Chapter Title: A Different World

Series Title: Unlikely Brothers

Ages in this chapter: Tanner (13), Dashen (19)

Chapter Summary: When anxieties run too high, the boys spend some time on the water-planet of Okun.


It was dark. Not pitch black, but some gray darkness that barely allowed shapes to form. All I could smell was the salty tang of seaweed, all I could hear was the crisp breaking of sea waves. I knew Tanner was nearby, but his breathing was so controlled that not a whisper of that breath escaped.

I longed to find that kind of peace. My mind, it often rotated in about eight different directions at once. Stars love him, the kid tried with me. He did. Tried to get me to understand how to quiet my spinning thoughts. The science of the breath he called it. It made sense, and one time... one single time, I'd found that path to peace and I swear it lead me to the soundest sleep I'd ever had. No lie, never in my life had I been so rested.

That one shot apparently ruined me, because after, I over tried. Figuring the harder I tried, the easier it would be to find that peace again. Wrong. Any continued success with the practice was null and void.

My own peace aside, in the distance came a metal clanking sound. The bell signal that a water-ship was incoming toward the docks. On a planet that was eighty percent lakes, rivers and sea, water travel was the preferred method of movement. These were a gentle people that thrived far below the blackness and chaos of space above.

The seaweed aroma continued to penetrated my nose. The translucent green sea grass was a delicacy here on this water planet. Cooked tens of various ways, each of them more delicious than the one previous. Even me, a verified lover of meat products had to admit to it. I mean, come on, it's salty grass. How can anyone make salty grass taste good?

These people managed it.

We'd been here three days. Free time. Colton suggested it. As evidenced by my difficulties with recent jobs at home, my mind and body needed a break. Away from Kaolin. Away from Terra.

Okun was a planet much removed from outside influence. For whatever reason, the Empire left them mostly alone. Probably they had little in the way of wealth and power. Being a primitive people seemingly allowed them a level of safety from the reality of the rest of the galaxy.

What better place for a stressed out teenager and his former-Jedi-turned-fake-brother to visit for a week?

There was limited space for visitors. Okun did get tourists, but it wasn't a major source of anything for them. Two Inns allotted a set number of rooms. One guide boat was available at set intervals during the daylight portion of their thirty hour days. Compact personal watercraft were also available to rent. Small enough to navigate in and out of the tighter canals beyond the harbor, but large enough to fit two persons. All watercraft on the planet moved strictly on water power. No fuel needed. Pollution here was unheard of. The air was clear, clean and crisp.

I personally had never seen anything like it. Tanner said that the Jedi had known of planets that were havens for their kind. Rich in whatever the hell the Living Force was. I know, I know, Tanner had explained to me over and over by now, but yeah, not interested.

Tanner was though. Mind and body so calm next to me, I swore I could actually sense what he was feeling. I couldn't actually sense those things, but it's how peaceful this place was. It's a wonder Jedi hadn't flocked in droves to this planet during their time. Maybe they did, no idea. If so, I understood why.

The people here were kind and giving. No, they didn't cater to tourists as a huge part of their lives - probably because the planet was mostly water - but the visitors that did come were treated as friends and companions rather than the strangers they were.

Was this planet even real? If not for the fact that I was here living it, it would seem impossible.

Nighttime here though was dark. We could see the shadows of the boat crews just returning from a long day of fishing the sea. Returning fresh catch for meals tomorrow. Seaweed wrapped boga fish was the prime meal of the people. They celebrated the boga fish, honoring it's sacrifice to give them life. The people never took more than needed from the sea, allowing the fish to prosper and serve future generations.

Late evening custom here was to watch the double moons rise exactly two hours after dusk. The fishermen were safely returned to port by that time. If they'd not returned by the time of the moonrise, that was indication that something was wrong. Legend of the sea said that the draw between the two moons created dangerous waves that fed the need of the seaweed for salt, but that that also held the potential to twist and turn a boat until it broke apart. Was any of that true? Not a clue. Did I want to find out? Nope. I was content to find a spot tucked in the safety of the harbor to see the last of the crews return and the moons begin their stunning ascendence into the darkening sky.

A chill ran through Tanner. Not one of those related to fear or uncertainty. This was a chill of amazement. The magic of the sky, the moons, the people, the planet… it gave my brother chills in the very best of ways.

We sat nearest the center of the evening gathering. Interesting that this happened each night barring bad weather. And it apparently happened all around the small planet, not just in this one village. However, the entire town didn't gather. Absent every other day were the oldest of the children within each family. They were responsible for looking after the eldest health-stricken adults during the those evening events. That task switched to the family matriarch the opposite evenings. The final day of their weeks welcomed those aged kinfolk for the viewings.

The gatherings didn't last but an hour, though they brought with them the sound of absolute silence. The lapping of the sea water against the pilings of the wooden piers was the only thing to break that silence, and even that had a strange muted note to it, almost as if the sea held an intelligence that understood it's place during the moonrise.

The elevated piers, where most watched from (including us), were immensely sturdy and strong. Where the Okun people got the wood from to build the piers, I couldn't say. There were no trees to be found here. Imported I guess. Perhaps they exported seaweed and imported things they needed for their own use. We'd only been here three days, not nearly long enough to understand the extent of how Okun functioned as a society in whole.

Tanner wanted to know more, the information-sponge that he was. After the moonrise, we'd moved onto one of several local taverns. Yes, these people may have one of the most civil societies in the entire galaxy, but they also enjoyed their ales. Not to the point of intoxication, though I got the sense that the alcohol levels in these drinks were well below what we might find at home on Terra. There, the bars and cantinas fed everyone from locals to bounty hunters, from troopers to shop owners. Some of those ales could knock you on your ass. But these taverns on Okun were about friends and stories and relaxing after long, hard days. They even welcomed the youngest children in with safe beverages and strict rules that there was to be no unruly behavior.

So, yeah. Still wasn't sure we weren't living in a dream here. This place wasn't possible. But it was. And Okun had been left alone as a planet, nope, still no idea.

Colton had told me to expect the unexpected. It's why he'd sent us here. As much as I loved Kaolin - my home - getting away had been a necessity. He'd seen my anxiety building in recent weeks, heading towards a point that certainly would do me no good. So, he took me off all work, we pulled Tanner from school (reluctantly - the kid loved school), and here we were.

Sitting in a tavern on the water-world of Okun, sipping ale (well, I was sipping ale, Tanner was having something fruity), and learning about Okun. Yup, my little brother was living life to the fullest right now. He'd made friends with several elders (I swear they looked to be about nine hundred years old) and spent the next hours intently observing and listening and absorbing every last bit of information.

I had to call it a night for us, still not used to the thirty hours that made up a day, I was dead tired. With the evening ended, we'd been invited onto one of the non-working fishing boats the following morning. An elder who's boat ran every few days (and in limited capacity), was one of the persons Tanner had infatuated himself with. Ca'lisq was his name. Humanoid, with dark leathery skin and stark white short hair. He was full of facts about his home world and he absolutely loved a good storytelling. With his knowledge of the history of the planet and it's people, he was the go-to for tourists, making certain that respect for Okun, it's people, and the nature around them was maintained at the highest of levels.

Yup, Tanner was a sucker for this guy. My brother, he could befriend the actual seaweed given enough time on this planet. Had to love the kid.

The downside to Okun was it's tiny rooms within the limited availability for outsiders. Tanner was small, he fit no problem. I found myself uncomfortable on the single bed that was far too short for my long frame. I'd managed, but Tanner was probably tired of me whacking him in his face with my elbows and kicking him in the shins with my knees. Not intentional, just Okun people tended to be shorter. So, they anticipated any guests would enjoy the same comforts. Yup, they were wrong. But I survived. Okun had such a magic to it, if the too-small-for-my-lanky-frame bed was the most anxiety-ridden thing on my plate, I'd make due.

"I like this place, Dash." Tanner said to me out of the blue in the middle of the night. At least I think it was the middle of the night. It wasn't surprising that he said it, it was surprising that he was awake. Tanner was a good sleeper, especially when in a place where peace reigned.

"Why the hell are you awake?" My response. Typical me. "Did I elbow you in your face again?''

"Yes, but I was awake before that."

It was dark in the room, though the moonlight did create just enough illumination that I could see Tanner's head was equal to mine on the one pillow we had to share. Face up, his eyes were probably open and probably looking up at the ceiling pondering things that he could barely see. It's what Tanner did.

"These people, they have a sense of purpose and nature and kindness. I didn't think such a place existed, but I remember talk about planets like this in the Temple. Jedi used to sabbatical in areas where the Living Force was at it's strongest. Like here on Okun. The water, the animals, the sea-plant life. Even your mind is quiet, and that never happens."

Tanner couldn't actually read my mind, but at this point in our lives, linked together so closely, he could feel when my emotions ramped up. He wasn't wrong in his assessment.

"Things are calm. I admit it. Colton clearly knew a lot about this place, it's why he sent us here. Well, he sent me here. You were just required luggage."

That got me a jab in the gut. Damn Jedi kid and his super pointy elbows.

"Fine, fine, you're not luggage. You know what I mean."

This getaway was for me and my anxiety brain, less for Tanner and his inner-peace. But without Tanner, there was no me. Package deal. Attached at the hip. Etc, etc. So, yeah. Luggage. I smiled to myself.

"You're gonna get sea sick tomorrow, aren't you?" He said to me then, knowing the disagreement my stomach often had with the non-stop swaying of a boat on water. I'd gotten better with a little help from a dizzy drug (as I called it) that Quin the healer prescribed.

"I promise not to puke and embarrass you and myself. Swear it. I have my magic dizzy drug with me."

"Don't forget to take it."

"You're so funny, Mouse. Or not. You'll remind me fourteen times, I'm good. You still didn't tell me why you are awake in the middle of the night."

He shrugged. I didn't see it or feel the shrug, but I knew my brother.

"Excited."

Of course he was. "Your brain's in overload, isn't it? After your hours-long chat with the elders tonight, you've got facts on top of information on top of stories and your mind is ready to burst. You're predictable when it comes to well, everything. Just go easy on that Ca'lisq guy tomorrow. He's invited us on his boat to

get a history of their fishing life, not to play a million and one questions."

I got elbowed again. Knew it was coming too, but I was too tired to block or deflect.

"I know. I won't overload him. It's hard to sleep though."

I turned to my side facing him in the darkness. Reaching up, I found his head and annoyed him with a hair ruffle. "Use your snore-worthy breathing exercises. That'll put you out."

"Fine, but only if you do the exercise with me."

It was easier to humor him than explain yet again how non-exciting I found the world of breathing-for-fun. Plus in my almost zero anxiety time (that I never ever got), probably better that I don't encourage myself to create anxiety where there was none.

So, I surrendered. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll do your boring breathing exercises with you. You knew I couldn't back out of this one, sneaky little brother that you are."

I mussed his hair again then followed his lead. The four-seven-eight breath he called it. Perfect for relaxing and sleep. Inhale for four, hold for seven, exhale forever. All the while, keep your mind from floating around into other thoughts. Fat chance of that happening - with me anyway. Tanner found it exceedingly easy to forget the world around him when needed. It was one of the things for which I envied him. So simple to just let the bad crap go and not think about anything.

But as I said, this place was different. Okun was relaxing. I found the breathing exercise more user friendly this time around. Funny what a less self-riddled chaos in your own mind do for one's mental well being.

—-

I woke up to the sensation of Tanner smacking me in the face with our pillow. My head was no longer on it, and in fact my head was now down by my brother's feet. Apparently, I'd spun around during the night. How the hell had that happened? And why was he whacking me in the face with the pillow? Or whacking me in the face at all?

My arms created a barrier between my face and the whacking.

"Tanner, what is wrong with you?"

"Trying to wake you up, Dash. We're meeting Ca'lisq in an hour. Can't be late."

I sat up, grabbing the pillow and tossed it aside. "There are easier and less painful ways to wake people up, you know."

Tanner and his nondescript brown eyes starred at me. "Painful? Really, Dash? It's a pillow."

I broke the gaze and chewed on my lip for a second.

"Never mind," Tanner finished. "Come on, get up."

"Was I sleeping that hard?" I asked as I swung my legs over the bedside, my mess of black hair hanging past my nose. I was not the most attractive morning person.

"Like a slumbering bantha."

Ah, uh. I knew nothing about the sleeping habits of bantha. Tanner knew that. He shoved clean clothes into my arms.

"Yes, bantha as a species sleep very sound. Like rocks. Dash, there is more to the creatures of the galaxy than just eating them for breakfast."

Hmm. I did have bantha bacon on my mind. A grumbling sound began in my stomach. Great. Now I was hungry for bacon. Although any breakfast would do about now. It was just beginning to show daylight outside and I could smell the goodness in and around the nearby taverns. The same taverns that held host to the post-moonrise gatherings also made some of the most satisfying early morning meals I'd ever eaten. More seaweed, more fish, but transformed into deliciousness that couldn't be mistaken for anything except breakfast.

I followed my nose, dressed and readied for the day quickly enough that we were able to enjoy a short bite before heading to the docks to meet up with Ca'lisq.

"Wonder how well this food travels," I mused, shoveling in a final bite before headed outside. "I'd seriously take a month's load of meals home from here if I could."

"Dash, you're not hoarding food."

"It's less hoarding and more of just being greedy for the good stuff, little brother."

Tanner rolled his eyes at me and said, "You're hopeless."

I smiled. "Yeah, tell me something I don't know."

—-

Ca'lisq greeted us in a manner normal for the Okun people. With a friendly grin and a welcoming gesture. He tossed us our gear, consisting of a life jacket, a pair of bristly gloves, and eye protection. Did I feel a bit ridiculous? Yup. Still, the experience of the day made me forget all about that.

We waited patiently for our host to escort us onto the boat. The Water-Tub, that was it's name. Looked more like a battered wreck to me, but what did I know? Tanner stood next to me, excitedly rubbing his Jedi braid between his thumb and forefinger. Some type of weird soothing habit he had, even if it did only surface periodically. It just meant he was anxious and ready to go - anxious in a positive way, mind you. Not in the nerve-rattling direction that my anxiety usually flowed.

These days, Ca'lisq's boat only worked once or twice a week, mostly he was out to teach the next generation the tricks of the trade. Other times, it was simply to maintain his skills. I shrugged to myself. Made sense to me. The occasional tourist was also part of the routine.

We were out eight hours. I only puked three times, despite my onboard of dizzy-drowsy-drugs. Our host and my brother had a grand old time with my discomfort. By the end of the long shift, I was exhausted, Tanner couldn't stop grinning, and the boat had taken a beating. Well, I thought it had. Ca'lisq called it quite a calm day on the sea. We will just say that Ca'lisq and I had quite the varied definition of what the world calm actually meant.

Nevertheless, it was quite the memorable day. Puking or not, and despite the fatigue, I came off the sea feeling relaxed. Oh, we also stunk horribly. The combination of boga fish, seaweed, salt water and sweat made for an interesting combination. One that I hoped to never smell again.

Ca'lisq docked the boat and we watch three Okun fisherman hurry over to retain his catch. They were young compared to the majority of the sea farer's we'd seen and it was explained that they were of the novice variety. Tyro was the word used. It essentially meant apprentice or learner. The young trained for years at the docks before they were permitted onto a boat for the second tier of training. At some point - whatever age and experience - they were then permitted to pilot their own boats.

It was challenging work, the detailed specifics alone were enough to have tossed me out the door. I had not the patience for the details or the physical power for the toll this life took on one's body. The Okun people though, small in stature as they were… damn they were strong.

Our job now (before bathing to remove the stink) was to follow the Tyro to the sheds. The sheds were where the fish and seaweed were measured and weighed. It was also the area where the Okun's thanked the boga fish for their sacrifice. Was it meant to be a tear jerking occasion?

"Dash, are you crying?" Tanner whispered to me with an elbow nudge to the ribs.

I quickly wiped at my face. "No, I'm not crying. I smell so bad right now, I think it's clogged my tear ducts."

"Clogged ducts would mean no tears, dummy."

"Whatever. I smell bad. And well, this is sorta sad. Isn't it?"

Tanner stopped with his teasing and agreed with me. "It is, but it's honorable. Most societies just devour what the land or sea produces without thought of sacrifice or duty."

That was a little deep for me - it was a fish we were talking about - but I did understand. With Tanner in my life, I was gaining more respect for the world around me and things I'd taken for granted my whole life. The kid was an expert a deep thought. Sure it was annoying at times, but he cared about the mundane. He cared about everything. How few of those type people were there in the galaxy?

So, we watched the grateful farewell gestures to the fish. There was none for the seaweed. Go figure. After that came the slicing and dicing. I kept that thought to myself as the next crew took over. The food preparers, I guess I'd call them. No one gave them a name. They were so precise and careful with their work, handling steel knives as if those tools were another appendage. That prep done, the fish and grasses were tightly bound into chill boxes and sent off to wherever to be distributed to the various shops for tomorrows meals. Fresh. Directly from the sea. Nothing was wasted here, nothing was stored longer than a day or two. Efficiency thy name was Okun.

And that was the end of our day. The moonrise was still ahead, I had to bail on that one though. I figured between the effort and time to get the smell off me and probably falling asleep in the bath, I wasn't much worth company for Tanner. He'd been heading out for the moons, no doubt.

It surprised me when he didn't. Even after we'd both stripped ourselves of the fish odor. Was this my little brother taking pity on me? Keeping his exhausted older sibling company rather than heading off for another calming evening of moonrise's and after-rise drinks? Probably.

"You're not going for the moonrise?" I asked him while we sat together in our tiny Inn room.

"It's been a long day, Dash. I may turn in early."

"If you don't, you'll have to crawl over me to get to your spot on the bed, because this guy is about to fall over. No idea how these people do this day after day. And we only got a half dose - if that. You're not taking pity on me though, are you, Mouse? You really can go to the moonrise. I know how it makes you feel. This whole place, I know how it all makes you feel."

I did, it was crazy how content Okun was for my brother. All that Living Force stuff, it truly put him at ease. Honestly, it kinda did for me too. Didn't want him to lose out. Our time here was winding down.

"Seriously, Tanner, I'm okay with you going. It's not like you and I don't spend practically every waking moment together."

He shrugged. "I know."

No, I got it now. He wasn't taking pity on me, he just felt this was something we should share together. This place. We'd never been here before. We'd probably never be here again. I was exhausted. He was exhausted. But… this wasn't us spending normal time together… this was different. It made us feel different. It made us feel calm and joy and zero stress. For me, that was unheard of. My life was one giant stress ball. Mostly my own fault, of course. Still. It's what I was.

I stole a glance to my brother who was sitting patiently, deep breaths soothing in and out, watching his hands play in his lap.

Damn it.

He wanted to be out there for the moonrise so badly, even if he'd never admit it. For my sake.

I took my own deep breath and squeezed Tanner's shoulder.

"What the hell, we can sleep tomorrow or on the way home. Come on, Mouse, lets head for the piers."

Tanner didn't say anything to me, but the smile on his face spoke volumes. So, out we went. We didn't smell, which was nice, and when we got to the piers… were they waiting for us? Huh. Apparently so. We'd made quite the impression on the locals - in a good way. Probably more Tanner than me. Ca'lisq was there, offering a spot with his group. Family, we learned later. Five generations together. Okun was as much about family as it was about respect and tradition.

The hour-long rise of the twin moons was as spectacular this night as it was before. The bright white against the impossibly dark black-blue was indeed something to behold night after night.

And it was how we finished out our time here these next few days. The same thing - tradition - each evening. Moonrise two hours after dusk, then time at the Taverns with the locals; many now treating us more like friends than tourists.

Our last night on Okun, I made sure Tanner had a prime seat for the moonrise. There was the most gentle of wispy white clouds in the sky that strangely enough created a purple hue around the moons. The locals called it the Orchid Moons. A water-thriving version of the Orchid were the only flowers that grew on Okun. And the Orchid Moons were a rare occurrence, they held ridiculously deep meaning for these people as well. Whatever the reason for the moons color was unknown. There were various legends. It was actually one of the few things the Okun people did not agree on. Not that it caused conflict (it didn't), but everyone had their own story about the purple Orchid Moons.

Ca'lisq, the old fisherman we'd come to know so well shared his thought of legend. That it only happened when the planet experienced a loss. He, in all his weird wisdom, equated that to Tanner and me leaving. And that was odd. We were leaving, but a loss to the planet? That was pushing things a bit.

Well, in my world that was pushing things. Tanner didn't think so. He'd become so connected to Okun, he swore he sensed some unusual shift when the moons ascended with their purple shading.

"Ca'lisq has seen it all, Dash. He's one of the most experienced in this village."

Code for our friend was old as dirt. But since there was no dirt on this planet, well… he was just flat out old. He'd seen and done it all.

"Tanner, we've been here for week. I know you're all connected and things, but the planet is feeling our loss?"

"It's not out of the realm of possibility that a planet can be Force sensitive."

Did he just call this a magic planet? He did, didn't he?

I shook my head. "Yeah, I'm gonna leave you be on that one. I'm all for magic people. I've seen that. Magic planets?"

"Not the planet so much as all that's on it. That's part of the Living Force. It creates something so surrounding and powerful all working together. It's not too much to think that it might regret a suffered loss."

Yup, way over my head and kinda beyond belief really. Who knew though. Did I really? No. Did Tanner? More than me, yes, but he was thirteen with all his Jedi training having stopped at age nine. He was more in touch with the world around him than I was - deeply in touch at times. Did all of that mean planets could feel things?

Too much thinking. It hurt my brain. I swallowed an ale down in two gulps. Tanner's fault with all his intense magic-mind stuff. Sometimes it was way beyond me. Another ale was set on the bar next to me, courtesy of Ca'lisq. I'd caress this one a bit. Two was my limit on ale, unless I was in the process of falling to pieces. Couldn't take any chances of being off my game. We were safe here, though too much ale would have me feeling like garbage the next morning. Nope. We were heading home tomorrow. I'd already had communication with Kebrey who'd be dropping down tomorrow to grab us and go. No time for goodbyes then. Colton's team kept a tight schedule for a variety of reasons, safety topping the list. We had to be prepped to go when his gear hit the landing pad.

I raised a toast to our friends here on Okun. And that tradition was different here than anywhere else I'd seen. You didn't actually raise your glasses into the air and clink them together. Instead, you set the drink in front of you, closed your eyes, lowered your head, said a few words that I didn't understand. Then in unison, heads were lifted, right hands were pressed against your chest near the heart, three soft taps, raise your hand, tap three again, raise and one last time. It was complicated and I'd have suggested written instructions if it wouldn't have insulted them.

See? I do have the ability to not be a complete idiot.

Toast made, I cradled my ale. Tanner downed his favorite fruit drink. We ate, we were merry, we enjoyed every last second of our final evening on Okun.

Custom farewells on Okun were a hell of a lot less complicated than the toast. It consisted of a slow, gentle bow and setting a hand on the heart of the departing. We bid our goodbyes at the end of night at the Tavern and then my brother and I took one last stroll around the piers, the purple-lit moons showing us the way.

—-

"Dash, you think we'll ever come back here?" Tanner pondered as we lay in the stupidly small bed staring up at into the blackness of our room.

I hoped to return here. I doubted it though. Not sure why, just life really. Things tended to happen that way.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Not a lie. I didn't ever lie to my brother. More an honest comment of uncertainty.

"We should try. You haven't been so relaxed in a long time. This place… Colton must've known how this would be for you."

Me and my anxiety. Colton and Tanner were well familiar with it. It concerned them both when it built up so badly inside me. Stick a pin in me and I might explode - or so it can seem at the worst of times. Planet Okun removed all of that in a matter of hours. A week here and I was refreshed and ready for anything. That anxiety would return of course. It was part of my make up. Colton and the healer's had as much said that it's part of my makeup, and that rather than trying to defeat it, it was better to understand it and figure out the best way to live with it. For the most part, I could live with it, just needed a break here and there.

"I definitely feel good here, Mouse. To be in a place where there are no threats or darkness hanging over our heads, it's different. I think I'll miss the full nights of sleep the most."

Tanner snorted. He knew all too well about my sometime challenges with getting an entire night of rest. Between nightmares of my past, anxieties about the future, there were nights when two or three hours of solid rest was the best I could manage. Yup, I'd miss these restful nights the most.

"You know, Dash, there's always meditation. You don't have to be a Force user to benefit from meditation. I'd be glad to help."

He would, stars love him. Tanner would do everything in his power to try and make his big brother feel better. Who knows, maybe one day I'd try another round of that exceedingly boring breathing-for-fun therapy he loves so much. For now, I'd revel in this past week.

"Maybe one day, Mouse. Thanks for looking after me though. We'd better get some sleep. Kebrey is due in first thing in the morning. You know how cranky he gets if we're late."

"He does love his punctuality."

"He loves it more when we respect it. Night, little brother."

"Night, Dash.

Tanner curled onto his right side as he tended to do, his back against my side as I lay staring at the ceiling I couldn't actually see. His relaxed deep breath patten settled quickly; I fell into rhythm with that breath and within minutes I plunged into sleep.

—-

My brother and me, we watched the watery world of Okun as we lifted away from the planet. Secure in our transport (courtesy of Kebrey Pacus), I gained a new respect of the beauty of the planet from above. When we'd first landed, I hadn't known what to expect. All that water and seaweed and fish. It had overloaded our senses within moments of setting down. The people. They were dedicated to respecting their past and maintaining their future. They were hardworking, honest and kind. So far, the Empire had let them be. If there was to be any justice in the galaxy, their peace would remain.

As much as we would miss Okun and it's people, I was looking forward to being home. For all it's trials and tribulations, Terra was the place I loved. It held memories and reminders and family. Sure, not traditional family. Not blood family (not anymore). But family all the same.

Making a point to get back to Okun one day however… that would be a new and welcomed goal.

The people, the planet, the feel. Yeah. We'd definitely have to get back there.


END