Chapter Text
“Have you looked over my report of Zeffo’s ancient Jedi temple Master Yoda?” you asked softly as the two of you walked down the corridor to the Council meeting room.
Upon chance you had bumped into the little green Grand Master while you where on your way to the Archives. As you walked at a leisurely pace and he hovered close, you realized it was a perfect opportunity for you to bring up your latest submission to the council. It was a report about a Jedi Temple that has been forgotten for millennia, you proposed that you go and explore it. To further suede the council you made several claims that this rediscovery could aid in the battle against the separatist, and perhaps shed some light on the sith.
Master Yoda hummed, “Read I have, yes. More time to meditate must… Alone you go, you can not.”
‘What?’ you almost yelped out of frustration. Quickly you composed a more rational response, “But master, I obtained the title of knight just over three years ago; doesn’t that stand for something?”
Yoda hummed while rubbing his chin, “Yes. But more to learn, there is.”
You twitch your nose, disagreeing with the Jedi Grand Master, but you understood that the little green being had their reasons and they weren’t appointed Grand Master for nothing.
“I understand, Master,” you said, slowing your pace. You were approaching the hallway you needed to turn down to proceed to the Archives. “Please send my Master Snydni my regards. I appreciate your time, and I will be awaiting your response.”
You bow to each other respectfully. Quickly you go to turn around to continue down the hall when a strong presence in the force flared around you. Abruptly you stop just seconds before crashing into another person rounding the corner.
The person must have also sensed your presence, both of you frozen inches from colliding.
“Oh, excuse me,” you squeaked out, then quickly stepping back to give them space. Fixing your gaze on them you realized they towered over you, well over 6 ft tall, clad in white and gold garbs with an androgynous form.
A Temple Guard.
You had to blink several times as you felt something strange about their presence. Something in the force was off, but you couldn’t quite identify the peculiar feeling. You stared at their mask, white accented with golden swirls, the design reflecting how their aura swilrled around them; cool, calm, and collected…but there was something else that was there.
“Good morning, Temple Guard,” Master Yoda greeted, breaking you from your trance.
“Yes, Hello,” you bow, showing your respects.
The Temple Guard nodded softly with an equally deep bow before excusing themselves without a word. Their lightsaber clinked lightly against their belt as they strode away, their white robe flowing behind them.
You watched them until they turned out of view. Master Yoda once again broke you out of your wandering trance.
“Jedi Knight, sense something you do?” he asked, with a tone of voice that held mirth.
You turned back to him, crossing your arms into the sleeves of your robe. Why did he say it like that? Did he not feel it too? Or does he already know the answer? “Yes master, I did feel something, but I’m unsure how to identify the feeling.”
Yoda hummed, “Medite you must, solve your problem will.”
You swallowed; that was his solution to everything. Biting your tongue, you responded respectfully. “Yes, sir, that does seem helpful. I should be on my way now, Master.”
You bid your farewells, heading in opposite directions. You almost turned toward the Temple Guard but dismissed it and continued to the Archives.
—-
Finally, weeks later, you were approved to investigate and study this lost and forgotten Jedi temple on Zeffo.
You had what little things you owned packed and ready for your escapade, but you still had no idea who your travel partner would be. You would find out soon enough you were sure it would be someone ideal, Yoda chose them after all.
Secretly you hoped it was someone you would get along with, such as Kit or Aayla, who grew up in the same padawan classes as you.
You headed to the landing pad which housed your private shuttle (a little gift to yourself after ranking status as a Knight a few years ago.)
The weather was beautiful today, the sun warming your skin as the wind from taking off ships shifting and ruffling your robes behind you. It was a no brainer to dress comfortably in your active Jedi wear, of course you had extra clothes in your backpack and a lightsaber at your hip. There where other items that you needed but they were already stored away on your ship without the council’s awareness. (It was fine; you weren’t that attached to any of them. Plus what they don’t know can’t hurt them?!)
As you walked through the landing zone and approached your ship, you could see a figure standing there waiting for you; that must be your partner. Not wanting to make them wait any longer, you picked up your pace in quick strides.
You stared from a distance trying to figure out who it was. No head tails, so neither of your classmates, but they were extremely tall, perhaps Master Windu? Or Master Plo?
The sun wasn’t being helpful, shining and distorting your vision. Giving up, you continued quicker, eager to see. You waved when they noticed your presence. They slightly waved back ginger and soft movements, almost awkward.
Finally, you could see who it was… a Temple Guard?
You slowed, confused at first. You thought Temple Guards should only reside on Coruscant because of the temple, but then remembered that your main objective was to explore an abandoned Jedi temple from millennia ago. What better person to explore with?
Delighted with Master Yoda’s choice, you continued your way to your ship.
Close enough to have a conversation, you waved again and introduced yourself, “Glad to see your ready, sorry to keep you waiting so long. We’ll depart soon.”
They nodded once in response, helmet hiding any sign of emotion.
Wait…
Their force signature, their aura, it was strangely familiar to you.
Entering the code to the ramp door, you thought about the feeling and tried to listen to it. You closed your eyes, trying to get closer to understand what it was. You must have been in your head too long because the Temple Guard cleared their throat behind you, breaking your concentration.
“Oh! Sorry, I–” You exclaimed, while flinching.
You couldn’t even imagine any sort of excuse to explain your actions, so you continued to unlock the ramp. It was embarrassing, but you passed it off as a Jedi intuition, doing what you were trained to do.
You let yourself aboard, the Guard following you with light steps, close to silent. They weren’t wearing their extravagant robes, only dressed in what you’ve seen as sparing wear or active robes.
The motion sensor lights flicked to life when you walked into the belly of the ship, illuminating and exposing the ship filled with plants from planets you had visited in the past. You had to admit it had started small with a terrarium in your room in the Jedi temple. However, you promptly got in trouble for that, being scolded by your Master. You claimed that you weren’t attached to the plants, learning more about the force through them. Soon after you bought your ship, you started to collect them, keeping their existence a secret from your mater and Jedi Council.
It seemed like in the few days that you were away, a few plants were starting to wilt and in desperate need of water, “oh, I’ll have to take care of you later,” you cooed, smoothing over a few leaves with your fingers.
You turned to the Guard, who you expected would be observing the various plants and greenery of the room but had their gaze set on you as if you were the only thing in it.
It took too much energy not to react to that, “You must want to know where your room is before we make our descent; follow me.”
Carefully you led them through the maze of various potted plants that lined the walls all the way to the back of the ship. There were two guest rooms, your room, and a small kitchen area.
“This is your room.” You pointed to the right where a random plant was vining around the door frame (you had yet to identify it.) “My room is here.” You pointed to the door across from theirs.
They nodded and didn’t say a word looking at you again. You struggled not to feel awkward, “oh! And help yourself to the kitchen. I stocked it recently for our trip. I apologize I wasn’t made aware of who I would be traveling with, so if dietary needs are an issue, please let me know.”
They nodded yet again.
Internally you signed; this was going to be a long trip. Perhaps it was a chance to learn a different and unique form of communication, so you accepted the challenge. “I will be upfront in the cockpit,” you said, keeping the awkwardness out of your tone. “Make yourself comfortable. And do mind the Snapping Lilies . They tend to bite if you stand in their light too long. Trust me, you do not want to be on the receiving end of that.”
The Guard let out a soft ‘humph’. You interpreted it as a slight laugh which you took as a win.
Turning, you left the Guard to their own, throwing your bag on the kitchen counter, then headed for the cockpit to start your journey.
—
The jump to Zeffo would be a day and a half seeing that it was in the Outer Rim, basically in the middle of nowhere, close to Wild Space.
You haven’t heard or seen from the Guard since you showed them to their room a few hours ago. Leaning back in your pilot seat, you let your mind drift, thinking about the strange presence in the force. You watched the lights dance on the dashboard until you closed your eyes, trying to understand this feeling.
Oh, there it is, cold but not freezing. You allowed it closer to you, keeping a steady boundary. You smiled when it suddenly felt cozy before abruptly turing back to cold. It swirled around you until you realized where you had felt this before. The Temple Guard you had nearly run into while talking to Master Yoda. You gasped, breaking your meditation.
You weren’t sure what to do. Should you broach the topic? Should you leave it? You know how strict Temple Guards could be attachment-free to the furthest extent. No, it would be best if you respected their boundaries. If they didn’t want to be verbal, you would stick to questions they could answer easily and silently, keeping their confidentiality. Besides, you were on a mission to explore a temple, not to make friends.
Sighing, you rubbed your sleepy eyes and decided sleep would be nice. Gingerly you made your way out of the cockpit to the kitchen to grab some water.
To your surprise, you saw the top of the cooling unit was open, but no one was around, the view of the bottom of the fridge was hidden by the breakfast bar. It couldn’t have been the Guard; they were too tall you would have noticed them. Perhaps the plants had become sentient in your time away and were looking for a snack.
Interested in what you would find you walked up the few steps and around the bar to see what was happening. To your surprise, you found the Guard on their knees searching for food but now stopped because you were present.
Even with the mask, they exuded similar energy to that of a tooka caught on the counter. You let out a small laugh, “It’s okay. I just came here to get some water before bed.” You reach down to grab water on a shelf that was eye level with the Guard. The force radiated with the strange feeling again, and you quickly pulled away, remembering your earlier realizations.
The Guard watched your every move making you hyper aware and almost desperate to be out of their sight. “I -” you stumbled over your words, “I set the hyperdrive course. We should be there in about a day and a half.”
You fidgeted when they didn’t nod their understanding. “I will be retiring for the evening. Until then, please help yourself.”
The Guard finally nodded, and you marked it as your exit to leave.
You retreated to your room, fluffing your bed and pulling on something much more comfortable for sleep. You crawled into the soft cozy bed when your eyes shot open, remembering you never watered your wilting plant. Unable to neglect your plants, you forced yourself out of bed.
Sleepily you wound up in the kitchen again, where the Guard was still fixing up their dinner. You excused yourself and slipped behind them, hand gently holding their hip as you slid past the narrow space.
The Guard stood upright spine almost going ridged. They stared down at you, watching you. You could feel their gaze on your back, but you had one goal, and you were going to complete it and return to your warm bed.
You pulled the watering can from under the sink and turned on the faucet. Watching the water fall was getting a bit dull, you decided to keep yourself awake/entertained by watching this strange Guard while waiting for the can to fill.
They had turned away from you, their attention back to their plate; you made a glance at it. There was a thick slab of raw meat you had bought the other day, the excess blood pooling on the plate.
You curled your lip in detest. Were they not going to cook it, or were they going to eat it as is? They turned to you, and you realized the watering can was overflowing.
"Ope! Damn it," You twisted around, shutting off the facet. Behind you, you could hear the Guard pulling open draws, most likely looking for a utensil.
You taped to the drawer closest to your hip, nail clicking against the metal, "In here."
Pretending to be interested in the watering can, you watched a gloved hand reach next to you, sender fingers pulling open the drawer. You watched them softly, almost soundlessly, grab what they needed. Their presence behind you was intense; the coldness was becoming tender and warm as it was a brief time ago.
You turned away, not letting your thoughts wander too far.
Then they were gone; the hatch to their room's door sealed shut, and their presence dulled.
You let out a shaky breath and continued your task before getting some shut eye.
—
Waking up was pleasant, you stretched and breathed in, then let your muscles relax. Something was different; the plants in your room seemed to exude joy and pleasure through the force. You had only watered a few plants that needed it last night. Why were they so happy?
Not wanting to dismiss the feeling, you slipped out of your sleepwear and washed up in the ‘fresher before making your way to the hold of the ship where the force was calling to you.
Padding into the room the sight before you was beyond what you had imagined. The Guard was meditating in the center of the hold, their back facing you. You could feel the ebb and flow of the plant's energy radiating and absorbing into one another. The feeling was new and unfamiliar but exciting all the same.
Steadily you made your way to the hold, keeping your steps light not to disturb the Guard. Silently sunk down next to them, your shoulders and knees only inches apart, before you fell into meditation.
You had meditated with your plants in the past. It had become a ritual over the years, but this time it was different. The presence of this stranger made the experience more in depth. The plants sang and danced in the force, their song so beautiful and rich.
Deep meditation set in you could feel your mind dip into the force. The Guards presence started to mix with yours. After letting the feeling wash over you, you finally identified what was beneith the chill of the cold feeling. It was a chill that held no malice but solitude doing its worst.
You willed all your comfort into the force to reassure the Guard that your presence was friendly and safe. You could feel the pull of it being received, the cold seeping in, curiously wandering.
You let it wander, touching a swirling. You soon became playful with the feeling chasing it around until the force blossomed with joy and acceptance. You heard a deep chuck softly pulling you from the deep meditation. Smiling, you opened your eyes, letting the emotion reminisce in the air.
You breathed deeply, bringing a hand up when you realized it was stuck. Curiously you looked down to see your vining plants had flowered, blooming, twisting, and twining up your legs and hands where they lay on your lap. You looked over at the Guard, whose body was in a similar state.
They were looking over at you, perhaps anticipating what you would do.
"Seems we made a bit of a mess, didn't we?" you joked while slowly trying to untangle the vines.
The Guard hummed softly, helping untangle you first before themselves, their hands not nearly as tangled as yours. Then you noticed that their hands were gloveless. It revealed white ashen skin, and sharp almost talon like nails at the end of slender fingers.
You stopped trying to struggle and let the Guard work, "you know you can use your nails to cut them."
The Guard abruptly stopped and stared at you in what you assumed was disbelief.
"I'm sure it's okay. These are Kyshh vines. They can take a hit from a blaster and keep growing. Quite resilient plants, really." You said softly, trying to reassure them.
They looked back at your bound thighs, gingerly starting to cut and pull, obviously hesitant.
"I'm being honest; cut them. I won't be upset. I can propagate them and save them, I promise." you did your best to reassure.
There it was, another hum, low and deep, making you curious to hear their voice but didn't bring the topic to light. Instead, you focused on the snapping and slicing of the vines, your legs feeling less and less constricted.
One last cut and you were free, "ah, thank you very much-" you paused when you got yourself off the ground. You went to say their name but you couldn't keep calling them Temple Guard. You needed a something to call them by, "Do you -?"
They looked up at you, in the mids of their cutting. Oh stupid! They were anonymous for a reason!
"Ah- do you need help here?" you rushed around to the back of them, where a different type of vine snaked its way up their torso and neck. It was one of your rarer plants, an endangered species from Uda' pau. You held your breath. It was beautiful; you had never seen it so alive! It was blooming, blood red and white petals, complimenting the Guard's white gray outfit.
The Guard had finished cutting the Kyshh vines that tangled around their legs. They were preparing to cut the vine around their neck.
"Wait! NO! Flower— Strahleh !" you rushed forward, grabbing their hand.
They let out a soft gasp and slightly jumped, not expecting the impact of you almost toppling them over, all to catch their hand.
You squeezed their hand, "Wait, don't. We shouldn't cut this one. It's easily killed if not taken care of. I will help you."
Slowly you let go of their warm hand and worked the vine off their body. They breathed slowly, waiting for you to finish. You finally unwrapped it and brought it around to show them. They let out a breath upon seeing it as if recognizing it.
"Oh?! You already know of this plant?" you asked, taken aback.
They nodded in response bringing a hand up to caress one of the pedals of a particularly plump flower.
"They are native on Uda' pau, almost extinct last I heard. I had to work a little harder to save this one. It seems to like you, Strahleh.” You said the name of the flower in place of the Guards absent one, and it felt like a good fit.
They looked down at the flower and then back at you, seeming almost ready to debate something but dropping it by leaning back, silently requesting space to get up.
You obliged by stepping back, dancing around the Kyshh clippings. Sliding around the Guard, you wound up the long vine and looked around for a place to support its needs. You started twining it around a post when a warm hand rested on your forearm.
They shook their head, ‘no’.
Confused, you stepped back, letting the Guard do what they wanted with the plant. They obviously knew more about the plant than you did.
You busied yourself by grabbing and gathering the Kyshh cutting to put into water, letting the Guard be. You stepped into the kitchen, grabbing a sizeable glass for the plant to root.
Nosily you watched the Guard put the pot on a high shelf that you have trouble reaching without a step stool. They proceeded to weave the plant through a grated part of the wall you built for that reason.
They were careful with the plant; those long gentle fingers knew what they were doing working and threading it through the holes.
Clearing your throat, you turned away and focused on your new cuttings.
—
The two of you didn't converse after that. The Guard retreated to their room not before grabbing another slice of raw meat. They liked to eat and were not embarrassed about it. You found that trait charming, seeing that you grew up on ration bars and were taught excessive eating was a form of attachment (which you heavily disagreed with but kept the thought to yourself.)
After organizing your clippings, you set the three glasses full of vines under one of your purple plant lights and headed to the cockpit to check your route; still about half a day left. You must be close to the Mid Rim by now.
Feeling bored, you took out your data pad to further your research on Zeffo before arrival. You knew about the temple and the indigenous people of Zeffo but lacked the knowledge of flora and fauna, certainly not enough to be classified as an expert.
You were so engrossed in your datapad and notes that you didn't hear the cockpit door open and close. What alerted you of their presence was their pull in the force that seemed to begin to reach for you wanting to be close.
"Hello," you greeted, barely looking up, trying to finish a paragraph about dangerous giant rats that burrow in the ground. They are known to live in dark corners of rock and rubble, and that information seemed very relevant to what you were about to explore.
There was no reply from the Guard, so you kept your place reading the article. The silence beside the hum of the hyperdrive was comforting, and the company was a strange but pleasant feeling.
The two of you simply existed in the moment, not needing anything from one another while you read, and it seemed that they were meditating next to you (or sleeping, you couldn't tell).
You would occasionally pause to steal glances at their chest's gentle rise and fall in rhythmic breathing.
—
That seemed to be the way of things for the rest of the trip. Both of your energies balanced each other out in such a delightful way that you had never experienced with anyone else. Not even your master presence could equate what you felt with them.
As the last few hours of the trip approached, you excused yourself to your room to rest before landing. The Guard seemed to agree with this and followed suit walking with you to your rooms and turning into the respective door.
—
You where sleeping soundly when blaring alarms startled you from your dreadfully short nap. Springing out of bed while you slid into the cock pit wearing your socks and sleepwear. Frantically you searched the controls, trying to identify the problem. The ship dropped out of hyperspace before a massively white and somewhat blue planet. The scanners blared, and you quickly found the problem: a giant hurricane between you and landing.
Adrenaline filled from the sudden wake up call made you feel optimistic and ready for the challenge. Shutting off the alarms, you found your spot in the captain's chair, disengaging the autopilot and silencing the cockpit.
They were behind you. You could feel it even through the chaos they joined you moments after you slid in.
"Come on, I need a co-pilot," you commanded, gesturing to the seat they had been sitting in for the trip thus far.
Gracefully they slipped into the co-pilot's seat, gazing ahead to study the impending doom.
"It looks like one hell of a storm, but I'm confident in my abilities. We should land without so much as a scratch." You boasted a bit overconfident. Your passenger seemed to disagree.
If they didn't have the helmet on to cover their eyes, you would assume they were side-eyeing you in plain disbelief.
You huffed, "Don't be like that, have some faith."
A bit offended, you took the rains of your ship and headed for the eye of the storm. Entering the atmosphere, the alarms blared at the two of you. The ship was taking heavy impact from the wind and rain. You gritted your teeth, holding the vessel controls, trying to bend it to your will to keep it steady.
Next to you, the Guard worked, pushing buttons, helping the descent onto the hazardous terrain. Then they reached their arms out in what you thought was an attempt to take control until you felt the force turn the handles with you. They were helping you with the stirring when the ship started to get swept up into the hash winds.
You gripped the steering while the force encased your hands in a warm blanket. It was such a pleasant feeling, the good intention behind it swelled in your heart. Suddenly through the rain, you could make out a clearing in the distance.
You sighed in relief, "That should be the worst of it," you said as you navigated in the opposite direction of the deadly storm. The feeling of the force dissipated from your fingers, the frigid ship air seeping in once again.
The Guard hummed in what you interpreted as 'agreement' when you pointed out the potential landing area.
Following the notes and maps you had left on the dashboard, you followed them until you found the mountain range you sought. Close enough to the mountains; you found a perfect sized clearing. Tentatively you lowered the ship into the soggy wet ground, the ship creaked and moaned as if letting out a long, exhausted breath.
"See, nothing to worry about, Strahleh," you said, trying out the new name again.
Quickly their head whipped in your direction, but they didn't do anything, just staring.
Oh, that was a strong reaction, not inherently negative or positive. "Does giving you a name bother you?"
They hesitated a second before shaking their head no and turning to get up and leave the cockpit. You followed them through the exit and then realized how poorly you looked without shoes while wearing your most comfortable robes. Tisking at yourself, you rushed into your room while Strahleh opened the hatch to exit the ship.
"Oh! Strahleh wait!" you hollered after them, not wanting to miss out on anything. You cursed yourself for not getting ready before leaving your room.
Throwing on the best fitted clothes for the cool climate of Zeffo, you secured your lightsaber to your belt and quickly made your way to the ramp. To your surprise, the Guard actually waited, standing in a pile of half snow and half mud at the end of the ramp.
"Oh lovely you waited, thank you," you said smiling, practically skipping down the ramp excited to start your search.
They nodded as you passed them, stepping into a shallow puddle of water. The air smelled so clean and fresh compared to the muggy polluted air of Coruscant. Letting curiosity get the better of you, you splashed and stepped through the puddles of the clearing when a purple stalked plant captured your attention.
"Well, aren't you interesting," you cooed to the plant crouching down to get a better look. You pulled out your datapad to scan the plant. You hummed when the results came up. A Royal Fluzz plant; interesting, you thought.
From your squat, you quickly stood to share your findings with the Guard. To your surprise, they were standing so close to you that you nearly slammed into them.
"Oh, apologies." You squeaked quickly, stepping back gracefully while avoiding the Fluzz plant.
Actively trying to avoid the awkwardness, you pulled the data pad out to share your findings. Glancing up at them, and noticed how unaffected they were by your closeness as you moved into their personal space. Holding the data pad in front of you both to read.
"It is a Royal Fluzz plant. Quite nice, don't you think?" You asked, scrolling through the information about the species.
The Guard nodded their head, agreeing with you, leaning in close to you to read. They then pointed out a section about caring for the plant.
"I would love to take a piece, but it says it needs a rocky and cool climate. Both of which I do not have." You sighed sadly.
They hummed through the mask, soft, but there was a smooth timber to it this time.
"I know, but there are so many species here. I'm sure we'll find something," you smiled optimistically.
A powerful gust of wind blew through the area, temporarily pushing you off your feet. You both went stumbling back, a bit surprised and caught off guard. However, it looked as though the Guard was reaching out for you to catch you if you fell.
Trying to contain how that made you feel, you quickly brought up a new topic once you found your footing.
"Guess we should get our supplies and proper gear before we blow away." You said while readjusting your robes into place.
The Guard hummed again, this time a bit higher in tone.
You were learning so much about this person from so little information. You secretly wished to know more, but this mission wasn't about you or them. For the time being you pushed your feelings to the back burner.
The two of you made your way back to the ship to prepare. The Guard only needed to fetch their weapon and armor while you brought a whole backpack of prepared items; medical aid, food (some dry meat for your traveling buddy), water, flimsy, datapad, and of course, your lightsaber at your hip.
You took longer than them and found them sitting on the ramp looking out at the various mountain ranges and giant Zeffo shrines now revealed from the passed Hurricane.
They stood upon hearing you approach, dusting off their gray outfit. They seemed to forgo the ornate robes they boarded with in exchange for dark gray robes and strong armor that hugged their body.
"Ready Strahleh?" You asked, looking down at your data pad.
They nodded and gestured for you to lead the way.
Then the two of you were off.