Private The Night Finds Its Own

[Seo Linn]

Seo let out a soft huff of amusement at that, not unkind, just touched with the quiet irony of it all. “Then yes,” she said gently, “it seems we truly did grow up in very different lives.”

She glanced ahead along the lanternlit path before looking back to him, her expression thoughtful rather than guarded. “Yet somehow we arrived at the same place,” she added, a faint warmth in her voice. “That says something about the choices we made, not just the circumstances we were born into.”

Her steps slowed just a fraction, enough to mark the shift in the conversation. “You said your parents taught you to care for those less fortunate. I would like to ask you something, then.” She met his gaze, steady and open, without accusation.

“What are your thoughts on slavery?”

The question was asked plainly, without heat, but it carried the weight of lived experience.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"It's a terrible practice," he replied simply. "My ancestors lobbied against it in the old Republic, and in the New Republic, and in the Galactic Alliance. I've taken on missions during my time in the Order to disrupt the slave trade, to free slaves and get them to safety. But it's a big job, and as long as the Hutts and the Pykes are operating in the Slice with impunity, it's unfortunately likely a battle we won't see the end of anytime soon."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened without interrupting, her expression composed but intent as he spoke. When he finished, she let out a slow breath she had not realized she was holding, her gaze drifting briefly to the water beside the path before returning to him.

"I agree," she said quietly. "It is a terrible practice. One that scars more than just those held in chains." There was no anger in her voice, only a hard-earned certainty. "It does not end when freedom is given. It lingers in memory, in instinct, in the way you learn to measure every kindness for cost."

She looked at him more fully then, something like respect settling into her features. "Knowing that you have acted against it matters. Not just believing it is wrong, but choosing to do something about it, even knowing how endless the work can be." A faint, rueful smile touched her lips. "You are right about the Hutts and the Pykes. Systems rot slowly when power is left unchecked."

Her fingers shifted slightly against his arm, grounding herself in the present before she continued. "I do not expect to see slavery erased in my lifetime either. But I do believe every life pulled out of it is a victory worth the effort." She paused, then added more softly, "For those of us who lived it, knowing there are people who will stand in the way of that machinery… it makes the galaxy feel a little less indifferent."

Her gaze held his, steady and sincere. "It is good to know where you stand, Malcolm."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding either. "Would it be okay if I hugged you?" he asked, his mind racing about what more he could do to eradicate slavery. "I knew you'd experienced it, but it's hitting me just how that experience has shaped you."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo felt the weight behind the question more than the words themselves. She did not answer immediately, not out of hesitation, but because she wanted the answer to be honest rather than reflexive. She drew in a slow breath, steadying herself, then nodded once.

"Yes," she said quietly. "That would be alright."

She loosened her hold on his arm and stepped closer, allowing the embrace without rushing it, her posture relaxed but grounded. When she returned the hug, it was gentle and brief at first, the kind given by someone who understood both comfort and boundaries. She rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder for a moment, letting the stillness do what words could not.

After a breath or two, she spoke softly, her voice low but clear. "It did shape me. It had no choice but to. But it is not all that I am." She pulled back just enough to look at him, her expression calm, sincere. "What matters to me now is what people choose to do with that knowledge once they understand it."

There was no accusation in her gaze, only quiet resolve. "You asking, and caring enough to stop and consider it… that already says a great deal."

She gave him a small, reassuring smile, one touched with warmth rather than fragility. "Thank you for asking first."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"I'm thinking that you and I would probably make a good team for anti-slaver missions," he says as he embraces her gently. "I'm honestly incredibly attracted to you, Seo." He held her close for a bit, just letting her feel his love and support.

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo did not pull away immediately. She let the embrace remain for a few quiet seconds, not because she was overwhelmed, but because she was present. The warmth of it, the steadiness, the lack of demand in his hold mattered. When she did ease back, it was only enough to look at him properly, her hands still resting lightly against his arms.

"I think we would," she said first, addressing the part of his words that carried purpose. "A good team." There was certainty there, not hesitation. "You act with conviction, and you understand that some evils are fought over years, not victories. That matters to me."

When she spoke again, her voice softened, but it did not lose its clarity. "As for the rest…" She took a slow breath, choosing honesty without rushing herself into promises she was not ready to make. "I am not opposed to what you are feeling. I would not be standing here if I were."

Her gold eyes held his, steady and open. "But I move carefully. Not out of fear, and not because I doubt you. I have learned that some things deserve time to grow, especially when they touch parts of the soul that have already endured so much."

She offered him a small, genuine smile, one that carried warmth rather than distance. "If what you feel is real, it will not vanish because I ask for patience. And if the Force has brought us to walk the same path, then we will see where it leads, together, one step at a time."

Her thumb brushed his sleeve in a quiet, grounding gesture. "That is enough for me, for now."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"You're not wrong. I'm not asking you to jump into a relationship with me - or immediately into bed. I just wanted to let you know what I was feeling so that all the sabacc cards are on the table." I smile. "You want patience, I can give you that. We both deserve a chance to grow into this."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened carefully, her expression thoughtful rather than guarded. When he finished, she nodded once, slow and deliberate, appreciating the care he had taken with his words. Honesty offered without pressure was something she did not take lightly.

"There is something you should know, then," she said quietly. She did not step away from him, but she did straighten a little, as if grounding herself before speaking. "I have a son."

She watched his face as she continued, giving him the respect of the truth without dramatizing it. "I was a teenager when he was born. He is sixteen now." A faint softness entered her voice at that, unmistakable. "His name is Aodhan. He lives on Lorrd with my parents and my sisters. That is where he is safest. That is where he has roots."

She took a small breath, then met Malcolm's eyes again, steady and unflinching. "He is not a complication to me. He is my anchor. But he is part of my life in a way that shapes every choice I make, including who I allow close to me."

There was no apology in her tone, only clarity. "I am telling you this now because you chose honesty first. And because if we are going to see where this path leads, then you deserve to know the shape of the ground I am standing on."

A faint, sincere smile touched her lips. "If patience is something you can truly offer, then this is part of what it means."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"Honestly, I'm not surprised. When you stopped short of telling me everything you experienced as a slave, I could feel that you were missing someone. And I will never try to come between you and your son." He smiled. "I can't imagine what you've gone through."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo took in his words quietly, her gaze steady on his face as he spoke. There was something in her expression that softened when he mentioned Aodhan, a subtle easing that came only when someone acknowledged her son without trying to minimize or dramatize his place in her life.

"Thank you," she said simply. "For understanding that without making it something heavy." Her thumb brushed lightly against his hand, a small, unconscious gesture of appreciation.

When he admitted he could not imagine what she had endured, she did not contradict him. Some things were not meant to be fully understood by anyone who had not lived them. Instead, she accepted the sentiment for what it was: empathy without presumption.

After a moment, she shifted the focus gently, the way she often did when conversations grew too close to old wounds.

"Do you have any family?" she asked quietly. "Besides the Jedi, I mean."

Her tone was sincere, curious rather than cautious. "People who knew you before all of this. Before robes and titles and responsibilities."

She met his eyes again, inviting him into the same honesty he had offered her.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"I'm still in touch with my parents and my sister," he replied. "Also a few childhood friends. My master encouraged me to maintain those connections."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened with a quiet, thoughtful expression as he spoke, her steps slowing just slightly while she absorbed his words. There was something comforting in hearing that he had been allowed, even encouraged, to keep those ties. It spoke of a life where connection had been protected rather than severed.

“That is… good,” she said softly. “I am glad you were given the chance to keep those parts of yourself.” A faint, wistful smile touched her lips. “It is not always something Jedi are taught to value.”

She was quiet for a moment after that, her gaze drifting toward the dark water beside the path, watching the reflections ripple and reform. When she spoke again, her voice was steady, but there was a layer beneath it, something more vulnerable.

“I do not know how many of my old friends are still alive,” Seo admitted. “After everything… after the time I spent in the Netherworld… so much passed without me.” She drew in a slow breath. “People move on. Worlds change. Lives continue. Sometimes without leaving space for those who were gone.”

Her eyes returned to his, open and honest. “My family is still there. Aodhan is still there. That is what matters most.” A small, resolute smile followed. “But I have learned not to assume that connections remain just because we wish them to.”

She paused, then added more gently, “So it means something to me that you kept yours. That you were encouraged to.”

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"My parents and sister had to flee Chandrila," he said. "They've relocated to Naboo, but they've lost so much since the Empire conquered the Galactic Alliance. Perhaps the High Republic will liberate my homeworld in the future." He paused. "Between the fact that so many Silver Jedi temples were lost to the Empire and the fact that my family had to leave our homeworld behind, relocating to Naboo seemed the logical choice for me."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened in silence as he spoke, her expression growing more solemn with each word. Loss of home, of stability, of certainty. It was a story she had heard in many forms across the galaxy, and yet it never lost its weight.

“I am sorry,” she said quietly when he finished. “Being forced to leave your home… it is a kind of grief people underestimate. You do not only lose a place. You lose memories tied to it. Versions of yourself that only existed there.”

She slowed her steps just a little, turning her head enough to look at him more fully. “Chandrila is more than a political symbol,” she continued gently. “It is culture, history, family. I hope the High Republic finds the strength to reclaim it. Not just for strategy… but for people like your parents and sister.”

At his mention of the lost temples and his decision to settle on Naboo, understanding settled into her features. “That makes sense,” she admitted. “When everything familiar is taken from you, you look for somewhere that still feels… stable. Somewhere that allows you to breathe again.” A faint, rueful smile touched her lips. “Naboo has that effect on people.”

She was quiet for another moment before adding, more softly, “You have endured more change than most realize. Yet you are still here. Still choosing to help. Still choosing to care.” Her gold eyes met his, steady and sincere. “That says more about you than any title ever could.”

Her hand tightened gently around his arm, a subtle gesture of solidarity. “You did not choose the losses you were given. But you chose what to build after them. That matters.”

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"Is your family still enslaved back on Lorrd?" he asked.

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo’s expression softened at the question, and she shook her head gently.

“No,” she said quietly. “It was just my mother and me at first.”

She kept walking beside him, her voice steady, measured. “We were freed together. The rest of my family… my sisters and my stepfather… they came later. It took time. Different circumstances. Different chances.” A brief pause followed, not heavy, just reflective. “For a while, it was only the two of us.”

Her gaze lowered for a moment, then lifted again. “By the time Aodhan was born, we were all together again. Not wealthy. Not secure. But free.” A faint, sincere smile touched her lips. “That was enough.”

There was no bitterness in her tone. Only quiet resilience.

“My mother never stopped trying to bring us back together,” she added softly. “I learned that strength from her.”

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

He nodded. "Do you visit them often?" he asked, resuming their stroll towards food.

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo was quiet for a few steps after he asked, her gaze drifting ahead along the lanternlit path as the soft sounds of Naboo's night settled around them. When she answered, her voice was calm, but there was a faint, rueful edge beneath it.

"Not lately," she admitted. "They probably think I am dead again."

The words were spoken lightly enough to sound almost like a joke, but the truth behind them was unmistakable. She did not laugh. Instead, she offered him a small, apologetic smile, as though acknowledging the strangeness of saying something like that so casually.

"For a long time, they had no way of knowing where I was," she continued after a moment. "No messages. No sightings. Nothing." Her fingers shifted slightly against his arm, grounding herself. "It is… something we have lived with more than once."

She glanced at him then, her gold eyes open and honest, but not yet fully revealing. There was more behind the words. Much more. She simply did not push it forward on her own.

"If you are wondering why," she added quietly, "you can ask."

And she left it there, an invitation without pressure, waiting to see if he would take it.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"Okay, I'll bite. Why?" he asked.