Arani Jakal was not prepared to be stranded on an unfamiliar planet, causing her whole life to change. But in the chaos, a friend or two popped up - seemingly from nowhere - wishing to help. Ari gladly accepted and quickly became part of a small tow...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰
"DIN, WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?" Arani asked with a soft giggle. Per his request, her eyes were shut - shadows of both darkness and light dancing across her eyelids.
"For that last time, if I tell you it'll ruin the point of this being a surprise." She felt hands grasp her waist, and Din lifted her out of the starship; she squealed at the unexpected movement. "Keep your eyes closed," he told her. He took her hands and slowly led her outside to the hangar.
The sound of birds chirping and faint chatter caught the woman's curiosity. A gentle wind blew, making the edge of her headscarf tickle her cheek. It appeared to be a warm spring day. The smell of flowers travelled through the air, and Ari almost stumbled; the scent was familiar. Wherever Din had brought her was a welcoming place.
A large shadow was cast over her as Din guided her, and she started to piece together that they were in a city, the ground beneath her smooth like stone, and the occasional speeder raced by overhead.
Ari was becoming impatient; she wanted to know where the hell they were. "Din, can I please look now?"
Din huffed but paused, pulling her off to the side. "All right, mesh'la, you can open your eyes."
Smiling, her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the sun's radiance. She was not expecting the sight that beheld her. They were standing in the middle of a random street, but to Ari, it was anything but. The tan stone buildings before her were carved with skill and perfection, their emerald roofs worn by the sun. Trees dotted the sides of the road, and potted flowers were placed at doors, as if they were guarding the owner's home. Ari knew this street - she knew the entire city like the back of her hand, nothing had changed.
"Ari, are you all right?"
A tear slipped down her face, and she wiped it away; she hadn't even noticed she had been crying. "Yes, Din. I'm better than 'all right'. I never thought I'd be back here."
At her feet, Grogu babbled and tugged on her boot. Chuckling, she picked him up and situated him on her hip, subconsciously swaying. "This is where I grew up, ad'ika. You have seen both Dad's and my homeworlds now, pretty exciting, huh?" Grogu cooed in response and pointed behind her.
Glancing over her shoulder, Arani found a towering arch - so that was what caused the shadow. White doves flew by, dipping through the archway before turning to the sky. Ari lost track of them when they flew towards the setting sun, and she looked away ere she blinded herself.
"You want to show me around?" Din held a hand out, waiting patiently for her to take it.
