Private Hope lives

[Aiden Porte]

Alderaan
Spaceport
Tags: Amani Serys

The starship cut through the clouds like a blade of silver, its engines a low hum against the tranquil skies of Alderaan. Below, the mountain ranges and emerald valleys of the world stretched in serenity, untouched by the scars of war that marked so many other planets. Yet when the vessel descended, its cargo was anything but serene.


The landing ramp lowered, and with it came the weary footsteps of men, women, and children, the displaced, the broken, the determined. Refugees of the Galactic Alliance, their lives uprooted by the grinding conflict in the Core worlds, now found themselves beneath the blue skies of a world that still believed in peace. Their clothes bore the soot and dust of flight, their eyes carried the exhaustion of survival, but in each was the quiet flicker of hope that Alderaan might be a place to start anew.


At the back of the procession stood Jedi Knight Aiden Porte, armor worn and stained with look of battle, but posture still unshaken. His presence was calm, deliberate, a steady beacon amid the chaos of lives torn adrift. The Force moved around him like a gentle current, offering comfort to those who followed. He had guided them through the turmoil of the Core, away from Imperial oppression and the ever-present shadow of war. Beside him came other Jedi that he had rescued and were also escorting those present, there were fewer than there once had been, scattered remnants from the Imperial Core who had chosen loyalty to the Order over submission to power. Their sabers rested at their sides, but their vigilance remained, watchful for danger even here among allies.

As their boots touched the floor of Alderaan, the difference was immediate. The air was cleaner, the silence profound after months of blaster fire and shuttles running dark. The Knight let the moment linger for his charges. For the first time in too long, they could breathe.

Those who came to greet them, the sight was striking: Jedi who returned not as triumphant warriors, but as shepherds, guiding the lost and displaced. The galaxy was still fractured, still bleeding but here for them, a fragile spark of renewal had begun.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani may not have been a member of the New Jedi Order anymore, but she was not any less inclined to help those who now found themselves under the jackboot of the Galactic Empire. Her responsibilities had taken her from the council some months ago, and so her focus lied more in managing the Vonnuvi Enclave, and playing the part of Alderaani nobility. The enjoyed the former much more, but the latter demanded attention, especially given Alderaan's current position on the border of Imperial space. Not only were her own people looking for guidance, but those looking to escape occupation often found themselves drawn to the sanctuary this world offered.

At the starwort, this latest influx of refugees would be greeted by Amani herself, dressed in a pale blue dress that marked her as a member of planetary royalty rather than a Jedi. Nonetheless, her saber hilt remained visibly hooked at her hip. She was there alongside emergency responders and Senate Commandoes (she was still First Lady of the Alliance). When the shuttle loosed its passengers, those waiting moved to assist the injured, triaging and cataloguing every face they could. Amani stepped forward, drawn to a steadfast presence among those off boarding. A man who carried himself like a leader, though she did not recognize him, except for perhaps the faintest of tickling familiarity that might have carried down from one generation to the next. "Survivors from the Core?" Amani asked, "I suppose we have you to thank for their safe arrival." She glanced around at the other Jedi who had come with, before turning back to face the man she questioned.

Aiden Porte​