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"BREATHE. JUST BREATHE."
Indira Beren closes her eyes and exhales, fighting back a flicker of annoyance. Around her, she can hear nothing but the sounds of the forest — leaves blowing in the breeze, the river rushing past and lapping at the shores, birds singing in the trees. It's supposed to be soothing. Calm. Peaceful. Yet Indira feels anything but that as she sits cross-legged on the half-sodden ground. She wants to fidget, idle hands twitching to move with nothing to keep them occupied. Her patience is nearly at its end — no matter how hard she wants to be able to do ... this — and she knows she's only about ten seconds away from losing it.
Restless, she cracks an eye open to look at Rey, who is sitting to her right — poised and peaceful; the perfect picture of a Jedi. Indira turns her head slightly and finds Finn sitting the same way to her left and Leia across from her. They all seem to be absent from Indira's discomfort; three tranquil figures at the heart of Yavin Four's jungle.
Leia senses her unease and opens her eyes, shooting Indira a reproachful look. "Eyes closed, Indira."
A huff escapes her lips. "It's not working!"
"Because you're not allowing it to work," her aunt replies, arching a brow.
Indira scowls. "This is pointless."
Rey and Finn both open their eyes, disturbed from their mediations, and Rey shoots her a pitiful look. "Don't worry, Indira," she says. "Things like this take time. You can't expect it to happen right away."
"It never took time before!" She protests. "And Finn was able to do it in a heartbeat."
Rey smiles fondly at Finn — a special smile; one that Indira has come to recognize as reserved for him and him only. "That's because Finn is a natural," she says and he ducks his head bashfully. "The Force comes easy to him."
