The debrief went over smoother than she had expected as everyone had listened calmly and intently. Rusk expressed reservations about working too closely with the sith, but he recognized that it was the best chance they had to take out the traitors. Iris also couldn't miss the interest in Scourge's eyes when she mentioned the new Wrath. She stayed in the conference room after she dismissed everyone so she could speak with Scourge.
"A new Wrath?" Scourge mentioned with laugh. "I didn't think I would be replaced so soon. What do you know about her?"
"She's cunning and powerful, but she's got wit," Iris replied as she sat at the table. Scourge stood on the other side with his hands behind his back. "She's also a pureblood sith."
"Interesting that there's a new Wrath, but not a new emperor," he continued.
"I'm guessing that you would also like to meet this sith," she sighed. Scourge shrugged as he stared at her.
"Eventually, I would like to meet my replacement. She doesn't sound like she embodies the sith code, though."
"That's not for me to say."
"Excellent point. What do you make of her?"
"She's an excellent fighter and quick on her feet. She doesn't seem to take the situation seriously all the time, though. She would crack jokes while we were in the middle of a fight," Iris mentioned as she leaned back.
"That is interesting. And she made no attempt on your life?"
"None whatsoever. I don't think we would have come out of the building unscathed if I had been threatened."
"Very interesting," Scourge nodded. "I would very much like to meet this new Wrath, but I will wait until your medic has assessed her. He was talking under his breath again."
"I hope that he hasn't been bothering you," Iris offered as he shook his head.
"He says nothing that I don't already know," Scourge replied before he left the room. Iris watched as his cape fluttered out of sight before she groaned under her breath. She wondered if she should speak with Doc about how Scourge seemed to have super hearing, but then she thought against it.
Iris left the room to find Rusk at his usual post by the door, and she nodded towards him. He saluted before he relaxed slightly. She walked to the bridge and sat in the navigator's chair. She watched as the blue swirl of hyperspace enveloped them. They were on their way to Coruscant to continue their relaxation plans before they were interrupted by more galactic chaos.
Kira had made plans at a high-end spa to take up her entire vacation, and she had made clear that she had no intention of cancelling it unless it was a dire emergency. Rusk was going to take some time to catch up with a few of his army buddies, and Teeseven wanted to explore more of the planet. Scourge had no intention of leaving the ship, and Doc said that he had some plans to meet with a few colleagues and old friends. She was the only one who wasn't sure what to do with her time.
Although she wished Scourge would relax just a little, but she knew that there weren't many pureblooded sith people in the Republic. She wasn't even sure if she had even met one until Praven had found himself a place in the jedi. It would be possible for Scourge to make a home here. At least, if that was what he wanted. Iris never really knew what the sith was thinking.
She stood from her seat on the bridge and turned to walk back into her room. They were still a few hours from Coruscant, and Iris didn't want to sit in that uncomfortable chair any longer. She closed her door behind her and threw her robes on the desk. She grabbed her datapad from the bed and sat under the covers. She flipped through news articles and tabloids, reading about her misadventures in love and war.
Hours passed and Iris jumped awake, not sure when she had fallen asleep. She found the device beside her, and she rubbed her eyes. Vacation sounded better by the moment, and she wished that it would actually run its course. She needed rest, and more than just a couple of hours of sleep between missions and flights. While her ship had become her home, Iris had started to think about finding a more permanent place to live. She could have her own bedroom and a guest room for Kira. She could have a real kitchen and a space to entertain.
Iris crawled out of her bed and grabbed a new set of robes from her wardrobe. It wasn't any use to try to fantasize about such things before they could come to fruition. The war alone would keep her from having enough time to find a place of her own. She fixed her headband before she walked back to the bridge. Kira was already there and had started the landing cycle.
"Just in time," she smiled as she flew into the spaceport hangar. Iris smiled as her friend lowered the ship into the bay. The crew gathered by the ramp, eager to start their relaxation. Scourge remained in his room, but the others quickly departed as the ship ramp lowered. Iris walked over to the spaceport crew and gave them the rundown.
Iris walked towards the old Jedi Enclave. She had heard rumors that it was being rebuilt to house the Jedi Council again, and she would love to see the progress of it. She paused at the shuttle bay, remembering what Doc had suggested a few days ago. He grew concerned that she had let her jedi lifestyle take over who she was, and she should do some normal people activities. When she asked him what he meant by activities, he shrugged and couldn't offer an answer.
With a sigh, she went over to a bench and pulled out her datapad. Maybe she could find something on the holonet that she could do that classified as normal. After all, this was her first time ever being on her own since she was a padawan.
Eventually, Iris decided that she could go clothes shopping. She had left her large cloak on the ship, but her clothes still gave away the fact that she was a jedi. The jedi had a strict dress code when they were on duty, but Iris didn't have anything for when she was off duty.
She traveled to the shopping district and went into the first boutique that she found. Iris hoped that it wouldn't be too obvious that she hadn't gone shopping before. She wandered around the store, glancing at different outfits. She stopped when a beige dress caught her eye.
Iris pulled the garment from the rack and looked it over. She was sure that Doc would comment on how plain the fabric was, but she did know she looked fantastic in the neutral color. She ran her hand through the dress, amazed at the softness of the cloth as well as how it draped off the hanger.
"Would you like to try it on?" a woman asked. Iris turned around to find a zabrak woman smiling at her.
"Oh, yes please," Iris answered. The shopkeeper gestured for her to follow as she guided Iris towards the dressing room.
"I'll be right at the desk if you have any questions," the woman explained after she unlocked the door. Iris bowed her head and said thanks before entering the small space.
She closed the door and turned to see the large mirror in front of her. Iris was sure that she had never seen a mirror this size in such a mundane setting before. Although it made sense if you wanted to see what you looked like in the clothes you hoped to buy.
Iris quickly disrobed and put on the dress. It was fancier than she had expected it to be. It hung off her shoulders and showed off her arms. There was a slight sinching at the waist, giving her a flattering figure. She blinked at her reflection, hardly believing that she was the same person she saw in the mirror.
After gathering herself again, Iris changed back into her own robes and took the dress to the desk. The shopkeeper smiled up at her, ringing up the dress and carefully folding it into a bag. Iris happily paid her and thanked the shopkeeper.
"Please come again," the woman called out as Iris left the boutique.
Excited by the purchase of the dress, Iris walked around the shopping district. She bought a couple of accessories as well as a good pair of fancy shoes that matched the dress. Once she had her outfit put together, she decided to return to the ship. While jedi didn't need worldly possessions, Iris convinced herself that it was important to have a formal outfit in case she was invited to a state dinner or something. Of course, there was a good chance the jedi order would have her wear her robes, Iris thought it would be better to be safe than sorry.
Once aboard, she went straight to her room and changed into her new outfit. She completed the dress with a few bracelets, a new headband, and her formal shoes. As Iris looked in the mirror, she was shocked again that she was the one in the mirror.
In another life, if she hadn't been touched by the Force, she wondered if she would live a life where she would wear things like this all the time. She never knew who her parents were, and she wondered who they were. She knew that she shouldn't think about the past, but she couldn't help but be curious. Were her parents wealthy? Were they politicians? Doctors? Or were they honest folk, owning a small farm in the Outer Rim. There was a good chance she would never know. For now, she could pretend to be a politician's daughter getting ready for her first party in the comfort of her own room.
Iris walked into the cockpit and sat down, watching as the hanger crew worked around the ship. She wondered if she should go out by herself, maybe go somewhere fancy and get dinner. Did people go to dinner alone? Maybe she should visit a cantina. There was one near the Senate Tower that seemed a little classier than the other ones she had been to.
Of course, she was aware of how dangerous it could be for a woman of her age to be out by herself. She hid her saber within the drapery of the dress, concealed from the outer world. Plus, she had been in more dangerous positions than drinking alone at a bar.
When she had arrived at the cantina, it wasn't too crowded. There wasn't a line to get in, but there were a good number of patrons having a good time. She walked up to the counter and ordered a quick cocktail. With her drink in hand, she walked to an empty booth and enjoyed the atmosphere. It was chaotic, but she could feel the positive energy in the cantina.
"Well, I never expected to see you here," a familiar voice laughed before Iris watched Captain Mara Lumin slide into the booth. The jedi smiled at the smuggler, glad to see a familiar face again. The captain had already been enjoying the bar's concoctions as she gently swayed in her seat. "What brings a lovely jedi like you down to a cantina like this?"
"Just looking to experience something knew, I suppose," Iris smiled, swirling her cocktail.
"So, you're not on duty? I've never seen a jedi off duty," Mara commented.
"It's been a long time coming, I think. I haven't had a moment to myself since I became a jedi knight. It's nice to have the break," the jedi admitted, taking a sip. Mara hummed with a grin. "Are you here on business? I would have thought that you would find a more exciting cantina to hang out in."
"You are a clever jedi, aren't you?" Mara laughed before she nodded. "Some of my crew have a few meetings planetside, but I didn't need to be involved with those meetings. So, I came to the closest cantina to the ship hanger."
"So just making a pitstop?"
"Exactly," Mara smiled. "So, how's the vacation going so far?"
"I've enjoyed myself so far. I bought a new outfit," Iris informed, gesturing towards the dress. Mara checked her out, smiling.
"It's very flattering on you, master jedi. I didn't think jedi splurged on such things."
"It's a one-time thing. I just needed an outfit in case I needed to attend something more formal. I thought I would give it a test run."
"It's a good choice," Mara grinned, glancing over the dress. "You clean up nice."
"Thank you," Iris smiled, feeling her cheeks grow warm. Mara hummed, leaning on her hand with her elbow resting on the table.
"Are you doing anything after this?"
"Just returning back to my ship," Iris shrugged as Mara moved her other hand to the middle of the table, drawing circles with her finger.
"Why don't you come over to my ship instead? I can show you another new experience," Mara suggested, batting her eyes. Iris smiled, holding her drink.
"While that is very tempting, Mara, I'm afraid I have to decline," Iris informed. Mara nodded, retracting her hand. "Jedi aren't supposed to form attachments."
"I understand," the captain replied before pulling out her communicator. "This is my frequency if you change your mind. We're not leaving until the day after tomorrow, so feel free to reach out."
"I… I will keep that in mind," Iris smiled, recording the frequency. Mara went to stand, reaching for Iris's hand. When Iris didn't pull her hand away, Mara kissed her knuckles before returning her hand.
"I'll look forward to hearing from you, Iris," Mara informed with a sly grin. Iris swallowed as her cheeks grew warm again.
The jedi watched as Mara walked out of the cantina, swinging her hips as she knew Iris would watch her leave. Iris tore her eyes from Mara's backside as she stared at the empty seat across from her, bringing her drink to her lips.
Iris thought of Mara's words as she thought about her offer. With what she had seen and read about the smuggler, there was a good chance that it would just be an evening of fun. The smuggler didn't give the idea that this would be more than a one-night occurrence, which meant that attachment wouldn't be considered by Mara.
Iris finished her drink before she walked back to the spaceport. It was a long enough walk where she could think about what she wanted and consider what it meant to the jedi code. Iris even thought to message Kira about her opinion, but she decided against it. It would be an awkward conversation, and she would be interrupting Kira's spa time.
With a sigh, she leaned against a wall in the spaceport. She hadn't gotten all the way to her ship before her decision had been made. Gathering her courage, she called Mara's frequency, hoping to appear somewhat sultry in the holo when she answered.
"I had hoped you would call," Mara smirked as Iris turned her head to the side.
"So, which hanger is your ship in?"
