A small shuttle moved quietly above the trees towards the Temple on Ossus, just visible between the mountains peaks, headed from the Knossa Spaceport. Inside the Jedi Knight, Aria Xius, waited patiently for their arrival, succumbing to her thoughts. It had been months since her departure from the Jedi Order and since she had seen Gareth; she wasn't even certain that he would still be there waiting for her, but she tried to remain positive and peaceful in her assumptions. She loved him, against the Jedis tenets and unconditionally. Aria knew the risks of allowing her heart to control her actions but, at the same time, she had made a decision sometime during her apprenticeship that it was worth it; he was worth it. She would remain devoted to the Jedi and to the Republic, but she would also be true to Gareth, even if he no longer wanted her.
A voice interrupted her thoughts, startling Aria from her seat to a standing position. "Master Xius, we will be arriving momentarily. Would you like someone to fetch your bags?" It was the pilot over the intercom, a sweet and elderly man who had also escorted her from the Jedi Order to Knossa Spaceport the day she had left. She still remembered his attempts to comfort her as she spoke in conflict over traveling or staying.
"No, thank you. You've helped enough and I would be glad to grab them on my own." Her pointer finger rested on the small button to her side, speaking to him through the small box just to the right of the window. Her voice was soft and shallow and her Hazel eyes never left the horizon as they slowly descended into a clearing about a mile away from the actual temple. If Gareth had waited for her, he would be here in hopes of avoiding the plethora of Padawans, Knights, and Masters who would be eager to hear about her journeys and her long awaited decision to return.
"Very well." Was all he replied as she felt the ship touch down upon solid ground and heard the back door click open.
Aria gathered herself as she walked quietly down the short hallway to the ramp at the back of the shuttle, stopping to grab her bag. It had been so long since she had seen Ossus and felt its ground beneath her feet that the feeling, after she had stepped off of the shuttle, was almost euphoric. She had truly missed the aura that surrounded the Jedi temple; a secure feeling of peace and safety. It was nothing like the slums of Nar Shaddaa where she had spent weeks patrolling a minor crime syndicate. For the first time in a while she felt secure and wondered to herself what had truly made her want to leave in the first place. She knew the answer though, as she had thought about it during many sleepless nights away from the Order. It had been unwise of her, as a new Knight, to even consider taking a seat upon the Council. The stress it had put on her had been overwhelming and even her Master, Kane, recognized her distress.
A gentle sigh escaped her lips and she turned, waving as the shuttle lifted off of the ground and disappeared into the clouds overhead. And then she saw him, standing at a distance that made him appear the size of an ant. His back was turned and the back of his robes licked his ankles. His presence confirmed what she had known all along; Gareth had been waiting for her.
[member="Gareth Yalthik"]
