Shifting Sands

[Bethany Kismet]

M O N A S T E R Y

Dawn rose on the white walls of Sanctuary, reflecting a warm rosy light down on the gardens below. It was the quietest part of the day, when the Order was just beginning to stir and sleepy yawns greeted the day.

It was one of her favorite times.

Bethany Kismet sat on the half wall that circled the garden. Many mornings found her, her hands in the dirt one of the first things moving on the grounds. This morning however, she relaxed, a nearly empty cup of tea beside her as she gazed out over the gardens with a smile. There was always more work to do, but for the moment, she was content with the progress she and others had made in this space.

Today she had no plans- no meetings, no training sessions with padawans, no inventories to do or messages to send. While she gained a great deal of satisfaction from the work itself, she knew just how rare a day like today would be. And she intended to relax and enjoy it.

She looked up as a familiar shadow fell across her shoulder.

"Good morning," she said, turning to glance at [member="Michael Sardun"]. She stopped, brow furrowing slightly in concern. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and looked as though he were ready for something. She didn't know of anything on his docket today either, so her first thought was-

"Did something come over the comm?" She stood up, looking worried. After all, the very nature of their organization was that they could be called upon at any time.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

"You have never been to the beach?"

"Never, why?" She had laughed at his incredulity, mentioning that it couldn't be that special anyway, right?

It's just a smaller desert, isn't it?

That sentence made him laugh over and over again, but as it often was their night conversation turned to other matters and it was put to rest... at least for the moment. Little did Bethany suspect that Sardun was already hatching a plan. Because everyone should have visited the beach at least once.

"Not at all." The Jedi Master mentioned, before settling himself down next to her and putting the bag between his feet. "We are going out hiking."

Before she could protest he shrugged.

"You showed me what you found the other week... time to show you where I have been in my free time."

Around them it was all relaxed. The little ones doing their chores under the supervision of the older ones, in the distance he could hear his people - the Journeymen - training, but they did not need his eye for today. No, it seemed to be the perfect moment to get out there and do something fun.

"I don't see you running to your room to grab your gear yet." He pointed out with a mock sternness to his tone.

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

 

[Bethany Kismet]

"Well, it would help if I knew what I needed to bring," she said with a laugh.

"Good hiking boots, something with long sleeves. You might want a hat. A towel. And something to swim in."

There was a pause and a blink and Bethany just nodded. The last time they'd been swimming hadn't been planned, and the whole situation had alternated between comfortable and deeply uncomfortable. The warning that swimming might happen again was helpful and meant that they wouldn't end up in *that* situation again.

"Alright," she said with a nod. "I'll be back down in a minute."

Picking up her empty cup, she headed off, glancing back at him curiously once before disappearing inside.

She reappeared a few minutes later, her own bag slung over one shoulder. She was dressed sensibly for a hike, the wide brimmed hat shading her face as she walked up to him.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" She asked, amusement clear in her voice.

There was no hesitation however. She trusted him. Curious about what he'd found, naturally, but perfectly at ease following him into the unknown.

[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

His eyes closed Sardun was enjoying the sunlight on his skin when the careful tread of her walk warned him.

"That would defeat the point, would it not?"

Pushing himself off the half wall he opened his eyes and studied the attire she clad herself in. Seemed about right, very practical and efficient for the moment. It echoed his own clothes - heavy boots made for hiking, cargo pants that could take a beating if they had to get through bushes, but not hat.

"Let's go." The Jedi finally said, before turned around and gesturing for her to follow. "I got Hal to oversee the day-to-day today, so if something comes up, we will hear of it immediately."

It was a quiet day, but that did not mean they didn't worry anyway.

That was part of the job it seemed. Even when there wasn't anything going on... there was something going on and they just had to adapt to that.

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Adjusting the bag so it hung slightly more balanced, she hurried for a few steps to catch up to him. Frequently, when they were on mission, he set up position behind her. Knowing he had her back was important. But when things were calm, she much prefered walking beside him.

"Hal will be fine," she murmured, assuring herself as much as him. And if an emergency did come up? Well, they were only a call away.

The path up into the mountains he led them to wasn't particularly well defined. Just the barest trace of past passage. Perhaps it had been a game trail when he'd first come across it, but now the pair followed it up. The great stone circles, carved in an age long past, hung over them. Often, the pathway forward was too slender to move abreast, so she would fall back, following in single file as they ascended.

The first time, she smiled, a touch self consciously and actually chuckled. The difference in their heights as well as the steep incline set certain things at almost face height. And it reminded her of that moment in the grotto. She chuckled, looking down at the path instead.

"How far is it?" She asked, curious but not particularly concerned. But she needed something to say there.

[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

Sardun was only mildly reassured.

He was their friend and was a good man, but... very steeped into his books and literature. All the jokes aside the fellow Jedi was not exactly a communicative person and part of him worried about putting him in that position. But they hadn't had a real break away from all the work in a week and it was running them ragged, one steady grind at a time.

"What's so funny?" Michael asked over his shoulder, the chuckle behind him inspiring a little smile. It was often said that laughter only brought laughter, a reflex so deeply ingrained in people it was difficult to suppress.

"Not that far away."

It had surprised him how close it had actually been, relatively speaking, of course.

They were Jedi and he was specialized in strength enhancement, so what was a short, brisk walk for him was something entirely else for other people. It was why he was slowing himself down, forcing himself to stay at roughly the same speed as Beth, so she wouldn't have to push past her limits.

Eventually they reached a point where the path widened itself and the incline leveled out, it gave a nice view of the valley ahead.

The treeline hid the ocean, even from this point, though and so the surprise stayed a surprise.

"Need something to drink?" He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, before looking into his bag for the bottle of water he had brought with him.

Always be prepared.

 

[Bethany Kismet]

"Nothing," she said, her face turning a slight shade of red when she realized he'd heard her.

"Just in a good mood!"

It was true, but also had nothing to do with the chuckle. She focused instead now on the climb.

Bethany wasn't in bad physical condition by a long stretch. But compared to [member="Michael Sardun"]? She was a little red faced and a touch out of breath by the time they stopped. As he head out the canteen, she nodded, accepting it without a word and taking a long drink. She had more to drink in her own pack, so she knew that was available as well. But this was here and right in front of her.

"I should start exercising with you," she said after she swallowed hard. "Obviously I'm not up to snuff if this is making me break a sweat." Her tone was joking, but she was serious in part as well. "I'll deny saying this in front of anyone else but.... I'm looking forward to getting where ever we're going, just so I can sit," she grinned up at him as she handed back the canteen.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

"Uh huh."

The bottle was passed back to him and he took a moderate sip, not swallowing it, but using it to wet his mouth and throat, before spitting it out to the side again. Wasn't a good idea to swallow when you still had a whole journey ahead of you. Some of the water was poured in the cup of his hand and he used it to freshen up his face as well.

It was important to hydrate, but also not to overheat. Sure, he could do that with the Force, but these trips he made were done specifically to do things with his body outside the Force.

As to not get too reliant on it.

But now it was Sardun's turn to laugh, fresh and clear and heavy, like the rumbling of a mountainside sloping down.

"Sure, Kismet. I will wake you up tomorrow morning and we will go running together."

Michael wasn't sure why he offered that - wasn't like she had actually been expecting it, probably could have just joked it off and kept his alone-time to himself. But for some reason the Jedi didn't mind the idea of having her run with him, if anything it would probably be amusing.

"Ready to go again?"

 

[Bethany Kismet]

She nodded, hitching the pack up higher in her shoulders and wiping her brow beneath the hat brim.

Bethany didn't think for a moment that he was serious about the jogging offer. Sure, he was serious about his own fitness, but there was no part of her that thought he would show up at her door in the morning in sweat pants, ready to run a dozen kilometers together.

Joke was on her.

Though heavily forested, they quickly crested the saddle of the ridge. She couldn't see much beyond the trees, but it was a relief at least to know they would be heading down from here. Of course, they'd have to go up again on the way back. Beneath the shade of the trees, she pushed her hat back with a sigh. The forests here buzzed with life, an underlying hum of insects and birds. Though the air was hot and humid, a cool breeze blew in from somewhere. When it hit her face, she sighed happily.

"Oh now that's lovely," she murmured, pausing for a moment. She closed her eyes, letting the wind move across her face.

"I could stand in that breeze all day."

Of course, she hadn't seen what was on the other side of the trees yet.

[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

"I would love to tell you I discovered this breeze and wished to show it to you personally." Sardun dryly remarked while waiting on her to catch her breath and enjoy the freshness of the moment.

Sometimes he forgot that they didn't all run every morning and night without the assistance of the Force. Lots of Jedi used the Force as a crutch and found themselves with their pants down, if something happened to that same Force. In a world filled with Mandalorians and other crap, the last thing he wanted was to get caught like that.

Not that Beth was one of them, she was almost stubborn in her attempts to avoid using the Force in some ways.

It amused him even.

"Come, we are almost there." They didn't have to walk for long though. Within the span of a few minutes they broke the clearing and she would see exactly what he had discovered here.

Paradise at the sea.

"You uh... mentioned you had never been yesterday night... so I figured, why not?"

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Bethany had been taught that the Force was a responsibility- something to be cherished and treated with respect. She had been trained in a tradition that saw the use of the Force for every day matters to be a matter of course. But that didn't match with her views or the way she had interperted her teacher's words. It meant that she rarely used the Force for anything that her own hands could accomplish on their own. Even in her own time, she had been an anomaly.

Now?

Well.

Could she augment her body to make the climb easier? Of course. But as they stepped out of the line of trees to look down on the view below, she wouldn't have traded a single one of those long, difficult steps for an easier one- not if it meant that she would feel one single molecule different than she did in that moment.

"Michael it's beautiful," she breathed softly, stepping up to the precipice.

A switch back trail led down, the path easier than the one they had just taken. It led to a secluded cove surrounded by what once had likely been the sharp edges of volcanic stone, but that had been worn down into smooth lines by salt and sand and time. The shape of the headland protected the small curving beach from the full force of the ocean's waves, and the tiny inlet was calm and quiet. The sound of the waves on the outer curve was thunderous, crashing, roiling as it pounded across the sand only to retreat back to the depths a moment later.

"I think I can understand the appeal now," she said finally, blinking slowly. "Not like a desert at all."

[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

For a moment he let her breathe in the sight, before leading her down and towards the beach itself.

"Indeed." The words finally came as he suppressed the urge to laugh. It was amusing, but this was a pretty moment and there was no need for any laughter at her expense, it wasn't her fault she never had been here before. While Bethany explored, Sardun settled himself down on the sandy beach itself. Not too far away from the water, but also not too close so the water wouldn't get to them.

From the reaches of his bag he got out a towel, which was immediately draped over the sand.

Then he settled himself down and started working on his shoes.

Difficult, because they were made for hiking, not to just shove them in and out without any worries. But the air was good, the weather better and the soft tide tickled against the sand, the gulfs making a rhythmic sound in the background.

"We can explore later, come sit down and rest for a while." He shouted over his shoulder, before finally getting the second boot off.

 

[Bethany Kismet]

When he called over his shoulder, Bethany was face deep in a shrub covered in blue and yellow flowers at the border between the beach and the forest.

"Michael! I didn't even know these flowers *grew* on Monastery!"

It could have been Life Day, as far as Beth was concerned.

She came tramping over a moment later, struggling a little with her boots sinking into the soft sand. Dropping down unceremoniously beside him, she regarded the set up with the towel for a moment before getting back up and pulling out her own. Laying it out carefully she plopped back down again before starting at the laces of her boots.

"The only time I've been swimming in the ocean was...." she paused, thinking for a moment. "Thhheeeee time my ship got shot down over Kamino."

There was a lot more to that story, but she seemed content to leave it there for the moment. Pulling off her boots and socks, she pushed her feet into the sand, wiggling her toes with a contented sigh. The sand and sun were warm, but the breeze coming in off of the water kept the heat from being oppressive.

"And I hardly think that counted," she added a moment later. "In fairness, I did less swimming and more flailing that time."

​[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

It was astonishing to him how much attention she had paid to the bush.

When there was an entire ocean next to her, but at the end of the day all Sardun wanted was for both of them to relax. Presumably also have a small measure of fun while they were at it. Which seemed to be an objective accomplished with the fascination she had with the flowers in said bush. He probably shouldn't judge too hard, if they ever went to a martial arts museum, all his time would probably have been spend gawking at all the exhibits.

They all had their hobbies.

"Take some with you, if you like, might be pretty in the garden." He suggested, before pulling off his shirt and letting it unceremoniously fall next to him - next step was to lay down on the towel and start soaking in the sun.

The Jedi didn't even notice the inherent awkwardness until his eyes already closed.

By that point he stubbornly kept his eyes closed and tried not to put too much attention to it.

"For me... my father always took me to the beach, every two weeks as a holiday." Sardun mumbled out, pondering about that for a while. He hadn't thought of his parents in ages. Literal ages it felt like, but they were dead and buried for a long time now. So much had happened since that day he received the missive from the Republic, letting him know his father had been killed in action.

That was what made him set out and join the Jedi in the first place.

"It was nice."

 

[Bethany Kismet]

"Mmmmm, I might just do that," she agreed as she dug her feet farther into the sand.

Putting her hands behind her, she leaned back, looking out at the water as it curled toward the beach. His movement caught the corner of her eye and she went to turn her head to pay attention while he spoke of his father. She blinked slowly, and just as slowly turned her face back to the water.

Glancing back for a moment as he laid down, she smiled slightly. It was good to hear him talking like that- it wasn't things he'd ever really shared. And it was good that he was so comfortable.

So why wasn't she?

Clearing her throat, she looked away again. It wasn't like they hadn't been in a far more serious state of undress the last time they were alone. But that was different.

It had been dark.

This was ridiculous.

His eyes still closed, she pulled off her hat. Her own swimwear was on beneath her clothes, and she shed them quickly while he wasn't watching. Something about the idea doing that with his eyes open was just too daunting. The sun and salt breeze kissed her skin and she relaxed slightly. It was a beach. It was a bathing suit. No big deal, right?

Leaning back, a bit tentatively, she sighed, relaxing as the sun warmed her.

Normally, when they spoke, they rarely asked questions that were too personal. Whatever level of sharing the other wanted to do, they didn't press, didn't dig. It meant that they were both comfortable, knowing that there wouldn't be unexpected questions, things drawing them mentally into places they weren't interested in walking.

"I have a vague memory of a place on Corellia. Kor Vella. I must have gone there once, when I was very young. Probably where my love for waterfalls started," she chuckled slightly.

[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

"Been to Corellia a few times myself. Beautiful world." He frowned into the sunlight, before grasping for the water bottle to his left. Took him a while to actually get a hold of it.

He'd open his eyes, but right now it felt very comfortable to just have the sun warm the skin without any worries.

"Well, until it was broken in half anyway."

It still boggled the mind how such a thing could have happened. The early reports had suggested the CEC had something to do with it, a consequence of them detonating every single Corellian facility on the world and the shipyards themselves. After that another suggestion had been the One Sith and their Yuuzhan Vong.

But once the Sith started to rebuild the system with the aid of Arceneau Trade? That possibility became steadily less likely.

He sipped from his water and then pushed himself up a bit, to ask her something- his eyes opened and mid-swallow Sardun noticed the not-so-subtle change in wardrobe.

The Jedi Master started choking in his water.

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Bethany nodded, her lips turning down slightly into a frown.

"I felt that one. When it happened. Not a lot penetrated the consciousness of Sekot, especially not over those kinds of distances. I spent most of my childhood there, and while it wasn't really my home, it- well."

She trailed off, gaze a little distant. She didn't remember her childhood very well, just the broad strokes and a small snippet or two here and there. She'd been stranded there when her parents died suddenly- grew up on the streets of Coronet City. Later, when she'd joined the Jedi on Naboo, there had been pride- another Corellian Jedi. Until she'd put the Order above Corellia.....

"It was a loss for the entire galaxy," she said at last.

Then looked over at him suddenly as he started to choke and sputter. Scrambling up onto her hands and knees, she looked at him with no small measure of concern.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

​[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

It didn't help when she moved into that position and left even less to the imagination.

But Sardun had been through many things in his life and if he wasn't capable of calming down... in the face... of that, then he couldn't truly call himself a Jedi, now could he? Closing his eyes helped, unsurprisingly, while he sputtered to a calmness again. There wasn't anything he could say right now, with his chest heaving and his shoulders shaking a little bit.

Finally the moment was over.

"Water... wrong direction... never speak of this... again." The Jedi managed to get out, before sighing, centering himself and shaking his head. "Well, at least I can say that I am hydrated now."

He took a foul look at the water bottle, anywhere to look at except her.

"I think it's a cursed bottle, what do you think?"

 

[Bethany Kismet]

Once she was certain he wasn't actually choking in a way that required help, she settled back down on her towel, still watching him with slightly less concern now than before.

"Oh, my lips are sealed," she promised, an amused smile ghosting over her lips for a moment before she forced her face into a very serious expression.

"Cursed water bottle? That sounds serious," she murmured with a mock gravity. "If someone is smuggling sith artifacts onto Monastery, I shudder to consider the implications. We should return to Sanctuary immediately to head off the threat. Who knows who will fall victim next. Perhaps to a cursed garden rake. Or a tea cup. Force preserve us."

Despite the serious expression and tone, those emerald eyes sparkled with amusement.

Reaching out, she plucked the water bottle from him, studying it carefully before taking a sip herself.

"You know, just checking it out. For investigative reasons."

[member="Michael Sardun"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Bethany Kismet"]

The sarcasm and mock gravity were clear to everyone involved.

Sardun looked on with amusement as she got into it, before taking the water bottle in her hand to take a sip. It was clear what had to be done next - there was a risk of contamination after all and there could be no risks taken in this matter. As she closed her eyes and put the bottle by her mouth to take a sip, his hand ghosted out and squeezed at the lower portion of the bottle. This so the water inside of it would spray straight in her face.

His hands were already back where they had been.

"Oh my." The Jedi Master retorted with equal mock gravity. "The curse has hit us again, did I not tell you to be careful?!"

Grin tugged as he looked upon his works and saw his retribution taking hold.

For a moment the embarrassment was gone again and replaced by amusement. It as often like this - moments of uncertainty and ignorance intermixed with laughter and genuine feelings.

He wasn't sure what this was.