Changing clothes was a good distraction for the still-embarrassed youth, and Jerek quickly found himself chatting with Erin as the two exchanged their Jedi garb for something less likely to cause a stir on the planet below. The discussion of a cover story grew into something of its own, and soon it seemed as though the two padawans were instead well-seasoned thespians developing their next act. As Erin changed, Jerek surveyed the articles of clothing provided by the Sector Rangers.
The boy changed facing away from his companion, for a reason he couldn't explain. The cause was not modesty, Jerek had grown up in the temple around the Jedi, and his clan was made up of several boys and girls from species human or near enough to human anatomy-wise. He had found no difficulty disrobing among his clanmates, or other Jedi, before. Something else kept the sandy-haired padawan's back turned from the older girl, and Jerek struggled to comprehend it as he changed into a more appropriate outfit. Under a navy-blue jacket with brass adornments, he wore a dark tunic, pairing it with khaki-tan trousers and a pair of combat boots made to fit bigger feet than he had.
Once he was fully dressed again, Jerek turned around to face Erin again. No, the boy thought as he stood open-mouthed before her, she is an angel. Her crimson dress accentuated her body, with gold trim following the curves of her bosom and hips until it split open to reveal her black-clad legs. Without the bulky Jedi robes in the way, it was if the boy had only just noticed Erin. Whatever it was that had caused him to turn as he dressed returned now, lodged squarely in his throat and making a massacre of any words he tried to speak.
"And that's that..."
"Yeah," Jerek croaked weakly from behind Erin as he followed her back towards the cargo bay. He tried his best to focus on the walls of the transport ship as they made their way to the other Jedi. As Vor'loch and Kraytan instructed the motley assortment of fugitives, looking very uncomfortable out of their robes, Jerek tried to focus once more. His eyes barely wavered from the form of Erin in front of him, his mind giving her his total attention.
It wasn't until a young, green Natolan hopped up onto one of the nearby cargo crates that Jerek could look away. Before he realized it, he had sidled up to Erin and nudged her with a, "Hey," and a nod towards the youngling. With the spell suddenly broken, the hazel-eyed padawan chuckled, "Look at the youngling."
After all that, what left the sandy-haired padawan grinning like a fool was the sight of a Natolan youngling, seated on top of a cargo crate that was too large to let his feet reach the deck, munching on snacks as the Jedi prepared themselves for the worst.
AlteredTundra