Not because she was swathed in voluminous black cotton robes in the full force of the sun. That was something she'd grown up with, training in traditional Sith clothing on the sun-drenched beaches of Kesh. In a way, the familiar discomfort was reassuring. No, she felt ridiculous because everyone around her was so... relaxed. Friendly. Friendly to her. Even after she'd left Kesh, it had taken her weeks to get used to the cheerful familiarity the Jedi showed to each other, and the over-the-top friendliness of the People of Cape Canaveral would have made even the most gregarious Jedi question whether there were psychotic drugs in the water supply.
She'd ignored the first wave from a stranger, assuming it was for someone else. She'd ignored the second, third, and fourth waves from strangers, assuming that the organization that had brought her here had put the locals up to it. By the fifth wave, she'd resigned herself to the unfamiliar phenomenon, and she forced herself to smile and wave back, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. What she got for her troubles was a round of cheering, a series of flash bulbs going off in her face, and an iced drink pressed into her hand. It had taken her several minutes to shake hands with everyone interested, duck around the drinks shop, and break free to the less-crowded waterfront.
The problem wasn't with being near-manhandled, or even with having to smile and play nice. She'd done that plenty when she was trying to get close to the Skywalkers. The problem was playing nice while she had no idea what everyone else's ulterior motive in fawning over her was. No one, not even the Jedi, were this friendly without a reason, and it made her suspicious.
I'm a Sith Lady, she thought irritatedly to herself, sucking down the milkshake that had been pressed into her hands and letting the tide slip up to her ankles swirl the hem of her robes. I should be feared and respected, not squished in front of a camera like a teen holodrama actress.
Her mental grousing was interrupted by a wet, undignified squelching noise. She glanced around the sand for the source of the noise -- and realized, to her chagrin, that it was her, slurping up the dregs of the drink. She'd downed the whole thing without realizing. Not very Sith, she knew, but it had been better than expected.
Maybe the rest of this place would be the same.
She tilted her head up, enjoying one last long moment by the familiar sound of waves rolling ashore, then turned and strolled back to the populated part of the town. It was time to find answers -- to find out why the natives were enthralled with her, to find out if their enthusiasm was genuine... and to figure out how to turn this strange situation to her advantage. Besides, if she'd charmed answers about another unfamiliar universe out of Ben Skywalker, she could charm them out of anyone. So she put on a warm smile, an expression that was easier to fake with the tiny scar at the corner of her mouth, and offered a friendly wave of her own at the first person she saw who looked as out of place as she did. ]
Sorry to bother you, but...
[ She shrugged and dipped her head slightly, feigning embarrassment, and glanced at her empty glass. ]
I still don't understand how this place works. Do you think the shopkeepers would give me another one for free?
[ Her smile widened, and this time it was completely genuine. Subtle questioning was always her favorite. ]
Vestara Khai | Star Wars: Legends | 02.
Not because she was swathed in voluminous black cotton robes in the full force of the sun. That was something she'd grown up with, training in traditional Sith clothing on the sun-drenched beaches of Kesh. In a way, the familiar discomfort was reassuring. No, she felt ridiculous because everyone around her was so... relaxed. Friendly. Friendly to her. Even after she'd left Kesh, it had taken her weeks to get used to the cheerful familiarity the Jedi showed to each other, and the over-the-top friendliness of the People of Cape Canaveral would have made even the most gregarious Jedi question whether there were psychotic drugs in the water supply.
She'd ignored the first wave from a stranger, assuming it was for someone else. She'd ignored the second, third, and fourth waves from strangers, assuming that the organization that had brought her here had put the locals up to it. By the fifth wave, she'd resigned herself to the unfamiliar phenomenon, and she forced herself to smile and wave back, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. What she got for her troubles was a round of cheering, a series of flash bulbs going off in her face, and an iced drink pressed into her hand. It had taken her several minutes to shake hands with everyone interested, duck around the drinks shop, and break free to the less-crowded waterfront.
The problem wasn't with being near-manhandled, or even with having to smile and play nice. She'd done that plenty when she was trying to get close to the Skywalkers. The problem was playing nice while she had no idea what everyone else's ulterior motive in fawning over her was. No one, not even the Jedi, were this friendly without a reason, and it made her suspicious.
I'm a Sith Lady, she thought irritatedly to herself, sucking down the milkshake that had been pressed into her hands and letting the tide slip up to her ankles swirl the hem of her robes. I should be feared and respected, not squished in front of a camera like a teen holodrama actress.
Her mental grousing was interrupted by a wet, undignified squelching noise. She glanced around the sand for the source of the noise -- and realized, to her chagrin, that it was her, slurping up the dregs of the drink. She'd downed the whole thing without realizing. Not very Sith, she knew, but it had been better than expected.
Maybe the rest of this place would be the same.
She tilted her head up, enjoying one last long moment by the familiar sound of waves rolling ashore, then turned and strolled back to the populated part of the town. It was time to find answers -- to find out why the natives were enthralled with her, to find out if their enthusiasm was genuine... and to figure out how to turn this strange situation to her advantage. Besides, if she'd charmed answers about another unfamiliar universe out of Ben Skywalker, she could charm them out of anyone. So she put on a warm smile, an expression that was easier to fake with the tiny scar at the corner of her mouth, and offered a friendly wave of her own at the first person she saw who looked as out of place as she did. ]
Sorry to bother you, but...
[ She shrugged and dipped her head slightly, feigning embarrassment, and glanced at her empty glass. ]
I still don't understand how this place works. Do you think the shopkeepers would give me another one for free?
[ Her smile widened, and this time it was completely genuine. Subtle questioning was always her favorite. ]