Chapter Text
Lorenz took in another breath of the clean Dantooine air. He loved the crispness of the early morning breeze on his skin. He especially loved the way it made his robes wave in the wind. He could picture himself as one of the great Jedi heroes, standing atop a hill in triumph. The sun peaked just over the horizon and bathed the plains in the golden light of dawn. He could hear the cries of animals just waking up and for a moment, Lorenz felt as if the whole Force reached out and placed its hand on him.
Something flickered at the edge of his perception. A dark spot in the bright morning edged closer to where he stood. He turned around to where he sensed it and nearly went for his lightsaber. But where he expected a predator or enemy of some kind, he saw only a young woman stumbling through the high grass of the Dantooine plains. She wore the same padawan robes that he did, making her a fellow student at the Jedi Enclave. Other than her blue hair, Lorenz could not see anything notable about her at first.
The young woman looked up, met Lorenz’s gaze, and then quickly turned her eyes down again.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Her voice sounded like little more than a whimper to Lorenz. Even the slight, gentle noise of the rustling grasses nearly swallowed her words. Despite this, Lorenz found himself struggling with his response for a moment.
“Not at all! I had simply come out to the plains for an early morning meditation! My master said that I must better appreciate the living Force and instruct me to study the wildlife that surrounds the Enclave.”
The young woman gave a gentle smile and risked another glance up towards Lorenz. He felt his heart skip a beat under his robes. She possessed the softest and most beautiful eyes. The brown of her irises glowed in the light and took on the appearance of shining amber.
“That sounds nice. I wish my master gave me more assignments like that…”
“Who is your master?”
The girl’s expression immediately fell and her eyes shot back towards the ground. Lorenz almost stepped forward so that he might raise her chin up just so that he could again behold her eyes, but he fought the instinct and waited for the girl’s response.
“Master Vrook. He’s--"
Harsh. Lorenz knew that. Every student at the enclave did. Master Vrook preached absolute adherence to the Jedi Code and unquestioning obedience to the Council. Even for a padawan like Lorenz, Vrook seemed... strict.
"Ah, say no more. If I may ask, what was it that brought you out here at such an early hour?"
“I-- I was hoping I could see the brith from here. I heard that they come closest to the Enclave in the early morning, before they spot all the people moving around the grounds… and retreat to a safer distance. I know how they feel.”
Lorenz seemed taken aback at the amount of fear radiating off the young woman. Though she seemed gentle and honest to Lorenz's eyes, the Force told him that the young woman radiated fear. That initial dark spot in the Force he sensed came from her. In the second before he responded, he silently promised himself that he would not match her fear with his own. He would do as a true Jedi should and lead her out of fear by example.
"Well then, please permit me to escort you to a nearby hill that I know of! I’m certain we will get an excellent view of the brith as they fly over!”
The young woman's fear took hold of her again and she took a sideways step as she spoke.
“Oh, there’s no need for you to do that for me. I don’t mean to delay you from your duties.”
Lorenz threw his head back and laughed in a deliberate display of bravado. He realized that she might interpret his loud manner as callous or indifferent to her obvious trepidation, but he considered it worth the risk if he could accompany her.
“Nonsense! What sort of Jedi would I be if I did not offer aid to everyone I cross paths with? A true Jedi must help every being in need, including other Jedi!”
“I don’t mean to be a bother…”
A quiet shake of his head put the other young Jedi at ease. Lorenz stretched out his arm towards the waiting field in a deliberately theatrical manner.
“Not whatsoever. Besides, I think your goal of seeing the brith and my goal of observing the Force through nature align perfectly! If you’ll follow me, err… I’m so sorry. I did not ask your name…”
The young woman did not exactly smile, but her downcast eyes did alight again and her expression softened at Lorenz's question.
“Marianne von Edmund. And you’re...”
“Lorenz Hellman Gloucester, at your service!”
Lorenz introduced himself to her as if every being in the galaxy observed him. He knew he risked judgement from this near-stranger, but something about Marianne drove Lorenz into a frenzy of emotions. He tried releasing them all in his self-introduction, but as they walked silently together towards the hill Lorenz mentioned earlier, he found himself still overcome by her beauty and loveliness. As they crested the knoll and watched the massive brith glide through the air overhead, Lorenz knew that he would seek out Marianne's companionship again, Jedi Code or no Jedi Code.
He considered her worth the risk.