#ardrali

---

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.

"Is everything alright?" Arcann asked, joining her.

"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.

Endrali giggled. "I am allowed to do things for fun in between saving the galaxy. And I think it would be more fun if you come with me. Only if you want to," she added hastily, "I don't think it'll be anything exciting--I finally found a flower that'll grow in that bed on the east border of my landing zone, I wanted to go get some."

Arcann pushed to his feet, dropping the datapad on his desk. "I don't need excitement for it to be worth spending time with you."

She'd hoped he felt that way, but it still made something warm ball in her chest to hear him say it. "I was thinking it would actually be nice to do something together where it wasn't exciting, you know?"

Arcann nodded, a chuckle rumbling free, likely at her enthusiasm. "Wise as always. Just give me a few minutes to collect my things."

"Of course." Endrali darted over to kiss him on the cheek. "I'll be waiting on the Cadence."

---

Odessen was a couple hours behind them before he asked, "What flower did you find?"

'Where are we going?' in other words. she appreciated that he trusted her enough for that to be irrelevant before they took off.

"It's a strain of prairie saffron," Endrali began, pulling up her legs to sit crisscross in the pilot's seat, "yellow or dark pink instead of the usual purple. It's good in full sunlight and sandy soil, which that cliff edge has in abundance. It grows in a few places across the galaxy, but is most prevalent on Lothal."

Arcann frowned. "I'm not familiar with that world."

"Few are. It's sparsely settled and there aren't any resources, really, so it tends to get ignored. There's some Jedi ruins there, so it's in our annals, but barely a footnote otherwise." She tipped her head, giving him a look. "They may not even know who we are; it seems the kind of place people settle to have peace and quiet, disconnect from the wider galaxy."

"That would be nice," he murmured, leaning back in his seat to stare at the rippling blue of hyperspace. "And a... notable change."

Endrali hummed. "I'm sure. While my reputation is generally more positive, it'd be nice to have no one know who I am for once." She bit her lip. "This is assuming we even interact with anyone; the Cadence is capable of wilderness landings, and the settlements are few and far between. In theory we could land in the middle of nowhere, collect some flowers, and be on the way without anyone knowing we were here."

Arcann shook his head. "That doesn't sound like you."

"No?" She was very curious how he figured that.

"You like people, for one. And a planet settled like this one"--he indicated the information pulled up on the console--"with large swaths of farmland alternating with the wilderness, you would wish to be sure the flowers you take don't belong to someone."

The words were fond, and Endrali smiled, playing with her hair as she nodded. "How do you know me so well?"

Arcann gave her a look that would have been unreadable were she not sensing his emotions through the Force. "You have been the focus of my thoughts for... quite a while, Endrali."

Even if not all that focus had been positive.

There were times she thought he saw her better than most for that exact reason.

"True," Endrali said softly. "I shouldn't be so surprised." She checked the computer screen. A few more hours until they reached Lothal. "I'm going to go meditate, if you're alright up here?"

He nodded, flicking a glance at the screens.

Endrali unfolded herself and stood, brushing her hand against his arm as she exited the cockpit. "You know where to find me."

She left the cabin door open and tried her best to not poke at his thoughts as she settled in.

---

It was an uneventful journey and landing, though they did surprise the--she suspected volunteer--travel monitor.

"You aren't on my roster." He sounded young.

"It's an impromptu trip," Endrali explained to the comm, hands busy pulling her hair in a braid, clipping on silver bands to secure it.

"Why?"

She couldn't blame his skepticism. "I'm looking for a plant and was told it grows in abundance here."

A long pause, then, "Bay two is the only one big enough for your ship. ...I think."

Not encouraging, but she knew the Cadence like she knew her heartbeat. "Thank you."

Arcann shifted in his seat as she disconnected. "Endrali..."

"I've got it," she said, stretching out with the Force to sense the space. It would be a tight fit.

He sat back in silence, arms crossed over his chest, to watch her. Wasn't doing much to mask his feelings, though, and the raw admiration was almost as distracting as if he'd spoken. It brought that warm feeling back to her chest as she navigated the landing.

It was probably her imagination, but she could almost hear the ship scraping the walls. Leaving was going to be fun.

"Impressive," Arcann commented, pulling on a jacket as they headed down the ramp.

"Thank you. It helps to be extremely familiar with the ship you're piloting."

He shook his head and tucked back a wisp of hair she'd missed. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Tell a well-timed joke," she deadpanned. "Cook. Fix a droid." She interlaced her fingers and stretched. "But that's one of the great things about friends and allies; they cover your weaknesses."

The official who greeted them seemed to have more experience at her job than the traffic monitor. She was pleasant, competent, and very curious what brought them to the planet.

Endrali explained her search for the flowers.

"Ah, yes, prairie saffron. Grows wild all over the place," the woman said with a nod, "but some of the farmers do cultivate it around their fields to keep pests away. You can either pick a direction to travel into the blue yonder and try your luck in the wilderness, or ask one of the farmers if you want a more... cultivated strain. Some, like the Marteens, have bred a hardier, fast pollinating version. In fact, I'd say they're your best bet if you wanted t' ask politely 'stead of just takin'."

"That was my goal," Endrali said with a smile. "Jedi aren't in the habit of stealing."

The official chuckled. "Knowing Ginna Marteen, if you show interest in her passion project, she'll give you as much as you can carry." An arched brow in Arcann's direction as a silent guess at how much that might be.

"Oh, I dunno if I need that much," Endrali laughed. "It's not that big a flowerbed I'm looking to fill." It would be easier to buy some off a farmer than traipsing around the 'blue yonder' looking for viable samples. "Point me in her direction?"

"I surely can." The official told them where to go, where to rent ("Well, borrow, 'less you can convince Skeete to take money.") a speeder and wished them well.

"I think I like this place already," Endrali said as they started walking.

Arcann nodded but didn't comment. There wasn't any strong sense of emotion from his either, so she figured he was just lost in thought and let it be.

It didn't take long to be on their way to the farm. As hinted, "Skeete" was reluctant to take money for a "quick jaunt" in one of his extra speeders; Endrali had to couch it as a deposit they would reclaim upon return. Maybe she could convince him to keep it then.

The Marteens were, of course, surprised to have offworld visitors, but--like the others they'd spoken to--there wasn't so much as a flicker of recognition. As predicted, Ginna lit up with undisguised joy upon hearing why they were there. "Are you a gardener, then?"

"As a hobby," Endrali hedged. She didn't want to give the wrong idea about her skill level. Something flickered in Arcann's sense, protest of her downplaying and she smiled. "But one I quite enjoy."

"As do I," Ginna beamed "I have plenty of the saffron you're talking about in both the natural colors and a line I cultivated that's darker indigo. They're all equally hardy and I have more than enough of all, so feel free t' have your pick."

"Any difference beyond color?" Endrali asked, following as Ginna led the way around the main house.

"The pink are best at repelling insects, I've found," came the unhesitating reply. "She gestured at the further out fields, beds of pink at least a meter wide paralleling most. "Indigo smells the best. More subtle, but still sweet. How big an area were you looking to fill?"

Endrali was briefly distracted from answering when a sandy-brown furball launched itself out of the grass to bat at Arcann's boots, the only part of his usual ensemble he still wore.

Ginna made a hissing noise and waved a shooing hand at the critter. "Sorry, I think one a' the loth-cats 'round here had a litter couple months back; kittens keep poppin' up to cause trouble."

Endrali giggled watching the kitten retreat to a nearby clump of tallgrass to watch them. "No worries." Tython had had its share of curious wildlife, to say nothing of other planets she'd visited. "To answer your question, the bed's about a meter wide by three, three and half long.... Maybe four," she corrected, picturing it in her mind. If these were hardier, maybe they could extend to that far edge...

"Well, as y'see, I have plenty. Help yourself. Rand an' the kids are workin' the fields, I'll let 'em know y'ain't trespassers 'case they see ya."

"Appreciate that," Endrali said with a small laugh. She looked up at Arcann as Ginna made her way back inside. "Any color preference?"

His brow twitched. "These are your flowers, Endrali," he demurred.

Or tried to, she was not easily deterred. "Yes, but you sit out there nearly as much as I do." She playfully flicked the lapel of his jacket, watching the gold accent catch the light. "You deserve a say in what you have for a view."

Arcann shook his head, a small, wry smile tugging his lips. "It's your base, your favorite meditation area, your choice." He tipped her chin up and she could see how fervently he meant it in his eyes. "I will truly not mind whatever you decide."

"Alright, then," she grinned. "I think I'll mostly stick with pink and indigo, to go with the snow orchids. And the ashmantle." She caught his hand as he let it fall, tugging him after her toward one of the raised flower beds.

The pink saffron were a beautiful dusky shade, which would go well with the Alderaanian snow orchids that filled the shady reaches of her personal landing area. Mostly these. Maybe a border of indigo and some yellow for accent...

She borrowed one of the small hoversleds parked nearby, relieved it had built-in transport pots with liners honeycombed across it. This would be perfect, she'd make sure to pay for the liners and return the hoversled to Ginna once the flowers were loaded. For now...

Endrali knelt by the flowerbed. "If I pass them to you, can you settle them in the pots and add some soil to keep them steady?"

Arcann nodded. She could sense his thoughts wandering, but not where they'd landed, as he pulled on gloves and didn't pry.

Instead she started humming quietly as she worked, carefully freeing the flowers and trying to do so in a pattern that wouldn't leave obvious gaps.

Maybe ten minutes into working, there was a tug at her shirt. Endrali twisted at the sensation, catching a familiar furball at play with the trailing edge of her light green top.

Before the loth-kitten realized it had been caught and darted for the tallgrass.

Endrali giggled and turned back to her work, pretending she didn't see the small beast. "We have a new friend, it seems," she murmured when Arcann cocked his head in silent query.

He flicked a glance toward the grass and the corner of his mouth twitched upward. He took her cue and didn't outwardly react any further. "How many of these did you want?"

She was quiet a moment, doing mental calculation of the space she had to fill vs how much room each saffron needed. "Ten pink, six indigo, and maybe four yellow? I'm still deciding about those," she admitted.

Another half-distracted nod, and they returned to comfortable mostly-silence for work. It was nearing fifteen minutes later, and they'd moved on to indigo when the loth-kitten reappeared. This time it batted at plant leaves until losing its balance and tumbling close enough to be distracted by Arcann's boots again.

He indulged it a moment before gently nudging it away with the side of his boot, and it made a mwroup of protest before diving into the saffron bed. The plants wriggled, tracking its progress down the rows.

Endrali smiled watching it go, then scanned over the farmhold. "I wonder how I'd do with a life like this..." It wasn't something she'd ever been destined for, from what she knew.

There was a twinge of something from Arcann. "I'd think it would suit you," he said, after a moment, placing a saffron in one of the segmented pots. "Peace and quiet, making things grow. You'd be happy."

She tipped her head. "Maybe. I like growing flowers. Sustaining crops of sufficient quantity and variety to feed people is another beast entirely." She freed another saffron, passed it over. "And I like being a Jedi." She looked up at him as their hands brushed. "I'm happy where I am, too."

The tips of his ears went pink as he picked up her insinuation. "...I'm glad," he said quietly.

There was just enough space on the hoversled when she finished collecting the indigo saffron for a few of the yellow. Arcann gave her a hand up and Endrali steadied herself against his arm. "Thank you. Over here."

He followed without a word as she skirted the beds of saffron and other flowers, heading for the short, tiered beds that bisected the garden wall and headed up the hill. Those had the highest concentration of yellow, and would be the best place to take from.

She hopped up on the garden wall, eyes twinkling that the move put her on level with Arcann. He smiled faintly at her excitement before looking out over the farm. The distraction she'd been sensing from him all day was still there, churning stronger in the background. He took the flowers as she freed them and handed them over, got them settled properly in the last spaces on the hoversled, but something was there.

So when she was done, Endrali dusted off her hands and caught his eye. "What's on your mind?"

He cocked his head and arched a brow.

"I've sensed it almost since we landed," she elaborated, "something's been... bothering you."

Arcann sighed, gaze out toward the horizon. "You know me far too well." She waited through the silence that followed. "I am... just glad I didn't know of this place until today."

"Ah." She bit her lip. "Arcann?" Waited until he looked at her. "Enjoy it now without dwelling too much on what could have happened."

He nodded, rueful smile tugging the corners of his mouth as he peeled off the gloves and set them on the wall. "You are right, of course."

I have committed enough actual harm without adding potential crimes as well.

"That's not what I meant," Endrali said aloud, hooking a finger in his jacket collar to tug him closer. "It's beautiful here. Enjoy that."

Arcann chuckled, still rueful, and let her move him. "As I said, you are right. This place is beautiful." He pivoted, one hip braced against the wall. "But it has nothing on the way you light up when you are excited."

Caught off guard by the charm, Endrali hummed a giggle. Wait until you see me really excited.

Fortunately--or not, depending on your perspective--Arcann didn't pick up the thought. Just as well, considering where they were. And regardless, he leaned in and claimed her mouth in a kiss she was all too happy to give. His right hand cupped the back of her neck, nestled under her braid, and her fingers curled in the lapels of his jacket. The kiss deepened until it was all she could do not to moan into it.

Maybe he had picked up that thought.

"It's nice being even for that," she said lightly, teasingly, when they parted for air, "I'll have to sit on walls and such more often."

Arcann actually laughed, low and short. "You are just..."

"Enjoying you," Endrali finished for him. "As much as I am the location." She let one hand drift up to curve his jaw. "Thank you for coming along on this excursion."

"Thank you for inviting me," he returned, thumb rubbing soft arcs against her nape (which were driving her just a little crazy). "It was good to have time together uninterrupted by danger."

"Don't say that; something will happen on the way back to the ship," she joked. "I want this to stay a nice day and you're gonna jinx it."

Rather than encourage her teasing, Arcann kissed her again. Apparently he also enjoyed them being the same height for this.

She couldn't blame him, it was a good kiss. So good she missed the tingling of an approach until something thumped onto her back.

Endrali yelped and broke the kiss, one hand instinctively swinging back--

Her fingers brushed fur. "Oh. You."

The loth-kitten chirruped a purr right in her ear.

She shot Arcann an apologetic look before craning her neck until she could see the kitten in her peripheral. "There are easier ways to get attention, you know."

Mrr. Decisive. Once again right in her ear as the kitten settled in draped around her shoulders, tail tickling her jaw.

"I suppose this means we're done," Arcann said, no small amount of amusement on the words, as he stepped back.

"Apparently, for now," Endrali muttered. Back on the ship, however...

It was for the best anyway. Ginna emerged from the house a moment later. Nap perch was a less embarrassing state to be caught in than deeply making out with her boyfriend, on the whole.

"How goes it?" Ginna asked on her approach, a smile catching her lips at the sight of Endrali's new friend.

"All finished," Endrali said, carefully hopping down to not dislodge the kitten. "What do you figure they're worth?"

"For a fellow enthusiast?" Ginna paused, head cocked, and for a minute Endrali worried she'd have to twist the woman's arm over taking credits. "...I would say... hundred even? On the condition you take that little terror with ya." She jerked her chin toward the loth-kitten. "She's more trouble than she's worth."

Endrali grinned. "Sure you don't need her for rodent hunting?"

"Oh, we got plenty." Ginna waved a hand. "There's several of the cats, an' like I said; I think at least one had a litter. We can spare one, since she seems to have bonded."

Endrali's face hurt she was smiling so wide as she transferred the credits. The kitten stayed asleep as she and Arcann shifted the pallets of flowers into the speeder's storage compartment, but stirred as they said farewells.

"D'you mind driving for the way back?" Endrali asked, hands full of loth-kitten.

"Not at all," Arcann said with a small shake of his head. He watched her perch in the passenger seat, new pet curled in her lap, before starting the speeder. "Do you have a name in mind?"

"Have to think about it a bit." She bit her lip. "Hope she gets along with Kyber..."

"If she does not, I'm sure you can work things out between them; you've a way of inspiring cooperation."

She giggled, yelped as the kitten slipped her lap to explore the footwell. "Sentients are a little different than pets, Arcann."

"Regardless, I have faith in you," Arcann said, definite amusement in his voice, watching her attempt to recapture the kitten.

She finally succeeded, holding the little troublemaker at eye level. "You stay in my lap while we're moving or we might crash."

Mrroowww.

"No, it's not up for discussion. You can explore the Cadence when we get there. Here you sit with me."

Mrrrr. The kitten kneaded her lap a couple times and settled in, apparently satisfied with being pet in lieu of exploration for the time being.

Despite Endrali's earlier joking, the ride was uneventful. The kitten curled herself around Endrali's shoulders again as they unloaded the flowers, which Arcann saw to getting aboard the ship while Endrali returned the speeder.

She didn't have much better luck talking Skeete into keeping the deposit than she had trying to pay for borrowing it in the first place. "Just keep enough to pay for fuel," was finally met with grudging acceptance and she headed back with her head high at even the partial victory.

Everything was ready. Arcann had even started the preflight, which beeped completion just as she reached the cockpit.

"Good timing," she slimed, setting the kitten in the floor. She immediately attacked Arcann's boots again.

He bit back a smile and didn't shift away from the assault. "Given the tight confines, I thought it better if you pilot, but I could at least help."

"Don't want to risk scratching my ship?" she teased as she strapped in. "Grab her, please?"

Arcann shrugged. "I figure you know it far better than I." He bent and scooped up the kitten, who mewed indignantly--even moreso when her claws did nothing to his cybernetic hand.

With all occupants safely secure, Endrali set about very carefully maneuvering the Cadence out of the hanger. It did take a good measure of focus and familiarity to avoid the walls, but they made it free without scraping paint.

Arcann released the kitten as Endrali punched in the coordinates to return to Odessen. The furball went rocketing toward the comm room. Given there was nothing easy to destroy in there, Endrali simply turned in her seat to keep an eye out, rather than follow.

"A very fruitful trip for you," Arcann commented, watching her watch the kitten.

"Hm? Yes, I guess it was," she said, running one hand over the silver bands securing her braid. "New flowers, new pet, and--best of all--time with you." She grinned. "I told you I'd find some that didn't involve peril."

"Indeed you did," Arcann said, glancing toward the comm room as something clattered. "I didn't expect you to make good on that quite so quickly."

Endrali shrugged. "I've been in leadership positions long enough to know when you get a chance for a breather, you take it." she twirled a loose bit of hair around her finger. "Hopefully there will be more."

"Do not feel obligated to spend them all with me."

Endrali huffed a laugh. You say that like it's not my favorite thing to do with them. "Oh, I don't. I just happen to enjoy your company quite a bit, you know."

Arcann gave her a look swirling with several emotions. "I do."

"And you enjoy mine, right?"

"Very much."

"Well, there you go-" Any further explanation was curtailed by a loud clatter that had both of them pushing out of their seats to investigate. "I better name her quick just so we have something to call her when she gets in trouble."

Arcann chuckled, and the two moved in well-practiced tandem to corral the sandy-furred troublemaker.

Despite the new mess to clean up--how had she gotten in the storage locker?--Endrali was still overwhelmingly happy with how today had gone and hoped Arcann could tell how much she'd enjoyed spending it with him.