A returning Echo

Chapter Twenty Eight

The next standard month dragged on slowly as you eagerly waited for your trip to Dohbar. You had practically told Anakin that Echo was coming with you, and that he didn't get to say anything about it, which he wasn't too thrilled about. Padmé even holoed you one night to tell you about how Anakin was having a fit about it, and you told her to make him sleep in one of the youngling clan rooms if he kept acting like a child. He didn't appreciate that either.

Fives, on the other hand, had tried getting you to ask Anakin to let him come along as well, saying that if Echo got a vacation, he deserved one as well. Echo countered by saying that you and him were going alone so that the two of you could spend time together away from the war and away from Coruscant. Fives then claimed that he wouldn't bother you guys, and that he would explore by himself, which you both knew would only last for a couple hours, and he'd eventually come to bother you.

In the end, it remained just you and Echo that were going, and there wasn't going to be a debate about it. Anakin wasn't allowed to say no, and Fives wasn't allowed to come along. Both of them moped about it together, much to Echo's annoyance in the weeks approaching your trip. Any spare chance they got, they would use to complain in his ear about it. He ended up sleeping in your quarters more often than not.

When it finally was the night before your trip, you could barely contain your excitement enough to sleep. Echo wasn't with you tonight, instead deciding to be with his brothers before he left. You kept tossing and turning, and soon enough you were bored of trying to sleep. Looking over at your chronometer, you saw that it read 03:23.

"Great," you mumbled to yourself. At this rate, you would barely get enough sleep to safely fly your ship to Dohbar. You sighed and sat up, tossing your sheets aside before wandering into your living room. You sat on your couch for a little bit, turning on your holoscreen but not finding anything interesting to watch. You grabbed a book, but it's one you've read before, and the words don't envelope you like they did before. You let out another sigh before tossing the book aside and heading to your door. Maybe a quiet stroll around the Temple would help.

The halls of the Temple were quiet and empty, and it was quite nice. The lights were dim, and all around you felt peace. Even in the areas away from the dorms, the air was relaxed and calm. It wasn't often that you felt it like this, and it was a nice change.

You found yourself sitting at a window, looking out into the city. Even at this late hour, the traffic lanes were still busy. It amused you how so many lives didn't seem to rest, how they were always working, always on the move. Even you yourself often took breaks, even just brief ones, to sit and relax, but the citizens of Coruscant never seemed to pause.

A presence soon was felt by your side, and it was one you weren't quite used to randomly feeling. You turned and looked to see Mace, who was smiling slightly as he approached you.

"May I sit here?" he asked while motioning beside you, and you nodded, offering a small smile back. "I hear you're heading off to Dohbar tomorrow, and you're taking one of Anakin's men with you."

"Yes, I am," you responded. There was no point in lying or trying to hide it. If someone didn't know you and Echo were together, they likely had never met either one of you before. Your relationship wasn't exactly a secret, and you didn't bother with trying to make it one.

"I can't imagine he was too happy about that," he said with a lighthearted chuckle.

"No, he wasn't," you agreed with a slight laugh. "Though I didn't exactly let him tell me no, and neither did Echo."

"You and Echo have grown quite close," Mace commented, raising a brow at you, to which you gave an amused huff.

"If us sleeping together and going on dates is called 'close', then yes. But I think the more proper term would be, we're a couple."