the menu, looking over the various items and humming, “I might try the baked cushnip and fral this time. What are you thinking of getting? Other than Bantha.”
“Yes, but quite a bit fattier than Dugar. Holds more flavor that way,” He could practically taste it on his tongue. There was nothing like a well-cooked Bantha steak dipped in tangy elek sauce.
He looked the menu over a second time while stroking his chin. “Well, it comes with a side of trustel sprouts and rice,” he noted, moving over to the desserts section. “The Corellian Ryshcate sounds really good, I’ll try that.”
A hard shove to the back of his shoulder nearly pushed Bril into the wall, and it likely would have if he hadn’t gotten his hands in front of his chest in time. Tension arose between his eyes and he whipped around with a balled fist. “There’s plenty of space walk that don’t entail walking into me,” Bril lifted his head to lock eyes with a large Trandoshan that was at least a head taller than him.
“You were in the way, so I moved you,” the Trandoshan fired back, his voice deep and gravelly.
Bril narrowed his eyes, and for a moment contemplated seeing what color the man’s face would turn if he punched it hard enough, but he decided against it. Getting into fights on his first day planet side wasn’t wise. Instead, he took a deep breath and faced forward again, “You’re not worth it, anyway.”
Melissa had to crane her neck to look up at the lizard-y person, silver eyes narrowed. She may have only just met Bril but he had been nothing but nice so far.
She focussed, tapping into the Force to shove the really way too tall one off to the side away from them, but a moving much larger target was hard to mess with and barely made him stumble. Ah well, good enough, the lizard dude was looking back over the pair again. The Echani raised her chin and spoke as if it went a lot better than it did.
“If you learned how much space you take up, maybe you wouldn’t need to be rude to get around.”
The hulk of a Trandoshan turned and locked eyes on Melissa, “You’re going to regret that, little schutta.”
Before Bril could get a word in edgewise, the Trandoshan was already stomping toward them with a vibrodagger held at his side. Instinctively, Bril stepped between Melissa and the approaching man, and just in time, too. The dagger came up and although he was poised to intercept it, the sun shining in his eyes was just enough of a distraction to make him miss-time his block, earning him a shallow cut on his upper arm. The pain was enough to ignore, and he responded with a quick uppercut that landed on the man’s chin with an added pop of his crushgaunts exploding on impact, sending the Trandoshan stumbling backward.
A series of gasps spread through the crowd following the brief exchange, which had begun to spread out to give the would-be combatants room. The Trandoshan shook off the blow and looked like he was ready for more, “I hope your little schutta was worth it, spikehead, because now I’m going to gut you both.”
Melissa wasn’t one for speeches. As the bully not only attacked Bril but actually cut him. So as the pair traded blows, the Echani grabbed a recently evacuated chair and waited for the lizard dude to step back.
It was as if instinct, seeing the over-confidence of him and using the fact he was focussed only on Bril to get a good angle. Raising the chair, she flanked him and slammed the chair into the waist, more so crotch, of the bully.
The chair smashed, not meant to be used for such means leaving Melissa with just the legs left in her hands but she stepped back to stand with Bril, narrowed gaze aimed sharply up.
The day had taken a significant departure from how Bril thought it would go. It was a good thing that he’d taken up martial arts when he was younger, because he was starting to think that he attracted trouble. “Out of one fight and into another, I suppose,” he muttered to himself while eyeing the Trandoshan assailant.
His words fell flat, especially when the diminutive Echani woman grabbed a nearby chair and slammed it between the thug’s legs. Bril had never heard a Trandoshan make such a squeal, and he doubted he ever would again. The blow was enough to drop him to his knees just long enough for Bril to deliver a rocket of a right hook to the side of the man’s head. The blast knuckles in his gloves were overkill. The punch knocked the Trandoshan out cold, and he faceplanted in the ground with a muffled thwump.
He popped his neck and looked to Melissa with a smirk, “Hell of a swing you’ve got.”
They didn’t have much time to discuss their little skirmish, though, because it wasn’t long before the sight of about a dozen stun baton carrying patrol sprinting toward the scene caught Bril’s attention. “Uh-oh,” he said, reaching to grab Melissa’s hand so they could run. “i think we’ve overstayed our welcome. Food is going to have to wait.”
“Could say the same.” Melissa had responded, going quiet in the moment before the guards showed up. Her eyes glazed, and she was already reaching for Bril’s hand when he grabbed for hers.
She blinked hard, flickers of adrenaline pulsing from afar but trying to anchor in the present. The guards were already pointing to the pair, calling out to secure them as the group fanned out. Melissa ran, but being petite already lagged behind Bril once the Zabrak began to run alongside her.
It worked out, there was an alley to the side that looked familiar. A shop worker was brushing the floor outside of the store-
Following instinct, Melissa veered off left towards the alley, “This way!”
Bril followed her lead and dipped into the alley, reaching across her to keep her still while he hugged himself as close to the wall as possible. Fortunately, the guardsmen ran past them without noticing that they were there, but the same couldn’t be said for the shopkeeper. The husky Dowutin pointed a finger at them, “Hey! What are you two kids doing back here?”
Once the coast was clear, Bril stepped up to him and raised his hand. He took a breath and waved his hand in front of the man’s face, “You want to invite us inside for tea.”
The Dowutin paused for a second, then mirrored Bril’s gesture. “No, I don’t,” he said in a mocking tone, “If you want tea, you’re going to have to come back when I’m off break.”
Bril scoffed before turning back to Melissa, “We should find a place to lay low. Can you think of anywhere we could go?”
“Uhm..” Melissa looked between Bril and the aggravted shopkeeper. She smiled sheepishly, still holding onto Bril’s hand but raising her own in an appeasing gesture, “I see you’re stressed, we’re just taking a breather and then we’ll be off again in a minute.”
The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes, slowly looking between the pair before pointing between his own eyes and each of theirs, “30 seconds, get outta here.”
He walked away slowly, keeping his eyes on them until the wall of the building physically prevent the Dowutin from doing so.
“We could go… uhm. I dunno the names but there’s a bunch of places on the edge of this area? Could try one of those out. Either way, gives us a direction.”
She shrugged and started to lead Bril out of the alley, letting her attachment to the force feel out for anyone searching for them.
Luckily for them, Melissa’s search didn’t yield any positive hits. It appeared that for the time being, the duo had evaded the law. Bril did the same, keeping his senses attuned to his surroundings in case the authorities found them again. A brisk jog lead them to the other side of the street and around the corner and passed a collection of nondescript buildings, one of which had a team of movers hauling cargo into it via hover-carrier. They didn’t stop until Bril pointed an edifice marked “The Pub” by a haphazardly placed wooden board.
“Let’s go here,” he opened the door for her and stepped aside so she could enter first. Once he was inside, a sudden scratching at the back of his throat forced him to cough into his elbow a few times. In stark contrast to the spaceport, the air inside The Pub reeked of cheap cigarra smoke. Bril was an athlete; he’d never smoked in his life! It wasn’t an ideal situation by any means, but it was certainly better than getting arrested on a foreign planet.
With his nose buried in his sleeve, he led them over to a corner table nearest an open window. “We should be able to lay low here.”
Melissa’s face similarly scrunched, physically taking a step back from the doorway for a moment before truly entering the place. It stank.
Maybe she was too used to untouched forest still but….
She as close to the window as she could, nodding, “I don’t think anyone’d come in here. This is awful.” Maybe even worse than being arrested. Though why they’d be arrested for defending themselves didn’t make sense to her. Many things didn’t.
Melissa noticed a menu on the table, and as her senses started to become used to the overwhelming , she removed her hand from her face to lay it flat so they could look at it. It was.. primarily a drinks menu but there was some stodgy fulfilling foods as well. A wider range than one may expect.
“I think you may be right,” Bril agreed, shaking his head. “Hopefully, we won’t have to stay here long. We can go to a nicer place once things cool off a little. For now, just tell me what you’d like, and I’ll order it. It’s the least I can do for you looking out for me, being a stranger and all.”
He offered an encouraging smile, hoping that he could help make this experience at least somewhat enjoyable given their circumstances. After looking his menu over, he settled on the Nos monster ribs and the stein of Ossberry ale. Once Melissa had settled on what she wanted, he headed to the bar to order for them.
Upon returning to his seat, he decided to strike up a conversation about her; all the fighting and fleeing had left them with little time to get to know one another. “So, what’s your story, Melissa? How long have you been on Selen?” he asked, “I was in the neighborhood after a shockboxing match, so I decided to take a quick vacation. It’s been … interesting so far.”
She had protested slightly to the notion of him purchasing the food for her, but had easily been deflected. With the ribs and Mynock Stew ordered, it was finally a moment where something was imminently happening.
The Echani sipped her drink, hot chocolate, crossing her legs underself on the seat and cradling the mug as she contemplated the question. Questions. She supposed it was fair, considering how strange of an introduction they’d had.
“I’ve only been here around… a month? I was on Lahn before. It’s.. very different.” She paused, frowning for a few moments before shaking away the ebbing sadness that surrounded any musing on the topic. “Shockboxing sounds interesting, is that a common sport here?”
Although the eatery’s ramshackle appearance and smoke-ridden air left much to be desired, its food certainly looked good. The snoruuk sauce was the perfect color of yellowish-maroon and the aroma it produced as heat rose from the piping hot Nos ribs nearly made his mouth water. The Zabrak watched her as she contemplated his questions. His time spent in matches with his opponents had taught him that you could learn a lot about someone by watching how they moved, maybe even more than what they chose to tell you themselves. So, he made note of her reaction when she mentioned her home planet, suspecting that it was probably owed to her having a bad experience of some sort there. It wasn’t his place to pry, and she didn’t seem interested in discussing it further, so he left it alone.
“I’m not sure about Selen in particular but it is popular in the Outer Rim Territories, and growing by the day,” he cast a glance upon the sleek gloves worn over his hands, flexing his fingers. “It’s gotten to the point where you can make a decent living for yourself if you have the skill and know how to market yourself.
He pulled one of the ribs apart and smiled contentedly when the meat fell off the bone. That’s exactly how it was supposed to be. It tasted as good as it looked, too. "It’s a good way for me to make money but I love training and competing, too. Do you have any hobbies?”
She nodded slowly, being able to somewhat guess what it was. As much as Melissa knew that she couldn’t know many of these things, the awkwardness of asking such blatantly common-knowledge questions was already putting pressure on her. Still, she smiled at the explanation, “Is that your plan? To make a living off of Shockboxing? I’m not sure any of my hobbies could do that. I just like making things, though I suppose that was less hobby and more necessity before. I can do it for fun now, but there’s also a lot of new things to try on Selen. Guess… Well, you could say my hobby is trying new hobbies for now. Do you have any other ones? To do with the gift?”
She waved a hand to implicate her meaning.
He shook his head, “As much as I enjoy martial arts and the rush of a good fight, I think the Ancestors are calling me down a different path. I still plan to compete when I can, but my acceptance into the Brotherhood and the Shadow Academy on Arx is likely going to demand a lot of my time.”
“I’m sure you could make a living by inventing things. I mean, look at Pa Zoonn, the shop owner I was speaking with when you first approached me,” he reminded her before taking a sip of the Ossberry Ale. It had a slight blueish tint to it and a faint smell of fruit, but it didn’t taste sweet at all. It was mostly bitter with an aftertaste that reminded him of citrus, but it was barely noticeable. An usual drink, that was for sure, but he didn’t mind it.
“Oh, you mean the Force? The gift is a good way to describe it, now that you mention it. I don’t have any hobbies involving it, no. But it has proven useful in my studies. I’ve noticed that if I have a something that belongs to someone, I can track them almost as if the item is leading me to them. Haven’t found much use for it yet, though. What about you?”
“I should start.. doing things with the Brotherhood soon I suppose. I don’t think I’d be good at selling things, but there seems to be plenty to do within the clans. My.. mentor. Ruka, he hasn’t really let me get too involved yet though. It does seem quite a lot.”
She hummed softly, taking another bite of her stew. It was good, drawing a smile from her. “My visions primarily. Usually they aren’t so obvious as yours was. I get that thing too though, the…. its like a aura. Or a link to an anchor. I just like practising really, haven’t found much use for being able to throw things and hide myself.”
Melissa shrugged, “Any other hobbies then? Normal ones, that is. The shadow academy is a.. school right? Or like one? If you’re going there, must be a reason.”
He hadn’t realized until she mentioned it that Melissa was a member of the Brotherhood, as well. It didn’t surprise him, though. Since their time together, he’d gotten subtle hints of her presence in the Force - enough to know that in some ways, she seemed even more powerful than he was. Not that one had to be a Force Sensitive to be a part of the Brotherhood, but they comprised the majority of its membership based on his studies thus far. “Do you have any apprehensions about getting involved with them? If how you handled yourself with that brute back there is any indication, I think you’ll be able to handle yourself,” he offered an encouraging smile before returning his attention to his food. By now, he’d completely forgotten about the bar’s smokey atmosphere; good food and pleasant conversation tended to do that.
“You’re the first person I’ve personally met who receives visions, ” he said, a clear hint of curiosity in his voice. “I won’t pretend to understand it, but it’s certainly an intriguing ability. Perhaps we should practice together, sometime. When we’re not running from the authorities, of course.”
He nodded, his face lighting up when she mentioned the Academy, “It’s probably one of the most prestigious scholastic institutions in the galaxy. Tahiri, who is like a mentor of sorts, put in a good word for me. That, combined with high test scores and parents who are relatively well-known archaeologists, secured me a spot in the upcoming freshman class. I haven’t decided what I’ll take up, yet, but I guess you could say learning is a hobby of mine.”
“I’m not worried about handling myself in terms of that.. more so in.. people. I- Well.” She chuckled softly, “I’m learning. I’d never been on a ship a month ago. Never held any of this technology stuff. It feels like I’m catching up on things I wouldn’t have even been able to imagine existing sometimes.”
Her smile was genuine, amused at the situation despite how overwhelming it was. Melissa considered the suggestion of practise.
“I can’t say I truly understand the visions myself either. They’re just a part of me, but maybe… Well. I could certainly try to help you access them. Maybe we should study together sometimes. Practise abilities, read up on things. I’d hope we won’t be running from guards so often that that’d be a problem.” She laughed, shaking her head.
Ruka would not be happy if he had to pull her out of a cell. Probably.
She hadn’t asked about that yet. Mental note made.
Bril reached a hand across the table, a small gesture given in the hopes of communicating his sympathy for her concerns. “It’s a lot, I’m sure. But you just have to take it one thing at a time, Melissa. A lot of this stuff is new to me, too, but I’ll help when I can.”
He was fortunate enough to have gotten a little experience with life outside of Iridonia during his travels with his family. If he had to guess, he figured that Melissa hadn’t had such opportunities. Maybe, he could help with that. “What’s one thing you’d like to do today? Something you’ve been wanting to do or some place you’ve wanted to see since you arrived on Selen?”
“We can help each other then!” Melissa looked at the hand, considering it before patting the top of his hand a few times and returning it to her cutlery.
“uuh- Hadn’t really thought about it. I suppose there’s the Aquilla Reef. I’ve seen the beach but the Reef is supposed to have loads of special fish and stuff there. That would be cool, though considering I live here, maybe it should be what you want to do rather than me?” She tilted her head, amused and confused simultaneously.
“That sounds like a great idea, actually,” he smiled and took another sip of his drink, “We don’t really have things like that back on Iridonia, so I would love to see it.”
He realized that he was ill-prepared for a trip to the beach, though. “Do you know of any places where I can buy a change of clothes? We can head there before we secure travel to this Aquilla Reef you mentioned.”
“Oh right yeah, clothes. There’s places that sell swimming stuff, it’s a material that dries real quick, or there’s loads of normal stores. Should be some… not too far from here. Do you know how to swim? We could grab eye masks too, so we can see.”
Melissa placed her fork down in the bowl, having pretty much emptied it and changed pace to sipping her drink. “You know, it still stinks in here. But it’s good food and everyone seems nice enough. I’ll have to remember it.”
He chuckled at her question and leaned back a bit in his chair, “Oh, I’m a very good swimmer. I didn’t really have a choice, either, because my older brother thought it wise to push me into an underground lake when we were exploring as kids. He wasn’t a strong swimmer back then, so I learned out of necessity, I suppose. What about you?”
It was only when Melissa discarded her utensils that Bril realized that he’d finished his food as well. A rack of ribs, cleaned of meat, lay on his platter. Evidently, he really had worked up a serious appetite earlier that day. What shocked even him was that he felt like he could still eat. “I actually can’t smell it anymore. My nose has gone blind to the stench, you could say.”
“Really?” Melissa raised an eyebrow, surprised anyone could block it out. She scrunched her face, but she supposed it was a good thing. For Bril, anyway.
“There was a river near my home. It had a bad day, but once it was safe again I swam a lot. Better exercise than walking, and the fish would come upstream that far each spring so it was nice to say hi.” She commented, placid smile quickly turning to a small grin, “So I’d say I’m pretty good. Not fast, but safe. We should be good to check the reef out then at least, so, worth getting eye masks too!”
He nodded, “Really. Can’t smell a thing. I won’t force you to endure the smell any longer, though.” After finishing the last of his drink, Bril rose from his chair and extended a hand toward Melissa to help her up, “Shall we?”
If she obliged, he’d lead her to the front of the store where he could pay their balance. Their return to the streets of Sinchi Ring urged him to do a quick scan in search of any authorities. It looked like they were in the clear. A gentle breeze rolled through, carrying the smell of brine and roasted spices to their noses. He was starting to get a sense of this section of the city’s layout, so it didn’t take them long to find a store. Nestled amongst a collection of trees with finely trimmed leaves that shimmered in the afternoon sun was a sleek metal building with the name “Hyper ‘Fits” emblazoned above its entrance in bright letters.
Standing just inside the store’s doors was a slender service droid nearly as tall as Bril; it was more humanoid in appearance, likely in order to put potential customers more at is, if he had to guess. In a lilting electronic voice, the droid welcomed them to the store and briefly summarized any sales the store was having. The store boasted a large collection of apparel for various activities that ranged from running to Astrochess, of all things.
“There it is,” he said, pointing to the section marked “Swimwear.”
She had obliged. While Melissa wasn’t sure why he kept offering her his hand, she found it sweet. Maybe it was a Zabrak thing. Ruka had mentioned they have a very different culture.
The echani had listened to the droid with interest, only looking at the actual sections rather than the holographed sales when Bril called out the section.
The section had a full range of swim wear. From full body diving suits and dress like swim-suits that provided full but comfortable coverage, all the way to what looked like a piece of fabric that was each made up of 3 strands and a bit of lace. And another set that was similar, but a pair of them with one more complex.
There were also clothes more aligned with beach wear, flowy dresses, long shirts with vibrant fruity patternings and shorts. A wide variety of shorts.
“….What are you getting? I think I need a minute.”
Melissa had a set at home, a pretty well covering one-piece. But there was more choice here and it was mildly overwhelming. In a good way.
There was no doubt that the store boasted an impressive collection of swimwear. Its selection even featured some options for non-near Humans, which hinted at the diverse clientele that its owner and stuff had curated. There seemed to be something for just about everyone, which explained how much foot traffic they saw as they strolled through its meticulously organized aisles.
As Melissa perused the assorted items, something caught Bril’s eye on an end table to their left. It was a matching pair of shorts and short-sleeved shirt. They were both smokey-black in color with floral patterns spreading upward from the bottom of the fabric, creating a pleasant contrast from the darker hue with a mix of orange and pink fire lilies. “I think I’ll go with these. What do you think?” he draped the set across his torso so she could see.
“I can help you find something, if you’d like. What styles do you like? Any particular colors?”
By the time he had found his choice, Melissa had it down to one of the flowy sundresses and a pair of shorts. It was just the colours… There was too much choice, Ashla and- She had a moment, realising she was internally cursing like Ruka.
The Echani’s smile was a touch brighter when she looked over to Bril, “That looks great. It matches you. And should be pretty visible in the water, which is good for safety. I like these, I think just the brown shorts is fine but for the dress… colours. There’s this blue one, but pink too…”
She trailed off, looking back at the options, “What do you think?”
That settled it, then; he’d be wearing this outfit. Her remark about safety got him to tilt his head, and he grinned. “I promise I won’t get eaten by a shark while we’re swimming,” he joked, a taste of the morbid sense of humor that many of his ilk were known for having. To some it came off as somewhat inappropriate depending on the circumstances, but he found it to be an effective way to come to terms with his possible fate. After all, he refused to let his fear of the future rob him of his ability to enjoy the present.
The Zabrak touched his finger to his chin while shifting his gaze between the two dresses. After passing each one in front of her a few times, he made his decision. “The blue,” he said with an encouraging smile. “They both would look great, but I think the blue will complement your hair and skin wonderfully.”
Shark? She needed to research names of things… Question for later.
“It’s more not matching the colour of the water. This blue should be bright enough it’s visible still though. Thank you!” Melissa pulled the dress off of the rack, holding it against herself with a smile and turning toward Bril. Her cheeks were a little flushed, she wasn’t sure why but the comment flustered her a little.
She was about to announce going to the robot to pay, but then with a small “oh” of remembrance, went to the edge of the section and grabbed two sets of swimming goggles.
“Okay, now we can pay.”
Leading the pair over to the till, others were in the store but the till itself was clear of any queues as people perused and only slowly trickled over to pay.
His face brightened when she posed with the dress. “It’s settled, then.”
Once they reached the counter and had everything together, he handed the service droid his credit chip, and tucked it away once the purchase finished processing. “Mission successful,” he said as they returned to the streets of Sinchi Ring, “I’ll secure us a ride so we can be on our way.”
A quick walk a few blocks east of where they had been brought them back to a wider street where, in addition to heavier foot traffic as citizens hurried to and fro, there were around half a dozen airspeeders each emblazoned with different logos for what Bril guessed were local transport companies. Setting his sights on the nearest of the group, Bril led Melissa to the side of the speeder and greeted the Bothan driver with a nod.
“Afternoon, you two,” the Bothan tipped his cap to them before hopping into the gray passenger airspeeder, “Where would you like to go this evening?”
Bril offered to help Melissa in first before taking a seat beside her. Stretching his legs out with a contented sigh, he let himself relax against the speeder’s cushioned seats. Whoever sat there before him must have been tall as well, because the front seat had already been adjusted to accommodate his long legs. “We’d like to go to Aquilla Reef, sir. If that isn’t too much trouble,” noted Bril. Their escort fired up the speeder’s engine, which sent soft vibrations through the vehicle’s frame as the engine hummed to life.
“It’s no trouble at all as long as you have the credits! Aquilla Reef it is, then,” the driver added, “For now, just sit back and enjoy the scenery.”
Bril looked to Melissa again, “Excited?”
The speeder was new. To be on one. Ships were interesting, but the buzz of the engine being quite so close was interesting. A good new, she decided even as slight nerves broke through. Melissa settled herself securely in her seat, having a bit more room than she needed with tucking her legs close, feet pressing against the underside of the seat.
She responded to the driver first, “Will do! Thank you.”
And then looked to Bril with a grin, “Yeah, are you? Going probably a bit further afield than you thought today huh?”
It was probably a very different day for both of them than what was intended.
The speeder took off, following a well-sectioned out route that had minimal people perusing the edges of it. The trek out the city was a short one that took a sharp turn down the mountain and into the jungle surrounding it. In the few minutes before the scenery was varieties of trees, streams and peeks into and above the canopy, the pair got a sweeping view of the jungle. The thin mist that danced over the top of it, dulling the distant glittering of water. It was close to an hour before the Paracia ocean came into view, the flora changing several times as the alpine conditions became a distant memory on the land. Once clear of the tree line and the beaches were suddenly beneath the speeder, the reef barely a stones throw from the exit out the trees.
Being on a speeder prevented the general humidity of a jungle settling in, but still the wind that lived grazing the open ocean was a breath of fresh air.
He gave a lilting “mmhmm” in response to her question, holding her gaze for an extra moment before removing the band that kept his locks in a loose ponytail. “Definitely wasn’t expecting all of this, but I wanted to take a quick vacation, and it’s been a pretty great one so far. In no small part due to you … so, thank you, Melissa.”
The gentle ocean breeze felt wonderful passing through his hair, so much so that he tilted his head back and ran a finger through his coffee-colored tresses. “Couldn’t have asked for a better trip, to be honest.”
As he relaxed, so too did his presence in the Force. Normally, he made a habit of keeping it … quiet, in a sense; it was one of his earliest lessons from Tahiri in his youth. She’d informed him early on of the dangers one could face if they made themselves too accessible to other Force Sensitives. But he hadn’t found any reasons to be so guarded around her, so he wasn’t. What slipped through were feelings of comfort, warmth, but also subtle traces of nervous energy - like the flutter of stray petals in an autumnal breeze. He didn’t seem nervous around her, nor did he appear to be aware that he’d opened himself up as much as he had.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, even.. well. I should get better at introductions. But thank you too.” He had needed to know. But maybe starting with a more normal greeting would prove less intense for people. She wasn’t worried about the situation with her village occurring again, too many in Arcona had the gift to do that, but it was probably frightening.
As the Zabrak relaxed, it was easy enough to pick up on the traces of the Force surrounding him. Autumnal leaves like the ones that came each year on Lahn, fluttering on a warm breeze. Sustained and bright. The nervousness was interesting, especially when he himself appeared to not be at all. Melissa looked at him curiously, trying to spot it in his physical expression. But no.
She couldn’t say much, when she was doing the same. This was a exciting trip, and the day had been fun, energetic, chaotic all at once. Yet he was still a stranger in a way. But she felt trust for him. It was odd, something she could see Ruka worrying over, but despite nervousness couldn’t really bring herself to truly worry. If the Seeress was going to receive a vision of someone, she’d hope it’d include an important detail like that.
Still, even indluging in the flickers that usually sat on the side lines of her focus, nothing alerted her to the day ahead. A flicker of the original vision shone through, but then laughter pushed through. Quietness too. A full range of emotions, colours.
From the outside, it seemed that she was zoned out. Eyes glazed and staring off into the scenery. Within the force, despite her being physically present, it was as if she were at a distance. Like a retreating tide leaving the patterns of their waves on the beach, telling of their soon return, but miles out for now. Then the tide would come in, and she’d turn to check on him, and their surroundings. The waters warm, if not necessarily predictable.
“Well, it was certainly a way to break the ice,” he chuckled, “More interesting a greeting than I could have managed, that’s for sure.”
Where there was once a sense of closeness with the Echani woman, there soon was a palpable distance surrounding her in the Force. Opening his eyes to check on her, his eyes widened a bit when he turned to see that she had thought to do the same. “It felt like you were far away, and … I think I heard laughter. Were you having another vision?” he asked, his curiosity clear in the tone he used.
“Hm?” Melissa blinked, tilting her head at his question. He had heard that?
“Yeah. They come and go. It wasn’t vivid. Just feelings. Colours.” She shrugged, before the curiosity returned, “Well, that and laughter too yes. I’m.. surprised you heard it?”
He seemed to be just as surprised by it as she was.
“Yeah, so am I. Normally, I have to concentrate to pick up on other people’s thoughts. It may because you’ve already received a vision about me before. Clearly, the Force wanted us to meet for some reason, right?”
The scenery passed beneath them a little slower now. Small islands started to appear on the horizon, and their driver noted that they’d arrive in about ten minutes.
“Almost there,” he said with a smile, eager to see how beautiful the reef was, and to swim.
For some reason. Melissa wondered what it could. If it was to do with the vision she’d had of Bril, or if that was the start of something wider but unrelated.
It was a larger idea than anything she’d considering being part of before. Willingly or not.
The water turned clearer as they got closer to the reef, the pale sands underneath rippled twice over by the water itself as well as the sun beaming down into it. Alreayd fish could be briefly spotted zipping about, flickers of colour hinting at something else deeper down.
As they approached the drop off point, the colours were denser, corals close enough to the surface and creating a forest of its own down below. Dense enough that even going at the speed they were it was all too obvious what was there.
The speeder came to a stop and the Bothan looked back at the unlikely pair.
“I’ll leave yous here, but heres my comms. Give a bell if you need a ride back!”
Melissa admittedly rushed a little to make sure she paid for the trip. While she didn’t want to use the family chit card too much, she also didn’t want Bril paying for everything. She took the comms code as well, hoping Bril actually had something to use it with before thanking the driver and stepping off.
The Force worked in mysterious ways. That’s what he had always heard - what Tahiri had told him when he was young. The way of the Sith emphasized bending the Force’s will to one’s own. But the idea that any one person or even an entire order could ever truly control it was not just foolish but dangerous. The last one hundred years of the Galaxy’s history attested to that fact. It was this ineffability that lay at the heart of Bril’s approach to the Force; it was something to be experienced moment-to-moment, so, while he did recognize the possibility of there being some kind of trajectory to their meeting and time together, he accepted that the finer details of that path were unknowable to him. And that uncertainty, while disquieting to some, was exciting to him.
Before he disembarked, he turned to the Bothan driver and thanked him for escorting them all this way, and he told him that he’d contact him with his own comlink when they decided to leave. Bril was going to pay for their trip but Melissa beat him to it, prompting him to scoff playfully while he followed her off the speeder.
“I had that, you know,” he teased. A short walk along a stone path led to two refreshers. Bril handed her change of clothes and entered one of the stalls with his own in hand. He emerged a few moments later wearing the shorts and shirt, the latter of rich remained unbuttoned. He had removed his bandages, revealing a long, narrow scar that ran horizontally across his chiseled stomach. Most of his arms were covered in the same pattern of tattoos that were on his face and upper chest; however, his stomach and legs remained bare - canvases for future ink.
He had his clothes and other belongings tied into a neat bundle, which he threw over his shoulder while he waited for her to return.
She had simply smiled sheepishly at the teasingly, sticking her tongue out for a moment.
Melissa hadn’t quite understood why he went into the refresher, it was warm out afterall, but didn’t question it. Remaining beside the refresher, the Echani unabashedly changed and was securing her shorts on by the time Bril returned to the sunlight. There was a tie-rope, an annoyingly fiddly one.
She didn’t look up at his exit, scooping up the dress and pulling it on over her head. It was long enough to see that she was mostly unscathed bar the general wear and tear that came with life. The only unusual thing was the visibility of her ribs. Melissa wasn’t almost starving anymore, but the shadows of the years long experience still lingered in the way her bones pressed at her skin.
Then the dress was on, and she looked up at him. Good time as any to ask, tilting her head toward the changing block, “What are those things for?”
Bril just so happened to be looking in that direction when he exited the refresher, and he quickly whipped a hand up in front of his face while turning his head to the side. “You changed beside the refresher?” he asked in disbelief, then let out a nervous chuckle. “You’re supposed to do that inside. What if there were people around?”
He had only caught a glimpse of her figure before he averted his gaze, but that was enough to leave the man visibly flustered. “The refresher is like a place where you can change clothes and, um … relieve yourself. You know.” he cleared his throat.
It was only after he felt her presence near him that he lowered his hand and allowed his eyes to settle upon her again. They brightened. “I knew it would look great on you,” he said with a smile.
“Then.. they’d see me?” Melissa had answered the question slowly, feeling like it was a trick question and looking utterly confused by his fluster. Well, not entirely. But mostly. It all made a bit more sense after his explanation, though she did have to wonder why people were so bothered about changing their clothes in the box you relieved yourself in.
Maybe he was just sensitive to the sun? They did forget that sunscreen stuff.
Her cheeks flushed at the compliment, especially with it being unexpected. “I could the say the same. Or- well. It does match you. The orange.”
She made a vague gesture between the shirt and his face, before laughing a little and shaking her head. They were being silly. “Come on! Catch-”
She threw one of the pairs of goggles to him.
“Yes, exactly,” Bril nodded, “And strangers seeing you undress is something most people try to avoid.” The woman’s naivete made him wonder about her past. What was her upbringing like that she wasn’t familiar with refreshers, of all things? He would have to ask at some point, but now wasn’t the time. They had a beach to enjoy.
He’d have to be blind to have miss the redness that formed across her cheek and nose. A playful grin appeared across his features when he noticed that, and when she mentioned his clothes matching him. “I think what you meant was that they look good on me too, right?” he quipped, even adding a quick spin to really sell his point.
By the time he finished the spin, a pair of goggles were headed his way, so he moved a hand to catch them before moving over to her. Tilting his head to gaze into her argentine eyes, he extended a hand again with a bit more intention behind it this time, “Let’s go enjoy the beach.”
Huh. Weird. Ruka’s family changing at home made more sense now.
As he span around and showed off his outfit Melissa couldn’t help but grin, “They do.” She shook her head but took his hand when he offered it.
At least this time they weren’t running from guards. It was different, a lot quieter but still excited. Just.. for the corals below rather than an escape route. She met his eyes, and nodded.
“Let’s go.”
It wasn’t far to get onto the sand verge, the water lapping at their feet. Melissa released Bril’s hand to start wading in deeper, goggles round her neck for now to easily be placed over her eyes later.
Once to her knees in the water she turned, hearing Bril behind her but checking on his progress.
“Wanna swim on the surface for a bit first or do you want to head straight under for the reef?”
The sunbaked sands of Aquilla Reef produced a pleasant warmth against the soles of his feat. As they walked, he dropped his bundle of clothes and other items on the sands. He gave her hand a playful squeeze just before they reached the water line and separated, which gave him enough time to remove his shirt and cast it aside,
The water was cool but not unbearably so, which offered a nice contrast to what he’d felt before. Although it’d been years since he last swam, he took to it without any trouble, tilting his head back as far as it’d go to float on his back.
“Let’s stay on the surface, for now. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have anywhere to be later; let’s make the most of this.” he said, occasionally kicking his feet to propel himself across the water’s surface.
“I should be home for dinner. But thats not for a while time yet.” Melissa commented, getting a little deeper before sinking into the water. She was content to stand, the dress flowing around her in the current. The material was thankfully light enough to not be a weight. The shorts were a little worse, but it wasn’t enough of a concern that she wouldn’t float if she wanted to.
She dipped her head under, shivering slightly at the initial blast of cold but grinning upon surfacing. It was a good feeling, a freshness that was shocking initially but made it easier to dive. It also cooled the goggles down. They weren’t a common thing back in her village, but she knew enough that going into the cold with warm would make for foggy vision.
With that done Melissa followed suit to float on her back, ears dipping under the surface into the.. quieter depths. The sea was quieter here. The river had always been loud, and so had the beach Ruka and the family had taken her to.
She sat up looking confused and then dipped below again. A vision flickered at the egde of her vision, but with a focussed wave she stayed in the present.
It was quiet. A filled quiet, but no crashing or rushing or flowing. The Echani came up again smiling at the discovery, “The water is way calmer here. Quiet.”
Bril hadn’t noticed it until now, but she was right. The water was still and clear where they were, enough for them to see the white and pink sands beneath their feet should they gander. “It’s pristine, really,” he said, standing upright again, “Like a little slice of paradise. I’m surprised that no one has made a residence here.”
Maybe, that’s what he would do - once he had enough credits, that is. He held his hands up to mark the places where he would set up. “The hut would go here, maybe an outdoor cooking area … A quaint little get away from the galaxy. What do you think?”
He dipped under the water and popped up a few moments later next to her with the intent of lightly splashing her.
“It’d be quiet. Though with Estle so close I suppose you’d never need to worry about that.” Melissa mused, looking over at where his hands were aimed toward. It was a good spot, though close to the water. The hut would sink.
In the midst of her own musings, she didn’t him dip down and yelped in surprise as the Zabrak appeared beside her and splashed her.
She moved onto her feet, laughing. An echo of the one from earlier.
And then splashed him back with a sweep of her arm.
“Quiet probably isn’t too bad for a member of the Brotherhood, no?” At least, that’s what he had gathered from his studies of the Brotherhood’s history. The infamous Dark Jedi weren’t known for living peaceful lives, after all. He raised an eyebrow upon hearing her laugh, recognizing it as the same one that he’d heard earlier when they were in the landspeeder. “So, that’s what it was…” he muttered to himself before shaking his head with a chuckle. What a strange ability.
The cold water felt wonderful against his skin, which was still a little sore from his match earlier that day. What caught his attention though, was the cut that he’d been gifted by the Trandoshan from earlier. He hadn’t noticed it until now, but the briny water made it sting just enough to be an annoyance, and a trail of bright red ran from his arm into the water below.
“Tch,” he moved his hand over the wound and concentrated on it, willing the wound to slowly mend itself. While he worked on his arm, he figured he might as well change the subject to make it go by faster. “You mentioned dinner earlier - you have family here on Selen, then?”
Melissa was frowned at the wound. It wasn’t bad.. and he was healing it. So at least it was a solveable problem, and one with said solution in process. So the Echani withheld. She could heal, but it wasn’t a strong suit.
“Oh, family? I’d say they’re family, though it’s not by blood. They treat me like family too, so I don’t think that bit really matters.” Melissa pondered it with a smile. It was a very strange situation if she thought about it too much. “It’s quite complicated really.”
After a moments pause to watch the wound slowly stitch itself back together under Bril’s hand, she added on, “Do you have family?”
The accelerated healing induced by the Force felt … unusual to say the least. With Bril’s method, this was even more true. The Zabrak had little medical knowledge at his disposal, only a rudimentary understanding of the process by which wounds healed over time. What resulted from this ignorance was a form of healing achieved more through a clever negotiation with the Living Force and the Ancestors to do his bidding - like hastily stapling a wound when slow, precise suturing was needed. But it got the job done. Itched like all hell, though.
Family could mean a lot of things, and she was correct to think that it didn’t have to involve blood. He gave her a knowing nod, understanding a little about unconventional familial structures. Many Iridonians engaged in communal child-rearing, so many people both blood and not, participated in raising him and his siblings alongside their actual participants. “I think most families are. Complicated, I mean.”
Once the itching ceased, Bril knew that the healing was finished. He retracted his hand to examine his work: a thin scar had formed where the cut once was. He was getting better at this. “I do have a family, yes. My father, Qela, my mother, Vramati; my older sister Pa'ren'i, and my older brother Okefi. There’s also Tahiri, who is something like a godmother, and more cousins I could count on both our hands.”
Memories of those named came to mind, bringing a smile to his face, “Wouldn’t trade them for the galaxy.”
“That’s a lot of family.” Melissa commented, putting the names to memory and hoping they’d stick. “You shouldn’t. I lost mine a while ago, my first one. It was just me and my parents. A little brother for.. a while. That kind of connection isn’t worth the galaxy at all.”
Her voice had gotten quieter but she still smiled, swaying her hands through the water. It was something she was at peace with, mostly.
“How do you keep up with so many cousins?” She tilted her head as she looked at him, the amusement of even attempting to keep that many people in order in her head visible, “I’m finding it hard enough just learning about my clan mates, never mind that and a load of cousins.”
A frown appeared on his face when he heard what had happened to Melissa’s family. How awful. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if he lost his family … he didn’t want to. One hand found its place on the top of his head, brushing his hair out of his face. “I’m sorry, Mel,” he shook his head, “No one should have to go through that.”
Although he was sure none could replace the family she’d lost, he was relieved to know that she had found people upon whom she could rely.
Bril wasn’t surprised when she asked how he kept track of all his cousins. He chuckled while waving his hand, “Everyone understands that once your family gets large enough, remembering all their names is almost impossible. We remember faces well, though.”
She just smiled at his words of sympathy. There was little to say, other than more sad stuff. And this wasn’t going to be a sad day, she was sure of it now.
“So you just guess huh?” Melissa laughed softly, shaking her head, “I suppose if it works, then that’s what matters. Must be quite funny sometimes though!”
“I’m surprised that no one has made a game out of it,” he laughed, realizing now just how silly it sounded. Somehow, his people made it work, though.
A break in the conversation allowed him to gesture toward the water again. “Would you like to explore beneath the surface now?”
“Yes!” Melissa turned toward where the reefs were. The hanging out on the surface was lovely, but the coral and fish below was growing a far more tantalising goal to see.
“Let’s go!”
She dove below.
Bril nodded with a smile and followed suit, diving beneath the waters to continue their adventure.