Five Times

The Fifth: A Contented Kiss.

It was a lovely place, the Room of a Thousand Fountains. Every twist and turn of the pathways through it led to a creek, a bramble of otherworldly flora, a meditative alcove, a cascading waterfall. The sound of the water created a steady thrum throughout, and the water itself a warm humidity in the air.

On the edge of one of the fountains, a dark figure sat, her skirts gathered close around her. Her palm was full of pebbles, each hitting the water with a satisfying plop as she idly tossed them in. She smiled as another presence arrived in her space, and she tossed another stone. "So you found me."

"You shouldn't have your comm off, General," Gree said, stepping forward to stand beside the fountain.

Barriss smiled up at him in amusement, then tilted her head. Gree looked stiff for a moment, cast a wary glance back the way he came, sighed, then sat beside her. Their knees did not quite touch. Barriss tossed another pebble into the pool, watching it disappear beneath the spray of the fountainhead. She wiped her hands together, then across her thighs, brushing away any dirt that may have clung from the stones. "I will be away for a long time. I wished to see some welcoming plant life. I assume you've come to collect me?"

"General Unduli wants to leave before nightfall."

She smiled at him a little, but it was somewhat sad. She'd never quite accustomed herself to his new, darker armor. She supposed he was still accustoming himself to her new rank, both as Knight and as General, to her new assignment away from the 41st, away from Master Unduli, away from him. She could not quite see their reflections in the pool, since the water was constantly disturbed by the spray. Still, two darkish figures seemed to waver in the water. "I don't want to disappoint her."

A heavy hand reached out, clasped hers. Gree ran a thumb over her knuckles, tucked her fingers into his palm. "You haven't disappointed her."

She looked at his face, his eyes so intent on their clasped hands, his lips pulled into a slight frown. He spoke of Luminara, but judging by his tone and the way he held her hand, he was not speaking for her. Barriss bowed her head, almost shyly at his implied praise. She squeezed his hand in understanding, and it brought a sad sort of smile from him.

He cast another look back towards the path he took to reach the fountain, and Barriss cast a look in the other direction, each finding the paths empty. Returning attention to each other, they leaned in, at first a little awkwardly, unsure of which way the other would tilt their head. They would see each other for a few more days, while they traveled between stars; after that, meetings were uncertain. Perhaps one of them would not last out the war. Perhaps they would never again have a moment of privacy to share a quick kiss, a quick bit of reassurance and comfort. There was sadness, and loneliness, but contentedness too, because they'd had a little time, now and again, to share with each other.

The kiss was fleeting, light. Barriss placed her hand on his cheek, leaned up, and kissed his forehead as well, quickly.

He ran a thumb over her knuckles, turned her hand over, ran it over her palm. He clenched her hand in his for a moment, tightly, then let his grip ease, fingers sliding away from hers.

He stood, and offered her his hand, palm up. She accepted it, and he helped her stand. Again, their hands parted. They left the Room of a Thousand Fountains in silence, walking side by side.

Gree would eventually go to Kashyyyk.

Barriss' destination was Felucia.

There will actually be a sixth (and final) kiss, but it belongs inside another story in my Said the Joker series. Five Times was an attempt to explore some of the background of their relationship, and as there was no place for it elsewhere, it got its' own story.

Kashyyyk and Felucia are where Gree and Barriss were, respectively, at the time of Order 66.

Thank you to everyone who's read and enjoyed these ficlets!

~Queen