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The mist on Endor was always thick. The rich viridescent blanket of ferns that thrived under the enormous trees created a damp microclimate below the canopy. The rich smell of earth and bark always permeated the air along the path as it was stirred up by the comings and goings of the patrons as they enjoyed Dev’s Tavern. On this night however, the air was thick with impending rain as Zaria made her way to Dev’s.
After a long day, Zaria felt tired but excited. Something in the way the cool droplets started to fall from the sky made her feel giddy and apprehensive, as if they whispered to her secrets she couldn’t quite hear as they kissed her skin and clothes. Making her way to Dev’s was a usual occurrence for Zaria, as it was for most who lived or visited this part of the planet. Dev was a vivacious presence and the energy that flowed from her permeated her tavern and flowed into the patrons. If one was a believer, her energy rivaled the energy of the Force itself.
There may have also been another reason Zaria was excited to go to Dev’s tonight. A few nights prior, on a quiet evening, the tavern wasn’t very busy beyond the few locals that were scattered about talking quietly amongst themselves. Zaria had been sitting, enjoying her food and drink, when a group of men, clearly soldiers, entered and greeted Dev excitedly. They had obviously been here before but Zaria had never crossed paths with them. All night as she laughed and relaxed with her friends and locals, she kept sneaking furtive glances at the group. Well, not at the group per say.
Amongst the men was one man in particular who had caught Zaria’s appreciative gaze. A scomp attached to what was left of his right arm and what looked like cybernetic implants speckled around his head did not take away from his genuine smile as he drank and relaxed with the other soldiers while occasionally talking with Dev as she worked. Zaria swore that the soldier had met her glances a few times, seeming as shy as she was. But she was too nervous and would avert her eyes or drop them to peer into her mug, counting the small frothy bubbles that floated on top of her ale. She had left that night while the men were still enjoying themselves, a feeling in her stomach she couldn’t quite place, but might be tinged with regret.
Tonight though Zaria hoped to build up the nerve to talk to that soldier if he was there. It was so odd, this feeling. She had barely even looked at him throughout the night, yet she had thought about him over the last few days, wishing that she hadn’t left without even holding a glance with the handsome man. It wasn’t unusual for those passing through to stay over for a week or two, restocking their ships with supplies, resting after long journeys and recovering after aggressive dog fights in space. Zaria really hoped that this was the case, that these soldiers had chosen to stay for a few days, whatever their reasons.
As she approached her destination, even over the gentle pattering of the raindrops on her hood, she could hear the raucous singing mixed with pleasant-sounding music as it vibrated through the walls of the tavern and shook the tree branches before carrying off into the night. It was obvious that tonight was going to be a jovial one, full of love and talk and dancing amongst the regulars who used Dev’s to strengthen the bond between them after stressful days of labor.
When Zaria entered, she was greeted by Dev with a wave of her drying rag above her head as she grabbed a glass to fill another order, being kept busy tonight by the large crowd. Zaria was once again waved down, this time by a group of friends calling her to join them at their table. As she sat down she swept her gaze around the room and her heart jumped a bit when she noticed a familiar group sitting at the same table as a few nights prior. Her excitement was short lived however when she failed to find the pale head of her brown eyed infatuation.
Zaria inhaled deeply through her nose and turned back to the group. There was no need to start to overthink things. She was fairly certain that since the other soldiers who were with him the other night were still here, that he must be as well. Once he came back she would be bold and make a move to talk with him. Or at least maintain eye contact this time. Baby steps. One of the others at her table came back with a refill for themselves and a mug for Zaria. She thanked them and they all fell into conversation, dancing in their seats and singing along with the inebriated customers as the night progressed.
A couple hours had gone by before Dev was able to make her way to Zaria’s group. Dev was finally free to take a step away from the bar counter to walk amongst and chat with everyone. This was Dev in her element. She knew everyone and brought that caring, protective energy into every interaction. Dev adored the people of Endor and those who returned again and again to her tavern from their travels to soak in the positive energy that seemed to leak into the air from the very walls. Dev took care of them as they did her. Zaria fondly remembered the few times an outsider had tried to get loud with Dev. While the woman could ABSOLUTELY hold her own, Zaria was delighted by the memory of a rowdy lot of troublemakers being manhandled out of the tavern by the locals. The group of locals, turning back into the tavern towards Dev, smiling with winks and waves after expelling the unwanted guests. This was a family. Dev’s family. Zaria’s family.
Dev greets your group warmly, “Hey! Now I know you all have been having a good time, but why haven’t I seen anyone dancing?”
Zaria laughed, tossing her head back slightly, “You know us Dev, gossip first!”
Dev smiled brightly and grabbed Zaria’s elbow gently tugging her up from her seat, “Let’s change that. I need to get my body moving after being behind the bar all night!”
Dev leaned in closer to Zaria as they pushed through towards the middle of the bar where there was more room to move that was free of tables. Not whispering but talking just loud enough to be heard over the pleasant sounds of the tavern, Dev questions Zaria, “Now, don’t think I didn’t notice that you have been looking over at my handsome soldier friends. Which one caught your eye? The one with the bandana? You can’t hide it from me.”
Zaria laughs again as she and Dev start to dance, “How do you see so much when you’re so busy?”
Dev states as a matter of fact, “It's a gift. Tonight is a night for absolute joy. So I keep my eyes open for every opportunity to make that happen.”
Zaria huffs a short breath of air before replying, “Actually, I noticed them the other night but the man I saw isn’t with them right now. I haven’t seen him at all tonight. I thought maybe he was in the fresher when I first came in but he never showed up.”
“Ah, so did you make any moves last time you saw him?”
“No, but I thought maybe we caught each other's eyes a few times before. I was going to try and make a move tonight but…”
“His name is Echo by the way.”
Zaria whips her head up to Dev. “How do you know it’s him?”
Dev keeps dancing, “He's the only one of the batch who isn’t here right now.” Dev holds Zaria’s gaze with a knowing grin on her face, waiting for Zaria to voice the words Dev knows are coming.
Zaria takes a slow inhaling breath, “Seeing as you know him…”
Dev grins wider, eyebrows raising slightly, “Yes?”
Zaria, emboldened by the ale and vibrating energy of the tavern, “I was hoping you could...introduce us?”
Dev smiles wide, “Let me see what I can do.”
One of Zaria’s friends from the group comes up to join in the dancing, temporarily staving off the butterflies Zaria felt when Dev said she could possibly introduce her to Echo.
Dev, moving slightly away from Zaria, gets out her comm. When Echo picks up on she immediately starts talking, not even waiting for Echo’s greeting, “Hey, where are you? You should be down here! It’s so much fun tonight!”
Echo sighs on the other end. He can hear the voices and music clearly through the comm, “You know I don’t like dancing, Dev.”
Dev continues to try and coax him, “Hey, you promised no sulking in the ship tonight! Besides, there is a pretty woman who has been asking for you.” Dev adds with a sly tone, “Her name is Zaria. She said you both were making eyes at one another the other night.”
Echo stiffens in the pilot seat of the Havoc Marauder. Zaria. He knows exactly who Dev is talking about. He had been sneaking glances at a beautiful woman the first night they had arrived. He thought that he had caught her looking at him as well, but was too reserved and unsure to do more than steal a few glances at her. Apparently he was right about her returning his looks. But that night at the tavern was quiet, more his taste, unlike tonight.
“What? Really?” he asked with an air of almost stunned disbelief.
Dev gets more forceful, “COME DOWN HERE!”
Echo feels his heart start to pump a little more quickly and his palms get clammy. Even if Zaria had been asking where he was, he was still hesitant to heed Dev’s forceful request, “I don’t know, Dev…”
Dev laughs and waves as someone leaves the tavern. Then, without missing a beat speaks into the comm with utter clarity and intention in her voice, “Echo, I love you, but if you don’t get your cute butt down here in 10 seconds I’m going to tell Zaria about yours and Fives shenanigans at 79’s…”
Burning with embarrassment, shock roils from Echo’s gut up into his neck and chest, “WAIT! Which time?” He’s still hesitant but OH NO , if Dev starts telling those stories, he might never get a chance with Zaria…
But Dev knows what she’s doing and before Echo can protest further she calmly tells him, “Clock starts now.”
“Wait Dev —”
*CLICK*
The comm call is disconnected.
Scrambling up from the pilot's seat Echo whips around to towards the back of the ship, slamming his side into the hard metal of the cockpit entry way in his hurry, nearly falling face first, sprawling in the middle of the ship. All he can think of is the fact that he knows Dev doesn’t play games. If she said she will tell Zaria about him and Fives at 79’s, she means it . He doesn’t even wait for the hatch door to open all the way, grabbing the bottom of the stairs as they descend from their upright position and throwing himself over, landing in a roll. There is still a smattering of rain, but Echo doesn’t feel it as he sprints at full speed. He has never been more grateful that the shipyard is close to Dev’s Tavern than at this moment as he barrels down the path towards Dev and Zaria.
Dev turns back towards where Zaria and the others are dancing, waving at her, “Hey Zaria!”
“DEV! Hi!” Zaria waves back at her, laughing at Dev’s antics. They haven’t been apart for more than a few minutes. Zaria’s heart starts to flutter a little. What does this mean? Will Echo be coming to the tavern?
Dev, animated and moving her hands in the way she does before she gets into a really good story, stops in front of Zaria, “I have to tell you this really funny story—”
Suddenly there he is, stumbling up from behind Dev, almost knocking into her, breathing hard and looking quite, well, frantic really. Echo. He looks at Dev and then at Zaria, licking his lips and swallowing hard.
“Well look who decided to show up!” Dev says as she places her hands on her hips. “She turns to look at Zaria, “Zaria, I’d like to introduce you to my dearest friend, Echo.” She gestures to him, taking in his appearance with smug satisfaction.
Echo, winded slightly and still looking at Zaria lets out a breathless, “Hello.”
Dev turns back to Zaria, “I've got some tables to clean but you two get to know each other.” She leans in and gives Zaria a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll just be over there if you need anything.”
Zaria glances away from Dev to look at Echo then back to Dev with a shy but knowing grin, “Thanks Dev.”
“Have fun.” Dev gives Echo a devious smile as she turns to walk away.
Echo just glares at her as she’s leaving, glad he has finally caught his breath. He turns to look at Zaria. And then they just awkwardly stare at one another for a few moments. Without Dev’s mutual presence they don’t seem to know where to start, Echo starting to lose his nerve again and Zaria still feeling a little shocked by his sudden entry into the Tavern and Dev’s swift departure.
Just as they both go to speak at the same time, some loud hollering comes from the side of the tavern where the soldiers had been sitting. Sure enough, the encouraging cat calling seems to be coming mostly from the extremely tall, built man, while the one wearing the bandana has his index and middle fingers in his mouth wolf whistling. Another seems to have a toothpick in his mouth and is simply smirking with a slight sway to his balance while the remaining soldier holds up a datapad in what looks like an attempt to take a holo.
“Di'kut ! ” Echo hisses, smacking his palm on his face. He turns back to Zaria who, while a little taken aback by the unorthodox encouragement from Echo’s team, seems mostly amused by the whole situation now that the initial shock of the whole encounter has worn off. This moment has also given her time to look more closely at Echo, getting more acquainted with his features.
“Do you...want to go outside?” Echo looks towards the door to the Tavern then at his friends before looking back at Zaria.
“Sure.” Zaria stands still for a moment longer before turning slightly while still looking at Echo, making sure he is going to follow her to the door. He does, moving quickly past her to grab the handle to open it for her before she can reach out herself. Zaria tosses him a small smile before exiting the tavern. Behind them as they exit, another uproar starts and Echo doesn’t turn to look at them, but there is a distinct grunt of disapproval as the tavern doors close.
On the outside of Dev’s Tavern there is a small covered sitting area. Surrounded by worn wooden fencing, except for the opening that faces the path, there is greenery surrounding the fence line and cascading over top of the covering on the patio. 6 sets of tables and chairs sit underneath a couple of dimly lit string lights that, in the misty haze of the rain, look like large fireflies twinkling in the dark. Endor isn’t cold per se, but it also isn’t warm outside right now. Both Echo and Zaria think that while the weather isn’t ideal, it makes more sense for them to talk somewhere that is at least muted from the sounds inside. And away from his motivating batch mates.
“So...your friends are really...enthusiastic.” Zaria breaks the tension but can’t help but question the way the other soldiers were so enthusiastic given the platonic nature of their encounter thus far.
“Yeah, uh, my brothers can be a pain sometimes.” Echo looks down slightly and rubs the back of his head. Looking up through his lashes he questions Zaria, “They didn’t make you feel uncomfortable did they?”
“Brothers, now it makes sense! And no, they didn’t.” Zaria smiles and Echo and he relaxes, dropping his hand from behind his neck.
“Do you want to sit down?” he gestures to the seats.
“Sure.” Zaria moves to one of the back tables before pulling out a chain and sitting down, followed by Echo across the table from her.
“So, you’ve been here before. You seem to know Dev really well.” It's more of a statement, not a question.
“Yeah, we’ve been coming here for a while. We stopped by Endor after a mission in a nearby system to refuel and rest, found Dev’s, and now we come by every time we are around ever since.” Echo doesn’t know what to do with his hands so he makes lose fists and puts them in his lap.
Not that the lighting is that great, but looking at Zaria sitting across from him, he feels elated but nervous. She really is beautiful, and kind. She doesn’t seem put off by anything that’s happened so far from me or my brothers. Echo, in an effort to not look like he’s staring, looks over at the moss covered fence then back to Zaria. “Are you just passing through?”
“No, I live here. I work for the refueling station cleaning pumps. I’m no mechanic, and it's hard work, but the money isn’t bad and Endor is a beautiful place so I can’t complain.”
“Do you have any siblings?” Echo inquires.
“Just me! But my parents both work for the communications support services here. It’s main tower is on the other side of the planet, but they sometimes come out to the smaller stations, and we always make time as a family once a month. Even though I’m in my 30’s, I’m still their little girl, you know?” Zaria can’t help but be grateful she has such smart, loving parents and smiles as she talks about them.
“So not into communications yourself then?” Echo wonders, “Didn’t want to follow in your parents footsteps?”
“Yeah, I wasn’t the most astute student and communications requires a level of schooling that I just wasn't wanting to achieve.” Zaria shrugged her shoulders. It wasn’t a big deal to her, she liked her job and felt happy with her accomplishments in life thus far as far as work went.
Suddenly, there is a rustling followed by a scraping sound coming from near the entrance of the patio area. Echo stands up in a sharp movement, hand drawn to his blaster, stepping in front of Zaria.
Zaria, for her part, is alarmed at the sudden change of events and looks up at Echo who is blocking her way before looking towards the entrance of the patio. Staining to see outside of the dimly lit sitting area, Zaria hears the noise again. But this time, there is the distinct sound of drunken...giggling.
“HAVE YOU KISSED YET?!” comes a booming voice followed by more giggling, snickers, and then full loud laughter.
“COPAANI MIRSHMURE’CYE, VOD?!?” Echo yells into the darkness, “You couldn’t give us 5 minutes alone?!”
Stumbling into the sitting area are Echo’s four brothers, absolutely wasted, giggling like 10 year old girls who just revealed their crushes to one another at a sleepover. Barely able to stand, the boys lean on one another trying to right themselves with little success. Echo takes an aggressive step forward before remembering that Zaria is behind him and, with a deep sigh, turns around to apologize, “Sorry about them, I swear I don’t think I have ever seen them this drunk.”
“Dev’s can do that to people on a good night.” Zaria tries to diffuse the tension that Echo is obviously feeling, and to be honest, she feels a little let down that her time alone with Echo was so short. But his brothers seem to be in good spirits and really, it isn’t anything that she hasn't witnessed from drunk patrons before.
Zaria looks back over at Echo’s brothers. The one with the datapad is once again trying to take a holo, however, his glasses are askew and he can barely hold the datapad up to record anything but the ground.
“I...better get them back to the ship.” Echo sounds disappointed and honestly, Zaria is too, but she understands Echo needs to take care of his sloshed brothers. They would probably end up on the wrong ship, in a drunken stupor, transported off planet, not realizing until they were already 6 systems away if he didn't look after them.
“If you’re going to be here for—”
“YES!” Echo doesn’t even let her finish before he answers her, “I mean, yes, if we could meet again, without them,” Echo juts his thumb in his brother's direction, “that would be so great.”
Zaria smiles at Echo and he smiles back. Both feel delighted at the prospect of having another chance to talk. Alone.
Zaria gives him her comm channel, “Goodnight Echo.”
“Goodnight Zaria.” He watches as she steps around his brothers, shaking her head but with a smile on her face, heading back into Dev’s. The largest of the brothers, who is supporting the one who was swaying earlier and is now very passed out, wiggles a thumbs up at her as Zaria walks by and the one with the bandana smacks him with the back of his hand across the chest.
Echo watches Zaria as she re-enters Dev’s. He uses the thought of meeting her again to help him persevere while he gets through moving his brothers back to the ship since they have
mir'osik apparently
. He will have to ask them how, specifically Wrecker, and
why
they got so drunk in the morning.
