The air in the room froze as silence reigned. At this late of an hour, it was no surprise that the barracks at the base was dead. Everyone slept, and the thick walls helped keep most of the sounds of snoring out. Talia shut her eyes. Her slow breathing counted as a timer; every five seconds, she would inhale. Exhale. The room was quiet that she dared to think she could hear her own blood running through her veins.

Focus...

Focus.

The room itself was warm in some places, mostly around herself. Her body emanated heat like crazy in the chilly night. The closer her hands got to the floor, the colder it seemed. She followed that cold, trailing her hands up the bed and onto a side table next to her. There was something there. Something that she couldn't explain. There would be seconds of cold, followed by seconds of heat, and the cycle continued.

Focus...

...Nothing.

Talia whimpered and put her head into her hands. Focusing on something as vague as the force seemed impossible. It flowed through every living thing, yet understanding it was the difficult part. The heat sensation she experienced during their near-death experience on Coruscant really put things into perspective. Her daughter was force sensitive, so maybe she made her remember the flare gun during that moment. The heart in Talia's chest ached with a fiery intensity. If her mindset had to change, then so be it. If there was an inkling of a chance to communicate with her daughter again, she would in a heartbeat.

She got back into position, legs crossed and arms rested on them. Her breathing slowed, and as she exhaled, she released all of her thoughts into the void. If there was something, or someone, trying to communicate with her, then they might come to her. She just had to be patient, and wait for the change in temperature.

Which was easier said than done.

The thumping of her heartbeat rang in her ears, overpowering all the sound. Chills ran up her spine, causing goosebumps to form on her arms. She shivered, breaking her concentration. With heavy eyes, she glanced at the clock.

It had been a whole two hours.

She laid down on the ground and sighed. There had to be a way. It happened once. It can happen again. As she formulated a new technique to meditate, a knock came from the door.

"Come in."

Cassian shuffled into the room, his dark eyes underlined by the rings under them. His hands were shoved into his captain's jacket, wrapped around him tight to keep himself warm. He looked for Talia on her bed, but he stepped backwards when he realized she was on the floor. His eyebrows twitched in curiosity for a second."Working out again?"

"No." She pushed herself up off the ground, her eyes trailing the empty wall. It might be silly for thinking that it's her daughter, when it could have simply been the heat from the blaster shot. Holding the theory back seemed like the right idea. Cassian would easily dismiss it as a weird adrenaline high. "Are you okay?"

He hesitated, eyeing her for a moment. When he couldn't read anything on her expression, his eyes wandered around the room. A shrug of a movement raised his jacket as his foot tapped on the ground. Cassian glossed over the question with ease,"I want to get off the base. Explore, go on a mission, something. I feel cooped up in here."

"Laying low for a month really makes your skin crawl, doesn't it?"

Cassian sighed. With nightmares and horrible scenarios etching themselves into his mind during aimless hours of lying in bed, how could he possibly sit around doing nothing? The Empire could be doing something preventable at this moment! Some rebels could need his help! Or just...simply drifting out in space could ease his nerves. "I feel useless."

"Well, the Rebellion likes having one of its best operatives in one piece."

A sly smile tugged at one corner of Cassian's lips. Hearing those words drew his eyes to hers as the question played on his tongue, "The Rebellion, or you?"

Talia did not resist the smile that formed. She peered back into his eyes to hold his gaze. "Both." Getting off the base...to do what? Watch the star destroyers pass by? Perform a stakeout? People watch? What would Cassian, the man who stayed up all night watching out an empty window, possibly do for fun? An idea struck Talia, causing her to stand up and grab her purple coat. "I know just the place."

It didn't take long to get to Sesid, a beautiful blue planet in the outer rim territory. Green and black dots spotted the orb, indicating where the flush jungles and volcanoes were located. Cassian glanced over at Talia in sheer curiosity. What were they doing here, of all places? Tropical planet? So he didn't need to bring his jacket. Talia remained silent, her fingers rattling against the console as the air traffic control directed the ship to a certain landing pad.

A leaf.

They were landing the ship on a giant orange leaf at least three times the size of their ship. Cassian's eyes widened. How could the ship not sink right through? He held the arms of his captain's chair tight as the ship settled on the leaf, bobbing up and down in the water as they settled. He slowly let go of his grip and shot a concerned glance in Talia's direction.

A grin graced Talia's blooming face as pinks and reds highlighted her features from the shining lights outside. Her brown eyes immediately focused in on the bright city on the other island. She jumped out of her seat and sprinted towards the door. "We made it on time!"

Cassian's brow furrowed in confusion, but the excited look on her face caused him to chuckle. Nothing had ever made her that happy before. "For what?"

Talia opened the door and waved for him to follow suit. "You'll see."

The veins of the leaf provided them a path to the white boardwalk itself, dyes of green and purple swirled into the material. Everywhere Cassian looked, there was a different species walking around. Vendors of all kinds were propped up on the edges of the wood and robots with various arms attempted to sell their wares. Clothing, holographic tech, handmade jewelry, all the touristy items were here. Wooden repulsorlift boats docked on the side, waiting to be rented. Aromas of fresh soup and fish wafted into his nose, causing his mouth to water. Talia held his hand and pushed through the crowd.

The turquoise ocean brushed up against the black shore. White seashells were scattered amongst the dark sand, reflecting the moonlight like stars in the sky. Their feet sunk into the sand with each step as they made their way across a long stretch of beach. The aromas found on the pier followed the breeze in the other direction, leaving the overwhelmingly fresh smell of the water crash into their noses. After a bit of walking, Talia sat down on the sand.

Cassian glanced around. No one was in sight. They had traveled far from the dock itself and were only surrounded by lush forest and water. He sat down next to her and followed her line of sight onto the glimmering green city of Thinaka in the far distance. It buzzed with life, the cheering and music so loud that the beat was audible from where they sat. He inched closer to Talia and turned his gaze to the stars.

BOOM!

Cassian jumped in his spot, his hand reaching for his blaster as a reflex. Talia set her hand on his to steady him. She pointed to the sky with her free hand. Another boom sounded off, echoing through the trees around them. Fireworks. The city was celebrating with fireworks. Different hues of vibrant colors danced across the sky. Cassian chuckled for a second to make his on-end nerves dissipate.

A smile formed on Talia's lips at the memory. "My daughter called them sky flowers." Warmth blossomed in her cheeks and she gently intertwined her fingers with his. "The Draedan species turned the islands into tourist attractions. Every month they set off sky flowers in hopes of keeping their tourism numbers up. They tell the visitors to make a wish on the fireworks and it just might come true." Her brown eyes wandered over to Cassian's, holding them in a gaze for a minute. "I like to think they do."

Hopeful Talia. Almost poetic in a way how she held so much optimism in such grim times. When it wasn't optimism, it was that childish capacity for innocence that he longed to have. "How did you find this place?"

The smile instantly faded, yet her eyes clung onto the happiness. "Sesid was the first planet I came across after I fled from my husband." She watched the fireworks amongst the stars, the contrast of colors illuminating their faces with each thunderous boom. "My daughter ran from the transport and made me chase her all the way here. Something called to her, but she never said what." The way her little body shook engrained itself into Talia's mind. Her daughter feared what was happening. Without her eyes, she often found more comfort in the force than in the world around her. "The fireworks scared her at first, but after I described them, she thought they were the most beautiful thing ever. Fireworks light up the sky, much like flowers do when you give them to people. She couldn't see, but she felt changes in a person's aura."

A family. A part of Cassian yearned for it, but when he saw that longing in Talia's eyes, he questioned himself. Imagining that loss broke a part of him. He couldn't comprehend how Talia fought to keep going. He had lost his parents but to lose a child... He scrounged up a light voice, "She sounds wonderful."

Talia wiped her watery eyes and forced herself to not spill any more. She bit her lip and nodded, taking a moment to regain her composure before she replied. "She was. She would have loved you. You're both stubborn as hell."

"She got that from her mother," he teased.

Talia playfully nudged him with her shoulder. Taken aback, Cassian paused, but a small chuckle rose from within his chest. It never felt more...freeing. He ran his fingers through the black sand and launched some at his partner. Talia squealed and got some watery clumps to chuck back. They threw sand for a few minutes, laughing and simply living in the moment.

Cassian couldn't remember the last time he acted so juvenile. Sure, quips here and there were to show he had the capability of having fun, but this...This was different. After the Empire rose, he didn't have a childhood. Fun events weren't part of his rebel regiment. This felt...exciting! New. He felt alive.

Before he realized it, Talia grabbed his wrists, stopping him from his sand assault. He yanked backwards, pulling Talia with him. They both fell onto the sand, and in one quick move, he rolled over and nearly pinned her down. She easily could've moved, but so much laughter left her that she got lost in the moment. Cassian's laughter died down the same time hers did, leaving them in silence as they stared into each other's eyes.

Oh god.

Cassian's whole body seized up. Nervousness blossomed in the pit of his stomach and quickly spread throughout his chest. His heart rate sped up, nearly thumping in his ears. The urge to kiss Talia increased, but he froze in his spot. Cassian was good at being a spy. He trained his whole life for it. To romance someone? It felt near impossible. He romanced a few women before, but it was all to get information needed for the Rebellion. Each time, his hatred for lies grew. Nothing he could change, though.

This? This was the truth. Full bound in emotions, thoughts, and occasional dreams wrapped in one chained box. To open it would mean so much down the line. A possible future. An appreciation and admiration for her that he'd admit out loud. Fear of loss. And quite possibly...love. Regret would never be an outcome to this. He'd spent most of his life lying and killing for a cause he believed in. To live life even for a moment was way overdue.

Talia noticed his hesitation. A pinch of sadness hit her, but mostly understanding reigned in her mind. This man was a wreck. Blaming him for not wanting to get close to someone during a war was a horrible idea. Their lives were unpredictable. Loss could happen at any moment. But...she had to try. If he didn't want to, he would shut her down. That would be okay. Talia slowly moved in closer, her eyes flickering up to his and back down to his lips.

Gentle. The kiss was as gentle as the rolling waters of Fest's rivers during the Spring. Reminiscent of Talia's touch through his dark hair that first day they met in the senator's office. As soft as her voice in his ear when she said, Pretend I just told you something enjoyable. Except this time, it is the most enjoyable thing he experienced. Her lips were smooth against his, and when they finally backed away from each other, he yearned to kiss her again.

Talia's eyes searched his, a smile tugging at the ends of her lips. "Shall we make a wish before the sky flowers end?"

Her eyes held the galaxy and he got lost in the vacuum. Molten stars shimmered, captivating him in their beauty. When he realized he was staring too long, he backed off and sat back down on the sand. Talia sat up and admired the view of the ocean ahead of them lit up by the colorful fireworks and moonlight. Cassian fought against the nervousness in his system and wrapped his arm around her waist. He kept his voice low to refrain from breaking,"Of course." Talia closed her eyes to make her wish and Cassian stared with the goofiest grin on his face.

What would he wish for?

It can't be for no more losses. There were always casualties of war. Can't be for his family back. That wish is lost forever. Happiness? Cassian watched Talia make a wish, eyes still closed as she moved her silent lips to utter her wish to the universe. No. Not happiness. He already found that. He closed his eyes and embraced the warmth rising from the center of his chest. Talia's safety is what he wished for. Casualties came and went, but if making a wish helped at all, it would be for this. The mission used to be the only thing standing between him and complete self-annihilation. He had much more to live for now, and he had to do what he could to protect it.

The night chilled the later it got. Both of them huddled together under the dazzling stars until the sun began to rise. This sunrise was much different than the last Cassian saw in Talia's apartment. That felt so long ago... Both of them were on either ends of the acquaintance spectrum, afraid of getting close and knowing secrets. Now, they were as thick as thieves, saving lives no matter the cost.

He still struggled with what he had to do. Killing traitors and Imperials who could bring the Rebellion to ash was good in theory, yet it took a huge mental toll. Talia kept trying to reinforce that everyone was worth saving. He admired it, but couldn't yank himself onto that holy pedestal with her. Not when he belonged down in the darkness. That is the only thing that separates them now.