"not sure," a crimson zabrak snorts, his gaze fixated toward the center of the room, "i'm hoping some titles from their first ep."

the makeshift stage is compact, consisting a drum set, microphone stand, keyboard, a few amps, and a guitar. the zabrak makes note of the model, a powdery blue telecaster plastered with various stickers and slogans.

behind the set is a banner, hand painted for the event. it's slightly uneven, the bottom corners flapping in the wake of constant movement. a patterned rug lays on the floor, anchoring the set, it's once vibrant colors muted from years of dust and dirt.

"cool!” the zabrak to his right blinks, "wait. do they have multiple eps?"

"yes, feral. they just released their fourth," maul's grip on his cup tightens as the crowd shifts, surging a few steps forward as the fog intensifies, drowning out the light.

"and how do you know this?" the figure on his left arches his brow, bringing the cup to his mouth for a swig.

"that's not important savage," the crimson zabrak waves a hand, blood roaring in his ears as the drummer makes her way onto the stage.

the drummer is a mirialan, her cropped hair shifting with every step. it's choppy yet effortless, the style of the cut drawing attention to the intricate jewelry lining her earlobes. diamond-shaped tattoos span across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, an homage to the planet she once called home.

a black compression top clings to her chest, hugging her shoulders and back. distressed jeans hang from her hips, the top tucked neatly into the waistband. she's wearing doc martens tonight, the leather worn and tethered.

as she crosses to the back of the set, the crowd ripples, shouting and chanting. she produces a bright grin, waving as she settles on to her stool. for a moment, the crowd hushes as her foot taps the pedal, sticks clanging against the cymbal.

raising her hands in the air, she taps her sticks together, another figure emerging on to the stage.

this figure is a togruta, satin ribbon stemming from her montrals, woven around her lekku. the hue of the ribbon complements the navy and white of the lekku, the deep plum alluring yet striking. geometric markings dance along her cheeks, trailing up to her forehead.

bending over slightly, she picks up her guitar, slinging it to her shoulder. the strap rests against a vintage graphic tee, the charcoal gray fabric tattered and torn. she taps her foot, donning a pair of matching plum doc martens.

the crowd begins to chant, clapping in rhythm with the bass as it reverberates off the walls. hands reach out, the togruta's lips curling into a smile as fingers fiddle with the knobs. she strums once, the noise level only skyrocketing with every passing second.

"who are those two?"

squeezing his eyes shut, maul exhales.

maybe bringing these two to their first house show wasn't the greatest idea in the world.

clearing his throat, the crimson zabrak cups a hand around his mouth, ensuring that both could hear, "the mirialan's name is barriss. she's their drummer. the togruta's name is ahsoka. she's their lead guitarist."

"you’re on a first name basis with them?”

heat floods into the zabrak’s cheeks as one of the amps crackles, “i mean, not necessarily. i’ve just been—“

“wait,” feral’s head shifts, eyes narrowing, “where is the—“

before he can finish, the crowd erupts.

she saunters in, bearing an utterly dazzling grin.

the beat ensues, ahsoka’s brow furrowing as she begins to strum, fingertips gliding along as the chords progress. the sound echoes, carrying through the space, seeping into every fiber. people start to push, elbowing and making their way through the mass.

golden light dances across her features, amplifying her beauty as she murmurs something undistinguishable to barriss and ahsoka.

tonight, she was wearing a black denim miniskirt, paired with burgundy tights. the cut of the skirt complemented her figure, not too tight but not too loose. a mesh long sleeve is draped across her top half, the sleeves pooling at her wrists.

underneath is a camisole, matching the hue of the skirt and top. the top of leather boots graze her shins, the heel not too chunky but enough to make her presence commanding, slightly taller than her bandmates.

delicate hands wrap around the microphone, the stones of her rings glittering as she leans in.

and the moment her mouth moves, he feels that sensation in his chest, curling around his hearts, blossoming into his ribs.

"we're going to start with a little song called dying star. if you know it, feel free to sing along."

there are a few shouts, a couple of screams. maul's breath hitches in his throat as her eyes flutter closed, the sound of her voice crescendoing as it falls into his ears. it's haunting, laced with a regret that sends a chill slithering down his spine.

"holy shit," he picks out feral's voice, the zabrak's eyes wide with shock, "she's really fucking good!"

"y-yeah," the word comes out strangled, his brain scrambling to formulate a coherent thought, "she is."

as the song continues, his lips follow, the lyrics oh so familiar.

"every road leads back to the wreckage of where you are. you're burning too brightly now, my dying star."

applause thunders, a few whistles cutting through. she takes a step back from the microphone, hand connecting with barriss' for a high-five. ahsoka dips her head, flashing a thumbs up. the room is hazy now, traces of smoke and beer wafting into his nostrils.

reaching for a water bottle, she cracks it open, taking a sip. her head remains level, scanning over the audience, taking it all in. someone screams her name, asking if they can have her number.

stepping forward once again, she cracks a quaint grin, a giggle tumbling out, "who the fuck just asked for my number?"

there are some yells, as well as a few points. however, she just shakes her head, the giggle bubbling into laughter.

"you guys are ridiculous. this next one is called lantern. it's from when the day turns to night. hopefully a few of you know it."

one song after another, they perform. to his pleasant surprise, the setlist was a mix of old and new, containing a variety of tracks from the course of the last couple of years. they even threw in an unreleased title, one that didn't quite make the latest ep.

yet, there was one track in particular that he was hoping they would perform.

just so that he could hear her sing it.

live, in her rawest state, with no heavy production or mixing.

his heart skips a beat as she crosses over to the keyboard, clipping the microphone to the instrument. her foot hovers a pedal, looking back at barriss. ahsoka toys with a peg, correcting the pitch. there's a sharp, piercing noise, which earns a wince. carefully, she plucks the strings again, clicking her tongue in satisfaction once the chords are in tune.

"do bury the hatchet!"

"we want to hear headlights!"

"what about hang the moon?"

"unfortunately we will not be playing any of those tracks," she announces, fighting a smile as a couple of boos ring out, "aww. did i hurt a couple of your guys' feelings? if so, i am so sorry."

"you're forgiven," ahsoka pipes up, earning a chorus of chuckles.

"this track is very near and dear to me. it's a song that called me to songwriting and making music. you may know it. it's pretty popular."

her fingers hover over the keys, and for just a second, maul swears he sees them tremble.

the first notes creep in, the audience captivated, anticipating what was the come.

"how can i decide what's right when you're clouding up my mind. i can't win your losing fight, all the time.

nor could i ever own what's mine, when you're always taking sides. but you won't take away my pride."

the bass begins to thump, ahsoka strumming along, nodding to the beat. with every word, her voice surges with intensity, features winding up tightly with passion as the crowd sings along.

they're slightly off-key, but it's merely white noise.

the only voice he could hear was hers.

the only voice that mattered was hers.

"no, not this time.

not this time."

his knuckles clench, the cup crinkling as she carries into the chorus, the sound nearly enough to make his knees buckle.

"how did we get here?

when i used to know you so well?"

before he knew it, the final verse had come. her head lifts, surveying the audience, trailing to the back of the room. fingers dance over keys, and for a fleeting second, her gaze locks with his.

his throat tightens as she doesn't falter, each word a devastating blow.

"there is something that i see in you.

it might kill me, i want it to be true."

˗ˏˋ⋆. ݁₊˚. ݁⊹₊ ݁. ݁⋆˖˚₊ ݁. ⊹. ࣪ ˖ ✴︎ ˖ ࣪ .⊹ . ݁₊˚˖⋆ ݁. ݁₊⊹ ݁.˚₊ ݁.⋆ˊˎ˗

the band - lore, vibes, & the rise

the lore:

reader met ahsoka and barriss sophomore year, where they were all in the same course together - quickly became friends & bonded over the love of music

reader was introduced to the college band/group scene through barriss - her cousin luminara was in one of the groups comprised of seniors/graduate students at the time

after attending a house show, reader was adamant for several weeks that the three could start a group

barriss was all in, while ahsoka was a little hesitant at first - "i just don't know how many people we'll reach."

"who cares about reach? it's about telling our story." - barriss

then came the conversation of what to name the group - ahsoka was quite fond of "good grief", which was almost the group's name before reader suggested moonbeams

other suggestions at the time were: the shooting stars, limerence, & the dying stars - which later turned into a song title!

after a great debate (aka ahsoka being stubborn for approximately 96 hours) the final name for the group was decided over a joint & a finals study session

thus moonbeams was born!

moonbeams has four released eps:

the long way home

when the day turns to night

shatterpoint

dying star - the most recent release, contains dying star, their most popular song to date

vibes:

"have you ever danced to a song and then realized it was really fucking sad? yeah, that's basically their whole discography."

"if you're having a horrible day, you have to listen to dying star. it'll rip your heart out."

"you know the drive home after a really good hangout with your friends and you get a little nostalgic because you know that you'll never be that happy again? yeah, that's moonbeams."

moonbeams doesn't really have a set genre or subgenre - ahsoka made that abundantly clear at the start.

"we are not going to fit into one box or be checked off under one single category."

lots of inspiration drawn from alternative, indie, & grunge artists/groups

moonbeams definitely has range - covers pop songs from time to time, as well as various country songs (barriss is quite fond of older country)

one of the band's most famous covers is the cover of "decode" by paramore - it is frequently requested at shows/on online forums & social media

popular track titles include: dying star, bury the hatchet, lantern, hang the moon, & headlights

the rise:

moonbeams has a modest following on spotify - approximately 3,405 followers

their monthly listener count is higher, with about 15,000 - 20,000 listeners

they're well-known enough on campus to be recognized by other students

some of their listeners have even made their own merch - printed t-shirts, buttons, etc.

their entire discography is posted on bandcamp, where it can be streamed for free or fans can contribute at their own discretion

a majority of their performances are at house shows, where it is posted through various social media platforms to spread the word

despite their prominence and established identity in the scene, they have yet to headline their own show.

nor have they traveled to other cities & planets

however, they know their moment is going to come

it's only a matter of time now.

reader - the vocalist

year: junior

double major: psychology and sociology

some notes:

plays the piano/keyboard from time to time

the primary songwriter for moonbeams - writes a lot of the lyrics & helps piece together eps, albums, and overarching story that the band wants to tell

the mediator of the group - feels better knowing this is her role as she was concerned barriss and ahsoka would often team up

ahsoka tano — the guitarist

species: togruta 

birthday: september 22nd 

astrological sign: virgo 

height: 5’7’ - 1.70 meters

build: lithe, athletic, toned upper body, enjoys the gym so she's in shape!

year: sophomore 

major: graphic design

physical attributes:

orange complexion with white geometric facial markings

lekku with montrals – navy & white 

large, doe-like, crystalline blue eyes with prominent lashes

style: 

experimental with colors – loves deeper, rich tones like sapphire, emerald, plum, rust, charcoal, and ruby 

often seen in a vintage graphic t-shirt of a band or artist that either everyone loves or no one knows 

will sometimes distress her shirts with scissors, lighters, or any sharp object

go-to pants include distressed denim, where sometimes she will patch holes and tears with her own fabric scraps 

in the colder months, she’ll wear cargo pants with tights underneath, or leggings 

other staples in her closet include her denim jacket – a worn & faded piece that plo used to wear in his college days, accessorized with various patches, buttons, and pins 

loves to accessorize her montrals and lekku as much as possible 

will often weave ribbon around her lekku 

sometimes the ribbon will have little charms on them – from barriss or thrifted pieces 

jewelry includes: stacked rings – she likes to mix metals!, her eyebrow piercing – left brow specifically 

sometimes she’ll wear a necklace – usually shorter chains or chokers so that they don’t get caught on anything or tangle with her guitar strap 

she usually totes around a canvas tote bag or shoves all of her stuff into bariss’ purse 

barriss will grumble but carry the stuff around anyway

personality:

ahsoka is openly warm, often described as, “the hug you never knew you needed” 

she is devastatingly loyal – fiercely protective of both barriss and august

emotionally fluent but not brooding – she doesn’t really prefer to talk about exactly what she’s feeling at the moment. she would rather use humor to cope or process, often being the one to crack jokes when things are depressing or emotionally heavy 

she’s stubborn, but particular on what she’s stubborn about – sometimes barriss lovingly refers to her as the “immovable object” when it comes to making decisions related to the band, setlists, and tracks 

she’s the most detail oriented of the group – selective about album covers, designs for posters, and merch

she enjoys the production side of making music, often requesting re-recordings or samples from various media to be incorporated into the songs

will often fix something or edit it more than 15 times until it satisfies her vision

she's a little bit of a menace - do NOT put her in a room with anakin skywalker. nothing will get done. they will be debating the ethics of beekeeping or spiraling over an emotional edit that they saw on tik tok.

she is a prime instigator - loves matchmaking and teasing others

barriss offee — the drummer

species: mirialan

birthday: august 30th

astrological sign: virgo

height: 5’5” – 1.66 meters 

build: toned as fuck, girlfriend affectionately refers to her as a “muscle mommy”

year: sophomore 

major: anthropology, minor in sociology

physical attributes:

thick, black hair that is currently styled in a layered pixie cut (have you ever seen alice cullen's hair in twilight? yeah. very similar to that)

olive complexion with yellow undertones

has rhombus shaped facial tattoos spanning across bridge of nose onto cheeks – “an homage to the planet she once called home”

beautiful, sapphire blue eyes framed by full, thick lashes

has lots of calluses! (and sometimes blisters from intense practice sessions or shows)

style: 

prefers clean, minimal silhouettes - lots of monochrome outfits, less experimental with color palette than ahsoka

wears a lot of muted colors - black, sage green, lavender, and mauve

will often wear loose, baggy denim for shows (it's more comfortable!) and prefers cargo pants, yoga pants, and straight-leg jeans for every day wear

tops often include: compression/activewear, tank tops, oversized flannels (definitely raided from ahsoka's closet), cardigans, and mock neck blouses

wears jewelry pieces from her travels - a bracelet or cuff from alderaan, a stacked necklace set from pantora, earrings from a local vendor at a farmer's market

prefers to wear silver pieces over gold

loves her docs - has an extensive collection but strays away from the platforms as they can be heavy

nails are always polished but slightly chipped - she often makes ahsoka pick the color and paint them (ahsoka always agrees)

has a matching eyebrow piercing - hers is on her right brow!

both sides of her nose are pierced, and she is considering getting her septum pierced once the fall semester is finished

her bag of choice is a thrifted black leather messenger bag with several pockets & lots of space - after all, she has to carry around her girlfriend's shit from time to time

personality:

shares the same sense of humor as ahsoka - dry, witty, sometimes the punchline doesn't land until you're thinking about it a few hours later and realize... wait... that was actually really funny

like reader, barriss is extremely invested in what emotions the band can invoke through their music - often sees it as storytelling

is the most musically inclined - can play drums, other percussion instruments, some violin, and piano

on that note, barriss has been playing drums since she was seven years old

the foundation of the trio - the classic "mom friend", always sharing schedules via google calendar, plans the birthday parties/key events, keeps snacks in her bag, prefers structured hangouts than spontaneity, keeps track of everyone's spirals, likes, and dislikes (including her own) in a google doc

enjoys reading, bird watching, and going to the gym (she'll usualy listen to podcast or audiobook while running/doing cardio)

insanely crafty - while ahsoka can piece things together cohesively/visually, barriss offers creative insight and can make pretty much anything you ask her to (clay, painting, sewing, she can do it all!)

observant (i mean c'mon... look at what she's studying)

shockingly... she is not the mediator of the group (and neither is ahsoka)

"are you really cryin'?"

your lower lip quivers, vision blurry as the words tumble out.

"y-yes."

you catch the hint of an eye roll starting, yet he takes a half step forward, hands situated on his hips.

he leans forward, face merely millimeters from yours. he was so close that you were sure if you moved then the tip of his would bump into yours.

not that he would mind that.

he would probably enjoy it.

his head tilts, just a few degrees. enough so that his gaze can pick through you.

“what’s got you so worked up love bug?”

you sniffle, instinctively reaching up to wipe away a tear. yet, a gentle hand wraps around your wrist, catching it. a handkerchief, more than likely pick pocketed, dabs at your cheekbone, tenderly blotting away any lingering traces of tears. heat rises into your cheeks at the action, causing you to shrink a little in your stature.

the corner of his lip twitches, forming a smile.

“can’t talk? what’s got your tongue love?”

“i-i just ran into an orphaned youngling in the market. oh han, he was so little! far too young to be alone!”

your statement earns a chuckle, his arms folding across his chest.

“are you sure he was orphan?”

your face falls, jaw dropping.

“han solo! a youngling would never lie about something so terrible! maker, why would you say such a thing?”

“cause,” he shrugs, sauntering over to the cockpit, “we’re stationed at a smuggler’s outpost. shady things happen. people lie. it’s the way of life around here.”

“you truly think that a youngling would lie to me about that?”

he calls back from the enclosed space, voice nearly echoing through the falcon, “depends on how many credits you offered him!”

inhaling sharply, you rise to your feet, marching over to the cockpit. situated into the chair is your lover, feet up against the dashboard, arms raised above his head, hands acting as a cushion. his gaze flickers over to you, the smile now transformed into a full-fledged smirk.

“he got you, didn’t he?”

“i’m not sure what you’re talking about. i simply helped a small child going through a—“

“yeah, yeah,” he waves a hand, patting his lap, “come to daddy. i missed you too.”

your jaw clenches, yet you make your way to the pilot, snuggling into his chest. an arm snakes around you, hand rubbing lazy circles into your back. the other fiddles with some buttons and levers, more than likely entering in the coordinates for the next run.

his mouth connects with your temple, peppering kisses all over. wrinkling your nose, you stick out your tongue. a chuckle rumbles in his chest, flowing from his lips.

“oh sweetheart. look at ya, all riled up over a con artist. your heart was in the right place. you can’t help that you wanna save everyone.”

“i was just trying to help them get some food.”

“i know,” the words are slightly muffled as his mouth travels to your crown, planting another kiss, “it’s cute, love bug. makes me proud.”

“really?”

“really.” he nods, flashing an earnest grin, “really, love bug. i eat that shit up. can’t get enough of your kindness. even if it means you’re a little… sensitive.”

“i am not!”

“are too.” the grin is now a dazzling smile, his voice brimmed with adoration.