Private Through Fire

[Aiden Porte]

"It's good to see someone so sure of where they belong. There's strength in that… even if it comes with a little too much enthusiasm."

He knew her words were real and true. And perhaps Aiden did lay it on a little too much. But how else could he explain it? He didn't want to sell it to short, because such a place deserved so much more.

"I'll take friendly people and decent food over fine dining any day. Especially if the meal doesn't try to escape halfway through.

"Same here, and don't worry the food that is cooked here is thoroughly cooked. They also have this item called a pancake, it has a good glaze of a Jogan fruit that is lightly spread over it. I have to say its one of my favorites. The actual name of the establishment I wouldn't worry to much about it."

They had arrived at said location, looking up to the sign which was lit up bright lighting. 'The Sad Senator'

Aiden chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "I was confused and surprised when I saw it. I think it was more to get inquisitive minds through the door and before you knew it. The Sad Senator was a favorite on the block in terms of food and pleasant company. "

"And you're not a stranger anymore."

"Thank you Alina, you are definitely no stranger to me either. It seems like I have known you for a long time already." Aiden smiled as he held the door open for her. "Shall we?"

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina hesitated just a moment at the threshold, her gaze drifting up to the glowing sign above the door with a faint, skeptical arch of one brow.

The Sad Senator.

She turned back to Aiden, her expression carefully composed only the subtle twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed the flicker of amusement she felt. "If the name is meant to lower expectations, it's doing a fantastic job."

But there was warmth behind the dry remark, and when he opened the door for her, she stepped inside with a graceful nod. "Thank you," she said, her voice quieter now. "For the invitation… and the enthusiasm."

Her steps were light as they entered, but her eyes took in everything the worn floors, the lively hum of conversation, the comforting aroma of grilled spices and something sweet in the air. It was modest, yes. But it had heart. The kind of place where people meant things.

She glanced at him again, her expression softening.

"You know… you have a way of making the unfamiliar feel less foreign," she admitted, her tone laced with something quieter.

Then, just as the hostess waved them toward a booth, she added with a playful lift of her brow, "Though I reserve judgment until I've seen these so-called pancakes for myself. If I find fruit running for the door, I will hold you personally responsible."

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

"If the name is meant to lower expectations, it's doing a fantastic job."

"That is exactly what I though?!" Aiden spoke with a soft voice and a chuckle as they walked in. "They are either having a really bad day when they opened or they think Senators are really sad." But the atmosphere of the place hit him like it did the first time he walked inside. It wasn't anything like he had expected, it was so.....familiar.

Like he had been here before many times over, if that's what it was like the first time for him. The Jedi could only imagine what it would be like for Alina, as he looked over to her with a smile.

"You know… you have a way of making the unfamiliar feel less foreign,"

"Though I reserve judgment until I've seen these so-called pancakes for myself. If I find fruit running for the door, I will hold you personally responsible."

"I try my best, this is home." The Jedi Padawan smiled and winked at her, there was much to Naboo that was still needed to be introduced to her. And if he could he would show her, but there were some places that she would have to seek out for herself. He felt she would find them eventually and well, she might be truly amazed at what was there.

They were taken to their booth as he sat down. "Don't worry, the only thing that will be running is us, when we dine and dash." Aiden looked at the menu, choosing not to look her way for a moment, at the reaction to his comment. And finally he looked at her and laughed. "I'm totally kidding, I wouldn't do that." Aiden laughed again as he glanced over the menu.

Strawberry, Cherry, Peach.......

"They seem to have added flavors since my last time here. It doesn't surprise me, the Jogan fruits grow in abundance. What do you think, Alina?"

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina settled into the booth with effortless composure, smoothing the edge of her sleeve as she took in the menu and her surroundings. The name might have warned her off, but the interior warm lighting, scuffed but polished tables, a low hum of easy conversation had a lived-in charm she hadn’t expected.

At Aiden’s joke, she didn’t look up right away. Instead, she let the silence stretch just long enough to be noticed before finally lifting her gaze, cool blue eyes fixed on him with a quiet gravity that quickly gave way to a subtle smirk.

“Dining and dashing, is it?” she murmured. “Invited out, lured in with talk of exotic fruit, only to be left with the bill. For shame Aiden” she replied with a wry smile at him.

She let the tease linger for a moment, then tilted her head slightly, feigning consideration. “I suppose I’ll risk it.”

Her eyes flicked back to the menu. “Cherry seems ambitious. Strawberry’s predictable. Peach is safe but I didn’t come all this way to play it safe.”

She looked up again, the glimmer in her gaze not quite a challenge. “You said the Jogan fruit is local? I'll try that..”

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

“Invited out, lured in with talk of exotic fruit, only to be left with the bill. For shame Aiden”

“I suppose I’ll risk it.”

"Yes, perhaps my politeness was just a cover to lower your defenses." The Jedi chuckled and teased rather bravely as he opted to just receive a glass of water and whatever Alina would want to drink. "I promise you won't be disappointed, but if you are. I suppose you can toss me in the lake."

“Cherry seems ambitious. Strawberry’s predictable. Peach is safe but I didn’t come all this way to play it safe.”

“You said the Jogan fruit is local? I'll try that..”

"Pancakes with a slight cherry drizzle and topping. We don't want to go fully ambitious do we?" Aiden laughed and then took a drink of his water. "The fruit became popular a few months ago. Almost a year ago I went with an old friend to obtain some lightsaber crystals and we stumbled upon the Jogan fruits, there is a local botanist here who is open to new challenges and I happened to obtain a few and he did something spectacular with them. Through trial and error of course."

Aiden let out a small sigh, yet it was a happy one. "It's nice that more good things come here, it enhances Naboo. Not that she needs it, she's already beautiful enough as it is."

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina tilted her head slightly, the soft play of light catching in her hair as her gaze lingered on him with amused precision. "Cherry drizzle?" she repeated, voice feather-light, warm with interest but sharpened just enough to keep him on his toes. "So not fully ambitious just brave adjacent."

She let the tease settle as the drinks arrived, fingers brushing the cool glass of her water. The way she regarded it, one might think it were a wine tasting rather than a breakfast drink.

"I didn't take you for a culinary tour guide," she said, the dry humor still intact, but softened now by something gentler. "Though I suppose it's only fitting. You did promise I wouldn't be disappointed." Her smile deepened, restrained but genuine, and she finally brought the glass to her lips for a sip.

At the mention of the Jogan fruit and the lightsaber crystals, her brow rose again not skeptical this time, but curious. "Crystals and fruit…" she echoed, her tone shifting just slightly. "That sounds more like the start of an old Jedi proverb than a breakfast story. But I suppose all good things require a little wandering to find."

"Well," she murmured, setting the glass down with a soft clink. "I'll admit it… You made a strong case for Naboo from the outset. That's part of the reason I'm still here, but you are definitely selling it now." Then, her smile turned sly. "But if those pancakes come out underwhelming, I am reserving the right to push you in the lake. Politely, of course."

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

"So not fully ambitious just brave adjacent."

"Well, its a fine line." Aiden smirked and gave the smallest shrug of his shoulders. He smile at her disposition, it was good to be like this. To have some good conversation and open honest talk.

"I didn't take you for a culinary tour guide,"

"Though I suppose it's only fitting. You did promise I wouldn't be disappointed."

"I'm trying my best, I definitely am not a culinary guide. I just know some good places." He chuckled lightly, with a teasing smile as he reached for his glass and took a small drink.

"I'll admit it… You made a strong case for Naboo from the outset. That's part of the reason I'm still here, but you are definitely selling it now."

"But if those pancakes come out underwhelming, I am reserving the right to push you in the lake. Politely, of course."

"I'd risk it all for Naboo." The Jedi spoke plainly, showing this was just more than home for him. He would do anything to protect Naboo's beauty, and wisdom.

"I assure you these pancakes will be the best thing you've ever had. And well if something should go sideways, you'd have to catch me first before you can push me in the lake. And if you do catch me, your coming in with me." He spoke in a soft and teasing manner.

Aiden laughed as he placed his hands together, it wouldn't be long before their food arrive.

"Do you have any questions for me, by chance?" He inquired, keeping this as open as possible.

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina's glass paused just before her lips, her expression unreadable for the briefest moment—then her eyes lifted over the rim, one brow tilting with wry amusement.

"Catch you first?" she repeated, her tone featherlight. "You're quick, I'll give you that. But don't confuse speed with escape."

She took a measured sip, savoring the sharp hint of cherry before setting the glass down with quiet precision. The smile that followed was more subtle than playful now warmer, tempered by something genuine.

"But," she added, "I suppose if I do end up in the lake… it wouldn't be the worst outcome."

Alina let that settle for a moment before turning her attention more fully to his last question. Her posture remained composed, but there was a softness in how she angled herself toward him interested, not interrogative.

"A question, hmm..." She let it hang as her fingers traced the stem of her glass thoughtfully. "Alright. You've seen war, loss, fear. Places most people try to run from. So why… when the battle ends, when the world quiets down... why stay here? What is it about Naboo that still feels worth fighting for?"

There was no edge in her voice. No challenge. Just curiosity, calm and sincere wrapped in the flicker of candlelight and the faint hum of the quiet evening around them.

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Aiden's hands rested loosely around the stem of his cup, though he hadn't raised it yet. His face as steady as the lake beyond the window. For a heartbeat, he looked as though he was weighing the question like he would a blade in his palm.

"When I was at the Temple on Corsucant training, and well in other places too. Tanaab, Kattada, Kashyyyk." he said softly, "They told me a Jedi's home is the Force. That it is everywhere, and we must learn to belong nowhere. I believed that for a long time. It made the leaving easier."

He shifted then, meeting her eyes with a steadiness that carried no edge, only honesty. "But Naboo taught me different. The Force breathes here in a way I've never found anywhere else, in the rush of the rivers, the blossoms that return no matter how many times they're trampled, in the quiet strength of the people who rise after each war has tried to break them. It isn't just beauty, memory, wisdom. It's resilience."


Aiden's voice warmed as he continued, a rare thread of passion showing through his calm. "When the galaxy falls silent after battle, this world still sings. And I stay because I need to hear that song. Because as long as Naboo endures, so can we. And if my place is to defend that endurance… then it's not duty alone. It's belonging."

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina listened without interruption, the lake's reflection danced gently in the glass beside them, but it was his voice low, certain, stripped of pretensethat held her still. She let the silence stretch a moment after he finished, not out of hesitation, but reverence.

"You speak of it like someone who's found something precious," she said softly, not quite smiling, but something near it flickered in her expression. "Not because it was offered, but because you bled for it."

Her gaze drifted toward the window then, following the line of a distant skiff skimming across the water. The wind stirred the flowers outside simple, quiet things blooming in spite of the season.

"I understand now why you never left," she continued. "You're right. There's something in the air here. It clings to the soul in a way that doesn't feel like chains."

She paused, then tilted her head, her voice turning thoughtful. "When I was younger, I thought peace was something we fought for.. A result of action. Now I wonder if it isn't something we're meant to find first quietly, patiently before we try to offer it to anyone else."

Her eyes found his again, steady as his had been. "Maybe that's why the Force sings louder here. Not because it's untouched… but because it remembers."

She reached for her glass then, lifting it slightly. "To remembering," she said, a quiet toast, her eyes holding his for a breath longer than needed. "And to what endures."

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Aiden raised his glass in answer, the crystal catching the flicker of candlelight between them. "To remembering," he echoed, the words steady but softened by something more personal beneath them. His gaze lingered on hers, unhurried, before he finally took a sip.

When he set the glass down, he leaned back slightly, shoulders easing as though her reflection of peace had reached him as much as the wine had. "You're not wrong," he said, voice low, thoughtful. "At one time it was taught to us peace was the absence of conflict. Something you create after you've silenced the noise. But here—" his eyes shifted briefly to the window, the lake shimmering, flowers stirring in the night breeze "here I've learned it's not absence. It's presence. The kind that waits for you if you're willing to be still long enough to notice."

He let the thought rest there, not pressing it further, only allowing the weight of it to settle between them like the quiet harmony of the evening. Then, with the faintest curve of a smile, he added, "And if the Force remembers… maybe that means we're allowed to, too. Not just what's been lost, but what's worth holding on to."

His eyes returned to hers, steady, certain. "What endures."

Just as he spoke their food had arrived, plates placed in front of them both, utensils at their side. "Looks good right?" Aiden said with a small smile.

Alina Grayson

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina's expression softened, the edges of her reserve easing just enough to let the warmth in. She lifted her own glass but didn't drink yet—holding it instead as though the weight of his words needed a quiet moment to settle.

"Presence," she echoed, her voice barely above the gentle hush of the breeze through the terrace garden. "That's… not what I was taught either." She turned her gaze toward the window, where the lake glimmered like starlight caught in water, then slowly back to him. "But maybe that's why it matters more here. Peace isn't something you win. It's something you remember how to feel."

There was a pause, delicate but intentional, before she added, "And maybe it's something you choose to share." Her eyes lingered on him for a moment her tone remained composed, thoughtful. Not quite inviting anything more but not shutting it away either.

The arrival of the food offered her a graceful exit from whatever tension might have crept into the quiet. She glanced down at the plate, then back at him, arching a brow slightly. "It looks better than most rations I've had," she said dryly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Points to Naboo for that."

Her fork hovered for a moment before she added, almost as an afterthought, "I think the Force remembers more than we give it credit for. And maybe… it nudges us toward the things we need. When we're ready to see them." She didn't look at him when she said it her eyes stayed on the food, her posture calm but her voice carried the quiet weight of something unspoken.

Then she took a bite, as if she hadn't just said something that might stay with him long after the meal was done.

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Alina Grayson
​

Aiden let her words linger in the air, the soft hum of them weaving through the warmth of candlelight and the muted sound of water just beyond the terrace. He didn't speak right away. He rarely did when the Force seemed to breathe between sentences.

He watched her instead how she held the glass, how she didn't rush to fill silence as others might. There was patience in that, the kind the Order had spoken of but never quite practiced. His reflection caught faintly in the wine's surface, half-shimmer, half-shadow, and he found himself wondering when presence had become something he had to relearn too.

"Peace." he said quietly, finally setting his utensils aside. "It's strange how it feels so fragile when we chase it and yet, when we stop running, it's just… there." His voice was low, measured.


He gave a small, thoughtful smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes but softened their usual gravity. "And if it's nudging us toward what we need…" His gaze flicked toward her then, steady but without weight. "Maybe it knows better than we do what that is."

For a moment, the mask of composure faltered; not broken, just parted enough to let her see the quiet ache that sat behind the discipline. The kind that came from years of surviving when others hadn't, of always being the one who had to move forward first.

He leaned back slightly, letting the sound of the lake and the faint rustle of Naboo's night air fill the space again. "You're right about one thing, though," he said with a faint smirk. "The food is great, Maybe that's why everyone keeps coming back to Naboo."

A pause, softer now more honest. "Or maybe." he added, almost under his breath, "It's because for a few hours, we get to pretend the galaxy's already healed."

He took a quiet sip of his drink after that, letting the words dissolve between them like ripples across the lake.

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina didn't answer right away.


The quiet suited her. It always had. But this quiet it wasn't the kind born of distance or defense. It was the kind that felt like the Force itself had settled between them, listening.

She traced the rim of her glass with a fingertip, the light catching against its edge like starlight on water. Her eyes didn't leave Aiden as he spoke, though her expression shifted with the subtlety of Naboo's breeze: thoughtful, then faintly wry at his final words.

"You say pretend," she said softly, "but isn't that where healing starts? In the moments we let ourselves believe it's possible."

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer open, but unreadable before drifting toward the lake. The reflection of the lanterns shimmered in its surface, distorted just enough to feel real.

"When I was younger," she began, voice low, "I used to think peace meant solitude. Safety in distance. But here, in places like this... I think maybe peace is just the absence of armor. When you stop having to hold everything together." A small breath. "Even just for an evening."

The ache in him hadn't gone unnoticed, nor had the way he let her see it. That, more than any confession, told her something important.

Alina looked back to him, the corners of her lips lifting not a smile for show, but one that carried weight. "The galaxy hasn't healed, but for now its enough that perhaps we are" she said gently.

She raised her glass again, not in a toast, but as if to mark the space between them. Not a barrier. Just a shared recognition. Then, with a sip and a glance toward the distant lights beyond the terrace, she added, almost absently, "Besides, if Naboo keeps feeding us like this, they may never get rid of us."

TAG: Aiden Porte

 

[Aiden Porte]

Alina Grayson
​

Aiden watched her as she spoke, the way a wanderer might watch the tide come in. There was something steadying in her quiet, something that filled the spaces his discipline had hollowed out over the years.

The flicker of lanternlight played across her features, softened them, and for a brief moment he let himself forget the endless weight of titles and wars. Just Alina. Just him. The world beyond the terrace could have stopped turning, and he might not have noticed.

Her words drew a faint breath of something like a laugh from him, not quite full, but sincere. "The absence of armor." he repeated, turning the phrase over as though it were something tangible, something sacred. "That's… a harder thing to find than most realize."

He set his glass down beside hers, fingertips resting loosely on its rim as if mirroring her gesture without meaning to. "Maybe that's why the Force keeps pulling us into places like this. It knows we've forgotten what stillness feels like."

For a moment, he looked past her to the lake, the reflection of stars trembling in its dark surface and the thought came to him, quiet and unbidden: this is what peace might look like, if you stop chasing it long enough to see. That's why I stay here, and why its worth protecting.

When his gaze returned to her, there was warmth there now — tempered, but real. "You're right." he said at last. "Believing is the first step."

He lifted his glass again, this time not to drink but to echo her gesture the shared acknowledgment of something fragile but alive between them. The lanternlight caught the amber in the glass, and for a heartbeat, it looked almost like sunrise.

When he spoke again, it was barely above a whisper, more to the night than to her. "For an evening." he murmured, "I can live without the armor too."

"Besides, if you think this food is good, just wait and see what I cook for you one of these evenings." Aiden said with a small smile and chuckle.

 

[Alina Grayson]

Alina's gaze dipped toward the rim of her own glass, a thoughtful pause drawn in amber and firelight. His words didn't need a fast reply some things deserved silence before being answered. She let the moment settle like dust on still water.


Her eyes lifted again, calm but searching, catching the warmth in his expression and the quiet beneath it. She didn't reach for it, didn't press. Just let it be. Not every truth had to be drawn out. Some were meant to be shared, unspoken.


"That's a dangerous promise," she said gently, arching a brow. "I hope your cooking lives up to your landings."


A subtle smirk touched the edge of her lips, softening the remark. It was a tease, but one balanced on kindness rather than mockery a thread of familiarity woven through years of shared ground, strained silences, and choices made under fire.


"But if you're offering," she went on, her voice quiet now, more genuine, "maybe I will take you up on that. One evening. When the galaxy allows."

The lake shimmered again in the quiet between them, the moonlight catching in its ripples like something half-remembered. She didn't say anything more for now. Just sat with it content, for once, to let the moment breathe.

TAG: Aiden Porte