trans_9 | Choices, Choices

Arha was standing in a blank Sensorium, frowning slightly into the white expanse of it. She'd walked in, paused, and had been stuck there, waffling hard between scenarios for a full fifteen minutes. On one hand, she wanted to pit her skills against something deadly, on the other hand, she wanted to practice her stealth, and on the hand she didn't have, she would have liked to try her hand at, perhaps, riding a Drexl. She had seen them in the holos that were available on the worlds within the Jed-Eye home universe. They were quite fierce.

And thinking of holos simply made her wish to spend time wandering Luke's Jed-Eye Temple.

The indecision was annoying.

As such, the space around her remained blank and Arha was stuck contemplating the swing of her white cloak and the way it settled against her equally white leather clad legs. She ought ti know what she wanted, but now? Now she was at a loss.

"This is no way to begin," she muttered to herself and sighed as she used the Force to play around with her lightsaber.

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"Thank you. That's very kind of you." Reyna was grateful that she hadn't disturbed the Jedi - well, "paddyone" as she so delightfully put it - and Reyna's voice reflected her obvious relief. She relaxed a bit as Arha introduced herself and spoke of her quandar.

"I'm Reyna Kam. It is a pleasure to meet you Padawan Arha, and I wish you luck in your Trials." Reyna couldn't stop herself from studying the other woman as she talked. Her white leathers showed off her petite frame very attractively n addition to making a nice contrast to her hair and eyes. Arha's eyes were particularity breathtaking, their beautiful blue-within-blue color drawing Reyna's gray eyes like a magnet. She blinked when she realized she was staring and gave herself a mental shake.

"There are one or two places I like to wander," Reyna admitted, turning her attention to Arha's problem. "If I wanted a casual stroll I would often wander through the gardens on my family's estate, but if I was looking for something more vigorous I'd usually hike along the trails near Crevasse City. The paths there wind in and out of the ravines, combining lovely scenery with a good workout." She looked thoughtfully at Arha. "Do either of those options sound appealing?"

"The hike sounds as if it would be pleasant," Arha said, arching her eyebrows slightly. "It is good to meet you, Reyna Kam. "I am forever looking for new places that I have not been. As I am Paddyone, I do not often get to the places that the Force belongs to at all. I am, as always, grateful for the chance to see them. Especially when I am in the company of one such as yourself."

Reyna nodded as Arha spoke, feeling a strange flutter in her stomach at the innocuous comment. She didn't know why she found the other woman so, well, alluring, but she did her best to push those thoughts aside for now and maintain her composure.

"I would be more than happy to hike the ravines with you Padawan Arha. I think I would find your company most pleasant indeed." She smiled shyly at Arha before continuing. "Just give me a moment and I'll reconfigure the Sensorium." With that she closed her dove gray eyes and concentrated. A moment later the walls shimmered and faded away to be replaced by a ruggedly beautiful countryside dominated by rich browns and vivid greens. A clearly marked trail head was near by, the path sloping gently downwards and turning sharply before disappearing from view.

Reyna opened her eyes and glanced down with approval at her new attire. She was wearing a lightweight top and matching shorts along with a sturdy pair of hiking boots. At her feet lay a small backpack containing several bottles of water and an assortment of QuickSnack bars. Reyna reached down to grab the backpack, slipping it over her shoulders it as she glanced at Arha.

"Are there any preparations you'd like to make before we get started?" she inquired politely.

"Just Arha, please," she said quietly. "And if you want those to actually nourish you, it is best to bring some of the food from the mess hall here. We may vacate this place for a moment to do that, if you wish. This place, however, is most appealing. My word is a place of desert. I am...unaccustomed to the proper attire for hiking in such a place. For now, food first, no?"

"Okay, just Arha then," Reyna agreed, smiling a little more fully and relaxing a bit. She still had the to urge use what she felt was Arha's proper title thanks to a combination of upbringing, training, and instinctive respect, but since Arha clearly didn't want her to do so Reyna was willing to forgo the honorific. She was relieved in a way as it somehow seemed to make her less self-conscious around the intriguing woman.

Reyna made a little noise of exasperation and rolled her eyes at the reminder that the food she'd just conjured wasn't actually food. Everything inside the Sensoriums seemed so real that she occasionally forgot that some of it was not.

"You are quite right. We should bring some of that protein goo back here and transform it into a simulacrum of several QuickSnack bars. We will quite likely be in need of sustenance before we reach the end of the trail." Reyna eyed Arha thoughtfully.

"When we get back I can help you chose something more appropriate for hiking. Those leathers are very fetching, but there is little air flow at the bottom of the canyon and the air is quite hot and still." Reyna chuckled and added, "Although I guess since you're from a desert planet you're probably used to that already."

The goo was easily procured and brought back, changed into the woman's snack things, and Arha took the white leathers off. There was, of course, not anything left to the imagination when it came to the plantsuits. Given the fact that Arha was not one to fuss over any sort of modest, it bothered her little.

"Come," she said. "Let us see what you would have me in for this hike, mm?"

Reyna did her best not to stare at Arha as she stripped down to her plantsuit. She thought she would have gotten used to the way they clung to people's bodies by now, but the way Arha's molded to her enticingly slender curves was surprisingly distracting. It took her a minute to gather her thoughts enough to answer Arha's question.

"Probably the same thing I was wearing earlier. Something like this." Reyna concentrated and once again her plantsuit was replaced by a lose fitting top with a scooped neckline, comfortable shorts, and sturdy hiking boots. "Now let's see what we can do you for you." She concentrated again, willing Arha's suit to be replaced by similar attire. Reyna's cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink when Arha's outfit ended up being noticeably shorter and tighter than her own, and she mentally scrambled to correct her mistake. She breathed a sigh of relief a moment later when Arha's clothing shifted to match her own.

"That should do it," Reyna said as she shouldered her pack. "What do you think?"

"Hmm," Arha murmured, taking the outfit in and ignoring the apparent embarrassment (because such was a polite thing, especially when the garment was rather short and tight before loosening). "This is unusual for me, but it is nice. This I like." She nodded, her expression thoughtful. "On Arrakis, we must wear full body suits we call stillsuits, such allow us to go for a great deal of time in the desert. All fluids are recycled and there is minimal water loss. One must do everything possible to survive that world. That said, this hike should be pleasant. Please, lead the way, Reyna."

"I'm pleased you like it." Reyna was relieved that Arha had not only chosen not to mention her little slip up but actually seemed to approve of her current attire as well. "It's my outfit of choice for this kind of activity," she added, "There's no reason why one's clothing can't be both practical and attractive, right?" She flashed Arha a little smile before turning to head down the path.

"These 'stillsuits' you speak of sound like quite an impressive achievement. The Republic has one or two things that are similar but they are not readily available to the galaxy at large." Reyna slowed briefly to allow Arha to catch up wtih her. She wanted to be able to converse easily with the intriguing woman and since the path only lead one direction at the moment there was no need for Reyna to walk in front of her.

"Arrakis must be inhospitable indeed if such drastic water conservation measures are required. I don't think even the Outer Rim world of Tatooine has such a forbidding environment. Although from your mention of a desert the two worlds are not dissimilar perhaps?" Her curiosity was evident in her voice.

"My own world of Alderaan is mostly oceans, lakes, and grasslands. These ravines are fairly rare," Reyna's elegant hand gestured to encompass the land around them, "which is one reason I enjoy hiking them so much. Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I."

Choices, Choices

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