Private Setting Up Shop

[Jax Thio]

Location: Theed, Naboo
Equipment: Casual Wear, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio


Jax placed his hands behind his back staring at the large statues overlooking the marketplace of Theed. Even the poorer areas of Naboo looked like something out of a painting. Despite living the past few years on Alderaan, Jax could never get used to the clean and pristine aesthetic that the core worlds portrayed. To Jax, Naboo was like Courscant: Beautiful on the outside but bellies a darker underbelly. It's just that Naboo was better at hiding it while Courscant flat out ignored the rot that was festering in the lower levels. Yet despite Jax's misgivings of Naboo and the High Republic in general, it was the safest place to live these days.

The Jedi Master sighed, the High Republic is also home to their own Jedi Order. Wasn't quite the same as the New Jedi Order with the Alliance but it was close enough. Months fighting with militia against the Imperials, it would be nice to have access to more advanced technology and Jax was training the younger padawans here lately. But more importantly, it was safe for Jax and his family even though Jair was firmly with the Diarchy. "Speaking of......" Jax looked around. "Where is Jair? She said she wanted to see this morning."

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain's presence reached him before her voice did, familiar and grounding in the way only someone who had learned the shape of his thoughts over the years could be. Her steps were unhurried as she approached from behind, the sounds of the marketplace softening around her, Naboo's morning light warm against her skin.

"I wanted to," she said gently, answering the question he had not quite finished asking.

She came to his side rather than in front of him, close enough that her shoulder brushed his arm, a quiet claim rather than a demand for attention. One hand rested briefly at her middle, an unconscious, protective gesture she did not bother to hide from him.

"This place is calm," Jairdain continued, her tone thoughtful rather than critical. "Too calm, sometimes. It reminds me that the galaxy keeps moving even when we stop long enough to breathe." A faint smile touched her lips. "I wanted to see you in it. To remind myself that we are still allowed moments like this."

She tilted her head slightly toward him, blind eyes angled not to look, but to listen, to feel the way he stood beside her.

"And," she added more softly, honesty unguarded, "because mornings are harder lately. Not in a bad way. Just… heavier. I wanted to make sure you were here, and that you knew I am too."

Her fingers found his hand, threading with practiced ease.

"We chose this place because it is safe," Jairdain said quietly. "But safety does not mean stillness. It means having the chance to keep going, together."

She squeezed his hand once, steady and sure.

"So I came to see you. That is reason enough."

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Theed, Naboo
Equipment: Casual Wear, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio

Jax sensed Jair before he saw her. She looked as beautiful as always, the sun's rays reflected off her black hair giving off an angelic look. Jax felt tempted to ask if Jair was an angel, but that chit was a little too cheesy for his liking. Not that Jair wouldn't mind being called an angel. As soon as Jair leaned onto him, a smile slowly formed on Jax's lips, and he went down to give her a quick kiss on her crown.

"Hey, I've gotten used to mornings now and days!" Jax chuckled. "I used to be more of a night person but as I got older, I began to appreciate the beauty of mornings." He leaned to give Jair a peck on her pale cheek. "With your help of course."

Jax still felt a bit out of place in Naboo but that was always going to be the case. Jax's wild and unruly nature often clashed with Jair's calm and serene one. The large contradiction formed a harmonious marriage that endured for over a decade. The Living Force has a way of having the idiosyncrasies of life fuse together to form perfect balance. "I know you wanted to see me," Jax said. "It's not often we've gotten to spend time with each other lately."

As much Jax loved his family, he could no longer ignore his duties as a Jedi and with the rise of major Empires all over the Galaxy, Jax couldn't sit in the sidelines any longer. There was also that part of him that craved combat enjoying the thrill of it. Though Jax had controlled his darkness over the years, It still presided around him ready to strike the moment Jax gave into his fear. Jair knew about this and it scared her she lost Yuroic to war and Jax died once during the Hyperspace war and Jair somehow revived him.

"You know?" Jax whispered walking alongside Jair his hand wrapped around hers. "You've suggested that I join the High Republic. After giving it much thought, I'd say you're right. It'll be nice to be part of an organization that's not militia."

Jax shrugged. "Besides," he continued. "I would like a safe place to rest my head and Jayna Ismet-Thio does need a safe environment to continue her education and training."

The Jedi Master pulled out a training saber from his pocket. "I'm thinking of taking Jayna as my Padawan," Jax said. "It's time for her to begin her path as a Jedi and I want to nurture the power that's growing inside of her."

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain let his hand stay in hers, her thumb brushing lightly against his knuckles as she listened. She did not pull away, and she did not interrupt him, but there was a quiet shift in her posture that meant she was choosing her words with care rather than reacting from instinct.

When she spoke, her voice was gentle, but there was no mistaking the resolve beneath it.

"I am glad you are considering the High Republic," she said first, acknowledging the part of his choice that mattered to her. "For you, and for Jayna. Stability is not a weakness, Jax. It never has been."

She slowed her steps just enough that he would feel the change, then turned slightly toward him, still holding his hand, still close.

"But I need you to hear me," Jairdain continued, calmly and without accusation. "The last time you took one of my children as a Padawan, you forgot that training is not the same thing as survival."

Her gaze did not harden, but it did sharpen.

"You threw her into the middle of a war zone," she said evenly. "You expected her to command soldiers without preparation, without context, without the years of grounding that kind of responsibility demands. She learned how to endure chaos, yes. But she did not learn how to be a Jedi. She learned how to be afraid and useful at the same time."

She paused, letting that truth stand between them without cruelty.

"I will not let that happen to Jayna."

Jairdain squeezed his hand once, not to soften the boundary, but to remind him that it came from love, not distrust.

"Jayna deserves the right to choose her path," she said. "Not because she wants to make you proud. Not because she feels pulled by our shadows or our history. But because it is hers."

Her voice softened then, carrying a note of something more personal.

"If she decides she wants you as her teacher, we will talk about it. Together. With structure. With safeguards. With people around her who will say no when either of us cannot."

She met his face fully now, unflinching.

"But I will not allow you to shape her path out of urgency or fear," Jairdain finished. "And I will not let her mistake obedience for calling."

She leaned in then, pressing her forehead briefly against his shoulder, grounding both of them.

"We have both lost too much to war," she said quietly. "Let our daughter choose how close she wants to stand to it."

Jax Thio Jayna Ismet-Thio (Because she needs to see this)

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Theed, Naboo
Equipment: Casual Wear, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio

A sigh released from Jax's mouth a feeling of dread came over him when Jair's tone of voice became less soothing and more even. It wasn't a stern tone as Jair was very calm and rarely gets angry. However, whenever Jair's tone becomes even it was close to serious as she could get and, in this case, whenever Jax and Jair had a disagreement, it was either because Jax always throwing himself in dangerous environment or how to best raise Jayna. "Nyita knew the risks Jair," Jax responded. "She knew it and you knew it. It's not uncommon for Jedi to bring their padawans in battle."

He remembered the Hyperspace War where Jax and Nyta were boarded by Sith Troopers. Jax taught Nytia to always rely on instinct and she performed valiantly all while Jax single handedly destroyed a Sith Star Destroyer. "I trusted Nytia," Jax continued. "It's natural for one to be afraid but she channeled it like a Jedi supposed to do."

Jax suspected that the battle was the reason why Jair didn't permit him from continuing her training. He didn't blame her, but Jedi were called upon to serve the Galaxy. "Funny," Jax said his tone turned terse. "On one breath you say it's up Jayna to decide her future, but on the other hand, you don't want her to take my path."

He stopped and met Jair's gaze. "Jayna is getting older Jair," Jax said. "Her sensitivity with the Force is becoming stronger, you can't have her be trapped in the Core Worlds forever. She'll need guidance on how to utilize her power, and she needs to understand the dangers the Galaxy presents. If she chooses to train under me you need to understand that she's going to be treated like every one of my Padawans."

That placed doubt in him, Jax never had a great track record when it came to Padawans but a few of them became Jedi. "Jayna needs to learn what it means to be a Jedi," Jax said. "But after she's equipped with everything we've taught, it's up to her to decide her future. But you can't keep shielding her, the Galaxy is more dangerous than ever. Naboo is a safe place to train and also a good place to get missions."

The Jedi Master sighed. "But I'm not the only one she needs to take lessons from," he said. "You need to be as active in her life as well as me. She your wisdom and my skill in combat if she's going to be the best person she can be."

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain did not interrupt him. She let him finish, let every justification and memory settle fully into the space between them, because this was not an argument to be won by speed or volume. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, even, and deliberate in the way that meant she had already thought this through many times before he ever said it aloud.

"You are right about one thing," she began calmly. "Jayna is getting older, and her connection to the Force is deepening. Pretending otherwise would be dishonest, and I have never asked you to lie to yourself about the dangers of the galaxy."

She turned slightly toward him, not confrontational, but present, anchoring herself in the moment rather than the memory he was holding onto.

"But you are wrong if you believe this is about me denying her choice, or about me rejecting your path simply because it is yours," Jairdain continued. "What I object to is not that Nyita was present in a war zone. It is that she was expected to lead before she had been taught how to survive leadership. There is a difference between exposure and abandonment, Jax, and that line was crossed."

Her tone did not rise; it sharpened, not with anger but with clarity.

"Trusting a child to act on instinct is not the same thing as preparing them to carry consequences," she said. "Nyita survived because she was strong, because she adapted, and because she was fortunate. Strength does not make the cost vanish. Survival does not mean the method was sound."

She took a breath, steadying not herself, but the conversation.

"When I say Jayna must choose her path, I mean when she is ready to understand what that choice asks of her," Jairdain said. "Not when fear, admiration, or the desire to make you proud are doing the choosing for her. I will not mistake eagerness for consent, or courage for preparedness."

Her head inclined slightly, acknowledging the truth in what he said without yielding ground.

"You are right that she cannot be sheltered forever. I am not asking for that. I am asking that she not be shaped by combat before she understands who she is without it. There is a difference between learning the dangers of the galaxy and being forged by them too early."

She paused, letting the weight of her words land.

"And if Jayna ever chooses to train under you," Jairdain continued, her voice still level, "then she will do so with structure, with boundaries, and with both of us involved. Not because I distrust your skill, but because no child should be raised by a single interpretation of the Force, especially one that has cost you as much as yours has."

She did not accuse. She did not soften the truth either.

"You say she needs my wisdom and your combat experience," Jairdain said quietly. "On that, we agree. But wisdom means knowing when not to test someone to their limits. And combat training without grounding is how Jedi mistake endurance for health."

Finally, she reached for his hand, not to placate him, but to anchor him.

"I am not shielding Jayna from the galaxy," Jairdain said. "I am making sure the galaxy does not define her before she defines herself. When she steps forward, she will do so whole, not hardened."

She held his hand firmly, meeting him where he stood.

"And when that day comes," she finished, "I will stand beside you. Not behind you. Not against you."

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Theed, Naboo
Equipment: Casual Wear, Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio

"A Jedi is expected to be a leader Jair," Jax responded in calm. "When you're out there in that Galaxy things can and will unravel. The Living Force is as unpredictable as it is harmonious. How one adapts to what's thrown at them."

Jax paused when Jair mentioned that Jayna needed to understand the choice. It pained him to admit it, but Jax still struggles with understanding why one makes a choice. He was always a go with the flow kind of person, a man who relied on intuition whereas Jair was more logical. "Granted," Jax conceded. "But a Jedi needs to feel not think. To pause, to hesitate especially during battle can cause a Jedi to faulter breaking their connection with the Force."

Jair knew how to weave words into daggers, when she mentioned that his views of the Force cost him dearly, Jax recoiled at that. "Jair don't tell me how to raise our child," Jax responded. "My views of the Force are no different from others, I'm teaching Jayna how to adapt and not make the same mistakes that I made. The Galaxy is a dangerous place, and Jayna needs to be focused and ready to forge whatever path she desires without any doubt or hesitation."

Jax let go of Jair's hand his gaze slowly hardening. "That's why she needs both of us Jair," Jax said. "She needs to see the Galaxy and experience conflict but also be grounded by wisdom."

He allowed himself to smile placing his hands on Jair's slender shoulders. "It's our paradoxical philosophies that will ready Jayna for the trials that come." Jax said.

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain felt the sting of that comment immediately.

Not sharply, not explosively, but like a pressure behind the ribs that told her she had been pushed closer to a boundary than she liked. Don't tell me how to raise our child landed heavier than he likely intended, not because it was cruel, but because it dismissed something she carried just as deeply as he did.

She did not pull away from his hands. She did not raise her voice. But the warmth in her expression cooled, just enough to be unmistakable.

"I am not telling you how to raise your child," Jairdain said evenly, her tone controlled, precise, and unmistakably firm. "I am speaking as her mother. As someone who has buried people she loved. As someone who has watched children become leaders before they had the chance to be children."

She let that settle before continuing, refusing to let irritation become accusation.

"You are right that a Jedi must learn to act without hesitation," she acknowledged. "Instinct matters. Flow matters. But instinct without discernment is not the Force speaking, Jax. It is a habit. And habit is shaped by what we expose a child to before they understand the cost."

Her fingers curled lightly against his wrists, not pushing him away, but grounding both of them.

"You talk about adaptation as if it only happens in battle," Jairdain went on, calmer now, but no less resolute. "But adaptation also happens in restraint. In reflection. In knowing when to step forward and when not to. I am not asking Jayna to pause forever. I am asking that she learn why she moves before she is asked to move for others."

She inhaled slowly, centering herself, letting the annoyance pass without being denied.

"And when you say your views of the Force cost you no more than anyone else's," she added quietly, "that is where I will disagree with you, even if you do not wish to hear it. Not to wound you. Not to undermine you. But because pretending experience did not exact a price does not make that price disappear."

Jairdain lifted her chin slightly, meeting him fully again.

"You are right about one thing," she said. "Jayna needs both of us. She needs your decisiveness and my caution. Your willingness to step forward and my insistence on understanding the ground beneath her feet."

Her voice softened just a fraction.

"But do not mistake my concern for interference," Jairdain finished. "I am not standing in your way. I am standing beside you, making sure we do not ask her to carry more than she can hold."

She did not pull her hands away from his.

She simply held her ground.

Jax Thio

 

[Jax Thio]

Location: Theed, Naboo
Equipment: Casual Wear Jax's Prosthetic Arm, Jax's Third Lightsaber, Marriage Ring to Jairdain
Tag: Jairdain Ismet-Thio

Jax remained still his non prosthetic hand leaning into Jair's soft touch. He could feel the calming energies pouring inside of Jax's tense body allowing himself to relax as he always did around Jair. She always remained calm and nurturing but knew when to apply harsh truths in her conversation. It was difficult to argue with Jair because she would have a counter argument in mind the moment Jax finished speaking. It was a mark of a diplomat, weaving words into an impactful speech.

While Jax himself was hardly a wordsmith, he was stubborn, something that Jayna Ismet-Thio inherited for better or worse. "I never said that adaptation only applies in battle Jair," Jax responded. "Adaptation is a spontaneous event driven by life. Jayna must be prepared for it she'll stumble and fall but she will learn from it."

Jax took a deep breath shaking his head. "Everything has a price Jair," he responded. "The difference is, I'm willing to pay for it. You stand up for your beliefs even when people think otherwise."

He wanted to say that Jair's cautious and diplomatic approach led her to the arms of the Diarchy, but he didn't want to mention it. Jax already let his feeling about the Diarchy clear. No need to open that old wound again. "Of course I'm not going overburden Jayna," Jax whispered kissing Jair's forehead. "But she is growing up, and I've chosen Naboo as a safe place for her train. It's not like I'm sending her on missions Tatooine."

A chuckle escaped Jax mouth. "Not yet at least." he said.

 

[Jairdain Ismet-Thio]

Jairdain let his words settle before answering, her thumb tracing a slow, unconscious arc against the back of his hand. The contact was gentle, grounding, but it did not soften the quiet firmness that followed. If anything, it steadied it.

"I know you did not mean adaptation only in battle," she said evenly, her tone calm but no longer soothing. "That is precisely why I am being careful with how that word is used around her."

She lifted her head just enough to look at him fully, not accusing, not angry, but unflinching. This was not an argument meant to win. It was one meant to hold.

"Adaptation is not the same as exposure," Jairdain continued. "Learning how to recover from a fall is different from being pushed before you know how to land. Jayna will stumble. That is inevitable. But it matters where she stumbles, and who expects her to stand afterward."

His words about price did not go unanswered. They never did.

"Yes," she said quietly. "Everything has a price. But the one paying it should be the one choosing the cost." Her fingers curled slightly, just enough to underline the point. "You have always been willing to pay with yourself. That is one of the things I love about you. It is also why I will not let you decide that price for her."

When he kissed her forehead, she closed her eyes for a brief moment, accepting the affection without letting it end the conversation. His attempt at humor earned a faint exhale that might have been a smile, if one looked closely enough.

"Naboo is safer," Jairdain allowed. "And I am grateful you chose it."

Then, gently but unmistakably, she added, "But safety is not the same as readiness, and training is not the same as ownership."

Her hand slid from his to rest briefly over her abdomen, not pointedly, not theatrically, just instinctively. A reminder, not a weapon.

"Jayna is not a continuation of your path," she said softly. "She is her own. When she chooses it, truly chooses it, I will stand beside you without hesitation. Until then, my role is not to slow her growth."

She met his gaze again, calm and unwavering.

"It is to make sure she is not shaped by our unfinished wars."

Jax Thio