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Lana, human form. Xyshari (temporary), Cathar form.

She had planned everything perfectly.  There was a festival that was coming up, and it seemed as though it would be a perfect place for her and Xyshari to finally have their ceremony.  She had arranged it so that they would be married at the height of the festival, draped in the golden threads that were signature to the event.

She'd set Theron to the task of keeping Xyshari off of her trail.  She had told Xyshari that she wanted to be married soon, so that it was done and out of the way before conflict erupted in the galaxy again--but she wanted further particulars, at this time, to be a secret.  It had been bad enough when Xyshari learned about her love poetry because of the surveillance tap she'd recommended when news of a traitor in the Alliance began to spread.

[SpringsSong]

So, when Xyshari practically bounced into her office, hands clasped behind her back and grinning brightly as she announced she had arranged for them to go to the very same festival she was planning on having their ceremony at, Lana did her best to appear surprised.

However, internally, she was beginning to panic.

"A festival?" she asked, while tapping a message to Theron on her datapad.  She's arranged for us to go to the festival.  Did she find out?

"Yes, a festival," Xyshari said.  "Something about celebrating the connections between all beings in this world, before something called a 'Chaos' began cutting those connections because he had a thing for the... I think it was a Seraph who was making those connections disappeared," she said.

You've kept your plans off of the network, and I haven't said a thing.  Don't think she knows, a message from Theron came in silently.

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"I didn't think that kind of a festival would be your thing, my love," Lana said after a moment, setting the datapad down face-down and leaning back in her chair.  "You know, since it's such an extravagant festival, and attachments..."

"Yes, but I'm not exactly the best Jedi," she said.  "Even though I may appear as one on the outside to keep up appearances with the Republic, I was forced out of that life when I was thrown in my carbonite prison that would have been my tomb had you not shown up when you did." She paused here.  "Besides, Darth Hexid won't shut up about it.  She makes it sound so extravagant..."

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Ah, yes. The Zabraki Sith that had joined the Alliance not all that long ago, a little bit before the Sarkhai Jedi that Xyshari had trained, and the insufferably flirtatious human doctor who had, on no less than three occasions, attempted flirting with both of them (which Xyshari had attributed to him attempting to win her back, which had ended once she told him that she and Lana were engaged).  Lana hummed thoughtfully.

"Hexid has always been known to enjoy the finer things in life," she said.  "But, I don't know that we'll have the time--"

"We're going to make the time, Lana," Xyshari said firmly.  "It's been too long since we've had a vacation of any sort, and it's high time that changed," she said.  "Senya and Theron can keep things from falling to pieces for a few days while we enjoy the festival."

[SpringsSong]

"All right, you win," Lana said, chuckling softly.  "You go on ahead and get ready, love.  I'll be along shortly," she said.  Xyshari arched a brow at her, but nodded and left the room.  As soon as Lana sensed that Xyshari was far enough away from her, she flipped the datapad over.

She won't take no for an answer.  Said we were going to make time to go to the festival, she tapped onto the datapad and sent to Theron.  I'm really worried that this is going to ruin this plan that I've been working on for months.

She didn't have to wait very long for a response from Theron, either.

Maybe you should listen to her and just take the time, he replied.  Force knows you two need a proper holiday.  Besides, maybe this'll afford you a better opportunity.

[SpringsSong]

Lana gave no further reply after that.  Theron was, after all, right after a manner: sometimes she tried too hard to stick to a plan, and it would often kick her in the rear end later on.  So, she stood from her spot, turned to her dresser, and pulled out a simple tunic-and-pants set.  This one was free of the typical metallic adornments that her normal outfits had.

Xyshari was waiting patiently for her out in the hallway.  When she saw Lana come out of the room, she straightened her posture and smiled slightly.

"Ready?" she asked.

[SpringsSong]

"As I'm ever going to be, love," Lana said, taking Xyshari's hand.  As her fingers brushed against those of her Cathar lover, she realized something--neither of them were wearing gloves; something of an oddity for the both of them.  Xyshari's fur tickled the palm of her hand, and Xyshari offered a small squeeze of her hand before nodding.

"Let's get going, then," she said, tugging gently on Lana's hand to lead her out of their new "home base"--at least, for the duration of their stay in this place.  It was, by all standards, modest--Hexid would have called it a "hovel", however.

[SpringsSong]

As soon as they stepped outside, they were practically at the festival's edge.  People were dancing around, it seemed, in the streets, draped in golden threads and wearing black and gold outfits.  Xyshari and Lana looked down at their tunics, and Xyshari offered a nervous chuckle.

"We, um... are under-dressed," she said, and Lana smiled softly.

"I'm sure we can fix that later, love," she said.  "It's a festival, they're bound to have a costume stall around here somewhere," she said, looking around.  She was speaking out of knowledge, not presumption--there was one that she had arranged a pickup from, but she didn't know if it would be ready yet.

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Xyshari seemed a little more on-edge for a few seconds after that.  However, as they made their way into the crowd and saw a few more festival-goers that were not adorned in black and gold, she relaxed a little bit.  Lana couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"Have you ever been to a function were you were not expected to be in your best dress?" Lana asked.

"As one of the younger Masters, and later Council members, of the Jedi Order... not many," Xyshari admitted, shrugging.  "If I wasn't in diplomat robes, it was ceremonial armor."

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"Ceremonial armor, hm?" Lana inquired, tilting her head slightly.  "Then what were you wearing when--"

"On Manaan?" Xyshari picked up, smiling slightly.  "That was proper armor, since I knew to expect combat since we were breaking into the facility.  On Rishi, it was... as undercover as I could scrape together, and that was on the advice of my smuggler contact.  Yavin, I was again in proper armor."

"But it still looked so... proper," Lana said.

"Warden of the order," Xyshari said with a shrug.

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"Was that any more than a ceremonial position?" Lana asked, and Xyshari shrugged after a few moments of thinking.

"I was the first to hold it in some time," she explained. "After I was given the honor, I was immediately given the rank of Master and sent to work in repairing relations with the Rift Alliance. Whatever it was I was supposed to do, that overshadowed it by a considerable amount."

"I see," Lana hummed thoughtfully as they approached one of the costume stands. "Why don't we take a look in here? They may have something you like here, my love."

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"If you insist," Xyshari said, walking ahead of Lana and coming up to the stand. The merchant there noticed Lana, and the yellow-eyed woman gave a firm shake of her head when they started to call for her attention. A subtle tilt of her head towards Xyshari answered the merchant's unspoken question, and she offered a smile.

"Are you two looking for costumes for the festival?" she asked. Xyshari nodded.

"My fiance wanted to stop by this stand," she said, looking around idly at the outfits there. "This is our first time coming to the festival. What can you tell us about it?" she asked.

"Oh, I can tell you over here, Miss," the stall's other attendant piped up. "That way, your fiance can still look at the outfits if she likes," she added, motioning away from the two.

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As Xyshari and the other attendant walked off, Lana turned her attention to the stall owner, a grateful smile on her lips.

"Thank you for your discretion," Lana said. "I've not yet told her about my plans for us to marry during the festival, and I wanted the costumes to be a surprise."

"I understand completely, Miss," she said. "Now, you said that you wanted these...?" she said, lifting the dresses up for Lana to inspect. They were golden with both white and black sprinkled in, as well as the wayward fleck of red here and there.

"Perfect," Lana said.

[SpringsSong]

"...and he woke up the next day to realize that she was gone, doubtless to finish her task by herself, since she knew that he would not approve. And so, he began to search for her, by searching for the thread. His claws cut through the thread effortlessly, severing the ties they had worked to form among the people, and the Chaos saw this," the assistant continued. "They took his scales and melted them down to make scissors so that they could do this themselves."

"That's awful," Xyshari said.

"But that's why the golden thread - gold because of his scales, the thread because of the literal thread that the Seraph used to connect people," she explained. "It's why you'll find couples with thread attached to their wrists during the festival. We have some, if you and your fiance would like some."

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"I wouldn't mind some, but I'll leave that to her," Xyshari said, turning towards the other two again. Lana motioned for her to come over, indicating the dress.

"What do you think of this, love?" Lana asked, showing Xyshari the dress. Xyshari examined it closely, lifting the sleeves to look at them with practiced claws.

"It's beautiful," she said. "How much, though?"

"No need to concern yourself with that, Miss," the stall attendant said. "We've had some generous donations."

"At least let us give you something for the dresses," Xyshari insisted, pulling out some of the strange stones that this world used as currency.