𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 ; commander wolffe

❂ 001. lost cause

It was home.

Jaw clenching, the violet eyes of the Vashuni squeezed closed; burning slightly, she held back the unshed tears. With one home gone, the rain painfully compensated for the loss. For Eisha, the rain was a sanctuary. Whoever knew how to speak the language of falling water, whoever knew how to listen to the downpour — could also find that same comfort.

Though, Eisha rarely listened anymore. Once she enjoyed soft showers, rain that would mist the air; now, she enjoyed storms, thunderstruck as they unleashed their wrath upon the awaiting below. She liked it when it rained hard. The silence that would succumb to the white noise — never leaving her with her thoughts, and never empty — was far too full of emotion.

She often felt the same now.

Running a hand through frizzed curls, her sigh graced the air; watching it appear under coated lashes, a constellation of droplets laying there. Wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve, she tugged her ragged cloak closer; balling the sleeves in her fists as she shivered.

Her Master would once scold her for such a habit, fussing that she'd stretch her cloak; that all her clothes would soon be too big for her.

He couldn't do such a thing anymore

Throwing her hood over her head, she continued to stare forward. Catching the marble stairs in sight, her heart leapt as she studied the life that abandoned her. Life could be unpredictable, and none knew that better than Eisha Ree. Never in her life did she think she'd fear staring at what once grew to be her home; caving a sanctuary in her heart much like the rain.

The Jedi ripped that home away as quickly as they had granted it.

Padawans of the Jedi Temple never typically experienced losing their beloved Master — and by the Jedi themselves, no less. Abandoning a Padawan that they should have cherished, loved, and remembered — though, they didn't even have the decency to do that. The honour to come and collect her body as they ambushed their ship, crashing them on Tatooine, and leaving her thirteen-year-old self to fend for her own.

It had taken a lot of effort, and a hell of a lot of anger to get back to Coruscant.

And a lot of crimes.

Tearing her gaze from the Temple, she shrouded herself in her cloak at the passing Jedi; clones trailing behind them as she hid. Breath hitching, she backed up behind a street corner; pressing herself to the wall as she waited for the danger to pass.

Sure they hadn't killed her back then, but there was no certainty to say they wouldn't try again if they found her. Found her where she was least expected to be, no less. If there was one thing she didn't need right now, it was for the Jedi to find out that a supposedly dead teen Vashuni, wasn't all that dead.

It'd make for a great reunion, however.

Small smirk forming at the thought, Eisha pushed herself off the street wall, entering back into the public eye as she mulled over the thought; nose scrunching as she did so. Picking at her nails as she walked, she jumped through the crowd; easily squeezing past with her small height. There were times when being small came in handy.

Especially when stealing.

Halting at the thought, her brow furrowed. She glanced around the street: market stalls taunting her as they called out her name. Gaze narrowing on the food, Eisha ignored the growling of her stomach, scowling as she walked on.

When was the last time she ate? One, two, three—

A while, to say the least.

Shaking her head, she dodged a civilian as she twisted and turned; travelling down lanes as the luminous synthetic lights of Coruscant dimmed with every passing step. Reciting the steps to Coruscant's underworld, she heaved a breath as the familiar stench returned.