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Elzar had been practicing for a while, and he was reasonably confident that this plan would work. His refinements with Force techniques weren’t always successful—and weren’t always met with admiration from his master—but he’d had some success with this one over the past several days. If he stood very still and concentrated through the Force in a very particular way, he could make himself invisible.
Okay that wasn’t at all how it worked. But he could make it so that people didn’t notice him, and wasn’t that essentially the same thing? He thought it was.
And so what better place to test it than the Temple arboretum? Which is how Elzar came to find himself sitting in the shady boughs of a kuvara tree, trying to see how long he could go without being noticed. Being invisible to the citizens of Coruscant was one thing, but managing to do it in a place full of Force-users would be another thing entirely.
There was really only one Force-user that Elzar Mann was interested in though, and she was deep in meditation with her master on the other side of the garden. Avar Kriss, with her blond hair neatly tied back and her face turned into the sunshine, was a picture of composure and serenity. Elzar had been waiting for almost an hour for her to stir from where she sat, but Master Maota seemed to be leading her through an exercise. Or maybe he was just also deep in meditation. Elzar couldn’t really tell, and there wasn’t a point in dedicating extra energy to the thought, because the longer she took to meditate the more time he had to practice his cloaking trick.
So far, no fewer than four Jedi Masters had passed him without a second glance, along with a class of about a dozen younglings. He didn’t know which was the greater feat; the masters always seemed to know everything, but younglings were so quick to spot anything out of the ordinary. Any of them should have asked him why he was in the branches of the tree if they had seen him, but no one had.
Elzar allowed his consciousness to flow with the gentle air currents that stirred the leaves, feeling the flaky bark beneath his forearms, making himself one with the canopy, and the roots, and the small, budding fruits, until Avar finally stood from her place. He watched as she bowed to her Master and said something that he couldn’t hear, before they began to walk in separate directions.
Elzar had chosen this spot specifically because he knew that when she was done with meditation, she would head back to her room to practice her vioflute for a little while before dinner, forcing her to walk right past him. She stuck to her routines like clockwork.
As Avar began to walk in his direction, he spared a tendril of energy to reach out to her with the Force, and smiled as her eyes began to wander over her surroundings. She seemed vaguely aware that something was tugging on her consciousness, but she couldn’t quite figure out where—
Elzar’s feet hit the ground without a sound at the exact moment that she passed his hiding place, and he placed a hand on her arm. Instantly her eyes met his and her face transformed from an expression of curiosity to one of delight.
“El, what are you doing?” she whispered conspiratorially as he pulled her into the shade.
“Waiting for you,” he replied with a grin, practically mouthing the words to keep his voice low.
“I didn’t even see you!” she exclaimed softly.
Elzar beamed. “That was the point,” he murmured, drawing her closer. He leaned in and landed a playful kiss on her lips.
Avar pulled back, her cheeks rapidly flushing. “El there’s too many people—”
Elzar let his eyes roam over the space deliberately, raising his eyebrows slightly and highlighting the fact that there were currently only two other Jedi in the gardens. Master Maota had already left the space, and the other Jedi were engaged in conversation at the opposite end to the spot they currently occupied.
“Relax, I’ve been in this tree since you sat down to meditate like an hour ago. No one has noticed. It’s a new refinement I’m working on,” Elzar said, somewhat triumphantly.
Avar’s reproachful look slowly melted into a mischievous glint, and she allowed Elzar to pull her closer again. He cupped her face with one hand and leaned in, this time kissing her slowly and deeply.
Elzar didn’t think he’d ever get used to the sensation, and he never wanted to. Her lips were as soft as the petals of the uneti blossoms, the scent of her skin was almost as sweet, and having her in his arms never failed to make him feel like a swarm of flare-wings had taken up residence in his chest.
Time stood still as the pair savored each kiss. Their lips met in a practiced dance, tongues meeting as pulses quickened, breaking only for the occasional breath. Elzar slipped his hands under her tunic, feeling the warmth of her skin under his fingertips, and Avar pressed closer to him.
Avar’s lips wandered down across his jaw, her breath ghosting across his neck. Elzar responded by sliding his hands up along her spine, feeling the little shiver of pleasure that reverberated through her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and released a small sigh of contentment.
The time he’d spent waiting was absolutely worth it.
At last Avar pulled back, bringing her hands to rest on his hips. “I can’t stay,” she whispered.
Elzar didn’t move his hands from the small of her back, and instead rested his forehead against hers.
“Already?” he teased. “I’ve been in this tree for an hour, waiting for you.”
Avar laughed quietly and kissed him again. “Well, that’s not my fault,” she replied. She reached up and carded her fingers through his hair playfully. “Sounds like you had a lot of time to work on your refinement, though.”
Elzar was suddenly aware of an approaching presence. Master Rascranti, the primary caretaker of the arboretum, was moving slowly towards them, plucking the occasional weed from the flowerbeds as he went. Elzar pulled Avar further under the canopy of the kuvara tree, whispering “Don’t be seen,” as quietly and urgently as he could.
“What? How?” Avar asked.
“Just…use the Force to blend in,” he whispered back, trying to send a loose emotional link to her that would give her a clue as to how he’d been using the Force. At the same time, he attempted to focus on concealing both of them, pulling Avar so close that it felt like they could be one person. Both Padawans practically held their breath as Master Rascranti walked on past. He stopped very near to where they stood, with his back towards them, and leaned down to pick up a broken twig that must have fallen from the tree when Elzar had climbed it, but the old master seemed to think nothing of it and continued his stroll.
When he was far enough away, Elzar exhaled in relief and released his grip on Avar.
“I still can’t believe how well that works,” Elzar laughed. Avar punched his arm.
“We would have been in so much trouble if it hadn’t worked!” she hissed through gritted teeth.
But Elzar’s smile didn’t falter. “But it did. And we have this little corner all to ourselves.” He raised one eyebrow as he slid an arm back around her waist.
“I have to go practice,” she reminded him, her worried expression softening gradually now that the danger of being discovered had passed. “I need to work on my concert pieces.”
“In your room?” he asked. “Can I join?” His mouth quirked up, his meaning clear.
Avar rolled her eyes. “Don’t push your luck,” she teased, before kissing his cheek. She then turned unceremoniously and walked towards the exit of the arboretum.
Elzar watched her go until she had turned a corner and was out of sight, forgetting about his refinement for a moment until he heard a shrill voice exclaim, “Padawan! Out of the flower beds!”
Well, it was fun while it lasted, he thought to himself. Maybe he’d try it again tomorrow, but for now he had to run.