Control The Uncontrollable // The Acolyte

76. Purification

"I think this is the most alone we've ever been," Qimir laughed, taking a bite of his food. You lifted your eyebrows at him.

"In full hall of Jedi eating?" You asked him, pointing your spoon at him.

He laughed a little and looked up at you through his eyelashes. Innocently he laid his hand on the table, so if you wanted, you could so innocently lay your hand on top of his. It had been a week already, and he couldn't help but notice the way you kept your distance. Your skin never touching, not even in normal settings as greetings. Qimir felt like you had become anxious about it. Sure, they were being watched, but they couldn't stop the humans from being humans. Still, it helped simply seeing you. Memories were floating around within these temple walls, but having you here rooted him. Your eyes looked at his hand, before you stood up with your empty bowl.

"I'll see you in the garden," You nodded politely as you walked away.

Was it rude of him to say that he found it a tad bit annoying how perfect you were acting? Would it hurt if you were just a little bit... less rule ridged? You were exactly like when the two of you first met that one night in the bar. You never had touched alcohol at that point, and followed the rules. It was fun to watch in the beginning, but now it was just aggravating.

Qimir didn't like being anywhere in public in the temple alone without you. He could already feel the stares. It didn't matter that they might have forgiven him on paper, claimed him as a failure of Vernestra Rhow, he had still killed many of their colleagues. Qimir was the only one to blame for their deaths, their friends, masters, padawans... Many gone simply because of his jealously. He returned his cutlery and bowl of food and quickly turned to the garden. You stood underneath a fruit tree, your back towards him. He smiled lightly, it was at least no guards around.

"You know, Jedi are allowed to hug," Qimir said, slowly walking up towards you.

You turned around, leaned up against the tree as you crossed your hands.

"Ah, do Qimir need a hug?" You mocked him back, using a baby voice as you spoke. He rolled his eyes as he came over to you. He leaned against the big tree. The two of you stood close.

"I always want one from you," He challenged you back.

You laughed low, and pressed your lips.

"You're not a Jedi though, are you?" You asked.

Qimir lifted his eyebrows.

"You're a Sith," you pointed out.

"Y/n, I'm not-I'm not anymore," He struggled to formulate the sentence.

You nodded slowly. Qimir would've done everything he possibly could in his powers to know what was going on inside your mind. He could see you wander off, but it was impossible to tell. Your hands went behind your back, as you lifted your chin and looked directly up into his eyes.

"Good, then I have something for you," You said. Qimir heard a click, that he normally heard when you unattached your lightsaber. He straightened up confused, until he saw you reach out his old lightsaber.

His eyes shot up at you. He couldn't believe you had kept it for this long. In his mind, it laid in thick ice on Hoth. You made it abundantly clear that it was not for him to use anymore, not with his violent ways. It almost felt ironic that you know here inside a Jedi temple held his lightsaber. It wasn't exactly a common color among these crowds. Nonetheless, he was touched that you had kept it. You could've destroyed it. Maybe you should've. His eyes fell back on the lightsaber.

"I shouldn't have it," He whispered. Qimir knew people would be watching him from afar, judging him.

"Why?" You asked.

He shrugged, he could already sense that you were about to teach him a lesson and though he didn't know what in particular this lesson was for, he knew he already hated it.

"It's history, the symbolism...It will scare people," He explained.

You lifted your eyebrows and nodded.

"Sure, but was I supposed to not have my lightsaber due to it's history?" You asked.

Qimir got silent. There you had got him trapped. He laughed low. He understood why they had made you master. They should've just had done it earlier.

"Exactly, now take it," You said, giving him no room as you lifted the lightsaber up from your hand using the force, so it hangs in the air in front of him. He had no choice but to grab it.

You smiled lightly as you pushed yourself off the tree, and held your hands together under the cape as you began to walk. Your head turned around, inviting him to walk with you. He took the hint as he stepped up beside you. It was easy to think that before, Qimir had taken offense in the way you treated him now, but truthfully, he never would've. Was one thing clear about Qimir, then it was the fact of how open his heart was for your words. Even when you began to speak words of the Jedi, you made them sound nice... Survivable.

"Everything ill, can be healed," You said, studying the temple walls. Qimir sensed it was a way for you to distract yourself form looking at him.

"Purification is the process where a corrupted Cyber crystal is healed and turn to its natural form, white," You explained.

You stopped in your footsteps, and turned towards him, facing him.

"It will take time, but now you know your journey," You smiled weakly.

You didn't give him any room to ask any questions or anything before you turned around and began to walk off. Qimir looked down at his hands. You wanted him to do what? Heal his crystal? He had never even heard about such a process, and you talked about it like it was common knowledge. Qimir knew better, though. It was not common knowledge, this was just one of many things the Holocron was telling you. He was sure you would give him closer lessons later. His eyes wandered up at you, as you almost entered the temple again, stepping into the door frame.

"Where are you going?" He shouted after you.

You didn't turn around.

"My chambers, I'm tired," You lied, but he couldn't sense it.

Qimir frowned.

"It's still light," He shouted back.

You laughed low and turned to face him in the frame.

"Not when I close my eyes," You shouted back.