He stepped down from the shuttle, trying not to look long at her, as if she were the sun. Yet he saw her, like the sun, even without looking.
She kept him still and held his beating heart with one gaze, feeding off of him. She was a succubus, beauti...
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Hunter's boots crunched over patches of dead grass as he wandered through the forest in the direction of the Marauder . He sighed, his brow furrowing as he looked over to find a small clearing nestled among the sleeping giants of Towering Bith. He'd wandered farther into the forest than he'd realized, coming upon a curious sight.
The forest, shrouded in the quiet hush of nature, opened up into a small, sun-dappled clearing. In the center of this serene glade, a woman—one he knew all too well—knelt on the ground, her presence a juxtaposition of stillness in the midst of the forest's vibrant life.
Her long, rich mahogany hair of tawny brown rippled in wild waves down her back, catching rays of sunlight that filtered through the leaves overhead, giving it a fiery, ethereal glow.
By the gods, she was captivating.
His footsteps, now softened by the carpet of moss beneath his feet, brought him closer. Her posture was perfect and he noticed her hands gently cradling something in her lap: her lightsaber.
She seemed to be in deep meditation. Her presence exuded an aura of serenity, as if she were an integral part of the forest itself, a guardian spirit invoked by the wild.
He approached slowly, not wanting to disrupt the delicate balance of the moment. His presence, however, did not go unnoticed.
"The Force connects us all, but it's usually considered impolite to stare."
Hunter cleared his throat, feeling somewhat awkward at having been caught.
"Apologies," he spoke at last. "I didn't mean to intrude on your meditation."
With a graceful and controlled movement, she slowly opened her eyes, and their gazes met.
"We all have our moments of distraction," she said.
He had a feeling such words held more weight than the moment here and now, amid the otherworldly clearing in the forest.
Her posture was as perfect as always, and yet, her once-vibrant energy seemed to have waned, leaving her with a palpable weariness that clung to her like a heavy shroud. She looked tired. It didn't surprise him. Visions, terrible images of when they'd rescued her flashed across his mind.
"You should never have come for me."
Caught off guard, Hunter's brows furrowed deeply. His usual, composed expression gave way to a momentary frown, a subtle yet unmistakable sign of his surprise and bewilderment.
"What?"
She drew in a breath. Then, with a resigned exhale, she let out a sigh. Her eyes lifted to him and he felt as if she could see right through him.
"You're not safe with me," she said at last. "None of you are."
The pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place within his mind, and his heart all but stopped its race within the cage of his chest.
