Private The Night Finds Its Own

[Seo Linn]

The night air over Naboo carried sound in layers.

Music drifted faintly from the direction of Siskeen, distant voices and laughter, the hum of celebration echoing softly across the water and stone. Light bloomed in the sky far off, reflections dancing across the surface of the canals, but Seo Linn had deliberately chosen a path that curved away from it all.

She walked along a quieter stretch of promenade, boots tapping softly against pale stone worn smooth by centuries of passage. Lanterns lined the path at respectful intervals, their glow muted and warm, illuminating flowering shrubs and carved railings without drawing attention. The celebration was close enough to feel, far enough to ignore.

That had been the point.

Seo paused near the edge of the water, resting her hands lightly on the stone balustrade as she watched ripples move lazily across the canal. The reflections there were calmer, broken light instead of brilliance. She preferred it that way. Naboo at night was at its best when it was not trying to impress anyone.

She sensed him before she saw him.

Not sharply. Not with alarm. Just the subtle shift of awareness that came with another presence entering the same quiet space she occupied. Someone who did not move like a reveler. Someone whose steps carried intention rather than drift.

Seo straightened slightly, turning just enough to acknowledge the other figure without challenging the moment. Her gold eyes caught the lanternlight as they lifted, assessing calmly, openly.

"Looks like we both chose the wrong direction if we were meant to celebrate," she said lightly, her tone even, unassuming, an observation rather than an accusation.

She gestured faintly toward the distant glow over Siskeen before letting her hand fall back to her side. "Or the right one, depending on how you see it."

The night breeze stirred her pale hair, carrying the scent of water and flowering trees between them. Seo held her position, relaxed but attentive, offering neither name nor purpose yet.

Just space.

"Peaceful spots like this tend to collect people who are avoiding something," she added after a moment, a faint trace of wry humor touching her voice. "Or looking for it."

Her gaze settled on him again, steady and curious, waiting to see which he would claim.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"Have you ever had the feeling that the Cosmic Force was leading you somewhere?" Malcolm asked, still resplendent in his ceremonial robes from the ball and the party happening across the lush terraces. "I was kind of observing the festivities, trying to relax after my misadventures on Corellia, grieving those I failed to save but rejoicing for all those who made it out of the fight alive, when I just felt this call, this pull. And now? Now I feel like I'm right where the Force wants me." He smiled and bowed. "Master Malcolm Ironmaster, at your service."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened without interrupting, her attention steady as Malcolm spoke of the pull that had drawn him away from the festivities. There was no surprise in her expression, only recognition. She had felt that same quiet insistence more times than she could count, the kind that did not demand but simply guided, nudging her steps until she realized she had already arrived where she needed to be.

"I have," she replied evenly. "More often than not, I follow the call of the Force rather than a plan." Her gaze drifted briefly toward the distant glow of Siskeen before returning to him. "It led me here as well. I chose not to take part in the celebrations."

The lanternlight caught the muted gold threading woven through her tan robes, practical garments suited more for travel than ceremony. A light veil rested around her neck, easily drawn up against dust or wind, and the presence of a lightsaber at her hip was unhidden but unadvertised. She did not stand rigidly, nor did she bow deeply, but she inclined her head with respectful ease.

"Knight Seo Linn," she said calmly. "Of the Silver Jedi."

There was no flourish to the introduction, no attempt to impress. Only quiet certainty.

"The Force has a way of guiding us to still places when we need them," she added after a moment. "Especially after loss." Her tone was neither probing nor presumptuous, simply acknowledging what he had shared. "If it brought us both here tonight, then I suspect it wanted us to meet."

Her gold eyes remained on him, attentive and open, waiting to see where the current would carry the conversation next.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

Malcolm chuckled. "It figures that I meet a Jedi out here and you're also of the Silver Jedi Order," he said. "The Cosmic Force works in mysterious ways. After the setbacks our Order has gone through as of late, with the loss of Commenor and other planets which hosted our temples to the Galactic Empire, I decided to help the High Republic and other independent worlds maintain their independence from those who would seek to destroy or subjugate them, which is how I ended up involved on Corellia. Attending the celebration seemed appropriate, but I couldn't shake the feeling I needed to be elsewhere."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo's expression shifted subtly yet unmistakably. The calm attentiveness she carried softened, just a touch, into something warmer when Malcolm named the Silver Jedi Order. There was a flicker of surprise there too, brief and unguarded, before discipline smoothed it back into place.

"That is… unexpected," she admitted, and there was genuine pleasure in her voice now. "It is not often I meet another Silver who is still active in the field." Her gaze lingered on him a moment longer, reassessing not with suspicion, but with a quiet sense of kinship. "We have become… scattered. Many chose quieter lives after the losses. Others were simply lost."

She let out a slow breath, her eyes drifting briefly toward the dark water beyond the promenade as he spoke of Commenor and the fall of temple worlds. The weight of it was familiar. Too familiar. "Those setbacks cut deep," she said quietly. "Not just to our Order, but to the idea that neutrality and compassion could be enough to hold the line." Her fingers brushed lightly against the edge of her sleeve, a grounding gesture. "Choosing to stand with independent worlds… that is very much in the spirit of the Silvers."

Seo looked back at him then, a faint, sincere smile touching her lips. "I think many of us felt that same pull after Commenor fell. A sense that the work could no longer wait for councils or rebuilt temples. That the Force was asking us to move, not to mourn."

Her gaze softened again, thoughtful rather than somber. "If you felt you needed to be elsewhere tonight, then perhaps that instinct served you well." There was a hint of quiet humor there. "It seems the Force has a habit of gathering what remains of us in unexpected places."

She inclined her head slightly, respect layered now with something closer to relief. "It is good to know we are not as alone as we sometimes think."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"Three other members of our Order were in the celebration," he replied, "along with a former member of the Order. Married couples." He chuckled. "And at my age, I'm finding that I'd like to have someone in my life romantically who understands the sorts of experiences we've been through."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo's brows lifted slightly at that, the surprise returning in a quieter, more amused form this time. A soft huff of laughter escaped her before she could quite stop it, and she shook her head once, the corners of her mouth curving with recognition.

"Let me guess," she said, her tone light but fond. "Ra'a'mah, Jairdain… and I'll admit, I'm not sure who the third and fourth might be." There was no edge to the uncertainty, only genuine curiosity layered over familiarity. "The galaxy has a way of reshuffling us, and some names slip out of view faster than others."

She considered his words about companionship for a moment longer, the humor fading into something more thoughtful. "I understand the feeling," Seo added quietly. "There are experiences we carry that are difficult to explain to anyone who hasn't lived something similar. Loss, responsibility, the constant awareness of consequences. It changes how you see people, and how you're seen in return."

Her gaze drifted briefly toward the distant glow of the celebration before returning to him. "It makes sense to want someone who doesn't need those things translated." A pause, then a faint, wry smile. "Especially after everything our Order has endured."

She did not press further, simply letting the acknowledgment sit between them, warm and unforced, as the night continued to breathe around them.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"The other two are their husbands," he replied with a smile. "Jax Thio and Vulpesen."

After a few moments of silence, Malcolm smiled. "Another thing that we can experience that others who haven't trained in the ways of the Force can't is feeling the presence of those we care about in the Force. I can barely remember a time before learning to do that, it's been so long. Feeling your presence is kind of reassuring, you know?"

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo's expression softened at the names, recognition settling in with a quiet nod. "Ah… then I do know Vulpesen as well," she said gently. "He saved my life. Or rather, he brought me back out of the Netherworld." The words were spoken plainly, without drama, but there was unmistakable weight behind them. Gratitude lingered there, steady and enduring.

She grew thoughtful as Malcolm spoke of sensing the presence of those one cared about. Seo did not answer immediately. Instead, she let the moment breathe, the night air cool against her skin, the faint echo of celebration still distant and uninvolved. When she did speak, her voice was calm, sincere.

"It is reassuring," she agreed quietly. "Not because it replaces words, but because it does not need them." Her gaze held his, open and steady. "When the Force carries someone's presence like that, it reminds me I am not as alone as I sometimes think. Especially after long stretches spent walking my own path."

A faint, almost shy smile touched her lips. "Feeling it now… it tells me this meeting wasn't just a chance. Just two people listening to the same current, arriving at the same quiet place."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"Would you like to join me for dinner?" Malcolm asked. "Or join me a little closer to the ball so we can hear the music better and dance?"

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo did not answer immediately.

She considered the invitation with the same care she brought to most choices, her gaze drifting for a moment toward the distant lights and drifting music before returning to Malcolm. There was no discomfort in the pause, only thoughtfulness. The ball belonged to another space, another energy, one she had deliberately stepped away from. And her clothing made that choice obvious enough.

A faint smile curved her lips as she glanced down at her own attire, practical and travel-worn despite the gold threading. "I am not dressed for a ball," she said lightly, without apology. "And I think I would feel out of place trying to pretend otherwise."

She met his eyes again, expression warm but grounded. "Dinner would be enough." A hint of quiet curiosity entered her tone as she added, "Are you familiar with Naboo restaurants, or shall we let the Force guide us again?"

There was ease in the words, and intention too. Not avoidance, but choice.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"The Force had guided us well so far," he replied. "I trust its guidance." He offered his arm.

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo's gaze dropped briefly to the arm he offered, then lifted again to his face. There was a softening in her expression, something calm and quietly resolute, as if she had reached a decision she felt at ease with. She stepped closer and rested her hand lightly at the bend of his arm, the contact gentle and unassuming, comfortable rather than ceremonial.

"Then we will trust it a little longer," she said, her voice warm.

Together, they turned and began to walk along the lantern-lit path, the distant music fading as the night settled around them. After a few steps, Seo glanced toward him again, curiosity flickering in her gold eyes.

"So," she asked, tone easy and conversational, "what is your favorite type of food?"

The question was simple, but intentional, an invitation to something ordinary and human as they let the Force guide them onward.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"I'm fairly flexible," he says with a grin. "Tip-yip, nuna, bantha steak, nerf steak. Anything with a good serving of vegetables, and lots of seasonings. How about you?"

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo smiled at that, the expression easy and genuine as they continued walking side by side. "Then you will do just fine," she said lightly. "I come from a desert world. The food there is simple, but it has to be flavorful. When you do not have abundance, you learn to make what you have count."

As she spoke, she lifted the veil resting at her neck just enough to show how it could be drawn up over her nose and mouth. "That is why I wear this," she explained calmly. "Dust, heat, wind. You learn to be prepared even when the air is gentle." She let the veil fall back into place once more.

"Our meals were usually breads dipped in spiced pulse spread," Seo continued, her tone carrying a note of fond familiarity, "and ryntha or horned grazer steaks and ribs when we could get them. Slow-cooked, heavily seasoned. Nothing extravagant, but filling. Food meant to sustain you through long days."

She glanced toward him again, a faint warmth in her eyes. "It sounds like your tastes would not clash with mine."

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"I grew up on Chandrila," he said. "Our cuisine had a lot of flavorful sauces and spices, fermented vegetables, braised and grilled meats, even raw fish wrapped in grains and seaweed. Some fried dishes involving vegetables dipped in a light batter..."

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo listened quietly as he spoke, her pace steady beside his. The descriptions of Chandrilan food drew a small, appreciative smile at first, but it faded as her thoughts turned inward. When she answered, her voice remained calm, though it carried a different weight now.

"I grew up a slave on Lorrd," she said simply. There was no bitterness in the words, just honesty. "Food was sparse. Survival was never guaranteed. I am… fortunate to have lived through my childhood at all."

She took a slow breath, eyes forward, the lanternlight catching faintly on the gold threading of her clothes. "When I was a little older, when I was already a young woman, my master took me—" She stopped herself there, the sentence left deliberately unfinished. After a brief pause, she turned her head just enough to meet his gaze, offering a small, apologetic smile.

"Aye. We have just met," she said gently. "You do not need to know all of my history."

Her hand rested lightly on his arm as they walked, her posture composed, signaling that while the past had shaped her, it did not define this moment.

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"When you're ready, I'm willing to listen," he replied softly, respecting her silence on what was likely a painful story. "Our upbringings couldn't possibly be more different, and yet the Force guided us both to the Silver Jedi Order, and eventually here on Naboo." He rested his other hand atop hers gently, not restraining her, but offering comfort.

 

[Seo Linn]

Seo did not pull her hand away when he rested his over it. The gesture was gentle, unassuming, and she accepted it with a quiet stillness that spoke of trust rather than hesitation. For a moment, she simply walked beside him, letting the night and the soft lanternlight do some of the work words could not.

“Thank you,” she said softly, meaning more than just his willingness to listen. Then, with a small exhale, she shifted the weight of the conversation, the way one does when a door has been acknowledged but not yet opened.

“What was your growing up like?” she asked.

Her tone was calm and sincere, curiosity unforced. She turned her head slightly toward him, gold eyes attentive. “Chandrila sounds very different from Lorrd. Different food, different rhythms.” A faint hint of warmth touched her expression. “I would like to know what shaped you, if you are willing to share.”

Malcolm Ironmaster

 

[Malcolm Ironmaster]

"My parents were nobility, so I was raised with wealth. But my parents raised me to care for those whose circumstances were less fortunate than my own. Ultimately, that's why I became a Jedi - to help those who could not help themselves."