Private The Heart of Noise

[Iandre Athlea]

"No, no, I won't do that. Break a bone, I mean. I'll keep surviving."

Tipping her head slightly at the mention of the clones and learning all of her curse words, she kept them to herself for now. He had asked for them after another drink, and she planned to keep it that way. She didn't take his words negatively, and who knows, maybe they were accurate. She didn't think so, but she was able to view her past with open eyes and see what happened.

"It couldn't hurt."

Turning the corners of her mouth up a little, she ran the tip of a finger along the rim of her glass and was silent. Her eyes followed her movement and then glanced up when he spoke again. Just the two of them having a small intimate moment in his establishment.

He motioned to one of the servers, who quickly returned with a strange flower. The pale blue drew her attention, which then flowed to the glowing center, the heart of the flower. Not removing the hand touching his, she moved it closer to her with the other after he pushed it across to her. Keeping her gaze on it for a few seconds longer, she eventually looked up and across at him.

"I already know this time can be beautiful. This is extraordinary, though. Thank you, Kael. You might just be my doom."

With a smiling laugh, she took her first sip of the drink, and the flower rested between them.

Kaelon Virex

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael watched her take that first sip, her laughter curling between them like smoke. "You might just be my doom," she'd said.

His heart thumped hard enough that he leaned back slightly just to breathe.

Stars, he was not used to this. Not this kind of presence. Not someone who could say something like that with a smile and make it feel entirely real.

"You're welcome," he said softly, then added with a crooked grin, "Though if I'm going to be your doom, I'd like to go on record as being the charming kind. The kind with great lighting and decent cocktails."

He rested his elbows on the table again, letting one finger tap absently near the base of his glass before something lit behind his eyes. A thought. An idea.

"All right," he said, straightening a bit. "You seem centered—quiet storm type—but I've got to ask. Do you meditate? Like... actual serene sitting in silence? Or more the kind where you zone out for five minutes and claim enlightenment?"

He held up both hands, laughing at himself. "No judgment. I once tried meditating to calm my nerves before a sabacc tournament and ended up falling asleep with a band of Rodians betting on how long I'd drool."

He shrugged, relaxed but clearly fidgeting now—feet tapping gently under the table, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he tried not to stare at her too long.

Why is my heart racing like a damn teenager? he thought, practically glowing from the inside out.

Then he leaned forward slightly again, grin now full of mischievous potential.

"Speaking of possible enlightenment... there's a band coming in tomorrow night. Kind of a big deal, at least locally. They mix Corellian jazz with Twi'lek string fusion—don't ask how, it just works."

He arched a brow, gauging her reaction. "Thought maybe you'd want to stick around. Could be a good way to experience something... I don't know. Loud. A little messy. Alive."

His tone shifted again, softer now.

"Something that reminds you this time's not just beautiful—it moves."

He let the offer sit there between them like that flower, quiet and full of color.

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"It has been noted on the record."

Saying this with mock seriousness, the twinkle in her eyes belied the humor in which she spoke. Leaning forward with him, Iandre listened to his question and lowered her brows together. A momentary pain crossed her features, and she looked at the flower between them before answering.

"Not anymore. Unless I'm in a Battle Meditation trance, which isn't quite the same thing, how do you think I survived getting from the Clone Wars to now? I spent over 900 years meditating. I don't think about it much. I used to, though. Almost daily for as little or as long as I needed to.

"Meditation isn't for everybody, Kael. No judgment from me either."

Shrugging with him, it ended in a joint smile and a shake of her head.

She tilted her head as she heard his suggestion, and she considered it. Laughing as she finished her thought, she lifted one of her fingers.

"Where am I going to stay?"

Listening to his tone, she wondered where his thoughts were going. Not giving voice to her own, she gazed across at him, and her breathing was a little shallow. She searched his eyes for what he was looking for from her.

Kaelon Virex

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael caught the shift in her face when she mentioned the meditation—the flicker of old weight. His own breath hitched slightly at the enormity of what she'd just said. Over 900 years. He'd known it, technically. But hearing her say it, owning it, carrying it like that…


He leaned forward just a touch more, elbows on the table again, voice softer now.


"Stars, Iandre... I can barely go 900 seconds without needing to do something, and you sat in the void for centuries. That's… damn. That's not just strength. That's something else entirely."


He smiled, but not in awe this time—more in quiet respect. She wasn't just some relic pulled from time. She was real, and still here.


"Battle meditation, though…" he added with a smirk. "You have to teach me that one day. Sounds like the ultimate cheat code for surviving a really bad date."


Then she asked her question—with that little laugh, that lifted finger—and Kael's smirk twitched into something almost self-conscious.


"Ah. Well. That's a fair point."


He looked down at his drink, swirled it gently, then met her eyes again, this time with a slightly sheepish shrug.


"I don't really have a lot of friends," he said plainly, the words landing without the usual gloss of charm. "Not the close kind, anyway. There's Arq—he works here, flamboyant, dramatic, probably more stylish than both of us combined. He's like a mirror that talks back, smarter than he pretends to be. Kind of my compass, whether he knows it or not."


A brief pause, then his expression softened again.


"And there's my cousin. Sommer. She's… well. Complicated. Stronger than anyone I've ever known, even when she's falling apart."


He sat back slightly, fingers drumming the edge of the table.


"I think, deep down, I've always been looking for something real. A real connection. Something that doesn't just flare and burn out. So don't let the boyish charm fool you."


Then he gave her a crooked little smile again, like he couldn't quite help it.


"As for where you'll stay—there's a few decent places nearby. I know one run by a retired bounty hunter who turned her old stronghold into a guesthouse. Clean rooms, quiet halls, and a blaster under every pillow."


He winked, then reached inside his coat and casually pulled out a sleek chip, sliding it across the table toward her.


"And if you need credits, just take it. No strings. Not a loan. Consider it an investment in someone who deserves the right kind of future."


He paused for a beat, then added quietly:


"And maybe in the hope that you'll stick around a little longer."

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"I can tell. Already figeting, and we haven't been sitting for more than 900 seconds. I didn't know it, though. The Force held me in its arms. In retrospect, maybe I should meditate again. Maybe it'll help me find peace and let go of my past entirely."

That would likely take longer, but Iandre was open to that idea. When Kael asked about learning Battle Meditation, she gave him a quizzical look.

"Can you use the Force too?"

After asking where she would stay, he admitted several things to her. Not breaking eye contact, she could tell he was telling her the truth. From his opinion, at least. She didn't knock it. Everybody had one, and there wasn't a point in arguing against his point of view.

"You're afraid, aren't you?"

Attempting to catch his hand as he extended the credit chip, she would try to keep a hold of it. Leaning forward if he allowed her to hold it, she opened his palm and held it above her heart.

"In just a short amount of time, you have made a greater mark here than anybody I've met. So I thank you for that, and I'll never forget the effort you've spent on me. I will have to leave, but I can stay for this show you're offering. Beyond that? Duty calls, but I want to see you again sometime."

Finally letting go, she tipped the drink into her mouth and took another sip.

Kaelon Virex

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael's eyes softened as she spoke—first at her honesty, then her question. He chuckled quietly when she teased his fidgeting, running a hand through his hair.

"Force, yeah… I'm terrible at stillness," he admitted. "But you? You held the galaxy in pause. That's not nothing."

When she asked if he could use the Force, he gave a slow tilt of his head.

"I donnnn't think so," he said. "Not enough to impress anyone at a Temple, but maybe enough to survive a few close calls."

But when she caught his hand—the chip still between his fingers—Kael went still.

He let her place it over her heart, didn't try to take it back. The world faded for a moment, narrowed to just that contact, and the sound of her voice.
"You're afraid, aren't you?"

He didn't answer right away. But his jaw tensed, his throat worked around a quiet breath, and when he did speak, his voice was a thread deeper.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Afraid that moments like this don't last. Afraid I'll never find anything this real again."

Then she thanked him.

And Kael, that charismatic, smirking lounge owner with too much charm for his own good—he blinked once, then gave her a smile that was more man than mask.

"You'll always have a friend here," he said. "Not the passing kind, either. The kind that remembers. The kind that waits."

He was about to toast again—maybe even say something foolish about fate or the stars—when suddenly—

CRASH.

A table overturned near the bar, a glass shattered, and the music screeched to a halt.

Kael's smile died instantly, eyes snapping to the disturbance.

A large, scarred man in a rumpled pilot's coat had stormed across the floor, shouting over the shocked murmur of the crowd. His eyes locked onto Iandre like he'd seen a ghost—or a bounty.

"You!" he barked. "You think you can hide from me, Vessari?! I watched you sell us out on Ord Karrion—don't play innocent now!"
In a single breath, he surged forward, pulling a vibro-knife from his belt and lunging across the booth toward Iandre—

Kael didn't even think.

His arm shot out to block the path, stepping in between them, voice low and deadly:

"She's not who you think she is."

But the man didn't care. Fueled by rage or spice—or both—he drove forward again.

Kael's eyes flicked to Iandre, trusting her instinct, her reflexes.

The stillness she once lived in?

Now it was time to move.

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"It doesn't work that way. But I like the sentiment."

Mirroring the tilt, she waited for his answer. When it came, she wasn't too surprised. There were supposed to be more NFUs than FUs, but there were more FUs now than there had been in her time.

"You could retest if you wanted."

Her lips pitched up slightly, and then she caught his hand. She was thankful he didn't pull away from her. Her message would mean that much more. His answer was exactly what she expected.

"That sounds wonderful, Kael."

Giving him a wink, she let go when she heard that crash. It shattered the intimate moment, and she felt the incoming violence before it arrived. She was a warrior, and this simple man wasn't going to be the one to kill her. A barrier rose around her, and she moved to meet the man, calling her the wrong name and accusing her of something she had never done.

Moving to the side, she grabbed the wrist of the arm holding the knife and pulled it out of his hand. Flipping it in the direction of Kael, she tripped the large man and held him as he fell face-first to the floor. With her free hand, she touched his head, and a second later, he was lying still. His breathing was clear and steady.

"He'll be fine, but wake up with a nasty headache."

On the chance there were others in his party, she looked over the patrons as if she dared them to try attacking her.

Kaelon Virex

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael stood frozen for just a second—just long enough to realize the knife never made it to him.


Then—


Snap. Disarm. Drop. Control.


The movement was clean. Instant. Precise. Like water wrapped around a hammer.


He watched, wide-eyed, as Iandre flowed around the man's strike with effortless command, seizing the weapon and flipping it toward him mid-motion. His hand caught the hilt by pure instinct—mostly luck—and by the time he looked back up, the man was on the floor, snoring peacefully into the carpet like nothing had happened.


Kael blinked, then looked down at the vibro-knife in his hand.


"Well," he muttered, still a little breathless, "that answers a lot of unspoken questions."


He whistled low and glanced over at the rest of the club. Most of the patrons had either backed off or frozen in their seats, but no one else moved to get involved. No gang signs, no team flanking maneuvers. The guy had been solo.


Kael waved a hand sharply toward the nearest guard. "Get him out of here. Quietly. Make sure he's tagged for surveillance in case he stumbles back."


Two security staff immediately broke from their position and hoisted the man up without question. One of them gave Kael a quick nod as they carried the unconscious attacker toward the back exit.


Kael turned his gaze back to Iandre, not with fear—but with something bordering on wonder.


"Vessari, huh?" he said under his breath, more to himself than her. He tucked the name away like a chip behind his ear. Something to look into later. Quietly. Carefully.


Then, eyes back on her, tone shifting to something that was half admiration, half wry charm:


"Remind me never to piss you off. I might be fast with a swoop, but I've got zero counter for Force-enhanced wrist-flips."


He stepped back to the table, easing into his seat again with an exhale like he was returning to a fire that had briefly flared too high.


"Everyone's watching you now," he murmured, glancing around the room. "But not with fear. With respect."


Then, with a soft smile:


"Looks like you're the only legend in here tonight ." He chuckles.

 

[Iandre Athlea]

Making sure there weren't any other attackers, she dismissed her barrier and looked at Kael.

"What unspoken questions do you have, and which ones were answered?"

As the threat had been disabled, Iandre stopped looking across the patrons and instead focused on him. Listening to his command, she did not comment on it or try to stop him from tagging the man. Stepping away from the prone form, she moved to stand next to Kael.

Shrugging her shoulders when he repeated the name the guy had called her, she didn't know what it might mean.

"Sounds like something from Sorreno or a planet with a noble line."

Chuckling when he mentioned not pissing her off, she shook her head slightly.

"I doubt that will ever happen, Kael. Not easily, at least. I'm glad they don't fear me. Do you? It was not my intention to cause fear. Just wanted the fight to end and finish before it could begin."

Looking at him with a sense of disbelief, she shook her head and tried to deny his words. She was no legend. Not yet.

Kaelon Virex

 

[Kaelon Virex]

Kael looked up at her as she stood beside him—still calm, still alert, but no longer bracing for a fight. Her presence carried that quiet weight again. Not heavy, but solid. Like something ancient had just chosen to stand next to him, and not because she had to.
At her first question, he huffed a soft laugh and leaned back in his seat again, rubbing his fingers along his jaw.

"Well... let's see," he said, half-grinning. "Questions like: Is she actually trained to drop a full-grown lunatic in under three seconds? Answered. Does she always keep that kind of reflex on standby? Clearly. Was she bluffing earlier when she said she wasn't a Jedi anymore?"

He gave her a sidelong glance, voice dipping into something warm. "Not a chance in hell."

Then he rested his arms on the table again, tone relaxing. "But the one that still matters most? You didn't want to fight. That says more about you than all the saber drills and mind-tricks in the galaxy."

He met her gaze and held it as she asked if he feared her.
"No," he said, without a heartbeat's hesitation. "Not even a little."

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug, offering her a small but honest smile.
"Respect, yeah. Definitely. Maybe a little awe. But fear?" He shook his head. "I don't fear people who stop violence before it begins. I fear people who look for it."

eyes flicked briefly toward the exit where the unconscious man had been dragged out, then back to her.
"You're not the kind of power that frightens people. You're the kind they run to. Even if they don't realize it yet."
Kael took a breath, then leaned in just enough that his words were quieter—just for her again.

"And I'm not going to argue with you about whether or not you're a legend. That's not really up to you anymore."

He grinned at her with that same boyish flicker from before.
"It's up to the people who watched you tonight… and tell the story tomorrow."

 

[Iandre Athlea]

"You could have asked those, but then again, maybe it's best to have seen me in action."

Tilting her head a little as she listened, she chuckled when he said he agreed she wasn't a Jedi anymore. Bits and pieces of that remained in her, and she didn't think those would go away. Not any time soon, at least, and she wasn't trying to change quickly.

"Is that really the truth? Avoiding a fight is something most people would want. Or so I thought. I know some people desire that, but they're outliers. Right?"

Drunk and drugged people weren't normal to Ian.

"Do you have that kind of person in here often?"

Tipping her head in the direction of the guy as he was dragged out of the cantina, she looked at Kael and hoped the answer was no. When he told her he didn't fear her, she let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding.

"I'm glad."

That was all she said and leaned back against the booth. Her grey eyes once again assessed what Kael was saying. Passing a judgment of truth, she decided he believed what he said.

"Not yet. Maybe someday, but not tonight. Want to teach me how to play that card game?"

Attempting to turn the topic away from the quick fight, she needed to learn how to play Sabacc.

Kaelon Virex