Next chapter is up. Hope you enjoy and thanks to everyone reading.
About an hour after Saganu left, I was collected from my room by Murrn. He looked nervous to be alone with me as we walked down the deserted halls of the station.
"There's no need to be uncomfortable around me, Murrn."
He nodded his head, but took a moment to reply.
"I know. I think the Aristocra asked me to escort you to his quarters so you'd get a chance to kill me for shooting you."
I laughed. "I have no desire to kill you. I understand where you're coming from. You're young. New to this post. You can't be much older than I am. I only ask that you learn from your mistake and take it with you as you grow. In general, it's never a good idea to shoot someone in the back. Keep that in mind the next time."
Murrn smiled at me. "I will. I promise."
We stopped at a door at the end of the hall. He pressed a small button beside the door, then bowed to me in acknowledgement. "Enjoy your dinner." he said before quickly retreating back down the hall.
Saganu opened his door, smiling. "Please, come in."
I stepped into the room and was surprised at what I saw. The room, though still very much an ice cave, was lined with shelves, full of books and few various objects of unknown origin. Almost all of the wall space was covered.
"You certainly have a lot of books." I said, glancing at one of the shelves.
"I enjoy reading books. Data pads are easier and take up far less space, but I do love the feel of the weight of a real book in my hands, the feel of it's pages between my fingers. Having these around make me miss home just a little less."
"I can understand that. I always did like the assignments which required me to go through old scrolls and texts at the Jedi temple. "
Saganu pulled a chair out from under a table. "Please."
There was a chime at the door and moments later a large tray was brought in and placed on the table where I sat. Saganu thanked the man, then joined me at the table.
"I hope you enjoy what we're having tonight. I had the mess make up something special." He lifted the lid to the tray, revealing some type of roasted bird, surrounded by some type of tuber and leafy vegetable. I honestly couldn't recognize anything on the tray.
"All of this came from an Ascendancy planet called Ool. It's one of our primary agricultural planets. I own a bit of property on the world. I don't get to visit it much, with my work keeping me on Hoth, but I do enjoy the country setting when I can." He explained, as he served both of us.
The first few minutes were quiet as we ate. The food was wonderful.
"So, Ool? An odd name for a planet."
Saganu smiled at me, then said something I was guessing was our native language.
"That's what the planet is called in Cheunh, our native tongue."
I chuckled. "I can hear why speaking Cheunh will make you have an accent. It sounds complicated."
"It is, but you'll be hard pressed to find a single Chiss in the Ascendancy who can't speak it fluently. On many of our planets, you'll find people who only have the Chiss accent. On imperial worlds, most of our kind have a blend of the Imperial and Chiss accents, such as mine."
We chatted lightly during dinner. It was amazing how comfortable I'd become with my would be captor. I felt relaxed, as if I were visiting with an old friend. After the tray had been cleared, we sat around the table, continuing to chat. It had to be fairly late in the night when Saganu finally stood, stretching.
"It's late, but I would like to ask for a few more minutes of your time." He crossed the room, activating a small device on the shelf by the door. Moment's later, music began to play. It was a sweet, mid-tempo instrumental ballad. He held out his hand to me. "Would you honor me with a dance?"
I was reluctant, but took his hand anyway. "I've never danced with someone before."
He pulled me to the center of the room and we swayed gracefully to the music.
"It doesn't show." He said, leading me with ease.
"I've been taught Jedi grace since I was five. It didn't include dancing, but I'm guessing the skills are transferable." I replied. "You seem very good at this."
"As part of a normal noble family upbringing, I had to learn all of the social graces, which included dance. I get very few opportunities to practice my dance steps on this planet."
Jedi were taught to be warriors, diplomats and negotiators. Our place was to serve and we never questioned that goal. As I danced with Saganu, swaying gracefully to the music, I began to question my resolve as a Jedi. I had never really chosen to be trained, simply being placed with the Jedi due to my sensitivity. I knew no other way. This made me sad. Saganu must have noticed my change in mood, having stopped moving and was just looking down at me.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"Nothing." I replied. "I was just thinking about how Jedi don't dance. It's not something we're taught. I know it sounds strange, but I think I'm going to miss the freedom my incarceration has shown me. Everything you've taught me and shown me makes me realize what I'm giving up to be Jedi. I never thought about it before. I guess I could never miss something I never had." I pulled away slightly, looking down.
Saganu gently place his hand under my chin, lifting my face towards his. I thought we was going to speak, but instead, he leaned down and kissed me. It was a gentle kiss, not passionate, but comforting. I had never been kissed before and I honestly didn't know how to respond. Fortunately, he ended the kiss before I could figure out what to do. I looked up at him, speechless. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest and I felt almost faint. He simply smiled at me.
"You are an amazing woman, Zanthia. Never let anything prevent you from doing what is in your heart. Your inner flame is too vibrant. If you take nothing else from your time here, I ask you take this."
I nodded, since my voice was nowhere to be found.
"It's late and you should get a little sleep before we head out to the rendezvous site." He said sadly. For the first time, there was real emotion in his voice.
We left his quarters and silently made our way back to my room. He opened the door for me. "Sleep well." He said, closing the door behind me.
To Be Continued...