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Jon looked at the Jedi in surprise, completely paralyzed. The other Jedi was just as still, clothes under her left arm and her right hand still raised to the bathroom access panel.
And Jon was in the shower.
Naked, of course.
Under the eyes of this Jedi who had saved him when his ship had decided to break down on an ice planet.
Could the day really get worse for him?
- Sorry, I thought you were in the bedroom.
And, just as peacefully, she walked out and closed behind her, leaving Jon shocked beyond belief at the water falling on his eyes, something he usually couldn't bear. He instinctively cowered and crossed his arms before pressing his hands to his face. Kriff.
Kriff, Kriff, Kriff!
Oh Force, she had seen him naked, she had seen him naked!
No one had seen anything but the bottom of his face for years, and she had seen him naked! He felt so bad! His chest was already covered in red blotches, and Jon didn't want to imagine the state of his face, the embarrassment made it look even uglier than it usually did.
He finished washing up quickly, dried off even faster and dressed quickly without even glancing at the room mirror. He knew what he would see there, and he knew he wouldn't like it. Nobody would like to see his face. Poor Knight Unduli, a young Jedi from Coruscant probably wasn't used to this kind of disgusting sight, Jon was lucky that she didn't show disgust when she saw him and reacted with such neutrality.
He hesitantly walked out and into the cockpit of the tiny ship – it was literally made for one person – of the Jedi who had been the first to respond to his distress signal to find the young Mirialian woman smiling at him with a calmness that Jon suspected was fake without knowing if it was or not, for the Jedi was remarkably protective of her personal feelings for someone from Coruscant. His Master had always said that the Jedi in the Temple were weak and lacked both talent and will, yet he had so far seen none of that in the Unduli Knight.
- Are you all right?
... Was she referring to what would very clearly be the number one most embarrassing moment of Jon’s year? Because if she was talking about that, no, he wasn't okay, he was horribly uncomfortable even now that he had his clothes and hood back on.
- "Are you hurt?" The Mirialian insisted when he didn't answer quickly enough, and Jon shook himself to force himself to pay attention.
- No, I wasn't hurt, I wasn't out in the cold long enough for that, thanks to you.
She smiled with relief and put her datapad on her seat and retrieved her clean clothes again.
- Well, then I'll wash up.
Jon sat up abruptly and blushed at the thought that the situation had been reversed. He couldn't imagine what would have happened if he'd walked into the bathroom without paying attention and... Force, if he had entered while she was naked...
- "The Force is with me and I am with the Force," he repeated, repeating an old mantra from a Force sect on a planet near Ilum.
He could do it. All he needed was for her to go with him to get the broken piece and bring him back, it wouldn't take long. She returned, put some things away and stopped next to him without sitting down.
- I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd have to put anyone up, it's small and there's only one bed.
- I'll sleep in a seat in the cockpit, don't worry.
- "We can share the bed just fine, I'm not very tall, I don't take up much space," the Mirialian said at the same time before looking up at him with surprise.
Jon was still convinced that she could never be as surprised as he was. Did she want to sleep with him? Would she agree to approach him, even after seeing how ugly he was?
- Are you sure?
- Of course, I assure you I don't mind.
Then Jon couldn't refuse, it wouldn't be polite, especially when he was the intruder and she was sharing her space with him.
- I thank you for your generosity.
- "It's only natural," she replied, gesturing for him to follow her. "Do you have a favourite side?"
Jon didn't have one, he was happy to sleep outside if he had to, so it would be incredibly comfortable anyway.
He looked at her with an incredulous raised eyebrow as the Mirialian lay on her side, facing the wall, clearly curled up to give Jon as much room as possible. That was so... sweet. The Jedi joined her slowly, giving her time to change her mind, but she didn't say anything and didn't tell Jon to remove his cloak or hood so with both on, Jon lay down, hesitantly resting his head on the pillow.
He stayed awake long after the Unduli Knight had fallen asleep, and as still as possible, but when she shivered, Jon looked around for a blanket, but there was none. It was understandable, a good Jedi lived a simple life, but... she was cold. She was cold, and there was nothing to help her. Except him.
Approaching as slowly as he could, Jon covered both of their bodies as best he could with his cloak and slowly fell asleep against the warmth of the peaceful Mirialian's back.
- Calm, calm down. Easy now...
Jon slowly awoke as the blanket of Force that had been numbing him lightened.
When Jon opened his eyes, he met a benevolent blue gaze. All he could feel was calm, but he knew it wasn't his emotions.
- What's... what's going on?
She was massaging his face gently, carefully and thoughtfully running her nimble fingers over his beard, leaving the little knots that had started to appear there. Panicking, Jon tried to fight the mental hold, but the Unduli Knight remained firm.
- Please calm down, Master Antilles, you are safe. Do you remember what happened?
What happened? Of course, he remembered, they had fallen asleep and now she...
The image of himself straddling the Mirialian and his hands around her thin, green neck as she tried in vain to push him away flashed before his eyes, and Jon suddenly found it hard to breathe. He'd done it again. He pulled himself out of his lying position, Chevalier Unduli had laid his head on her thighs to lull him into tranquillity, and ran to the bathroom to vomit up the meal he had eaten the night before. When he came out after washing his mouth, he knew that no words would be enough to make up for his actions, but she deserved better than his lack of effort.
- Oh Force, I'm so sorry.
- I know you are.
- I didn't mean to-
She stepped forward to join him and grabbed his hands, which silenced him very effectively, he couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him like that, without fear or hesitation.
- Master Antilles. I know. I know. I'm fine, I'm fine, but... how about you? Are you feeling better? You were completely frantic, in a panic.
And suddenly, beyond the darkness Jon was trying to fight, the Jedi saw a light, and he clutched at it frantically, terrified of returning to the darkness. With his eyes closed, Jon felt as if he had never known so much light and clarity, his whole body wrapped and protected in a cocoon of softness and warmth, pushing away the fear and pain that seemed to literally melt away and disappear until only peace remained.
For perhaps the first time in his life, Jon felt as if he really understood what peace was.
Peace was gentleness.
Peace was compassion.
Peace was protection.
As he opened his eyes, Jon knew he couldn't walk away from this Jedi, she was a much better Jedi than he was, and their meeting couldn't have been by chance, he refused to believe it. He carefully knelt down and pulled out his lightsaber and held it out to the Mirialian.
- Knight Unduli, it would be an honour for me to become your disciple, I have much to learn from you.
The young woman took a step back, shocked, before looking away. It was her choice, if she refused, at least Jon would have tried.
- I accept, as long as we make this a reciprocal relationship.
His lightsaber disappeared from his hands, quickly replaced by another, unknown but feeling so... simple.
And he didn't mean it in a degrading way, on the contrary. The Jedi's lightsaber was like her, simple and effective, and clearly not turned to violence, he felt none vibrating around the kyber, unlike his own which always seemed to be tormented and disturbed.
- "Soresu?" he guessed.
- "Indeed," she answered with a smile. "And what about you?"
- Niman, well, I try. I'm better at Djem So.
She nodded and helped him to get up and sit on a seat, neither of them could sleep.
She took out a cooler bottle and poured them each a glass before swallowing hers in one gulp.
He had never seen such a surprising and bright person.
The Jedi's discreet smile when Jon coughed in surprise at the hardness of the alcohol finished to win him over.