To Heal Poignancy ■ TECH - The Bad Batch ■

Settling on Coruscant

Adla stepped off the ramp and closed her eyes, tilting her face upwards and stretching her hands far above her head. Slowly, she lowered them to her sides while keeping them straight. The sun was out on Coruscant when she landed, but it didn't feel as warm and welcoming as the sun on Alderaan. Still, she welcomed the climate with grace. 

Taking a deep breath, she scrunched her nose as the smell of the polluted air reached her airways. The smell of garbage and the repulsorlift engines made her queasy.

Two clone troopers stood with blasters in their hands as they greeted Adla. Adla noted their white and shiny armor. Clearly, she was not seen as important enough to be greeted by seasoned Coruscant guards. 

"Gentlemen," she politely greeted as she walked up to them. 

"Welcome, Senator Klenn. We have been instructed to show you the way to your office and quarters," the clone to the left of her stated.

"Lead the way then, boys."

Walking into the senate building created a weird and uncertain feeling to wash over the new Naboo senator. She kept her head down to avoid another senator coming over to strike up conversation and pleasantries before she was ready. To know that she was not there to visit and debrief the previous senator about how her trip went struck a cord in her. It was now her job to read over proposals and argue with her peers what was best for the Republic... Sorry, Empire. Adla glanced behind her to confirm that Captain Typho was still with her. She wondered if he felt weird being back as well. 

The familiar path they were walking down filled her with dread. There was no way that she was being led to the same place. Surely, there was another room available for her.

But alas, the Force was not on her side when the small group stopped in front of doors. One of the clone troopers punched in the code before the doors swung open. Her heart pounded inside her chest, and her eyes widened as she took in the room. She had been in other offices in the senate building before, and essentially, they were the same. This room, though, stood out to her and had not changed one bit. Every couch, lamp, vase, and rug were in the same spot. The desk still sat towards the back of the room by the giant windows overlooking the Coruscant skylight. The previous times she had been in this room, Adla had never minded the grey colors. She thought they made the room look elegant and modern. Now, it all felt dreary and miserable. 

The two clones looked at each other as Adla seemed hesitant to walk in. Slowly, she took a step in and breathed in deeply. 

Maker, was it possible for it to still smell like her?

Adla let out a shaky breath as she turned to the clones and bowed slightly. "Thank you so much for your help, gentlemen. I can take it from here. I know where my quarters are."

Both clones nodded to her and bid her a good day before leaving. Adla turned to Captain Typho, who she noticed was staring intently out the window. "If you wouldn't mind, Captain, to please fetch my bags from the ship and bring them to my apartment. I assume that you, too, know where it is located."

Without a word, he nodded his head once and swiftly left. 

A chill ran down her spine. Adla was alone with nothing but the room that now felt cold and empty. Or perhaps the heat wasn't working in there. If she stared at a spot hard enough, she could see past interactions that had happened in those spots. Maker, if this is what the office felt like, she was dreading going to the apartment. 

Sighing, Adla walked over to the desk. Already, she had proposals sitting on her desk asking to be looked over so she could form an opinion on them. The two proposals that caught her eye gave abstracts on the idea of implementing and upgrading a new military and rights for the clones. Two proposals that more than likely contradicted each other, no doubt. With an agitated huff, Adla let them flop back onto the desk before turning to face the window.