Private Salt Upon Wounds

[Alana Calloway]

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Salt Upon Wounds​

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Location: Coruscant, Jedi Gardens​

Tag: Everest Vale​

Gear: Some really lame robes​

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The roar of the waterfall filled the meditative garden, a steady, rhythmic crash that drowned out the distant hum of Coruscant beyond the Temple walls. Alana sat motionless, her red eyes locked onto the cascade of water as it tumbled into the pool below. Mist clung to the air, cool against her skin, but she barely felt it.

She didn't belong here.

The garden was too pristine, too carefully curated to invoke the illusion of peace. It reeked of Jedi ideals, of balance and serenity—concepts she had never truly known. Even before the Sith took her, peace had been an illusion. A lie. In a sense she was a prisoner here.

She adjusted her seating position, trying to shield her gaze from the overhead glow of Coruscant's sky. Somewhere, out there, the world moved on without her. Bounty hunters tracked marks. Smugglers ran spice through the underworld. People like her—people who had crawled through the muck and filth of the galaxy—weren't meant to sit in quiet reflection beneath the cascading waters of a Jedi sanctuary. They were to never amount to anything.

And yet, here she was.

Alana exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of the pistol at her hip, the hidden blade tucked beneath her sleeve, the lightsaber she barely understood clipped to her belt. This meeting was a risk, but she had learned to trust in nothing but risks.

The Jedi she was waiting for—she didn't even know their name. Didn't know what they wanted from her. Valery had simply requested she speak with the woman, and that was all.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled her from her thoughts.

She tilted her head slightly, red eyes shifting toward the presence behind her, then back to the waters before her.

She wasn’t sure how to start this conversation.

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Padawan Robes
Equipment: Lightsaber, Uneti Flute
Tag: Alana Calloway


The meditation gardens had become a much needed place of retreat for Everest. Following everything after Woostri, and all the healing that followed — including Eshan — visiting the gardens to meditate and play the flute had become an almost daily practice for her since; a chance to ensure her heart remained open and true in the face of all that threatened to the Light of the world.

But today wasn't like most days. Normally, she would spend her time here either alone for hours, or with Tigris. She had been slipping into something of a routine, and she appreciated the stability. But today was different.

'Go and meet Alana Calloway', her master had told her. 'She could do with a friend.'

And truly, Everest would relish a new friend too. Life seemed to move so fast in the Temple, and so many of her friends were constantly moving around the galaxy, whereas Everest simply wished for more moments to slow to a halt, enjoy tea, and breathe.

So she walked calmly through the gardens, white robes gently rippling with every step she took like the waterfalls themselves. She took in several slow, measured breaths, savouring the humid scent of plants and water, and a gentle smile came to her as she made her way to this mysterious new acquaintance. To her own surprise, she was Echani too.

"Hi~" came her voice when she arrived behind her, gentle and warm. "Is it Alana?" Both hands on her legs, she gave a brief, timid bow and shot her a smile as she walked up beside her. "I'm Everest— Eve." She was never good at introducing herself, and it always made her feel so awkward. She blushed a little, suddenly remembering how difficult it was to get to know new people. "D-Do you mind if I join you?"