Red Opus

Chapter 11: Diffidence

You woke slowly the next morning, giving in to those last few precious moments of unconscious haze before at last tuning in to your surroundings. Stretching out in the cockpit, you moved everything from your head to your toes, merely out of habit at this point. Your back was aching but felt on the mend, and you were grateful for the chance to sleep without your helmet on. True, it had meant sealing yourself in the Command Shuttle, but that was a small price to pay for a good night's rest. Maybe your first in a long time. It was surprising considering how emotionally drained you had been when you eventually drifted off to sleep; those nights usually resulted in restless tossing and turning until dawn broke. You wearily reached up, grabbing at your ear lobes and pulling them around, massaging them with an apology for keeping them sealed up for so long.

Your third day on base would not be wasted, you thought. You had briefly dreamed about the waterfall again, and were desperate to return, the draw to the ancient power too tempting to resist. Besides, it was not in the nature of your teachings for you to resist temptation.

Stretching once more to loosen the muscles in your lower back, you patted yourself all over, making sure your armour was all still in place. You cringed as your fingers made contact with the appendage, squashed, but still recognisable in the back of your belt. Blanching, you stuffed the officers hand into a port in the cockpit and retched as some flesh found it's way under your fingernails. Pulling your gloves on one finger at a time, the early morning light dappled a pleasant colour across the forest in front of you.

Leaving your cloak behind on the cockpit seat, you jogged down the ramp and towards the forest. Your saber bounced off your leg as you ran, watching your breath steam through the ports on the muzzle of your mask. You felt like a dragon, powering through the forest, leaving footprints and fire in your wake, and the childish thought brought you silent happiness. Early morning exercise was the best way to start the day, in your humble opinion.

Following the trail from two days before was easy, as you observed the tiniest imprints left by your boots. In almost no time at all, you found yourself at the falls again. It was just as much, if not, more beautiful than when you had last seen it. The thunderous roar seemed even more powerful than before; driven, you were sure, by the previous days rainstorm. Your elated state of euphoria was quickly sullied when you noticed a second pair of imprints leading through the moss. Crouching to study them, you were surprised to find them relatively fresh. The dew had settled only in the last hour, and the boot imprints had removed them, meaning whoever it was was still in the area. Inspecting the size of the boot, your heart sank as you knew these footprints were not unfamiliar to you. Straightening up, you took another look and saw a dark figure motionless by the falls with his back to you.

"It looks better in person." He said loudly, voice straining to be heard over the crashing water.

You bristled.

"Invading my head again, Commander?"

Ren turned to face you, covered in water droplets from the spray. His tunic was an even darker colour than before, heavier with the water, you were sure. His damp hair stuck to his face and he licked the excess moisture from his lips, arms folded across his chest.  His eyes appeared darker than normal, lack of sleep adding to the puffiness underneath his lower lashes. His helmet was on the floor next to him, apparently thrown down amongst the moss with little regard for the vegetation. Judging by the amount of water decorating the black mask, he had been stood there quite a while. His brow furrowed, you were sure, due to the accusatory undertone in your question.

"You are weak." He stated; not as a means of insult, but a point of fact.

You grit your teeth and began stepping towards him slowly, eyes never leaving his. He continued speaking, baritone vocals almost becoming one with the booming sound behind him.