The transport slid into orbit. No large ships were allowed to land on the planet. Fiach and They would take a small cruiser to the surface.
The two Padawans stared down at the planet. From space, it looked blue-green, and Fiach knew that vast seas covered much of the surface. The main landmass was small and appeared as thought the seas around it would swallow it up.
She had visited many other worlds since she’d become a Padawan. It no longer surprised her when he saw planets whose surfaces were dominated by oceans and seas. As a young girl, she could not imagine seas that could stretch as far as the eye could see. On Klatooine, she had lived in an ocean of sand.
“Hard to imagine, isn’t it,” Eland said, breaking into Fiach’s thoughts. “When you look down at a planet, I mean.”
“What is?” Fiach asked.
“Suffering,” Eland said. “Everything seems peaceful from orbit. Then you get down there, in the middle of things, and everything changes.”
“How many missions have you been on?” Fiach asked.
“Enough,” Eland said softly. “Enough to have seen what I’ve seen. Enough to know I will see more.”
It sounded like a riddle. Yet, strangely, Fiach knew what he meant. Each mission made her feel so much older. Each mission had exposed her to sadness and anger and grief. Nevertheless, she looked forward to the next, and the next. That was what Eland meant.
The two Padawans stared down at the planet. From space, it looked blue-green, and Fiach knew that vast seas covered much of the surface. The main landmass was small and appeared as thought the seas around it would swallow it up.
She had visited many other worlds since she’d become a Padawan. It no longer surprised her when he saw planets whose surfaces were dominated by oceans and seas. As a young girl, she could not imagine seas that could stretch as far as the eye could see. On Klatooine, she had lived in an ocean of sand.
“Hard to imagine, isn’t it,” Eland said, breaking into Fiach’s thoughts. “When you look down at a planet, I mean.”
“What is?” Fiach asked.
“Suffering,” Eland said. “Everything seems peaceful from orbit. Then you get down there, in the middle of things, and everything changes.”
“How many missions have you been on?” Fiach asked.
“Enough,” Eland said softly. “Enough to have seen what I’ve seen. Enough to know I will see more.”
It sounded like a riddle. Yet, strangely, Fiach knew what he meant. Each mission made her feel so much older. Each mission had exposed her to sadness and anger and grief. Nevertheless, she looked forward to the next, and the next. That was what Eland meant.