Control The Uncontrollable // The Acolyte

19. Sunset

Being a Jedi meant you had the greatest honour of defending justice and peace across the galaxy, but it also meant you had lost out on many... Things. Common human activities. You rarely did anything for 'fun', the word fun, was uncommon. The only fun thing you did was writing, you liked that, but that was also a part of your role in the Order. Some Jedi liked flying. Some liked lightsaber training. Those were things Jedi perhaps would call 'fun'. Going for a swim, just for 'fun' was a foreign concept. Hearing normal people being able to make jokes on your behalf, was even stranger. Of course, you were allowed to smile and laugh, but more often than not, you didn't have reason to, well smile and laugh. You realized you're reaction, and stopped laughing.

Laughter was a sign of an emotion. A sign of feeling happy. Content. You did not want Qimir to think you were happy. You didn't want him to think he had the power to make you feel those things, still, your laughter might have faded, but your smile grew. For some reason you found yourself incapable of removing it while looking into his eyes. You didn't even notice how his hands had wrapped around your waist.

"I am being cruel," He admitted. Finally able to speak, breaking the silence. A part of him feared that if he spoke, he would scare you back to reality and you would move away from him, out of his arms, but you stayed.

"You always smell good," He continued. You felt your heart skip a beat. Confusion sank in, as you tried to understand what was happening inside of your own body. The water suddenly didn't feel so cold. You always knew what to say, cause the force would guide you, but now you were speechless. A feeling... A feeling you had never felt before had planted a seed, and you didn't understand what it was.

"Like flowers," He whispered. Your eyes got watery. You didn't know what was going on, why your body was malfunctioning. You had gotten compliments before, like about your writing, your connection to the force, your bravery, even now and then you would hear people compliment the light in you, but suddenly you were breaking down by the words of a stranger complimenting your smell. He could not see you reacting so vulnerable to his words, but you did not wish to destroy this moment.

Without thinking it through, you splashed water in his face, before you dived back under water. Here you were free. No one could see your face here. You swam towards land, as you finally come up for air when you were close to the ground. You got up, noticing Qimir right behind you. Suddenly felt his hand grabbing yours. You looked up at him confused, but did not brush away his hand. You had gotten used to the feeling.

You watched as he sat down in the sand. He wished to talk. He let go off your hand, and for a blunt second you thought that you should get dressed first, but then you realised that it didn't matter. For some strange reason, you trusted Qimir. You slowly sat down beside him. You rested your hands on your knees, when you felt Qimir's arm brushing against yours as he sat in the same position. He looked out into the sunset. His mind felt... Blank.

"The scars, I got them from my old Master," Qimir said, trying to sound monotone, but he was no Jedi anymore. You could sense his grudge in his voice.

You looked over at him, surprised by his honesty.

"Your old Sith Master, did you take their place?" You asked.

Yes, you had heard the stories of the sith wars, but that was ancient history. They were suppose to not exist anymore. The light had won, or so you had been told and believed until you met Qimir. He wore the same kind of lightsabers as them. Red. Blood red. The will to kill as described by Yoda who fought in the wars, also seemed to match. Maybe the Jedi Order didn't know they still existed, maybe it was even more of them. Your thoughts spin, until you suddenly heard laughter coming out of Qimir's lips.