Private Forming Order

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

TAG Aiden Porte
LOCATION: Ukatis Enclave

The Ukatis enclave had never been quiet, but it was much louder now there were children gathered in the tower.

Makko Vyres stood near the group of younglings, sleeves rolled up, forearms marked with old scars and old and new tattoos.

The stone beneath his boots was warm from the sun. Apprentices were working with the vines to try and plant surge. They were not Padawans in the traditional sense, but hopefuls given a chance that Ukatis had denied them for generations.

He watched them with a thoughtful eye, arms folded loosely across his chest. He had no idea how to work with plants using the Force. He was utterly blind to the skill.

Fortunately they only needed some general direction and supervision.

It still felt strange sometimes. Not the Force, but this. Teaching. Guiding. Being trusted. The Jedi Enclave they had built was different from the one he’d grown up hearing rumours about in the underlevels of Denon. That difference was why he was here, why Ukatis had become more than just Cora’s homeworld.

He tilted his head, sensing a presence moving through the Force.

"Well," he muttered under his breath. "It seems we have a visitor today."

 

[Aiden Porte]

Makko Vyres​

Aiden felt the shift in the Force before he cleared the last turn of the tower stairs, sun-warmed stone, the soft press of gathered young minds, and one presence at the center that carried edges earned the hard way.

He stepped into view without haste, pausing just long enough to take in the vines being coaxed into growth and the man watching over them with a steadiness that didn't pretend to be gentle.

"Makko," Aiden greeted, voice calm, respectful. He let his hands remain visible at his sides, posture open. "I heard you had company up here."

His gaze flicked once across the children, then returned to Makko, a faint, approving curve at the corner of his mouth.

"Mind if I join you?"

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

Makko had felt him before he saw him. The Force didn't provide any kind of alarm, it was more like a slight pressure change.

He turned as Aiden came into view. Makko straightened a fraction, not more out of habit than formality. He brushed dust from his palms before offering a hand.

"Not at all," Makko replied.

"They’re doing the hard work. I just try to keep them from breaking anything important."

"CCarry on!" he called over his shoulder.

His gaze returned to Aiden, curiosity plain and unguarded.

"Sent by the order?" he asked. "Or just came yourself?"

 

[Aiden Porte]

Makko Vyres​

Aiden accepted Makko's hand with a firm, steady grip, no show, no hesitation, then let it go cleanly, attention returning to the children for a brief moment as Makko called out. Their focus held. Good. The tower felt alive with effort, with hope that hadn't learned how to be quiet yet.

He looked back to Makko, reading the straightforward curiosity there and finding no need to match it with anything but honesty.

"Just me," Aiden said, voice even. "Our Order cares how this enclave grows. But no one sent me with a list of questions or a measure in my hand."

His gaze flicked to the vines, the apprentices working them with careful concentration. Aiden was never one to try and get others to join the fold, he simply guided and did what he he could to help them find their path. That didn't mean they couldn't be friends and assist each other when it was needed.

"I came here to see how you are doing. I stopped by to see Roman, and to give Cora my best." he added simply. "And well, you guys are building something Ukatis didn't have before."

Aiden's expression softened into something faintly wry.

"And for what it's worth, keeping them from breaking anything important is still teaching."

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

Aiden Porte
Makko visibly relaxed a little when he found out this wasn't an official visit. For all the years that had passed, his Denon upbringing had instilled a deep rooted issue with authority.

"Don't worry, most of them can't even make a plant move, let alone break something."

"Hey!"

"James, pay attention to what you're doing, not my conversation."

"Yes Makko."

Makko grinned. He was going to have to accept being called Knight by the students at some point. He had talked to Cora about going by Knight von Ascania now.

"You don't want to stay and supervise Roman more? Now there is someone likely to break something."

 

[Aiden Porte]

Makko Vyres​

Aiden's attention shifted briefly to the young voice that protested, James, then to the line of work in the vines, measuring the tension in the air the way he measured a sparring ring: not for threat, but for balance. The banter was easy. The fear underneath it was less so, a reflex he recognized in Makko even as it eased.

Aiden's mouth tugged into a quiet grin at the mention of Roman, and a low chuckle slipped out before he could stop it. He glanced toward the apprentices as if half-expecting to spot the troublemaker already, then looked back to Makko with an ease that matched the warmth in the stone underfoot.

"I thought about forcing him to come with me." Aiden admitted, shoulders lifting in a small shrug. "But I didn't want to disturb whatever peace he's managed to carve out for himself. I respect that."

His gaze softened, then he let out another brief, amused breath. "I have to let Roman run wild every now and again," he said, like it was a rule of the galaxy as reliable as gravity.

Then Aiden's expression settled into something more intent, still gentle, but focused.

"I need your help, Makko," he said plainly. "If you're willing."

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

Makko’s grin lingered at the edge of his mouth, but he stilled as Aiden’s tone shifted.

He glanced once toward the trainees, his eyes tracking James for longer than the rest. Satisfied they were still focused on coaxing vines, Makko turned fully back to Aiden.

"That sounds more important than checking on their questionable gardening."

"What are we getting ourselves into?"

 

[Aiden Porte]

Makko Vyres​

Aiden let out a soft chuckle, the sound easing some of the weight that had settled between them. He kept his stance relaxed, as if they were still only talking about vines and restless apprentices, even while his words carried something deeper.

"Nothing too crazy yet," he said, a faint, reassuring tilt to his mouth.

His gaze drifted briefly toward the younglings, James' stubborn concentration, the careful patience being learned in small increments, then returned to Makko with quiet clarity.

"You don't have to answer right away," Aiden continued. "But my time on the Council will be coming to an end soon."

He paused, letting that truth exist without drama. Then his tone steadied, purposeful.

"We need reliable people there to make decisions," he said. "People who will speak plainly, who can share their thoughts and concerns even when it's uncomfortable."

Aiden's eyes held Makko's, intent but not demanding.

"We need more than the few that are on there now."

 

[Makko Vyres]

MAKKO

"Oh," went Makko.

He lowered his tone as he spoke, taking a half step so the young trainees couldn't listen in.

"With our daughter coming this is where I will be for a long time," he said quietly.

"What I was good at... I can't do that again."

For both a Denon crime boss and the Alliance he had done some shady activities. He wouldn't put himself in that kind of danger, on enemy planets for weeks at a time.

"It's not like anyone kept me around for decision making."

 

[Aiden Porte]

Makko Vyres​

Aiden didn't press. He simply listened, letting Makko's lowered voice and the instinct to protect what mattered most land without interruption. When he spoke, his tone was calm, accepting, unforced.

He understood.

"I respect that choice," Aiden said quietly. "And I understand it."

His gaze held Makko's with a steady certainty, as if he could see the shape of the man beneath the old habits and old shadows.

"But you're stronger and wiser than you give yourself credit for," he added. "What you were good at back then doesn't have to be what defines you now."

Aiden's expression softened, sincerity plain.

"Ukatis and Cora are lucky to have you," he said. "Just as your daughter will be lucky to have you."

He glanced toward the trainees again, hands in the soil, brows furrowed in concentration, then back to Makko, shifting the weight of the moment into something practical.

"Is there anything I can do around here to help, my assitance doesn't just extend to Naboo, its everywhere." Aiden said with a small smile.

 

[Makko Vyres]

He felt a little sad for the way he seemed to have dissapointed Aiden. Makko hadn't thought beyond the immediate. With his daughter on the way and Ukatis culture to unpick to build this enclave like they wanted, he hadn't thought of the wider Republic.

"It's... Really kind of you to say that."

So much of his work had been in the shadows that people rarely drew attention to it.

"I mean...we're always a holocall or a short flight away. You really think they'd wanna hear from me?"

He glanced beyond the door. They had a lot to do here, but they needed to think of the longer term too. He would talk to Cora. Her counsel mattered the most to him.

Aiden Porte