Disclaimer: Yah, Yah. Lucasarts and Obsidian and Bioware are being selfish. We all know the story, right?
Chapter III: In His Arms
Gasping; running; gasping; running. Zaenara Cloud could barely think straight through sprinting across the darkening urban landscape of the city, Iziz. All her power was strictly devoted to keeping herself running strongly.
How could I have forgotten him? How could I have? And now, the sun is setting, and Atton has probably already left the cantina; he's been waiting all day for me! He'll be so angry with me, for being gone so long. I wouldn't blame him, either. Oh, how could I have been so STUPID?!
Gasping; running; gasping; running. The city streets seemed endless to the eyes of the young Exile. Yet, at the same time, the sun was falling rapidly over the horizon, reddening the sky. All the buildings, all the roadways; they all seemed the same to her: beige, clay-like structures over the mahogany and burgundy pavement.
Just then, though, she found it. She found the alleyway which led into the merchant quarter, right by the entrance to the Skyramp. She even saw the familiar gray-haired, balding man who guarded the Ramp, disgruntled as ever. Then, the western square's entrance; a group of mercenary Beast-riders still hung around, nearby a minor cantina. But, this one wasn't the one she was looking for. She continued on, searching for the landmark locations. There: Dhagon Ghent's place, the occupant being whom she and her companions had helped clear his name of murder. There: the droid merchant 1B-8D, who played a key part of the same investigation, supplying evidence to support Ghent's claim. And, finally, she saw it: the cantina, in the front of the square, which she had been to numerous times in previous trips here, when General Vaklu still had power; its colorful neon signs were still flashing brightly. Rushing through the crowds of people she quickly opened the door and stepped inside.
The air was familiar to her, as all things in this area were. She could smell the scent of straight juma juice, Onderonian pale ale, and other coma-inducing alcoholic drinks. Among this, a musty scent and even poisonous spice could be smelled. Hesitantly at first, almost afraid, Zaenara closed her eyes and focused on the thoughts of those around her, just skimming the surface. She searched and searched, scared of what she would find, if she found it.
A lonely man, drowning his sorrows in drunkenness...
A group of estranged teenagers, looking for some fun...
A forced mercenary, discussing his new business...
She could feel a burning tear running down her cheek.
Change the face of the +/- 2 card, the total becomes 11. Draw the +9 card from the deck, the total becomes 20. Play the +1 card, the total becomes 21.
She mentally gasped in astonishment. It was him! Without a second notion, Zae ran towards the direction of the thoughts, worry still on her mind. As she dashed around the corner, she spotted him, sitting alone at a table, drinking a shot glass of juma juice. His mahogany brown hair and eyes somehow made him seem darkened, yet not angrily. His ribbed jacket was more ruffled than usual, a sign of some previous conflicts.
Suddenly, he looked up, and his deep brown eyes found hers. He stood up fast, his chair making protests as it screeched across the hard floor. He made a motion towards her.
Zaenara looked downwards to avert his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Atton!" She said it between taking breaths of air, as she was still exhausted from running. "I'm so sorry I wasn't back on time! I just got so sidetracked, and..." I can't tell him who I met! I would have to explain why I was here, and if I told him that... "I'm so sorry for making you wait, Atton. You've been so kind to me, and I've just been a klutz in return. I understand if you're angry with me..."
Moments passed in the cantina, the two not saying a word to each other. Zaenara never took her eyes away from the floor, and so she couldn't see his emotions. She didn't try to feel it through the Force, either; that would just make him madder with her. She didn't exactly expect what he said next, however.
"Why would I ever be angry with you?"
For the second time today, Zaenara nearly gasped. She looked back up at his face, only to find a great mixture of feelings: sorrow, regret, relief, happiness, and even self-loathing could be found in his emotions, but none of them were anger.
"But, I left you waiting here—"
"I don't care about that, Zae. All I care about is that you're safe. One minute I felt your presence, and the next... It was as if you had left the Force, with only an echo left."
He seems so worried, so anxious.
"All I know is, I don't ever want to feel like that ever again."
The next few moments were unclear to Zaenara. She didn't know how it happened, just that one moment she was standing in front of Atton, and the following precious moments she became enveloped in his strong arms, caught up in a fully-fledged embrace. She did not know why, but she was no longer worried, no longer stressed over the long day. The strain in her heart seemed to simply dissolve as Atton and she stayed in each other's arms for what seemed like hours. It seemed so natural for Zae to be so close to him, to be in his arms. When they finally had to separate from themselves, it was as if the world came crashing down onto them again.
"We should probably get going back to the ship..." said Atton, sheepishly grinning as he averted Zae's gaze, despite the fact that it was also towards the floor.
"Yeah, we should go..." She had tried to distract herself with the sketchy tiling of the ceramic floor of the cantina, but she couldn't help notice the bright patches of red that masked Atton's cheeks. Now that she thought about it, her own were beginning to feel a bit warm.
Finally, Zaenara Cloud and Atton Rand made it back into the Ebon Hawk, still a bit embarrassed over what happened in the Iziz cantina. Zaenara was heading off to the starboard crew quarters, and Atton to his usual seat in the cockpit. Both of them needed some time to think over what had happened, and this need was mutual.
Zaenara sighed as she stepped into the 'fresher for a quick shower. The hot water melted away her sore muscles... Just like how I felt in his arms... She mentally shook herself. How could she think of him like that? They were both Jedi, and had their duties to the Code. Not to mention he was roguish, never showered, and was always rude. He was a pure scoundrel; a dirty, rotten scoundrel. Yet, somehow, that made him even more likeable to her...
As soon as she got out of the shower and dressed herself for sleeping, she headed over to her sleep-couch. Zae lay down, only to immediately sit back up again, hitting her head in the process. Clamping her mouth shut in pain, she looked over onto the sleep-couch where she had lain. The tiny datapad, which she had worked so hard to find and had rushed to Atton because of, was sitting silently on the sheets. It had remained in the same place that she had tossed it before her shower. Zae picked it up and, hesitantly at first, pressed the side button to activate it.
In a flash, the small screen flickered to life before her. On the screen was what seemed to be a sort of free-style poem, without a rhyme.
The Time of the Light is nigh:
When all of the black shall be washed from the white;
When the Chosen Kings shall shine upon our world;
When the Wraiths shall be slain; the Monsters, killed.
They shall be birthed of Chaos, but robed in sun.
They shall come from the land of the black watcher.
Only their power will stop the darkness.
Only their swords will lead us to victory.
The Time of the Light has come.
Author's Notes
I'm getting faster at this!
So, what do you think?
I like it, actually...
It's very... indescribable in its style... which is why I can't describe it...
I think I used too many ...'s, though.
GAHHH:bashes head in:
I can't stop criticizing myself today!
