Chapter Seven:
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and Luke was relieved that the previous tension had all but evaporated between Mara and he, leaving them back where they'd been when they had arrived on-planet.
Luke felt he was now well-versed in the rules of the Games and ready as he was ever going to be for the events. The only thing he and Mara did not know was what the actual events would be. What would they be asked to do? He knew that for most of the trials, each team would go into the event arena one at a time to fulfill the task, and that the teams had to finish together in order to pass each game.
Perhaps they would find out at the dinner tonight, or maybe, to keep things fair and exciting at the same time, nothing would be revealed in advance. Luke wasn't sure, but he knew that he and Mara were ready to give this their all.
It wasn't as if the fate of Keostea joining the Republic rested in their combined hands...
No pressure, Luke thought sardonically.
Before he and Mara knew it, a blue and tan Kestan they'd not met before arrived at their little hotel with two more in tow. Each of the assistants carried a box, and the trio stood before Luke and Mara in the sitting area as the humans awaited their instructions for what to do now.
"Greetings Jedi Skywalker, Jedi Jade," the head Kestan said with a courtly nod of his head. "I am Takach, head of wardrobes for the Games. Your outfits have been finished and I need to make sure each of you fit properly into the attire. Jedi Skywalker, you will go with Wyse," Takach pointed to the red and grey assistant. "He will fit you into your gear."
Takach then gestured to the second assistant, and the black and grey Kestan shifted closer to Mara. "Jedi Jade, please accompany Janus, she will help you with your clothing. I will wait outside the rooms and once you are fully clothed, I will inspect you myself to be sure you fit the dress requirements."
Mara peered curiously at the box. "How did you know our sizes?"
Takach turned his gaze to her. "The Jedi Council sent your measurements ahead of you so we could prepare your attire. They should fit, but we need to be sure."
"Alright." Mara gestured and she disappeared with her wardrobe assistant, Luke following suit with his own.
Once the door was closed, Luke watched as Wyse set the box onto the bed and began to pull things out of it. "I don't know how used you are to wearing leather and furs, but that is the fabrics we use for our own clothing."
Luke waved a placating hand. "I wore leather and furs for several years; I am well accustomed to it."
Wyse lifted an impressed eyebrow. "Why did you stop wearing it then?"
Luke smiled gently. "When I wore it, I did so from necessity. When I returned home from Trichi, my choice in fabrics became much broader. I prefer lighter fabrics that breathe, honestly."
Wyse glanced at Luke. "Humans must cool down differently from us, because we don't feel the need for our fabrics to... breathe." The Kestan sounded confused at the last word, as if he didn't understand what Luke meant by fabric breathing.
Luke laughed softly. "I didn't mean the material itself inhales, Wyse. I meant only that some textiles allow for better airflow between the skin and the outside, which, yes, helps to cool us down. When humans overheat, we can get sick if we are not careful."
"Ah, I see now." Wyse indeed had that glint of understanding in his gaze. "Thank you for your patience."
"There is nothing to worry about." Luke assured his companion. "Now, may I see my outfit?"
Wyse shook himself, his leathery wings shuffling. "Of course. You will need to strip down. There is a changing screen in that corner." The being indicated the proper place in the room.
Luke didn't see one, and he frowned. "There is?"
Wyse nodded, gesturing to a spot on the wall. "If you pull on that handle, it will extend a privacy screen."
Luke obediently moved over and was impressed when the wall indeed gave way for a screen as the Kestan had promised. "That's a neat way to store something like this."
Wyse inclined his head. "Indeed. Now, please proceed, we haven't long to fit your attire."
"Of course." Luke proceeded to change, and paused. "Do I need to remove everything?"
"Yes," Wyse answered distractedly, his voice coming closer as he slung a few items over the top of the screen for Luke to put on. "Otherwise the clothing will not fit properly."
Luke bit his lip, but reluctantly removed his final layer, turning to pull the clothing to him that Wyse had offered. He paused, somewhat taken aback at the gear unraveling in his grasp. He wasn't certain what he had been expecting, but this definitely wasn't it.
Luke bit back some embarrassment— some part of his mind wondering what Mara's reaction would be to him wearing such a thing— and began donning his outfit, piece by piece. And with each thing he picked up to dress into, the awkwardness only mounted for him.
At the end, Luke stepped from his changing area and found his reflection in the full-length mirror by the door to his room. He stared at himself, trying to feel fully comfortable in the entire get-up.
Luke's first coherent and perhaps slightly irreverent thought was that he looked like some sort of cave man from the galaxy's first years of sentient life.
Instead of pants as he was accustomed to, Luke wore a skirt of leather that rested snugly on his hips and fell to his knees, though it had a second draping of jagged fabric that Luke thought was more for show than use. Upon closer inspection, Luke realized that the additional layer was actually a thin, short-furred hide in some sort of animal print he was unfamiliar with. Sewn onto the top of the skirt was a leather girdle devised of several thinner strips of thick leather sewn together to form a wide band. It reached up to just past Luke's belly button and was inset with metal accents.
Attached to the girdle was another leather piece that made up a broad collar. It rested upon Luke's shoulders, ran over his breastbone and back over his shoulder blades in a circular manner. Adorning his shoulders atop the collar were russet shanks of fur that could have passed for sleeves that only covered the tops of his shoulders and draped to the armpits in front and back. And to make things even more interesting, an X-pattern of leather straps crossed over Luke's torso and chest between girdle and collar, with some sort of medallion in the very center.
Luke's feet bore thick sandals, while his lower legs were bound by rugged animal hide. They looked to Luke like shin guards that were tied on with strips of leather. The final accents were gauntlets that matched the shin guards, and they ran from Luke's wrists to halfway up his forearms, again tied on with strips of hide.
Luke shifted as he took in the entire look, finally glancing to his attendant. "So... how do I look?"
Wyse was studying him with a critical eye. "Almost complete. There is one last piece."
He stepped forward, and in his grasp Luke saw a much thinner piece of fabric that matched the top layer of his skirt. The Kestan lifted his hands and Luke held still, even as the being tied it around the crown of Luke's head.
"There we go. All set." Wyse eyed Luke again. "What do you think?"
Luke didn't know if brutal honesty would be a good thing, so he opted for a half-truth. "Well, I'm not used to these," he indicated the skirt. "But I'll live. Does this gear have a meaning behind it?" he asked curiously.
Wyse nodded. "Yes. These garments represent our people's past, our... varied history. It has taken us a very long time to get to where we are now. And yet, we want to remember where we came from. After all, what is a culture without its ancestors?"
Luke smiled softly. "I respect that. Genealogy has always been important to me as well."
"That is good to hear." Wyse actually smiled back. "We have something in common then."
There was a knock on the door and Luke called for the new arrival to enter. Takach did so and closed the door behind him, turning to see Luke in his attire.
"Ah, Jedi Skywalker; if I may say so, you do so look the part in your Game attire," Takach said approvingly. "Is the outfit comfortable?"
Luke shifted, blushing slightly. "Actually, I wanted to ask..."
He paused, and Takach lifted a brow expectantly. "You need not feel embarrassed, Jedi Skywalker. I am here to assist you however I can."
"Am I allowed to wear undergarments with my... skirt?" Luke shifted. "I feel, well, naked without my underwear."
Takach actually chuckled. "Of course, Jedi Skywalker. Many of our people do so also."
Luke almost sagged with relief. "Oh, good, Wyse told me to take everything off, so I wanted to check."
Wyse coughed. "I apologize, I should have clarified, Jedi Skywalker. We understand the need for privacy, believe me. We do not wish to expose sacred body parts outside of appropriate settings."
Takach nodded his agreement while Luke swiftly retrieved his underwear and slid them into their proper place once more. His comfort level with the entire outfit went up several notches, and he was finally able to relax.
"Our people take pride in public decency, and we do not unnecessarily reveal our bodies." Takach's voice carried across the room as Luke adjusted his clothing. "We would not ask our guests to do any differently."
Luke reemerged feeling human again. "Thank you very much. I feel the same way."
Takach inclined his head and circled Luke, studying him and asking him at some points to move around so he could see how the outfit allowed the Jedi to move. Luke did so without argument, knowing how important it was that his gear did not hinder him.
"I do believe you are ready." Takach gestured to Wyse, who began to clean up. "I have already checked on Jedi Jade, and given her these instructions: do not wear these clothes outside of the events. You may wear them to the feast tonight, but then you only put them on when you are to participate in a game. Do you understand?"
Luke nodded. "I do."
"Good. Weapons will be provided as needed during the Games as each event requires. As such, and to avoid any unfairness in unknown weaponry to us, please leave your own armaments in your house when you participate in the events."
"Very well," Luke replied.
Takach and Wyse headed for the door to Luke's room, and he followed them to the door that led outside, noting that Mara's aid was already waiting there.
"We will send for you shortly with a ride to the feast," Takach told Luke. "Expect Kehoe with transport."
"Thank you for everything Takach and Wyse." Luke also thanked Mara's assistant and then the three Kestans departed.
After turning his back to the door, Luke stood where he was for a minute, still trying to get used to his outfit.
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Mara donned her Jedi robe to cover her new clothes, not ready yet for Luke to see her. She didn't know why that was, but the redhead was suddenly self-conscious about her friend seeing her like this.
And if Luke asked, she could pass her robe off as a way to ward of the night's chill.
With a deep breath, Mara left her room, knowing their ride would be here soon. When Kehoe arrived, they'd have to leave promptly to be on time for the feast. Mara made her way downstairs, not paying attention to her surroundings as she adjusted her robe more than once to be sure it was closed.
Thus, when she looked up Mara froze, her mouth dropping open on its own.
There stood Luke, his concentration elsewhere and thus unaware he had a dumbfounded audience.
Mara took in Luke's gear with the realization that Luke had a body that was as amazing. It was a rare occasion that Luke went shirtless in public, even during their sparring matches and other exercises, so Mara hadn't really ever seen much of the trunk of Luke's body.
So to be presented with his perfectly defined chest, torso and abs was a treat Mara had not been expecting. His well-toned midsection caused warmth to spread in her bosom, and Mara found her eyes roving the rest of his frame within acceptable boundaries.
In fact, Mara couldn't help the flush that spread through her, and she was fairly certain her cheeks had colored at the sight of Luke with so much flesh exposed.
Stang; he's such a handsome man... Mara admitted, though she worked to avert her gaze when Luke finally noticed her there.
"Oh, Mara." Luke looked down at himself and shifted. "Ah... what do you think?"
Mara stared mutely for a few seconds, her brain only half working at his question. What did he want her to evaluate, exactly?
"Mara?"
She shook her head, only then becoming aware that she had zoned out... and that she was once more staring stupidly in his direction. Mara cleared her throat, forcing another blush to stay off her face.
"What do you think of my new gear?" Luke asked, and she felt his own sense of bashfulness.
Oh, that, Mara thought, kicking herself and willing her mind into better focus.
"It's definitely a strange look," Mara told him, watching him squirm somewhat. "But not in a bad way." Mara bit her lip, and the next part came out before she could stop herself. "Actually, I've always wanted to see you in one of your mountain-man outfits."
The second the words left her lips Mara felt her eyes widen even as she saw Luke's do likewise. But Mara steeled her resolve, knowing that if she was to ever make progress with Luke on the romantic front, she'd have to take steps in that direction. They didn't have to be big ones, but they did have to exist between them. So she relaxed, refusing to retract her confession.
Luke, for his part, blushed and smiled shyly. "Well, I never wore anything like this on Trichi. My clothing there was not for ceremony or show."
Mara stepped forward and placed a gentle hand to his chin, lifting his face so he could meet her gaze. "Luke, you don't always have to be so humble. I know you have a past on Trichi, and I accept that as I always have. You are who you are now because of what you've been through. And you don't have to hide that."
Luke smiled just for her, and Mara's heart fluttered when the gesture lit up his eyes. "Thank you Mara."
Any reply she would have made was cut off when Kehoe arrived, knocking on the door and being admitted by Luke. The Jedi pair followed her out the door, taking their places in the speeder provided.
Soon after that, they were on their way to the banquet.
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Their arrival was met with a double walled crowd of Kestans, all cheering as Luke and Mara exited their vehicle and walked up the aisle. Luke noted a few pairs of Kestans ahead of them a ways and saw how they were dressed similarly to himself and Mara, though Luke hadn't seen his companion's outfit yet.
Luke glanced back when the roar of the audience picked up in intensity, and saw another team arrive behind Luke and Mara. However, when the one on the left— a female, Luke judged, based on her differing gear from the males he had seen— caught him gazing curiously at her, she scowled darkly at him. There was a clear undercurrent of animosity in the woman's eyes, and Luke frowned.
Turning back to fore, Luke tried to shake the bad vibes he got from the person behind him, but the inkling that she kept glaring at his back made him uneasy.
Sensing his state, Mara threw him a concerned glance. "Hey, you alright?"
Luke looked sideways at her. "I guess. The woman behind us doesn't seem to like me."
Mara frowned, throwing a glance at the person indicated. When she too received a glare, Mara merely lifted an indifferent eyebrow and then smirked when that only seemed to irk the Kestan.
"So what, not everyone is bound to like us," Mara responded to Luke's words as she returned her attention to him.
"I know," Luke told her. "But that's not what has me on edge."
Mara thinned her lips. "Then what is it?"
"Something about her doesn't sit right," Luke murmured, waving at the crowd to keep up the appearance that things were fine.
Mara thought it over. "Well, don't worry about it right now, alright? Just relax and try to enjoy the evening. I hear it's supposed to be fun once it really gets going."
Luke smiled at his friend. "You're right. I think I'm just stressed from the situation is all."
Mara snorted theatrically. "When are you not?"
Luke nudged her playfully. "You tease."
Mara laughed. "I can't help it; you just bring it out in me."
Luke chuckled and offered his arm as they reached a set of stairs. Mara blinked in surprise, but didn't object, taking his arm and allowing him to lead her up the flight.
The duo followed the other teams to the entrance near the back of a grand hall, and Luke seated Mara first before he himself took a chair beside her.
However, before his rump was fully in the seat, Leader Afkin waved him over and Luke straightened once more. He didn't notice an attendant lean over Mara's shoulder to speak with her, nor did he see the redhead hesitate and then reluctantly relinquish her robe to be hung elsewhere.
"Jedi Skywalker, I am glad to see your clothing suits you." The Kestan's eyes moved to a point over Luke's shoulder, and the being smiled lightly. "And I see that Jedi Jade's attire fits her as well: that is good."
Luke turned to follow the other's gaze... and felt his jaw drop.
Afkin began to say something else, but Luke didn't hear it, so lost was he in the vision of absolute beauty he could now behold.
There, standing facing the Kestan next to her seat and lost in conversation, was Mara. And garbed about her lithe frame was a dress made of a shimmery, extremely short chocolate fur, probably setting atop leather to help protect Mara's body in the Games. A belt of leather slanted from the left of her waist to set partway down her right hip, with a few decorative cuts of the animal fabric that topped Luke's own skirt.
Another belt rested just beneath her bust line, and triangular sleeves of an ivory fur adorned the tops her shoulders. Gauntlets sheathed Mara's forearms, and more of the same material clothed her lower legs like Luke's did with his outfit. And to cover her feet, she wore sandals similar to Luke's.
What made it all so more real to Luke as the way Mara's porcelain skin was offset by the dark hue of the dress, and how her red-gold hair fell loosely and untamed about her shoulders and back.
Luke found it difficult to swallow...
...how did one breathe again?
A clawed hand grasped Luke's bicep and shook him lightly. "Jedi Skywalker?"
Luke barely found the brainpower to turn his head, and even then his gaze strained to remain on Mara for as long as possible until he had to look away. Shaking his head to clear it, Luke turned back to Leader Afkin.
"Jedi Skywalker, are you alright?" the man asked.
Luke coughed discreetly, nodding his head and willing himself to concentrate. "Yes, I am sorry, I just... saw something stunning." He whispered the last, and Afkin frowned.
Luke observed the man glance again over his shoulder and then smile the barest hint of a smile. "Ah, I see." Afkin's grip became a pat on the shoulder. "I will allow you to return to your seat, but I wanted to introduce you to my mate."
Afkin turned and took the hand of a female Kestan with the same coloration as Afkin. "This is my mate and best friend, Alegre."
Luke smiled politely and offered a bow. "Greetings Lady Alegre."
She smiled at him, and for some reason the Jedi was reminded of his Aunt Beru, whom Anakin had taken him to meet on more than one occasion. "It is an honor to meet a Jedi. I wish you all the best in the Games. I think it would be nice to become more a part of the Galaxy."
"Thank you Milady." Luke dipped his head respectfully again and then was dismissed by Afkin.
Luke breathed out long and slow as he approached a now-seated Mara. Stars if she wasn't the most stunning woman he'd ever laid eyes on...
But you already knew that, Luke, he told himself. Yeah, but this is different...
Luke stilled his mind and offered Mara a genuine smile as she looked to him somewhat shyly. As the all grew quiet upon Afkin taking the stand near his seat, Luke placed a tender hand on Mara's knee and leaned close to her ear.
"You look amazing, Mara," he murmured before a glint of mirth entered his gaze. "And I like the mountain-woman attire on you."
She laughed at his joke— a play on her confession earlier— and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Thanks."
Afkin began to speak, and so the two of them straightened and listened.
"Welcome my friends, to the opening feast of the Wasaka Games!" Afkin's greeting was met with thunderous applause. "Tonight we celebrate the start of the Games our ancestors began as a way to unite the once-divided tribes. The Games, started generations before our time, showed each clan that though they had been raised differently; their neighbors were just as much Kestans as they were."
Luke paid rapt attention as the Game's history was finally revealed.
"It is true that these Games may be seen as barbaric by some, but that is only the case for the uninformed." Afkin went on and the hall quieted swiftly. "Many of the events, while hard to accomplish, are tasks set for a reason. For example, the hunts performed in the Games feed our people. It is the only thing we eat during the Games, and without success our people go hungry."
Luke gave a start, sensing how serious they all were. They really went hungry if contestants didn't succeed?
"This is a time-honored tradition that we have upheld to pay tribute to our forefathers and mothers. For when they lived, it was from one hunt to the next for meals, and often— perhaps too often— they went without. We must never forget the old ways," Afkin looked about him, "for without the old, you cannot have the new. We could not have progressed to where we are without the struggles of our parents, and theirs and so-forth. Each generation has learned from the previous and improved our people accordingly. This is what the Wasaka Games are all about: to pay tribute to the ways of those before us."
Luke felt a new level of responsibility come to rest upon his shoulders, and he tried not to feel overwhelmed. Then he lifted his chin confidently. He had once been chief, and he had once been responsible for feeding his people. He had not shrunk under the duty before, and he would not do so now.
With a new set to his shoulders that didn't slip Mara's notice, Luke determined to do his utmost in the competitions.
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The food was quite delicious, Luke admitted as he allowed his gaze to roam the room. He kept stealing surreptitious glances at Mara, still marveling at how good she looked in her new attire.
They had shared several dances as the festivities progressed, an amazing experience in Luke's opinion. After a time, they'd become weary, and so the pair was now taking a break.
As the night drew on, part of him was coming alive in a way it never had for Luke, and he was admittedly a little... frightened by the intensity of it. But it was also tempered with mistakes and memories of the past, and so Luke found himself at war with his emotions and his desires.
But he couldn't let that overtake him now, Luke knew. He had to focus on the Games. Though... he had to wonder if this intense feeling hadn't started well before any mention of Keostea.
Pushing his issues away yet again, Luke zoned in just as the Kestan woman from the aisle walk appeared beside the pair. Her gaze caught first Luke's and then Mara's and she lifted her lip in a sneer.
"Well, if it isn't the humans." The woman's voice was condescending, and Luke watched Mara bristle. He laid a calming hand on his partner's arm and calmly looked to their addresser.
"Hello. I am Luke, and this is Mara," Luke said politely.
"I don't care who you are," the woman cut him off. "I don't agree with your presence in the Games." She blew out an agitated blast of hot air and Luke instinctively thought to place himself before Mara, but the woman sat down before he could move. "It's heresy that they allowed non-Kestans to participate in these Games. Only our people have participated. It's been this way since we can remember. What a shame that the Games are starting to go to the dogs."
"But, not being part of the Ruling Council, I have no say in that." She leaned forward. "At least, not publicly."
Mara's emerald eyes met the woman's evenly. "Are you threatened by us?"
The Kestan's grey and black body shook briefly with laughter, though it wasn't the happy kind. "Don't be stupid. You don't frighten me at all." She grunted disdainfully and looked Mara up and down. "I don't expect you to make it far. And if by some miracle you do, I would be highly surprised to see you make it to the endurance race."
Mara smiled predatorily. "Well then, I'll be sure to make it there just to prove you wrong."
The Kestan woman snorted once more. "Yeah, we'll see about that. I for one will not help you in these Games, and I am not your friend." She stood and turned to leave. "Better bow out now before you two embarrass yourselves by failing."
Mara glared at the other's retreating back. "Who says I ever fail at anything?"
But the other merely ruffled her wings and disappeared into the throng, leaving Mara fuming silently, and Luke with a headache.
