First Reply It Was An Accident

[Aris Noble]

It'd been a while since Aris had been to Coruscant. The vast city world wasn't the same as it had been though. The Jedi Order he'd belonged to was long gone now, but he still wanted to explore. There was a couple burger joints he liked to eat at on the lower levels where he was currently. He was in much more civilian like clothing, as if he was just another spacer wandering about. It wasn't a completely wrong idea.

He paused outside one of the diners, smiling faintly as the familiar scent filled his nose. Nostalgia. He found his seat in a booth, idly pulling up a menu to start to read through. It didn't seem like there was a lot of changes, which meant he could get his favorite burger most likely. Hopefully.

 

[Kael Venn]

The Force stirred before Kael ever saw him.
Not loud. Not dangerous.
Just… familiar.
He slowed his steps as he passed the diner, the hum of the city dulling at the edges of his awareness. Something pulled at him—an echo, like a half-remembered voice carried through time. His gaze shifted, almost absentmindedly, until it landed on the booth inside.
Kael stopped.

For a moment, he just watched through the transparisteel. The man looked ordinary enough—civilian clothes, relaxed posture, menu in hand—but the Force didn’t lie.

Not ordinary.
Kael exhaled softly and stepped inside.
The noise returned all at once—voices, clattering dishes, the sharp scent of grease—but he moved through it without hesitation. His path was quiet, deliberate, until he reached the booth.

“Excuse me,” Kael said, calm and respectful as he stopped at the edge of the table.
His eyes studied Aris, not rudely, but with quiet focus—like he was trying to place something just out of reach.
“…Have we met before?”

A slight tilt of his head followed, the question genuine.
“You feel… familiar.”
He didn’t sit yet. Didn’t assume.
Just waited.
Listening—not just for the man’s answer—
But for what the Force might reveal next.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

Ah, he really did miss this burger. It was greasy, terrible for his health, but the flavor was out of this world. It was worth everything to at least relive this moment and enjoy a bit of a distant memory of better times. He was about to take a bite when someone approached. He blinked, paused in that midbite stage before he'd slowly set down the burger.

"Yes, we have Kael. Please, sit. Do you want a burger? These are some of the best I've found." A much more passive expression took over the man's features as he watched the boy. They'd only met thrice, though not directly. It was more than enough for Aris to remember who he was. A Padawan. "How did you find your way here?"

Kael Venn

 

[Kael Venn]

Kael smiled and took a seat in front of Aris.
"I really shouldn't..." Kael pondered the invitation to partake in the greasy heart attack fueled burger for several seconds until he finally muttered, "Only one couldn't hurt, but don't tell my Master. He laughed. His Master probably wouldn't care at all, before he knew it, the burger had arrived. Kael took a gulp knowing that he would regret it later before taking a big bite. It was rude not to swallow his food before speaking, so he waited until it was his next turn to take another bite, in between air passes.

"I was just walking through the market in the streets until I got a feeling, it made me stop in my tracks, I guess the force really wanted me to take a break from training and eat a burger." He chuckled at that very notion, "What about you? Any mysterious powers leading you places or did you really just fancy a big juicy greasy burger today?" He took another bite while waiting for the next answer from the Jedi before him.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris nodded slowly, chuckling at the memories of his own padawanship. Though he couldn't help but show the concern in his eyes. He glanced about the room as subtly as he could before clearing his throat. ".. I meant how did you get on to Coruscant. This is a Sith run world, Kael." They hadn't been clocked yet, but that could change at any moment. All it'd take was one report of Jedi for eyes to start searching for them both. Aris took a bite of his burger, if only to try and look more relaxed.

".. But I did just want a burger. These are really good."

Kael Venn

 

[Kael Venn]

Kael's eyes widened very much noticably. He may have gotten himself in trouble. He didn't want to lie, so he just simply told the truth.
"I ... May have... Borrowed.. a ride here. Please don't tell my Master, she's probably wondering where I went. I will leave after I finish talking to you." He cleared his throat. The Jedi before him probably wanted to know why. So before he could ask him, he spilled the beans. "My twin brother is a Sith Acolyte. I came here to try to talk to him. I've heard about him doing some very bad things and I didn't believe it..." His gaze shifted head down toward the table and plate of food. "I figured if I talked to him, maybe it would clear things up, even convert him back to the light side.... However, I guess that would be wishful thinking. We were separated, he went with the sith, I went with the Jedi. I know I shouldn't be here, and it was dumb to even attempt it. If my master finds out I am in deep trouble.."

He began sulking still with his head down.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

His twin? Aris's expression softened quite a bit as he set down his burger. That made a lot more sense as to why the boy was here. "You'd likely be in trouble, yes. If only because this was very dangerous to do on your own. Explain it to your master, they'd be more willing to help you than you might think." He lifted his burger, taking another bite.

"What do you think of the burger? It's pretty good, right?"

Kael Venn

 

[Kael Venn]

"Understood. It was a fools errand to do on my own anyway. I just worry about Caelis. I've heard stories of his path of destruction, even as an Acolyte he's already progressed so much, for all I know, he could hurt me if I got in his way. I should tell Master Ike. You're right. I'm sorry." Kael took another bite of his burger and grinned. "It's delicious, probably the best I've had. Maybe I could return here when I'm older and more experienced" Kael didn't want to leave, not yet. He sensed that his brother was here. However, he probably should just leave it alone for the time being, he was sure that they would meet again in the future when he was much more progressed into the Jedi Arts.

He had much bigger things to worry about, Master Ike was nice but what Kael did was reprimandable at the very least, he was expecting a big scolding from his Master once he made his way back, but until then, he was just going to enjoy his burger and hide his lightsaber in his robes so no one could see it.

It would be extremely bad if someone found out there was a Jedi PADAWAN on a sith conquered planet. What was the young Padawan thinking? He could have gotten himself killed if he didn't run into Aris.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"I'm glad you like it." He wasn't going to focus any longer on the fact Kael shouldn't have been here. The burger though, that was delicious. He'd eat in relative silene to at least finish his meal before nodding once towards Kael.

"When you're older, probably. I shouldn't be here either in truth, but I wanted to eat this burger again."

Kael Venn

 

[Kael Venn]

Kael chewed slowly, clearly focused more on the burger than anything else for the moment. After a second, he gave a small approving nod.

“…Yeah,” he said simply, swallowing. “I get why you came back for it.”
He took another bite, letting the silence stretch comfortably rather than awkwardly.
After a moment, he glanced up briefly, still calm, still mostly interested in finishing the meal.

“I’ll remember this place,” Kael added lightly, then looked back down at the burger. “Probably not the reason I was supposed to be on this planet… but definitely the reason I’ll think about it later.”
Another bite followed, unhurried.
“…It’s good,” he said again, like that was the only part that really needed saying right now.

Aris Noble

 

[Aris Noble]

"Good." Aris gave a brief smile before he leaned back to relax. Let Kael finish his burger. Breath, relax. The tension of having his twin in the Sith was likely still there, but for a moment at least the Padawan could just enjoy a meal. Not that they had too much longer for it all. He glanced around, frowning ever so faintly. On edge, regardless of how much he tried to not seem to be.

"When you're done, we'll get you back, yeah?"

Kael Venn

 

[Kael Venn]

Kael didn’t answer right away.
He took another bite, slower this time—not because he was hungry, but because Aris was right. For once, there wasn’t a lesson pressing in, no immediate danger, no voice in the Force pulling at him from two directions.
Just… a moment.

He exhaled quietly, some of the tension easing from his shoulders.
“Yeah,” he said after a second, setting the burger down. “Back.”
The word lingered a little longer than it should have.
Back to the Temple. Back to training. Back to everything that made sense.
…And everything that didn’t.

His gaze flicked up briefly, catching Aris’ faint frown, the way he scanned the room without trying to make it obvious. Kael noticed—but didn’t call it out.

Instead, a small, knowing look crossed his face.
“You’re worse at relaxing than I am,” he said lightly.
Not a challenge. Just an observation.
He wiped his hands, leaning back slightly in his seat.

“I’ll finish up,” Kael added, tone steady again. “No rush… but no reason to linger either.”
A small pause.
Then, quieter:
“Thanks. For this.”
Not just the food.
For the space to breathe.
Even if it wouldn’t last.

Aris Noble