First Reply The Queen Will See You Now

[Amani Serys]

Times were tense on Alderaan. The Sith dogged their borders. The Republic agreed to their membership, but had yet to secure the territory. And politics were as two-faced as they ever were. Even on Alderaan, which shone as a beacon of righteousness to many, there were always those looking to advance their wealth, their position, their power. It was the nature of this system they chose to maintain. And as much as Queen Amani loathed playing it, neglecting her responsibilities was not in the cards.

If anything, today had been a day of pleasant distractions. The Queen was holding court, and a long line of petitioners awaited to request her for aide, advice, or approval. All the while courtiers shuffled about, putting actions to her words while they whispered about the latest noble hearsay. Amani did her best to keep focus. One would think a Jedi better at such tests of patience, but the life of royalty is not what this Jedi loved. She served well enough, and largely had the support of the people in spite of her non-native status, but she still struggled with feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction. She had to assume it would all be put to the test before long.

"Next, please?" Amani said as the latest petitioner was sent away. Her voice, though soft, carried through the acoustics of the great hall, to a guard by the main door. He opened it as prompted, revealing the next individual come to see the Queen of Alderaan. She wondered would seek audience this time. A member of a royal house, come to arrange a familial alliance? A businessman seeking to expand into protected lands? Or perhaps an off-worlder, who might seek her out for any number of reasons...

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Alderaan
Tags: Amani Serys

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"Hey. It's been a while."

Jasper entered with a far more casual air about him. He wasn't really one for the formalities of royalty, and he had worked with Amani in a time that felt like it had passed long ago. Now he was jumping back into the thick of it. The truth of the matter was that he was looking for folks who wanted to get stuff done.

He was maybe hoping some of Amani's student was reflected in her as well.

"Sorry 'bout the lack of formalities," Jasper remarked, his smile apologetic. "But I... suppose that's not out of character for me. I figured not many come by looking for the Jedi Master... but here I am anyways."

And maybe that Jedi Master could still do something. Something his young Jedi Outcasts could use, especially after they helped organize a raid on Tython. They needed to grow more. At this point, Jasper was looking for whoever he could scrounge up from that old Jedi Council. See if he couldn't make something new from the ashes.

"Are the kids well? They've gotta be much older now..."

 

[Amani Serys]

"Jasper Kai'el," Amani laughed fondly, "It has been awhile." She stood up from her throne, descending to meet him at eye level, "You look old." She smirked, then nodded towards an archway in a silent request to walk with her.

"Don't be. The noble formalities get wearisome after awhile. In some ways it is more rigid than being a Jedi." The Queen shook her head, "Or perhaps it is merely a different skillset." The archway led into a resplendent royal garden. Verdant leaves seemed to shine underneath the warm sunlight and crisp air. Many of the flowers were just beginning to bud this time of year, a rainbow of colors just faintly protruding from their roots and stems. In a few months, those colors would explode in bloom.

"They are teenagers now, if you can believe it. And doing quite well. August has been in and out. Not quite sure what to do with himself yet. Right now he's learning with Jedi on the Vonnuvi. Liana is in the High Republic, studying as a Junior Ambassador. She's good at it, and I think she likes it. I was nervous at first, but she's probably safer there than here." Her smile was forced to remain, but the troubles that weighed upon it weren't hard to infer. It had been the long running question to anyone familiar with Alderaan's politics. Would their treaty with the High Republic stand, or would the shadow of the Sith settle over them first?

"How about you? Any family?" Amani was aware he'd had close relationships in the past, but she wasn't sure what had come of his personal life since the two of them split from the Alliance and Jedi Council. Best to keep the question broad and unassuming, she figured.

Jasper Kai'el​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Alderaan
Tags: Amani Serys

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"You look old."

"Heh," Jasper chuckled, rubbing at his chin. "Guess I feel old..."

Jasper was no stranger to stress. That probably accounted for a lot of the aging. He was in his 30s by now, he was pretty sure. At least if all the documentation on his and Jalen's creation was to be believed. Some days, though, he felt twenty years older than that. Amani and Alicio's children being in their teens was wild to think about. Then again, that was how time worked.

"Yeah, I do, actually," the Jedi Master remarked when Amani asked about having any family. "Marissa and I had our first, he's gotta be half a year now... Cole. Quiet little dude. Or, I guess he's just quiet with me is what M says. Then Braze isn't a kid anymore. I met his biological father recently... it was less strange than I thought it would be."

Well, less strange compared to everything else regarding the Sith spirit that had possessed his mother. Braze still didn't seem to want to do anything to do with her, even after knowing that thing had been in control. It was understandable... but he probably couldn't avoid it forever.

"Losing Sacorria was rough," he admitted. "That's where our home was. The one part of the Corellian Sector that the Sith still kept their fingers in when they scooped up the Core. It was the Empire that took it first. Senator Lander Stalwart and I evacuated a lot of folks, but... well, vacating an entire planet isn't physically possible I think. I've been trying to make them all as comfortable as I can, though. Guess I learned all that from you and Alicio, huh? You guys were always doing something..."

Their humanitarian work had been a large inspiration for him after the Second Hyperspace War came to an end. For a time, at least. He knew he'd be on the battlefield again at some point.

He always did.

 

[Amani Serys]

"You're not the only one feeling it," A Jedi regimen did wonders for one's physical vitality-- at least when you aren't accouting for all the perils they throw themselves into-- But age came for everyone sooner or later. Not the mention the mental toll aged them just as much, if not more, than the physical.

It was a pleasant surprise to hear Jasper had a child of his own now, "Cole," She repeated the name, "Before you know it he'll be walking and talking. You probably don't need to hear it from me, but as someone with experience, try not to miss out on those moments." Amani and Alicio had taken great efforts to be present in their childrens' lives, despite their complicated schedules. It still never felt like enough.

The talks turned dour when the fate of their home was inevitably brought up. The Core at large had seen many dramatic shifts in leadership over the last several years. The Alliance, The Empire, The Sith. Everyone was clawing at the seat of power, trying to be the next to take it for themselves. The people had endured much since the golden years of the GA.

"We tried to. As much as we could. It never feels like enough, does it?" Amani's gaze lingered on the garden, dragging from one flower to the next. All it would take was a pair of shears, and those buds would cease to blossom. Wasted potential. She felt that way about many things lately.

"You said you came looking for a Jedi Master," The Queen turned now to face Jasper again, a faint smirk growing once more, "I might know one. But why?"

Jasper Kai'el​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Alderaan
Tags: Amani Serys

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"You said you came looking for a Jedi Master," The Queen turned now to face Jasper again, a faint smirk growing once more, "I might know one. But why?"

"S'pose I didn't just come here to reminisce..." Jasper noted.

It would have been nice if that was the case. He did like catching up, but the Galaxy stopped turning for nobody. Not royalty, not Jedi, not former colleagues.

"Few weeks ago I helped organize a raid on Tython," he stated. "Apologies are due, I guess. I hope that Miss Eloise Dinn has been recovering well. From everything I've heard, though, she did stand up work. She seems to have a strong heart, even if she can be rough around the edges."

Lots of Jedi agreed to fly into the Core with them. Jasper knew that everyone who went had made their own choices that day, but he did feel responsible to ensure that padawans made it home. Burying students wasn't something that a Master should have to go through. He never stopped thinking, even after all these years, about what Calix's Master had gone through after the little Thrysian never returned from Exegol...

"Lots of Jedi answered the call that Corazona von Ascania sent out," the Jedi Master continued, "High Republic too. I had sort of hoped that the High Republic in it's entirety was tired of waiting, not just their Jedi. I... think they're not going to fight til they absolutely can't put it off anymore. They're too relaxed for having two Sith states at their boarders. All this waiting has been starting to make me antsy. Leave a swarm alone for too long and pretty soon they've doubled in size and strength. All those relics on Tython were important to steal back, but we didn't just leave behind artifacts. We left people in the Core. I guess what I mean to say is..."

Jasper could only offer an earnest shrug. He knew what he was asking. Then again, who was left?

"...I want to know if you have any fire left in the tank."

 

[Amani Serys]

"Truth be told, I've lost trust in the High Republic and their Jedi Order," He probably already figured as much, given how drama-filled the conclave had been, "I understand biding time, playing defense... but it's starting to feel less like caution and more like... negligence." They were still the galaxy's best bet for freedom and security, but they risked losing that position while they dawdled.

"...I want to know if you have any fire left in the tank."

Amani slowed to an eventual stop a few steps ahead of Jasper. Her gaze fell to the stone path beneath her feet, which branched out into the gardens beyond. The conflict in her expression was apparent before she even spoke, "I... I have a responsibility to Alderaan. And I can't just drop it to go gallivanting across the galaxy." She said with a frown, finally remaking eye contact, "I'm more monarch than Jedi these days. If I’m being honest, it's not how I planned my life to play out. But with Alicio gone... these people have put their faith in me. And with the dangers being what they are, it wouldn't be right." Alderaan was her family's home. It was a bastion of freedom in a galaxy that had grown darker in recent years that it had been in a long time. She'd imagined stepping down many times, but it felt like a disservice to Alicio's legacy. Not to mention, whispers of bad actors hunting for the throne had reached Alderaanian intelligence. People who might be in league with the Sith, or inclined to it. She couldn't take that risk and condemn Alderaan just because of her unhappiness.

There was a pregnant pause, and it seemed like Amani was done speaking on the matter. But then, she grinned unexpectedly, "That said... If you really need me... Maybe I can take a few unscheduled business trips." The Queen shrugged innocently, then extended a hand to her old comrade, "All you have to do is call, Jasper. And if I can, I'll be there."

Jasper Kai'el​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Alderaan
Tags: Amani Serys

Lightsaber, Refuge, Respite, Jedi Outcasts, Grafted into Stone
​

"That said... If you really need me... Maybe I can take a few unscheduled business trips." The Queen shrugged innocently, then extended a hand to her old comrade, "All you have to do is call, Jasper. And if I can, I'll be there."

"I appreciate that," Jasper remarked, reaching out to return the gesture. "A lot. I won't pry you away from your people, but... I was looking for safe houses along the perimeter of the Core. I've been in touch with allies on the ground back on Sacorria. I'll... keep the details sparse for now, but there's a plan in the works to swing in and evacuate some of the folks that couldn't get off world before the Empire rolled in. Somewhere to stop and refuel for a moment would be more than enough aid... though I suppose if you wanted to tag along in a more inconspicuous fashion I'd not say no to that either."

He offered a knowing smile. Jasper was well aware that she was frustrated with the inaction of the High Republic. He was as well. Alderaan was on a razor's edge, far enough away from Republic space to worry about the threat of the Sith Covenant. And, given that he had seen Srina Talon in Covenant space when they raided Tython, he knew for certain that the Sith Order was collaborating closely with the other darkside state.

They couldn't afford to wait forever.

"I suppose it's only fair to say that street goes both ways," he added. "If Alderaan needs hands my line is open. Don't have a lot, but I have a small group of like-minded folks lookin' to be proactive. Enough to make noise when the time calls for it."

It was something. He'd like to offer more, but his best would suffice. He owed that much to Amani...

And Alicio.

 

[Amani Serys]

"You don't even need to ask for that. Consider Alderaan a home away from home, whenever you or your people need it. And if you need somewhere particularly under the radar, I know Connel Vanagor has a remote sanctuary out in the Rist Sea. I'm sure he'd be just as hospitable."

"I suppose it's only fair to say that street goes both ways," he added. "If Alderaan needs hands my line is open. Don't have a lot, but I have a small group of like-minded folks lookin' to be proactive. Enough to make noise when the time calls for it."

"I'll hold you to it. And the time for that may come sooner than you like," Amani's focus seemed to shift to behind Jasper, back towards the great hall. She leaned in closer, as if afraid of being overheard, "The Sith are already worming their way in. Maybe physically, maybe not, but their influence is here regardless. They want Alderaan. By now most of the Noble Houses see the writing on the wall. Some will seek backroom deals and assurances with the enemy. Some already have." Outsiders oft to put Alderaan on a pedestal for its reputation. It wasn't unearned, but Alderaan had its own pit of vipers too, just as venomous as you'd find anywhere else. They just tended to be better at hiding it.

Amani stepped back, and her expression returned to an inconspicuous smile, "It was good to see you again, Jasper. I hope you'll make a habit of visiting more often now." There was a pointed look in her eye, more subtle than a wink and nudge but carrying the same intent.

Jasper Kai'el​