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Quiet.
That’s her main thought as she looks up at the stars, the grass brushing against her fingers as she lay against the hill near Base.
The soft, gentle hum of the local wildlife and the sound of water rushing against pebbles in a nearby stream are a special kind of quiet, one that Venn doesn’t hear often.
No, this isn’t the deathly silence that falls after gunfire - where both sides fall quiet due to fear of their opponent. It isn’t the uncomfortable kind either - the silence that falls after a mistake was made in her training, her eyes stinging as she tries not to cry. Because Jedi don’t cry.
This… is true silence. The silence that lets her think. That lets her relax, lets her unwind from long, harsh days on the battlefield. It allows her to mourn, to feel without worrying about the watchful eye of The Council.
Her breathing is steady - it matches the gentle flow of the wind that rushes between blades of grass, before running towards the trees, whipping between their ferns. She focuses her mind. The Council cannot hurt her here. She is safe. She is calm.
Hearing the clank of plastoid armour behind her, Venn opens her eyes. She maintains her position on the ground, her hands playing with the grass that sits between her fingers as she waits for his imminent arrival.
“Thought I’d find you here.” He speaks, pulling off his helmet as he sits himself down next to her, pulling off bits and pieces of his armour as he does so.
She closes her eyes once more as she smiles, a gentle blush creeping along her cheeks.
“You were correct.” She whispers. “You found me.”
Echo chuckles, bringing a hand to rake through his hair, a grin appearing on his face as he looks down at her. He watches the slow rise and fall of her chest, the Jedi robes that cover her body layered comfortably as she rests.
Echo looks up at the night sky. His eyes watch the thousands of stars that litter his view - the way they collide and swarm each other, their colours mixing and matching under his watchful eye.
Sinking down next to her, his body laying flat against the hill as he settles against it comfortably. He looks over at her - her eyes still closed, but a small smile still laid gently on her lips.
He looks back up at the stars as he remembers the many nights they’ve spent like this, embraced in each other's company, hands held as they admire the night sky of the many planets they travel to. He remembers the soft spoken promises said to one another under the stars' warm glow. He thinks of her airy laugh when he attempts to name constellations - always getting them wrong.
His thoughts are interrupted when a warm hand envelops his, spindly fingers tracing patterns into the back of his hand. her nails tapping against the plastoid of his glove piece as he looks over at her.
Her eyes beam at him, her whole face smiling as her red eyes gaze warmly into his.
They watch each other in a comfortable silence, each enjoying the other's presence under the warm glow of the stars. He once again fiddles with her hand intertwined with his, the grass beneath them brushing against their conjoined hands.
He knows it’s been hard for her lately, so he lets them sit in silence. He watches her face, as her eyes move from star to star. He realises she’s likely trying to memorise them from the guide she obtained earlier today.
His face warms as he watches her, his chest feeling light as her presence fills him. Blush once more coats his face as he looks up at the stars with her.
“I love you.” He whispers, tightening his grip around her hands.
She’s silent for a second, before she grabs his hand even tighter.
“I love you too.”
Echo rubs his eyes, his mind being brought back to reality as he looks over at Tech, who is staring at him with a mix of concern and annoyance.
“Are you alright? I have called for your attention multiple times.” Tech asks, his attention rapidly turning back to the datapad in his hands.
The ship is quiet - the rest of the batch asleep, leaving the two of them on watch. Not that this planet was dangerous anyway, but someone had to be on look out, and Tech didn’t sleep anyway.
Looking at his surroundings on the ship, Echo attempts to ground himself. He is apart of the Bad Batch. He lives on the Havoc Marauder. The republic is gone. He is safe.
“I’m fine. Sorry.” He responds, his tone exhausted.
Echo scrunches his eyes, the memories fading as he looks away from the viewport, and back at Tech and the task at hand.
Tech smiles at him, clearly excited to talk to his brother about his latest projects regarding the ship. He points to his data pad repeatedly, as Echo nods and hums in response - his mind not really there. His brother continues to explain as Echo’s eyes drift towards the view port, his heart aching.
Tech’s words slow - as he likely realised his brother isn’t interested in listening right now. He attaches his data pad to his belt, says goodnight and slinks off to his bunk, leaving Echo alone in the cockpit, the chairs beside him empty.
Her laugh plays in his mind on a never ending loop. The gentle touch of her hand on his plagues his dreams, as does the gentle glance of her eyes.
Echo attempts to ground himself once more, as he focuses on his surroundings. He is apart of the Bad Batch. He lives on the Havoc Marauder. The republic is gone.
His heart aches.
She is gone.