Endrali couldn't remember the last time she'd been sick. Truly sick, really sick, the kind you couldn't power through.
Jedi had strong constitutions and ways to nullify disease, and her strong connection to the Force made her even more adept at avoiding 'mundane' illness. Which may have been why it took so long to click.
She thought she was tired from long days with little chance for rest or meditation. Thought the dizziness was from inadvertantly skipping a meal or two. She could remedy both of those after this meeting. While the uptick of discontent had slowed after the events of Umbara, they still popped up. People always wanted to test the powerful, it seemed. What Arcann and Senya learned on Hoth might be important. She needed to pay attention--
"Commander?" Senya's brow was furrowed in concern.
"Sorry." Endrali cleared her throat and rubbed her eyes. "Mind wandered a little."
Now Arcann was looking at her with an expression duplicating his mother's. "Are you alright?"
"Just a little tired, I think," she replied, reaching over to squeeze the edge of his hand. "After we're done and I talk to Lana real quick, I'll take a nap. Promise. What were you saying about the lavaworks?"
The knot in his brow didn't ease, bu Senya accepted the reassurance, speaking of the information saved from the computers, shipment logs for the production, leads to other malcontents.
Brief as the report was, Endrali still struggled to concentrate on it. She was so tired it was making her head feel heavy. Overdid it worse than I thought... she mused, running her hands through her hair as she mulled over the new information. It was sluggish, like that syrup one of the other Padawans had like on his flatcake; thick and reluctant and why was she thinking about that now?
"Alright... if you two want to follow up on these now, you can," she said. She shook her head slightly. "Or if you want to split, take others, I'm sure someone around would help."
Senya nodded, though there was still an edge of concern to her sense. "I'll take care of it, Commander. You... look like you could use that nap."
Endrali sat straighter as she nodded. "After I talk to Lana, I will."
"Endrali..." Arcann lingered, hesitated as his mother left the room. "Are you certain you're alright?"
Another nod, making her head feel sloshy and sluggish again. "Yeah. Just overworked. Promise I'll rest after I talk to Lana." She went to squeeze his hand again, but he twisted so he was holding hers instead.
"You are... quite warm, compared to normal," he informed her, thumb rubbing the heel of her hand.
Part of her smirked at him knowing her baseline temperature, the rest was more interested in protesting the implication. "No, just tired. I'll... I'll be better after rest. I'll talk to Lana and then rest."
"Perhaps resting should come first," Arcann said.
"No, it's fine. It's just talking, Arcann, shouldn't even be a long conversation. I've got this," Endrali insisted. She pushed to her feet.
And the world tipped so sharply, diagonally sideways she would have fallen if he hadn't caught her.
"I think rest should be the priority," Arcann said firmly. One arm went around her shoulder and the other slid behind her knees to scoop her up and settle her against his chest.
The instinctive protest she wasn't a baby died before she voiced it. She was tired, her head was muzzy, and it was nice being cradled like this, she had to admit.
They didn't exchange a word as Arcann carried her to her quarters, even thought Endrali was technically awake. It felt like too much effort for her, and for him... well, she could tell he was worried even without him saying anything.
He set her carefully on the bed--ignoring Opi's protest at being dislodged--and reached to slip off her boots.
Endrali batted his hand away. "I'm tired, not an invalid." She offered a smile that didn't seem to do much allieviating his worry. "I can handle it. Go get some rest or food or whatever. Maybe we can spend some time together after I nap."
Arcann nodded, not looking a smidgeon less concerned, and watched her kick off the boots. "Perhaps we can. Do you... Should I have one of the med techs come check you, just in case?"
If he was worried enough to ask, he wanted the answer to be yes. But that seemed like an ovveraction to her just being a little tired. But she hated how worried he looked...
Endrali sighed and flipped up the covers, snuggling in to her pillow. "If it makes you feel better..." she said, trailing off as Opi curled up next to her with a deep rumbling purr.
Arcann nodded, hesitated, then leaned over to kiss her forehead. The gesture made her all warm inside, but she picked up the fresh pulse of concern to his sense.
"Still warm?" Endrali mumbled.
She was asleep before she heard the answer.
---
When she woke she didn't feel nearly as refreshed as she expected, her head may well have weighed a hundred pounds, and the shadows had shifted to a degree that made her think that nap had wound up longer than intended. The blankets were stifling, she pushed them down--
--and immediately shivered so hard she curled in on herself. Okay, bad idea. Blanket back up.
That was when the other presence in the room registered. "Have you been there the whole time?"
"More or less," Arcann said, leaning forward in his chair to brace elbows on knees. "I spoke to the medical staff and they said to let you sleep and comm when you woke."
"So you just stayed?" There was a croaking edge to her voice she didn't like. Maybe he was right; this was more than exhaustion.
"I have no pressing demands on my time, Endrali," he pointed out. "And... I cannot help but worry."
"I'm sure it's nothing serious," she insisted. "...even if it is more than just exhaustion."
Arcann's brow twitched at her conceding even that much. "I suppose we can find out soon enough."
Endrali didn't have the energy to argue, and her bed was so very comfortable. "Mm."
It only took a few minutes for one of the medstaff to arrive, whether they'd been waiting to the summons or this was a perk of being in charge Endrali was too cotton-brained to wonder. All she cared about was the rangy orange-skinned twi'lek had a decent beside manner without being too chatty and seemed to know wht she was doing.
"Csillan fever," was the diagnosis, somewhat easily obtained between tallying symtpoms and the diagnostic scanner. Far from life-threatening, but a sure way to spend a few days laid up. The only unique thing about this strain, compared to other similar variants, was that being native to Csilla meant it only affected Chiss.
"Where did I pick that up?"!" Endrali croaked, now sitting up with knees tented and Kyber wedged in her lap. "I haven't set foot near Chiss space since I was four, let alone on Csilla." Never mind she didn't know which planet her family had lived on before giving her up--she might never have set foot on Csilla. "When would--" she cut herself off, looking at Arcann. "The defectors."
She saw and sensed the pieces click in his mind. "The only reasonable assumption, I think."
"You think you know the point of contact?" the medtech asked, fiddling with the scanner.
Endrali nodded, which was a bad idea. It made her headd swim. Euch. "A few days, maybe a week ago, we helped some Chiss Imperial defectors move through Coreward space undetected. A couple of them seemed... under the weather, but I marked it up to stress from what they were doing."
"That timeline would match the incubation period," the medtech said, nodding. "Are any of them stil on-base?"
Endrali shook her head--also a bad idea. "I was just helping them move along; the whole reason for defecting was not wanting to fight anymore. They never set foot on Odessen."
"So you're the only one I need to worry aout." It was murmured almost half to herself but Endrali hummed confirmation anyway. "That'll simplify it. Rest in bed, drink plenty and eat if you feel hungry, and there's medication I can send that will help lessen symptoms and generally speed up recovery."
"I like the sound of that," Endrali croaked.
"I'll get that right up," the medtech promised with a sympathetic smile. "Feel better soon, Commander."
"Thank you." it came out more pathetic thn intended, and embarrassment, not illness, heated her face.
The medtech nodded, slipped the scanner back on its belt hook, and left the room.
"See, I told you it wasn't bad," Endrali said, flopping back on the pillow. Kyber croaked protest and butted under her hand. She sluggishly scratched his ear nubs.
"Endrali, it hardly sounds good that you will be ill several days," Arcann said dryly. He moved to sit on the edge of her bed.
"It's not gonna kill me or anything, though," she said, then narrowed her eyes at him. "What are my odds of getting you to stop fussing and go about your business?"
"Extremely low," he replied. "They would be regardless, but knowing you aren't contagious... I have no 'business' beyond doing as you need."
"And if I said I need you to run down one of those leads you and Senya found at the lavaworks more than I need you sitting here to fuss over me?" (though the fussing was nice, she did have to admit.)
Arcann gave her a frustrated look. "Endrali."
"Arcann." She squeezed his hand. "I'm not dying, I'll just be miserable and pouty and prob'ly sleep a lot the next few days. Don't really need a nursemaid for that." Her thumb rubbed the edge of his hand. "I'm down an advisor and there's lots of people who think the galaxy would be better off without the Alliance. It would mean more to me if you help protect it while I can't."
She felt the 'That's not fair' he bit back before giving a deep sigh. "If that is truly what you wish."
"I like your company, it isn't that," she promised. "And I'm glad I can't get you sick. There's just... so much to do, and it's worse with Theron gone, and of course now would be the first time in fiftee-- twenty years I get sick sick--" Her voice wobbled and gave out, which made her sound even more pathetic when she croaked, "I hate not being able to do anything."
Arcann smiled sympathetically and brushed sweat-damp hair from her face. "I'll take care of it."
Endrali squeezed his hand. "Thank you."
He held her hand a moment longer, his thumb rubbing gloriously cool arcs against her skin. "I hope you will be on the road to recovery upon my return."
"Yeah, me too," Endrali mumbled hoarsely, and was drifting to sleep again before he left to room. She would have liked to tell him to be safe.
---
She woke to the sunrise, which was wildly disconcerting to her fevered brain.
Sitting up felt like fighting through tar or slow-setting carbonite or something, but she still did it to look around the room. Opila and Kyber were sleeping on the foot of the bed, there was a squat, square bottle of orangey-green liquid on the nightstand that hadn't been there before--the medicine, she assumed--and a familiar presence radiated from just outside the bedroom.
"Senya?" She was very proud her voice didn't sound half bad.
The woman unfolded herself from her meditative pose and smiled as she entered. "Good to see you truly awake."
Endrali arched her brows. "Truly?"
"You roused enough to drink something a couple times during the evening, but didn't even seem to register I was here."
She wrinkled her nose. "Sorry if I was rude."
Senya shook her head. "Just tired."
"Mm." Se stared at her knees a moment, her thoughts fascinated by the weave of the blanket, then forced it back up. "Did Arcann ask you to sit with me?"
Senya nodded.
"When did he leave?"
"Perhaps an hour or two after you fell asleep. Were you hungry, Commander?" Senya tapped the top of a thermal retention canister. "The kitchens sent up soup, if you'd like some."
She was a bit hungry, in the vague, distant sense of the word. But that could wait; her brain was stuck on a different concern right now.
"Senya? If you're watching me, who's watching his back?"
"Your Trandoshan friend, I believe." Senya smiled. "Qyzen? He said something about protecting the Herald's mate that Arcann was too distracted to catch."
But not you. Endrali wished she could blame the heat of her face on the fever, but was pretty sure this had a different cause. Awfully unfair of the galaxy to throw this at her while she was sick. "Well, distracted's not good," she muttered, trying to make her brain work between illness and embarrassment. "Distracted could get one of them hurt."
"I'm sure they'll be fine, Commander," Senya said reassuringly. "And that he'll be more focused by the time they reach Coruscant."
Coruscant. So that was Captain Kallin, the disillusioned Republic soldier, angry at the Alliance for... reasons she couldn't remember. Not with her head all full of cotton. She eyed the medicine. Maybe a good idea... "I hope so; the Works are a nightmare when you're paying attention, and a deathtrap if you aren't." Qyzen knew what he was doing, even if Arcann was distracted, but that was small comfort. Nothing to be done from here, though. "Do you know what kind of soup....?"
Senya laughed and unscrewed the canister lid. "Something with noodles and not a lot of seasoning. It does smell good, though."
After a small bowl of soup and dose of medicine--which tasted citrus-y but fake--Endrali burrowed back down in the blankets to sleep more. Hopefully she could knock this down quick; she hated not doing her job.
---
Sunset was teasing the sky when next she stirred and found Opi sleeping on top of her. No wonder I'm so hot. She rolled over gently, trying to dislodge the loth-kitten without being rude about it, and looked for Senya. She could sense her--meditating, out on the balcony, and no one else in the room.
That woke her up a bit, and she reached further through the Force, feeling for a pair of presences she knew almost better than her own. She came up empty.
Frowning now, Endrali sat up, feeling briefly guilty about Opi's mroaw of protest at being unseated. "Senya?"
"Yes, Commander?" the words slightly preceded the woman.
"Are they back?"
Senya shook her head. "I haven't heard as much."
"Shouldn't they be? Do you think something went--"
Senya put a hand on her shoulder. "Endrali, it's only a couple hours past best estimate for their time. Even a small complication could add this much. Both my son and your friend are skilled fighters, give it more time before worrying."
Normally that would be much more easily followed advice, but something about being sick was making her anxious. She didn't voice it, just sat picking at the covers and reaching to sense Arcann or Qyzen through the Force. Her concentration was off with being sick, and it was hard to hunt down specific people--especially off-planet--when her head felt three times its normal weight.
She flopped back with a discontented huff and stared at the ceiling, mentally grumbling again about the timing of getting sick. But there wasn't anything she could do, and Senya was right; it hadn't been that long. She should trust them to handle whatever was going on.
---
Endrali dozed fitfully after that, never fully able to drift off but never awake enough to be cognizant of the time. Not until Senya nudged her to eat some more. The soup was still warm, and stars just beginning to sprinkle the edge of the horizon.
"They are returning," Senya said, before she could ask. "Arcann wanted to know how you were doing. They both expressed intent to check on you upon return."
That was... touchng. And promising. They were both alive, and on their way back. Between the update, the soup, and having already done an absurd amount of sleeping, Endrali shifted the pillows to support sitting up and reached for her datapad.
"Not working," she said, sensing a flicker of protest from Senya. "I was only half-done that archaelogical treatise Talos sent me. I wanna finish it."
That earned her a skeptical look.
"This is one of my hobbies," Endrali promised. "Flowers and old things are what I do for fun." And collect lightsaber crystals. "I'm just reading. Did you hear how the mission went?"
Senya hesitated a beat too long answering. "There... were complications, but they're both fine and succeeded in stopping the rogue captain. And like I said, they plan to see you when they return."
"Right, right, I know." Endrali fidgeted with the datapad, only half reading the treatise now that the word 'complications' was in her head. Hurry back, you two."
---
Qyzen made it up to her room first, and it was immediately apparent 'complications' was underselling whatever happened, because he was missing a hand.
Endrali tossed aside the datapad and practically launched herself out of bed, fever or no. "Qyzen--!"
He held up his remaining hand to stop her. [Will regrow, Herald,] he reminded, and that settled her, at least for the moment. Their converation about his hunt in the Kashyyyk Shadowlands was so long ago, she had half-forgotten. [Maybe slow, as am old now,] he amended, examining the stump of his wrist, [but will be well in time.]
""Good." Endrali couldn't help a pang of guilt as she followed his gaze. "How bad was it, for you to lose a hand?!"
Qyzen gave her a measuring look with his good eye, the ones that made her believe he was wiser than he thought himself to be. [Mate Arcann is well] he said, answering the implied question rather than what she'd asked. [Made certain of that.]
The implication of the second half distracted her from clarifying protest about the word at the beginning of the first.
"Made certain," she repeated. "Qyzen, did that" --a nod to his wrist-- "happen protecting Arcann?"
[This from cthon] Qyzen said [large, fierce prey, worth many points. Would have fought anyway.]
So that's a yes. Endrali shifted, pulling her legs up crisscross underneath her. "Well, thank you. For keeping him safe."
[Is owed to Herald.] Qyzen said with a nod. [And not hard; Mate Arcann is mighty warrior, earned many points. See now why you chose.]
Alright, two times, pluse Senya's earlier mentioning of a comment, needed correcting. "Qyzen, he's not my mate. Not in the way you mean it." Super unfair of the universe to make her have this conversation while sick.
Qyzen cocked his head and waited.
Endrali sighed, chewing her lower lip in thought. "He is special to me, and I care about him, deeply, so I appreciate you watching his back as you do mine. But we're...." Another sigh. "Many cultures have a period, whether they call courting or something else, where you find someone special, someone who could be a good mate, and spend time getting closer with them. To be sure the two of you are a good match before you bond." She was making a mess of this, but it wasn't as if the Jedi Order had been big on relationshp advice.
Qyzen was quiet, waiting for her to continue.
Really unfair. "Even though I care about" --love-- "him a lot, we aren't quite that far yet. So, for now, he's just Arcann." She flashed Qyzen a smile. "But he means a lot to me, so, again, thank you for helping him."
[Is great honor, Herald.] Qyzen nodded. [Happy to help.] He paused. [Will let you rest, look pale.]
Endrali wrinkled her nose. Ugh. "Thanks. I'm glad you're alright. Mostly." A last glance at where his hand should be. Won't be sending him out again 'til that heals.
Qyzen bowed and left.
Arcann entered so closely after they must've passed each other in the hall.
"Are you feeling any better?" he asked before the door hd fully losed.
"Maybe a little? I still feel... bleh" --she pulled a face--"but given how much I slept today at least I'm not tired."
"That is good to hear." Arcann strode across the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Your mother took good care of me, and I hear Qyzen took good care of you," Endrali said lightly, though this close she could see the scrapes on his unscarred cheek and further bck, and the hint of medseal peeking out his sleeve.
He nodded. "Yes. He was... quite adamant. He's a fine warrior, your friend."
"Heh, he said the same about you."
A smile twitched his lips. "I'm honored by such praise."
"So what happened, that it took so long and you both got injured?" She had to ask.
"Captain Kallin knew how to use the Works to his advantage and had found... many who agreed with him," Arcann said slowly, parsing his words. "And augmented those forces with droids and tamed beasts."
"Cthon, yes. There's been a bit of an infestation down in the Works for decades," Endrali sai. She pursed her lips. "They're feral, usually, but training them would be smart, even if just enough to attack certain people..."
"I believe that is what he did; the cthons didn't seem to follow any commands beyond attacking us and not his people. The captain... slipped away while we were fighting the biggest of the beasts and we had to pursue him further." Arcan paused, rubbed the back of his neck. "Quite the ferocious warrior in his own right, once cornered."
"People with causes usually are. But you still vanquished him," Endrali said with a smile. She shivered at a breeze and worked her way partially back under the covers.
"We did." Arcann helped her with the blanket. He let his fingers very deliberately brush her forehead as he tucked her hair back. "You, however, still seem to be in the throes of battle with your fever."
"It'll pass," she sighed, closing her eyes briefly and pressing her fingers to the lids. "I'm resting and I'm taking my medicine, and I just... I hate being sick, Arcann. It hasn't happened this seriously in a long, long time. I don't like not being able to help, especially while others are out there getting hurt doing my--"
"You do more than enough," Arcann cut her off, gently. He cradled her jaw, tipped her chin up so she'd look at him. "Let us help."
Let me help.
Endrali sighed, subconsciously leaning into his touch. He was so cool, it felt so good. She was honestly (embarrassingly) tempted to grab his cybernetic hand and hold it to her forehead; she'd bet that would feel even better. "The Alliance is my responsibility." And stars knew how this fever was nothing compared to the crushing weight of the shielded masters.
"Leading it is." Arcann's thumb stroked her cheek. "But I would say protecting it is the duty of all who join."
She wrinkled her nose. "My brain's not working well 'nough to argue," she grumbled. "Much as I want to."
He chuckled, leaning closer to whisper, "Does this mean I win?"
"For now," she conceded, the shift making her fixate on how close they were sitting. How easy it would be to steal a kiss, even though she shouldn't. But she wanted to.
"Endrali..." Arcann murmured, and her gaze locked with his in silent prompting. "Could... I want..." His thumb grazed the edge of her lower lip, hinting at his intent.
Good to know they were on the same wavelength. "We shouldn't, I'm sick."
"I cannot catch it." He leaned closer, their foreheads almost touching.
"I'll taste like fakey citrus medicine," she warned, even as she tilted her chin up. If he was sure of taking the chance, he was going to know all the risks first.
"I believe I can endure," Arcann said with soft amusement, a rough edge creeping in to his voice.
But they were denied the opportunity to test that. The door slid open, the medtech stepping in. Fortunately her attention was on her datapad as she entered, giving them a moment to pull apart before she asked, "How're you feeling, Comm--" She winced, skin going darker orange. "Sorry! I didn't realize you had, um, company."
"It's alright." Arcann stood, "I should let her rest."
Endrali wanted to scream at the unfairness of the interruption's timing, but he was probably right. And the lethargy response to all her company hit as the medtech was checking her over, so she snuggled down in the bed.
She still wished she'd gotten that kiss before he left. So unfair.
One more thing to hate about being sick.
--
the stuff with Qyzen is from his conversations during class story; if you say he's lucky he didn't lose an arm/leg on the Shadowlands hunt, he says Trandoshan limbs grow back. Real fun implication there. AND he says it's rare for Trandoshans to make it past fifty, and he's 32 or 33 in Act 2 of the class story so it's been at least... 8 or 9 years since then.
Oh, look, Endrali enjoying her two favorite things, Arcann and Voss. (though I think she's not paying much attention to the Voss part😏) courtesy of @commander-sarahs-art 🤩🥰💕
Love that I keep writing the aftermath of Crisis on Umbara with everyone except my Theronmancers. XD Endrali/Arcann, ~4k words
---
If she stared at the datapad any longer, she would start seeing double.
Preferring to avoid that--and the headache that would come with it--Endrali tapped a key to mark her place and let the datapad thunk on her desk. She rubbed her eyes with the heel of one hand and stretched. A glance across the room showed both loth-kitten and gizka sleeping on her bed.
Endrali smiled at the sight of them. When she'd aquired Opila from the farm, she'd worried Kyber would object. That concern was clearly unfounded, as the gizka was snoozing away with his head nestled atop his new furry sister. Happy as she was to see them this content together, a nap was not what she needed. She needed some fresh air and a change of scenery.
And she knew exactly where she could find both.
---
An absolutely delicious breeze teased her hair as she stepped out onto her personal landing area. A little gardening to relax and enjoy the day, maybe see if Arcann would help her practice more single-blade, then she would get back to the datawork.
She keyed the code to open the crate with her gardening tools and surveyed the flower beds. Best to check on the saffron first; they were newest and the sunny space attracted weeds more than the shaded beds of snow orchids.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been lost in the task, humming to herself as she uprotted weeds and watered flowers, when she sensed an approach. One that had her smiling and turning toward the door before it opened.
Arcann's focus was elsewhere, his thoughts preoccupied, but both snapped to her with impressive speed. "...Hello."
"Surprised to find me here?" Endrali teased with a giggle as she pushed to her feet with a giggle and approached.
"Surprised to find you," Arcann said dryly. "Your presence has been... sparse the past day or so."
"Yeah, sorry." She wrinkled her nose apologetically. "Lana and Theron had another batch of intel in trying to ferret out the traitor, I wanted to help wade through it while it was fresh. You caught me while taking a break."
"Admirable," he said, reaching to brush a smudge of dirt off her cheek with his thumb. "I'm sure they appreciate the help."
"I dunno, sometimes I think Theron likes having an excuse to be a workaholic," Endrali said glibly. She raked frizzled tendrils of hair back from her face. Her cheek still felt warm where he touched it. "What about you, what have you been up to while deprived of my company?" she teased, leaning against the open gardening crate.
Arcann smiled and shook his head at her playful needling. "Senya... picked up on something out on the wilderness. It was faint, but she felt it bore investigating and did not wish to do so alone, especially considering your... experience."
Endrali shuddered at the reminder of Valkorion's manipulations, that damned cave.... She wondered how he knew about it; if Senya had told him or he'd read a report or... it wasn't really important. "Did you find anything?"
He hesitated a moment, rubbing his jaw. "...Yes and no. There was... an echo. As if at one point there had been a nexus or stronger concentration of Force energy, but it had dissipated before we located it."
"Interesting," she mused, biting her lower lip in thought. "Any sense if it was more dark or light energy?"
He shook his head. "Neutral."
"Hm. Well, if it was faded by the time you found it, I suppose it doesn't matter so much, but it is curious." She cracked her knuckles. "Be interesting to see if there are others..." And if they seem to lean one way or the other... she added silently, oppressive shadows of the cave in her mind. She shook it off, looked up at Arcann. "So if you didn't come out here looking for me, what were you doing?"
He cocked his head toward the meditation circle. "Clearing my thoughts." Something in his eyes softened. "It seems to work better out here."
Endrali's face warmed. "I'm glad it helps. I have a bit more gardening I wanted to do, when we're both done do you want to spar? We haven't had time for a while, and I could use-"
"More single-hilt practice?" Arcann finished with a faint smile.
She nodded. "You're the best one to help with that."
"I appreciate the confidence." He ran his hand over his scalp. "And would enjoy the chance for some time together."
"Excellent," Endrali said, smiliing bright. "No sense wasting time, then." It just increased the chances of something interrupting them.
Arcann just smiled as he headed for the meditation circle, but she could sense his anticipation as well. It bouyed her as she returned to the flower beds. An hour passed, but a very contented one, before she was finished. Endrali's comm chirped as she was putting away the garden tools. She glanced at it and growled softly.
"Yes, I just forgot I have a meeting." Endrali scrubbed her forehead with the heel of one hand. "With Lana and Theron, to talk about leads. Compare notes, so to speak. I'll do that and then meet you in the practice room to spar? Sorry for the delay..."
"It's alright." He smoothed wisps of hair back from her face. "I will await you."
"Thank you for being so understanding." She squeezed his hand. Part of her wanted to kiss him, but she always wanted to kiss him, now. Was that too much for something simple like this? She didn't want to come on too strong, either. Stars, she didn't know how any of this worked.
"Of course." Arcann hesitated, something unsaid burning bright in her sense of him, then gave a small shake of his head. "I'll see you shortly."
Endrali nodded, squeezed his hand again, and headed for the staging area. Theron had taken to working down there; something about being able to more easily access more sources of data. If it made his job easier, she didn't mind where he worked, honestly.
She almost laughed at the deja vu when Lana strolled smugly into the meeting with a time sensitive lead. I have to stop making plans with Arcann around these briefings; it makes them turn into missions, she grumbled to herself as she commed him to apologize about the ten-hours-each-way trip to Umbara. "I hate that this keeps happening."
"It comes with your role. I understand," Arcann assured her. "We can spar on your return."
"Sounds good." She clicked off the comm and found Lana staring at her with one brow arched.
"You spar with Arcann?" Lana asked, tone striving for neutral and falling miserably short.
"You mean you didn't know?" Endrali muttered. The sniping comment was, perhaps, not Good Jedi Behavior, but she was feeling petty and peevish about her plans being interrupted. "He's been helping me get more comfortable wielding a standard single blade lightsaber, in case a situation arises where my dualblade is... unavailable."
"I see." She wondered how hard Lana was working not to voice the Is that wise? burning in her psyche. "Hopefully this won't be too long a delay on your plans, Commander."
"Hopefully," Endrali agreed, strapping in as Theron finished preflgiht for the shuttle and they got underway.
---
Arcann found himself at loose ends with the plans they'd made... disarranged. He wasn't even sure why; sparring would hardly have taken the rest of the day. He would have done other things once they finished, anyway. He flexed his hands as he paced the corridors. Perhaps it was shifting into the mindset for a fight that was then denied. Perhaps it was agitation that he hadn't gone with her, or at least wished her luck, told her to be careful. Not that she needed either of those, but he still thought of Iokath. How close they--he--had come to losing her.
Maybe he needed to hit something.
No, that wouldn't help and he knew it. Better to find some other method of distraction until they returned. With both Lana and Theron assisting her, surely his anxiety was unfounded.
Didn't make it any easier to shake.
"Wow, you seem tense."
Arcann flinched and pivoted jerkily toward the casual comment.
"Jumpy, too," Vette teased, cocking her head.. "You up to somethin'? Can I get in on it?"
"No." He snorted and clasped his hands behind him. "Therein lies my problem, actually."
"Do tell," Vette said, grinning as she pushed off the wall. "I'll walk with you."
He resumed his course to nowhere in particular as he explained the developments that interrupted his and Endrali's plans.
"Bummer," Vette deadpanned, twirling some trinket or other in her hands. He didn't catch what it was before she pocketed it. "That would be quite a fight to watch. You two want a referee?"
Arcann chuckled. "They haven't gotten out of hand before, so I think we'll be alright. But I'll keep the offer in mind."
"So is that why you're all" --she flapped a hand in his general direction--"like this? Not gettin' a fight you expected?"
A rueful smile as he nodded. "That is my theory, yes."
Vette shrugged and made a sympathetic noise. "If I was any good with a vibroblade, I'd offer to stand in. 'Fraid I'm more of a blasters girl, though."
"Thank you for your willingness," Arcann said dryly. "I-I'd just as soon wait for Endrali, anyway," he confessed. He wasn't even sure why, but it felt wrong to consider sharing that activity with anyone else.
"Sure, sure," Vette smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief. She lapsed into squirmy silence as they passed through a more populated area of the base. Once they were back in a deserted hallway, she looked up at him with exaggeratedly feigned casualness. "You two kissed yet?"
Arcann almost choked on his surprise. "Pardon?" It wasn't a denial or deflection; as far as he knew they weren't hiding the recent shift to their relationship, just... not being obnoxious about it.
Vette grinned at catching him so off-guard and skippped a step or two as they turned onto an observational deck. "Oh, your whole mutual pining thing is really cute to watch. 'Specially since I think Endrali thinks she's better at hiding it than she actually is--"
From everyone except me, apparently, Arcann thought dryly.
"An' I know it's complicated with you conquering the galaxy an' tryin' to kill her and all, but you're both my friends, so I gotta wonder if anything happened with it yet, y'know?" She leaned against a rail and waggled her brows at him. "C'mon, you owe me for Denova."
He huffed a surprised laugh at that, even as his gaze flicked to the plasma burn scars curling up her right arm. "You want gossip in exchange for saving my life?"
"Well, yeah," Vette shrugged. "It's more fun than hoping we're in a spot where you'll have to save mine again, right?"
"A good point," he conceded, weighing out his courses. It wasn't merely his 'gossip', after all. But he doubted Endrali would mind Vette knowing. "And yes."
"Ha, I knew it!" Vette crowed, clapping her hands together. "Happy for you, wish you the best, obviously. When was it? When you gave her the armor? That's a big deal kind of present."
"How did you..." On second thought, he wasn't sure he wanted to know how she knew about the armor.
"Please, I'm a snoop, you know that." Vette waved a hand. "Also, who else would give her Zakuulan armor, you know?"
Arcann shrugged in wordless admission of the logic. "I want..." he sighed and stared out over the swaying forests that surrounded the base. "I want to keep her safe. I know she doesn't need it, and that for some time I was the largest threat to her, but now..." he shook his head. "I worry, even when I know I don't need to."
"That's what happens when you're in love," Vette said, as if it was patently obvious or he knew how love worked, "Toss in that you used to be enemies and it makes all kinds of sense that you'd... overcompensate worrying about her."
"Quite wise of you," Arcann chuckled.
"I am pretty wisdomous, aren't I?" She sidled over to elbow him in the ribs for the skeptical look. "Shut up, it's a word."
"I had no intention of arguing otherwise," Arcann said, biting back a smile. Not when you're being such an undeservedly good friend.
"Good. And for the record, I think Endrali would find it sweet you worry about her even when you don't need to."
"I hope you're right," he said ruefully, "I don't see it as a habit I'll break anytime soon." He cut a glance toward the twi'lek. "Though I must admit, coonversing with you has helped make this occasion not so bad."
"That's me, distraction queen," Vette chirped with a triumphant head wiggle. "Lemme think of another topic and I'll keep it up 'til they get back..."
---
Endrali stared at her hands, absently tracing a bruise on the back of one, struggling to wrap her head around what today meant. What it would mean, going forward. She was too blindsided to sort through it, let alone talk about it. Lana was quiet in the cockpit, radiating fury and hurt and probably composing her third contingency plan in her head.
Endrali wanted to linger on the 'hurt' stage a little longer before she tried being pragmatic about it.
Lana docked the shuttle, took a deep breath. "Commander, we need to decide what to do about Theron--"
Endrali held up a hand as she freed herself from the seat restraints with the other. "Lana, I need a few minutes before I can strategize about this."
"I understand the difficulty, but I don't know how much time--"
"I won't be able to react to it until I process it," Endrali cut her off, rubbing her forehead. She hadn't been able to do more than doze on the return flight and the lack of sleep wasn't helping. "I don't want to make a bad call."
Lana opened her mouth, then closed it and nodded. "Very well. I will work on ways to get ahead of this."
"I'll try not to be too long," Endrali said. "This is just... a lot."
Endrali raked one hand through her hair as she left the room. She should go meditate. Even just a little time centering herself would do wonders. But that wasn't where she was headed. She reached out, found a familiar presence, and headed for the training rooms.
"Tell me you didn't wait down here the whole time," she said with wry amusement despite herself.
Arcann started slightly as he turned, then shook his head. "I found other things to occupy myself. I was just... restless, and figured you would want to sleep upon your return."
She gave a humorless laugh. "Small chance of that."
He tensed at her tone. "Did something happen?"
Lana and Hylo had kept a tight lid on developments if even people on Odessen didn't know yet.
Her shoulders slumped, breath rushing out in a sigh. "Arcann, I... Theron.... Theron's the traitor."
Arcann's disbelief rippled through the Force. She couldn't blame him; it didn't sound any less nonsensical to her now than when first confronted by the news. He studied her silently, then, "What can I do?"
Endrali wilted at the gentle offer, the concern she sensed from him, and then pulled herself back together. "Spar with me? It might make me a bad Jedi, but I think that will help me more than meditation."
Protest rose in his eyes--she was tired, she wasn't thinking straight, neither was good for this--but Arcann nodded. "As you wish."
She fixed her hair back as he retrieved a pair of single hilt blades. She was grateful he hadn't fought her about it. "Thank you." She took the practice blade and swung it in a paired loop as he stepped back. "Arcann?" Waited for eye contact. "Don't hold back."
His blue eyes flickered; he'd been intending precisely that. But thus called out, he gave a nod of understanding. "Your start, Endrali."
You want this, you begin.
She was more comfortable on offense, anyway.
Endrali lunged forward, feinting left and striking right.
Arcan knew her too well to fall for it, and parried almost effortlessly. "What happened, if I may ask?"
Another humorless laugh spilled out as she deflected his retaliation. "Nothing that makes- sense-" she grunted around her next set of attacks.
He blocked the first, but the second caught his ribs, and she picked up the approval at her landing a hit even in her exhausted and agitated state. Improvement.
She elaborated the event of Umbara as they struck and dodged and danced around the training room. The train, the crystals, the betrayal. 'If this is the price of peace, so be it.'
Arcann frowned as they circled each other, blades held low but ready. "That... doesn't sound like Theron."
"Tell me about it," Endrali panted. She palmed away a trickle of sweat from her temple, noted the dampening at the collar of Arcann's tank top. They were both committed, which was exactly what she wanted. She flourished her blade and closed in again. Made three quick strikes. "He helped found this Alliance, was always the strongest proponent for minimizing losses--"
Arcann blocked her strikes, rolled the last into a hit against her elbow and she yelped.
"--Being alright with however much death it takes to destroy us?" She shook her head, backing off to circle again. "I can't... It doesn't make sense."
"It does seem... out of character," Arcann agreed. He studied her a moment before closing in for attacks of his own. "Though, admittedly, I don't know him nearly as well."
She blocked his strikes, but bruises protested and she cringed backwards, giving ground. Arcann pulled away immediately, studying her with concern furrowing his brow.
"Endrali?" His blade hung at his side. "Are you alright?"
She nodded and took a deep breath. The twinge eased. "Just bruises this time," she promised. Well, bruises and the cut at the back of her neck from leaping through a broken transparisteel viewport. But that was small and under her hair, he didn't need to worry, this wasn't like Iokath--
Which had probably also been Theron.
All of it.
She let her blade hang loosely at her side. "Arcann, how did I miss this? He's my friend, I'm good at... reading people, how did I not pick up anything?!"
"I don't know," Arcann gestured helplessly, bringing his blade back up, "he must have hidden it well."
"No kidding," Endrali muttered, repositioning her own practice saber to be ready. I need to work on defense. "Really well if no one clued in along the way shifting from risking his life defending this place from Vaylin to crashing a train with me on it!"
Arcann froze mid-strike. "He-"
"Remember, just bruises." She tapped her blade to his. "No holding back. You don't need to worry."
"I cannot help it," Arcann retorted, completing the aborted strike. It caught her shoulder; she was getting sloppy. "I only wish to be your shield" --she blocked the swipe at her midriff--"and you are in danger so often." Two blows center mass, quick succession. She blocked but gave ground to do it, and he pressed in. "Even from your friends, it seems. So such worry hardly seems ill-founded."
"That's--" She ducked low under another swing, swept at his ankles, rolled to her feet when he dodged.
"He must know how you operate." Arcann spun a kick and she ducked again. "Why did he not talk to you before resorting to such extremes?"
"That's what I asked!" she laughed bitterly, turning a parried blow into a strike at his ribs. She pulled back and they circled again. "He said I would've... stopped him...."
A thought niggled, and she barely snapped out of it in time to block Arcann's next attack, but a spark connected in her tired brain as their blades clashed. 'I knew you'd try to talk me down.'
A theory built rapidly as she dodged and struck, founded on nothing much beyond hope and phrasing.
'I wanted to tell you, but....' Those were not the words of a man hell bent on destruction, or her death. for that matter.
What if... "What if he wasn't?" she thought aloud.
"Wasn't what?" Arcann grunted, stepping back a pace as he blocked her attack.
"Trying to kill me." Her strikes came in rapid succession as she added pieces. Shot out the window. Warned us what was coming. The delay of the explosion.
"Then what was- he- doing-?" Arcann countered her words as he did her blows, though he gave ground for each.
"I don't know," Endrali admitted. "Yet. But flying solo to do something reckless for a good cause seems much more like Theron than being comfortable with triggering scores of deaths." That would also explain not sensing anything wrong. Arcann retreated another step and she pressed in. She almost had him to the wall now, maybe she could finish this--
Arcann parried and pivoted at the last second, reversing their positions to pin her against the wall, his cybernetic arm trapping her blade to the durasteel. "That is... very little evidence for taking such a big risk."
"I've worked with less," Endrali panted, leaning into the wall's support and holding his gaze, ruby locked with blue. She rested one hand on his chest, his heartbeat pound under her touch. "I was right about you," she said softly, "trust that I'm right about him."
"A fair point," Arcann murmured. Several emotions flashed through him, and he gently tucked a sweat-damp tendril of blue hair behind her ear, touch lingering on her cheek, over the scar he'd given her. "I don't want anything to happen to you..."
"Trust me, neither do I," she said glibly. "That's why I trust the Force, and my instincts, and my people. And work on rounding out my skills." She wiggled the trapped blade. "This, by the way, wouldn't work with a real lightsaber."
Arcann smirk slightly and flexed the cybernetic fingers. "Cortosis plating. It would work long enough."
Something about the confidence of the words made her bite her lip. "I stand corrected. And defeated," she added wryly, not at all inclined to get out of this position. "I did need this, thank you."
He nodded. "Of course."
When he started to disengage, she darted a hand up to the back of his neck to pull him back in, pushing up on her toes to meet him for a kiss. Her training saber joined Arcann's on the floor with a clatter as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Both of hers circled his neck, equally eager for closeness.
"I am... glad you're alright," Arcann mumbled, breathing hard, when they parted.
Endrali nodded, trying to catch her breath. He always kissed like he was afraid it would be the last time, and this had been no exception. She couldn't say she minded. Truth be told, she'd rather stay here, safely sheltered between him and the wall from the mess waitinng to blow up, and the wild theory she had to run by-
"I told Lana I wouldn't be long," she sighed. Can't avoid responsibility forever.
Arcann nodded and stepped back. "Go. I'm sure I'll see you later."
"Count on it," Endrali promised. she let her hand linger on his arm as she stepped away. "After I sleep."
He chuckled. "Of course. I'll clean up here."
"Thanks for that, too."
Endrali drew and exhaled a long breath as she headed out of the training room. She definitely felt more centered now. She needed to clean up, make sure Kyber and Opila were still getting along, then....
Lana was going to be an even harder sell than Arcann. Not without evidence beyond, essentially, a gut feeling. But that's alright. I don't need her to agree with me. Just to trust me.
And if there was one thing she could do, it was inspire trust.
Two days late return fire, buuuuut if you're still doing the OTP asks, 2, 15 and 40 for Ardrali? (I love the tiny freckly blueberry and her giant awkward boyfriend a lot)
I am always down to talk about my OCs. ALWAYS. Genuinely do not mind delayed return fire. (the tiny freckly blueberry and her bf are very popular lol. Y'all have good taste if I do say so myself)
2. How do they go about solving arguments and what do they usually argue about?
Honestly I don't see them arguing a lot at all? Endrali is such an instinctive peacemaker and so strong in the Force, if she picks up something's bothering Arcann she's gonna talk to him about it and try to fix it before it ever reaches fullblown argument/problem stage.
Arcann, for his part, is so gobsmacked she not only gave him a second chance but fell in love with him that he's pretty on board for anything she wants to do, has her back without question, that sort of thing. (Especially bc she's being so kind to Zakuul) He doesn't really have many (any?) issues with how she does... anything bc of how implicitly he trusts her.
The closest they come, I think, is how he views himself. Endrali bites her tongue HARD every time Arcann refers to himself as a sword/shield/tool/something inanimate for her to use without consideration for his safety or feelings. She doesn't want to push too hard about that just yet for fear he'll shut down rather than talk about it, but she hates that he sees himself as a tool rather than a person. [they do disgree about his redemption; Arcann thinks he's beyond it and Endrali's just like "nooo you got a reset on Voss, you're changed, not saying it'll be easy but you do get to try." He's starting to shift on that, but still skeptical.]
15. What do they do to make each other laugh? Doesn't have to be on purpose either.
Endrali has a terrible sense of humor. Legitamately awful. So bad it's funny again, just not as intended, sometimes.
Half the time Arcann interacts with either of her loth-cats, it makes Endrali giggle, largely bc Opi loves to attack his boots for some reason. So she gets to see her big beefy boyfriend scold a fuzzball he can hold in one hand about "I thought we discussed this, do you want me to step on you...?"*Opi does it again* and it's really cute and she loves seeing him relax.
40. What symbols do you associate with your OTP and why?
Lightsaber crystals. Bc Endrali is a crystal nerd collector enthusiast and after Arcann's lightsaber crystal were broken on Rakata Prime she let him pick from her collection to replace them. It was a pretty big bonding moment in their friendship.
Clasped hands. Bc being offered and accepting help is a big theme in their relationship.
