one night in coruscant || obikin

20.

I awoke, and found that the sounds of the jungle had gone silent.

Lapses in my hearing were commonplace during war, so I did not question this.

My hands reached to my temples, rubbing them to wake my mind.

Everything felt faintly blurry, and I blamed this on the hour.

-

I sat up and slid out of the sheets of my bed, stretching faintly as the cool air played across my back.

The light streamed in from the window, dappled by the thick jungle canopy, casting a blue-green glow onto my pale skin.

My bare feet tapped across the cool concrete floor as I walked to retrieve my cloak.

Chills seeped into my toes, whispering wintery lullabies into my bones as they spread, numbing my core.

My spine tingled, and I crossed to the window.

They stood ajar, and I allowed the thick jungle air to fan my face.

-

My hearing had not returned.

I noticed that the absence of the usual ringing sensation that came with hearing loss, and contemplated this.

My breaths fogged in front of me. Why is it so cold?

The silence was thick. It was tangible. I reached through he force.

It buzzed, stimulated me, shocked me.

As if on autopilot, my fingers searched my belt for the hilt of my saber, and traversed to the table when they did not find it.

It was not there either.

Something was wrong.

-

I walked out into the hall, my guard up, and entered into the kitchen.

All was dark, yet I could see.

More light hit me from my left, and I turned.

The door seemed to be... gone.

It was not closed, not ajar, not cut down, not even ripped from its hinges.

It was simply gone.

-

Intruder, I thought casually, and sidestepped into the cooking area.

After grabbing a knife or two from the countertop, I made my way into the hall to find Cerra.

If there was an intruder, she would be defenseless.

I felt the tapping of my feet as I rounded the corner.

Her door stood ajar.

-

I paced silently (i hoped) down the hall, my toes brushing the soft, plushy carpet as I counted my accelerating heartrate in my head.

1...... 2.... 3...... 4..... 5.... 6... 7.. 8, 9-

I peeked around the corner, and inside, she was drinking tea, her back to me.

-

"Cerra?"

I spoke words, felt my lips manipulate themselves, felt the vibrations in my throat, felt the rustle of my beard moving against my neck, but heard nothing.

The woman turned around slowly, and blinked up at me confusedly.

Her lips moved, but once again, I heard nothing.

"I can't hear you, Cerra.."

She tilted her head at me, and murmured something.

I tried to lipread, and thought she said something about 'asleep'

-

"Cerra. Something is the matter, we aren't safe here."

She seemed to be distracted by something behind me.

Instincts flaring, I whipped around, and glimpsed a flash of black shoot past the doorway.

I returned my attention momentarily to Cerra, whispering urgently to her as I backed out of her room.

"Stay here, lock your door!"

She nodded, and I backed into the hall.

-

My feet slapped pavement as I sailed down the hallway, and rounded the corner, stumbling to a halt.

My jaw dropped slightly, and I backstepped, tilting my head- something didn't add up.

The walls were blue, the chairs all green.

The room was different... everything was different...

My heart skipped.

-

I've been here before... but how am I here now?

I shook my head as I walked to the couch, picked up a blue teacup.

It was half-full of Mandalorian chamomile, and all of the sudden I realized where I was.

Mindless memories flitted idly from the deep echoes of my memory, from my padawanhood.

-

Satine laughing by the window, her head back, eyes shining; Satine lounging in an armchair, idly stirring a cup of tea, or twirling a piece of her hair between her slender fingers; Satine sitting on the floor, brow furrowed in concentration, writing addresses and speeches, Satine and I together, young, inexperienced, fumbling on the couch as the sun set behind us...

-

I dropped the cup, backing away, for the room I stood in was the apartment I had shared with the Duchess while I protected her in our youth.

I continued to back away, trying to go back to Cerra's house somehow, but only backed up into the wall.

Nothing made sense, yet I still couldn't seem to realize this was not reality.