The Dance of Union

Zekk stands and watches the Killik nest planet from the observation bubble of the Chiss space station Koortiva. He frowns, feeling the longing to once more be down among the Kind, to be a part of it, a part of something greater than himself.

A flash of anger flows through him, as he considers once more the severing of his bond with Jaina. He knows that she doesn’t love him. He knows that there is no future for him in her life. Yet the Joining, that intimate bond, had given him the hope of it, the hope of a future where she would love him.

Sighing, he closes his eyes and lets the anger flow out into the Force, allowing the calm and serenity to fill him once more. Opening them he stares once more down at the green and blue planet as it slowly turns beneath him. He wonders once again, what he is doing in Chiss space on this space station. Why should he worry about helping the Chiss joiners regain their individuality? Especially when he himself wants to rejoin the meld so bad that it hurts.

As he stares out the viewport thinking these things, he misses the sound of the door opening and closing, but the sudden gasp does attract his attention. Blinking, he looks into the darkened room behind him, at first seeing just the dim glow of a Chiss’s eyes. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he can finally start to make out her shape.

Her voice as it rises out of the darkness is soft and soothing on his ears. “I’m sorry. I thought I would be alone up here.”

He smiles at her, knowing full well that she would not be able to see the smile. “I’m sure you normally would be, I only just arrived on station today.”

After a second’s pause, she walks to the viewport, and looks down at the planet. He turns and watches her, admiring her form and body. She appears to be slightly taller than Jaina, and has the usual full-bodied black hair of the Chiss. After a second of watching her, he makes her an offer. “Do you wish me to leave and allow you to be alone?”

Her head shakes imperceptibly. “No, your presence is soothing. Even though you are a Jedi.”

He smiles at her, a ghostly flicker of the happy grin he wore so often a decade ago. She turns towards him, one side of her lips lifted slightly. “So Jedi, why exactly are you here?”

“I came here to assist the Joiners regain their individuality and sense of self. I guessed that because I was a Joiner myself I could help others overcome their own joinings.”

He watches as she lowers her head slightly. The red glow of her eyes seem to dim slightly. He reaches out and touches her shoulder. “Were you a Joiner?”

She nods her head slightly, and he sees a single tear escape her eye and quickly travel down her cheek. After a moment more Zekk speaks again. “What is your name?”

“Chaf'ees'aklaio, but you can call me Feesa.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you Feesa, my name is Zekk.”

Then he turns back to the planets and the two stand in silence as they watch it turn beneath them once more. After a while, Feesa looks once more towards Zekk. “What part of it do you miss the most?”

Startled Zekk looks at her, and then quirks an eyebrow as he considers the question. “That intimate knowledge that someone is there with you always. What about you? What do you miss the most?”

She is silent for a long while, and Zekk wonders if she will answer. He doesn’t press, just watches the planet slowly turn. When she does speak it startles him slightly. “The Dance of Union.”

Zekk turns towards her, quirking an eyebrow. She turns his way as well, a brief look of shame crossing her features. “I know it’s not a Chiss trait, it’s not appropriate, but the wave of emotions, that overwhelming ability to give in to what you’re feeling, to give into the desires of the body. It’s addictive…”

He watches her for a few more minutes, and thinks he likes her like this, a Chiss without their usual superiority complex. He finds it oddly compelling. A roguish grin slides onto his face, and he starts reacting on instinct as he steps closer to her, placing his hand against her chin. “Just because something’s not perfectly Chiss doesn’t mean it’s not good.”

She turns towards him, allowing him to lift her chin so she looks up towards him. A smile plays on her lips. “Why Jedi Zekk, are you propositioning me?”

He pauses for a moment, and considers this; then deciding that he has spent enough time pining after Jaina, nods his head. “Yes, I think that I am.”

She steps closer to him, and he can smell her clean scent. It is a scent, not of growing things, not of fruits and plants like perfumes in Alliance space, but it is a scent of cool, clean, frozen waters and ice. She smiles wider, the glow of her eyes brightening slightly as she leans up towards him, inviting a kiss. “I think I like that.”

Zekk lowers his head to kiss her. Right before he does, he stops, and his voice is a whisper. “Shall we retire to your quarters to remind ourselves, just how wonderful intimacy between two individuals can be?”

Then she leans up and claims his lips with her own. Sucking on his lower lip as she leans away, she gives him a coy smile. “I thought you would never ask.”