Private Catching Up

[Ara Sheridan]

Coruscant | Jedi Temple
Afternoon | Sunny
Tag: Iris Arani

---

Toiling away in the training yards, Ara was focusing hard on her other forms of combat. If she wanted to have any hope of being a half decent Jedi, she had to at least be competent with the others. But training held another advantage that she used to her benefit whenever she could. Meditation. Ever since Master Valery introduced her to the idea, she had begun to use her training for both exercise and meditation, to focus on things she didn't get around to throughout the rest of the day.

But now there was only one revelation she had come to: she hadn't gotten around to hanging out with Iris in quite a while. It was one of the unfortunate realities they faced as Jedi, that friendships would likely be strained and inadvertently become secondary simply due to their duties. She didn't want to let that happen between her and her best friend, not as long as she could do something about it.

Which was why she immediately ceased her training, grabbed a towel and disengaged her lightsaber when she felt Iris' presence draw closer. Wiping sweat off her brow and adjusting her jumpsuit, she jogged over to the Jedi Knight with a beaming smile. "Look who decided to come visit, huh?!" She spoke up as she wrap an arm around to hug Iris close. "Haven't seen you around in ages! Congrats on the promotion, by the way!" She immediately continued, not even daring to miss the chance. She still felt guilty about not being able to attend Iris' knighthood, despite the situation being outside of her control.

"You hungry? Let's go get lunch. My treat." She suggested with a nudge as she turned to lead the way. "How have you been? We haven't had a chance to really talk in months." She asked with a heavy breath as she slung the towel around the back of her neck.

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris let out a heavy sigh as she slipped off the prosthetic pinky she had. Another mission complete, time to unwind at the temple. Process the fact she'd taken Zoar on as her Padawan because of the fact he'd figured out who she was. And, well. They worked well together. Why not take him on as a Padawan? She was so in her own head about it all she just about jumped out of her skin as Ara hugged her.

"A.. Ara! Uh. Hey! I uh." She stuffed that prosthetic away.

"Uh. Sure! Lunch. Lunch sounds good, yeah. I've been.. I've been pretty busy, yeah. How've you been?"

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara couldn't help but snicker at Iris' startled reaction. "Caught you at a bad time, huh?" She joked as they walked through the hallways. "Also dig the cybernetic." She continued, nodding to Iris' pocket. She had a suspicion what that was for, but didn't want to bring it up just yet.

Upon being asked how she was doing, Ara let out a heavy sigh. "Karkin' busy as hell. Hangar work ain't letting up and I've been putting a lot of time into my training. Been hitting the gym area a bit, apparently heaving engines and equipment around all day ain't enough hard work. Luckily I got Silas helping me out." She explained with a roll of her eyes. "But at the same time, it's been going good. Me and Silas are cool now, so that's another name off the list. Also had a run in with this super skittish padawan the other day, that was an entertaining situation. Dude's name is Zoar. Dunno if you've seen him around by any chance?" She continued with a bright smile.

Eventually they reached the burger stall outside the temple, where Ara ordered the usual she and Iris always got. "Is everything okay? I mean, other than just being busy. You look like you've been through the ringer lately." She asked her friend more gently as she sat by a table.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"Wha- huh? Oh. Uh. Just trying it out. Doesn't feel right though." Too many people were already in the know about the whole Shadow thing. Couldn't just tell everyone, right? Then again, Ara wasn't just anyone. Her frown settled after a second. Change of subject was good. She made up with Silas? And they were working out together? Iris gave her a sympathetic smile.

Valery drills were no joke. And she severely doubted Silas was taking it easy on her.

"Zoar? Yeah, I know Zoar. He's my Padawan." Wait. Was he Iris's Padawan or Aurorae's? Crap. She let out a nervous sound before glancing towards her hand. Mostly to keep her attention somewhere else and avoid crossing anymore streams. She was more tired than she expected.

"Yeah, just, there's a lot to be done, y'know? The Maw, the Empire, everything else going on. Lots to pay attention to."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

A bright smile settled in as Iris mentioned that Zoar was none other than her padawan. "Hot damn, dude! Barely a knight for a few months and you already got a paddie? You're on a roll." She wrapped an arm around Iris for a tight hug as she spoke. She was genuinely happy for her friend. Hearing that she was now an actual Jedi Knight was something that felt surreal at one point, but that was what they signed up for.

Reaching one's goals and dreams was always something to celebrate. Though a significant weight of guilt still hung over Ara's shoulders over the whole promotion. She missed her best friend's, practically her sister's, knighthood. Even if it was out of her control, that wasn't something she could make up for.

Lighting a cigarette, Ara snapped back to reality as Iris commented on her duties. The Zabrak's gaze lingered as she nodded slowly, understanding where she was coming from. "I feel ya. Can see it on you too. Don't burn yourself out, even the best deserve a break now and then." She spoke gently as she watched Iris, though a light suddenly came on upstairs.

"Hey! Speaking of which, I got a week off from hangar work, mandatory leave, and everything else is also up to date. How's about we kark off and go let off some steam somewhere? Can book us a spot on Rishi or Lothal or somewhere." She suggested with a beaming grin, slipping away to grab their meals from the stall.

It didn't take any longer than a few seconds for Ara to tear into her meal. "I can bring my pod along too! Definitely bringing another surprise as well, I think you'll dig it." A mischievous look adorned Ara's features as she watched her friend. It was a very recent surprise, but something she kept to herself.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"Actually, he's my second."

Zak Dymo being her first. He was off in some remedial lessons. Turned out pranking some of the other masters was a quick way to get in trouble and even she couldn't stop him from being pulled to community service. Ah well. Though. She frowned. Stared at Ara. She listened to everything the Zabrak said before just reaching up and plucking the cig right from her lips. Dropped it. Stamped it out.

"Racing on Lothal sounds nice. You been there recently?" And moved on from what she'd done as if it wasn't anything important.

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara blinked when the cigarette was plucked from her lips and crushed beneath Iris' boot. She didn't even get annoyed, merely giving Iris a guilty smile. She wanted to quit, Iris knew that too... but explaining her bad habit wasn't going to sail easily.

"Never been there, actually. Heard a lot about it, though. Massive grass fields, wide open plains, some old Jedi temple ruins somewhere... sounds like a real nice place." She admitted with a dreamy glimmer in her eyes. "I mean... you know me. Wide open spaces for the Arrow and some beautiful nature... that's enough to make me fly over the moon." She shrugged, popping a few more fries into her mouth.

She let Iris think it over a little bit more before breaking the silence once again. "So? Want me to make some calls, get us set up to fly this weekend?" She perked up with excitement.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

Wha- oh. She laughed and nodded. Smiled even in a bright way she hadn't in a while now. "Oh. Duh. Yeah. I thought that's- Yeah, I absolutely want to. Vacation would be.. It'd be really welcome after everything."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

If Ara had to make an assumption, she would say that Iris hadn't had a moment like this in a while, where she could simply catch her breath and relax. Smile and laugh a bit again with no worries. Immediately Ara's grin widened as she watched Iris chuckle away.

"Okay, perfect! Just had to make sure, ya know? Don't wanna make a call and then you're on the other side if the system." She quipped with a shrug.

Once they were done with their meals, Ara walked back to the temple with an arm around Iris, holding her friend as close as she could. The rest of the week couldn't have passed quicker, the anticipation of a vacation with Iris was making her anxious with joy. When the day finally came for them to take off, Ara had covered everything she could think of. Snacks, drinks, movies, her pod and guitar, a few experimental recipes, and lastly her surprise. Tucked away in a corner of the freighter's cargo hold, the mysterious object was neatly hidden beneath a tarp to hide its appearance.

"You got everything?" She asked Iris as she adjusted her leather jacket. "We're all set. Everything's tightened down and ready to go. Got us a pretty decent place too on Lothal." She explained as she made her way to the cockpit, where she immediately started to flip switches and brought the ship to life. "Mom helped me out quite a bit with this trip. She also helped me out with something for you as well." She flashed a wink at Iris before focusing on flying them out of the hangar and out of the atmosphere.

In no time at all, the streaks of hyperspace surrounded the vessel and Ara sat back in her seat, letting the autopilot do its thing. "I can't wait to see what Lothal looks like. It'll probably not ever beat Kashyyyk, I've never seen a planet more pretty than that. But damn... a whole planet covered in rolling grass fields... I can't imagine how that can't be pretty." Ara remarked as she idly spun around in the pilot's chair.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"That's.. Fair. I'll uh, make sure I'm not gone when it's time." Last thing she wanted was to make a plan then have to cancel because another mission pulled her away. She could probably ask for time off without any issue. And boy did she need it. Once they finished, as they talked and walked, yeah. She made sure to ask for the time off she was going to need to get to Lothal.

Before she knew it though, there she was. With Ara, heading toward Lothal.

"Yeah. Got some paint, some clothing. .. Don't think I need anything else..?"

Not that she knew of, anyway. Hell clothing was only there because wearing the same outfit every day didn't give her a chance to clean them. And it was vacation. Laundry wasn't needed, right?

"You didn't need to get me anything." More a statement of fact than anything else. There wasn't anything Iris really needed. Even her paint was something she could live without if she had to.

"It's.. Pretty. All the grass. I don't remember a lot of Kashyyyk."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara brushed Iris' remark off with a wave of her hand. "Of course I don't need to get you anything... don't mean I ain't gonna spoil you once in a while when I got creds." She explained with a shrug. After all, with everything Iris had done for her in the past, she would take any chance she could get to spoil her friend.

The capital city drew closer as they descended through the skies, standing tall among the fields like a beacon. "Kashyyyk is amazing. Trees as tall as these buildings, amazing views, a presence in the Force that's just something else to experience... just gotta dodge the animals trying to eat you." She snickered, sparing a glance at Iris. "But this place? Can't wait to explore." She admitted.

The ship finally touched down on the designated landing pad and the boarding ramp lowered, allowing the two Jedi to exit. Ara drew a deep breath once she stepped outside with a bright smile. "First order of business is to probably find our hotel..." She looked at her datapad then around the landing pad. "Can't be too hard, city ain't that big." She walked back into the ship to yank off the tarp, revealing a sleek speeder bike underneath.

"Check it out! Mom got it for cheap when someone busted it up. They wanted to get rid of it and she built it back up again. Finally got a ride of my own for us." She ran her hands along the machine for a moment before shooting a toothy grin at Iris. "Wanna drive?" She offered, taking a step back.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"Spoil me, huh?"

Iris gave a brief smile before waiting to.. Oh they weren't going to get to whatever this gift was. She blinked in surprise as they just changed the subject completely. Not that she was complaining. She still wasn't too sure how to feel about being given a gift. Especially by Ara. There was just a moment of confusion on her face as Ara glanced her way, one that was pushed down in favor of a smile.

"I'll have to go back, some time."

The speeder was it's own surprise. Like, big surprise. Iris almost went slackjaw as she glanced it over. That was- this thing was expensive. She even knew it was expensive. And they got it to fix it up?

Holy chit.

"Y- Wait why? Me drive? Huh?"

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

"Yeah! You can drive, right?" Ara commented as she slid onto the passenger seat and waited for Iris to get on. "You fly a fighter like a champ, this ain't nothing." Regardless of who was driving, they got moving soon enough through the streets of Lothal. Ara's eyes were wide with a bright grin as she looked around, awestruck by the architecture of the capital and the people roaming the streets. It was vastly different from places like Coruscant or Kashyyyk. Simpler, almost.

When they finally arrived at their hotel, Ara practically blasted through the reception to book in and see their suite. "Dude, this planet's beautiful. This city is miles different from Coruscant. Why can't the Jedi temple just move here? It's so much better!" She quipped with a chuckle as she glanced at Iris.

The moment finally came, however, once they got settled in. Ara opened her bag and produced a leather jacket, holding it out to Iris. Similar to Ara's, it was a typical dark brown, except a lot more fresh and pristine. But what really set it apart was the emblem on the back, a symbol used long ago by some in the old Rebellion. A graffiti depiction of a bright orange Phoenix, soaring upwards.

"Here it is. I saw the symbol in an archive the other day. Thought that's absolutely perfect for you." She explained with a warm grin as she held the jacket out to Iris. Her smile slipped somewhat as she glanced away. "I also wanted to say sorry, Iris. For missing your knighting. Nobody told me that you were getting promoted or nothing, I genuinely didn't know. So I hope this makes up for it somewhat at least." She confessed, clearly guilty over the whole situation.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"Isn't there a temple here already?" Iris tilted her head, glancing over the fields to try and find a sign of it, somewhere. Maybe they'd look at it later. Iris took the controls and sped them off. Grinning, just a little as they went. When they finally made it to the hotel she just grinned as she hopped off. Speeders were fun. Way more fun than when she had to hump from one to the other and being shot at.

Okay most things were funner when not being shot at.

Then, a jacket. Iris blinked in surprise as she looked at it. Slowly pulled it on. A gift. She looked up to Ara for a second then just stepped forward and hugged her. Tight.

"I'm just glad to be hanging out with you again. Don't apologize."

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

A grin formed as Iris pulled her in close and she immediately returned the gesture. The close proximity also gave her a chance to savour the fresh leather's smell for a second or two before she finally let go. "Any time." She muttered, giving her one last nudge.

"Dunno about you, but that flight was pretty draining. How's about we watch a movie, catch up a bit? Tomorrow we can start up the Arrow, take her out into the fields." She suggested, though she couldn't stop the mischievous grin from taking form as she walked over to the balcony of their hotel room. "Besides!" She leaned against the balcony, facing Iris as she lit a cigarette and took a puff.

"I'm curious about what you think about Kayl." The smug look on the Zabrak's face was crooked enough to swallow nails and spit out cork screws.

Iris Arani

 

[Iris Arani]

"What kinda movie are you thinking about?" Iris watched her for a moment. Then raised a brow as Ara lit up a cigarette. Again. She didn't get up this time, just casually raised a hand from where she'd plopped down on the couch to pluck the offending item from the Zabrak's lips and dip it into an ash tray close by. No smoking around this Knight. She did pause though, momentarily. There was some pretttyyy complex emotions flashing through her eyes before she could stamp those down. Turned her gaze away to help the process.

"He's a true Mandalorian."

The way she said it didn't really make it sound good. Or bad. Just a statement of fact.

"Where'd you meet him?"

Ara Sheridan

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara blinked as the cigarette left her grasp and elegantly dipped into the ashtray, though a quick look of annoyance was thrown at Iris before the Zabrak let go. That was her own fault for thinking she could get away with it around Iris.

However, the fluctuations of emotion wasn't lost on her. She tried to look away but the damage was done, Ara had picked up on it all through the Force. Iris commented quite neutrally on Kayl before asking where they met. "Couple months ago, one of the few missions on Coruscant I got trusted with. I was supposed to tail a bunch of guys suspected of being in a slavery operation. Kayl was hunting that group for the bounty on 'em." Making her way back into the suite, Ara pulled two bottles of soda from a cooler bag and handed one to Iris.

"Long story short, we hit that group at the same time. I got the info I wanted and he got his bounty. But we figured out that the operation was in full swing and getting ready for a big shipment. Literally a few thousand people getting loaded into containers. I, uh... ignored orders a bit." She chuckled slightly as she glanced away. "I asked him to help me out and we crashed the operation. Knocked out all the thugs in the complex, Kayl naturally didn't like going non lethal but I threatened him so he listened. Afterwards we let the people free, called the authorities for clean up, and I got info on other connections of operations for the Order to pursue." Iris didn't need to know what really happened in its entirety. She didn't need to know about Ara's demons facing her.

Taking a sip of her drink, she plopped down next to Iris and leaned into the amazing couch. "After that I bought him a drink to say thanks... from there we clicked. Started seeing each other more and eventually he made the first move... was pretty awkward for me, last time I was the one who needed to move." She snickered as she glanced at Iris. Giving her a nudge, Ara faced her fully with a parsec-long grin. "How'd you find out about him? I can't remember tellin' you, I knew you'd get worried if I did. How'd you manage to get a hold of him?" The matter of Iris' alias could wait for the moment. There were a few other questions that needed answering.

Iris Arani