my pearl of the stars

The man beamed as they approached. “Hello, there! Care to try your hand at the toss?”

“She wants to,” Bix said and pointed at Imogen.

Imogen bristled. “What?” 

“Wonderful!” Even being a few feet from him didn’t change the man’s volume. Bix almost flinched. “Three credits for six throws! Land three balls into the baskets and you win a bier beast! Land all six and you win a puzzle or two bier beasts! Manage to get one ball into the smallest basket at the very top and you automatically win one of the puzzles!” 

Now that Bix got a closer look, she saw that the smallest basket looked barely big enough to hold a single ball and must have been ten feet away at least. The other baskets closer to the edge of the table weren’t much larger and they were all tilted, making Bix certain that if they weren’t thrown at just the right angle then the balls would simply bounce back out. She also got a look at the prizes. Small, somewhat crudely stitched plush animals that represented the long horned beasts of burden on the planet and intricate three dimensional puzzles made from beautifully carved and stained wood. 

“Since I am not a child,” Imogen grumbled. “I will not be partaking.” 

Bix met her hard glare and pouted playfully. “But I want a prize.”

“I could purchase a gift for you at one of the many other stalls.”

“No.” Bix stepped into her space and said her next words slowly and with emphasis as she glanced down at Imogen’s lips. “I want you to win me a prize, Imogen.”

Imogen held her ground for a few long moments before Bix noticed her swallow subtly. Then, much to Bix’s satisfaction, she sighed and reached into her coat’s inner pocket. “This is absurd.”

“You need to learn how to have some harmless fun,” Bix said in a lighthearted tone, but meant it.

Imogen side-eyed her as she passed the vendor the credits and he handed Bix the first three balls. They were solid rubber and had an unexpected weight to them that could only make this challenge more difficult. Bix held one out for Imogen, but abruptly pulled her hand back when she reached for it.

“No cheating,” Bix demanded quietly. She knew Imogen understood what she meant. No Force manipulation. That would be against the spirit of the game and no fun at all. 

Imogen did not complain or agree, she simply smirked at her and took the ball. Then, without breaking eye contact, Imogen casually tossed it towards the baskets. The ball landed perfectly into the smallest one. It hadn’t even grazed the rim.

The vendor gaped at the surprising show of apparent skill, but Bix scoffed. “I said no cheating.”

“Is it cheating if I am inherently talented?” Imogen asked, entirely too cocky.

Bix waited until the vendor stepped away to empty the basket before she leaned in and whispered through a deadpan tone “If your inherent talent is space sorcery, then yes.” 

Imogen made that soft sound at the back of her throat that Bix had come to recognize as her version of a laugh. She loved how it reverberated smooth and low in Imogen’s chest along with the small upturn at the corner of her mouth. “I cannot simply turn it off like a switch, you know. You may as well ask me to stop my heart from beating.”