Private Vindicated

[Aiden Porte]

Several Months Ago

"Ahahahahahah"

There it went again the laughter, he wasn't sure if it was in his mind or even echoing through the darkened forest. He had no idea where his father was at this point. His presence had been yanked from his field of vision by the ever growing darkness that had spawned on them since they arrived here. He did as instructed, it was a simple order. It wasn't angry or scared, but something else entirely.

His father, turned to him and spoke. "Aiden, you have got to go now. Go, now!"

He could feel lashes whipping against him, dark tendrils of energy sapping what bit of hope he could muster as he tripped over a vine and fell down. Sweat, dirt and even fear was across his face as he turned over to his side and dragged himself against a tree nearby. He looked down to his side and there was fresh blood where steel blade met skin. He didn't know how severe injury it was, but that it hurt greatly.

Aiden closed his eyes for a brief moment as he tried to center himself with the force. Calm down, think, focus. They had to regroup....

"…A light."

Aiden eyes opened suddenly as he took a deep breath and glanced down to his chest. He reached within and the gem that had been given by his Master. His breaths became more calm and he closed his eyes and his hand closed around the Jewel that had been given to him by Solenne Abraxas

"For when I cannot be with you. For when all other lights have gone out."

"Master Abraxas......"

*****************

Present Day

Coruscant
Jedi Temple

The Jedi Padawan's eyes opened slowly as he glanced towards the clock and he had actually woken up roughly thirty minutes before it was to go off. He sat up in bed and rubbed his face a bit, then got out of bed and began his routine of the getting ready for the day. Much had changed since he was last here, the nightmares were pretty much gone, The darkness in his life had abated for the time being. Taking a break or whatever it seemed to be doing. His ventures with his father had changed the Padawan somewhat, he was still the same person he was. Perhaps a little more mature and more understanding of the force and how things worked. Greatly in part due to Solenne Abraxas. He had been training daily with her and had received various assignments and duties from her to aide in his furthering knowledge of the force and what it means to truly become a Jedi Knight.

Aiden had become quite the assistant since he returned. If someone needed help with something, he was there to help and to make sure they succeeded. On top of his trainings with Sol, he had become an extremely dedicated Jedi.

Clad in his casual attire, and the necklace given to him by his greatest friend and strongest ally.

He was straightening things up in the training room that had been left over by others in the previous day, as he awaited for her to arrive.

He chuckled slightly, as he still hadn't succeeded in making the Jogan fruits treats as well as she had.

One thing a a time though...

 

[Solenne Abraxas]

​

Location: Coruscant [Padawan Quarters]
Tag: Aiden Porte

Solenne woke with the sun like clockwork.

It was more annoying than it seemed. Her internal bio-rhythms seemed to adjust to whatever planet she was on the moment she stepped foot on it. She would wake when the sun rose regardless of when she actually fell asleep. When she was in space…She barely slept at all. Her day began as it usually did. Classes with some of the younger or unassigned Padawans and a quick pass through the infirmary. Just to check on any routine or repeat patients. By the time breakfast rolled around she already had her lesson plans finalized for the week, plus, a snack for Aiden.

The thoughtful woman had a covered plate in hand with a wrapped, stuffed pastry, that was buttery and filled with eggs, cheese, and meat. She held a chilled canteen with blue milk in it and a stack of holo-docs followed her absently. Bobbing and weaving behind her head. The soft knock on her Padawans door was a familiar one. Not just a plain knock, but a pattern, so he would always know it was her.

If they were out on a mission and the wrong knock came through the door?

He was not to open it for any reason.

Sol was determined to teach him every habit that might have helped her when she'd struck out on her own. Small protocols that kept them safe, even, in a world of technology and progress. It was also about time that she instructed him on where her safe houses were located within the Core. There were many others scattered in backwater areas but she couldn't foresee him traveling that far anytime soon. She came from a long, long line of Jedi and Force Sensitives in which they'd stockpiled knowledge, supplies, and equipment for decades.

He would need to memorize the spatial coordinates and security protocols for all of them. Given how many there were? That was no easy feat.

Regardless—There was one such bunker on Coruscant itself.

They would set out to visit it shortly so that she could explain the purpose and function. Jedi weren't known to keep many personal attachments, but Solenne didn't think of it that way. The Abraxas-Seraphim project had begun long before her time. There wasn't always a Galactic Alliance available to fund their ventures, nor, could they rely solely on the kindness of others. There were times when they got marooned on planets, hurt, or otherwise stuck in backwaters that had no way home.

The Force was adept at providing a way forward, however, it never hurt to be prepared.

Solenne had a feeling that something was coming. Tensions were slowly rising again with the Mandalorian Enclave. If she was wrong and things were settled diplomatically…Aiden would simply be more prepared for the galaxy. If she was right?

Then she would have done right by him. No matter what happened to her.

"If you aren't awake Aiden, I'm going to toss you in the river little dove…", the threat was meant with a sparkling laugh, cheerful, and bright. There was nothing about her that didn't exude happiness and peace. "Can I come in?"

 

[Aiden Porte]

Coruscant
Padawan Quarters

He had to remind himself to make sure to tidy up before he went to sleep. The whole point of trying to be better was to make sure the little things weren't forgotten either. Things just sometimes slipped by, he was a human after all. Jedi sure, but more human than anything.

He glanced down to the jewel that rested against his chest, the gift given to him by Solenne Abraxas

It saved his life more times than he could begin to remember. He knew that when the day would come, that should she need protecting, he would no doubt give his life for hers. That's what he did, that is what he wanted to do. Grow stronger to protect his loved ones.

Solenne was definitely one of them.

He smirked slightly as he felt her presence. It never ceased to amaze him, she carried the same aura as the day she first met him. Full of hope and light, breathtaking even. Also the fact that her beauty was something of magnificence as well. Too often he found himself gazing at her, he hoped to one day emit such a powerful aura as she had.

One thing at a time though.

"If you aren't awake Aiden, I'm going to toss you in the river little dove…",

"Can I come in?"

Aiden couldn't help but remain silent for a a few seconds, granted he knew she could sense his presence active and such. He then chuckled lightly and spoke.

"Not, if it toss you in the river first...." He said with a light tone, followed with a giggle, a little bit of his goofy side showing up for a moment. "Of course, please come in! "

He straightened up a bit before he finally turned to see her and he bowed respectively her. "Master Abraxas, good morning." The Padawan stood up straight again showing a smile and he couldn't help but look at what she held. While he wasn't one to presume, but his stomach was indeed growling.

"Would that be for me by chance?" He said showing a small smile and his face scrunched up in a small silly manner as he waited for her answer. While more matured he had become in the past few months, you couldn't just forget whom you are. If you put a light smile on someones face, then your day becomes that much better.

 

[Solenne Abraxas]

​

Location: Coruscant [Padawan Quarters]
Tag: Aiden Porte

"You wouldn't dare…", Solenne spoke softly as she entered the room, though, there was a glimmer of softness in her gaze that expressed…She might have let him. She indulged her Padawan more than most when he needed a little bit of youthful silliness to balance the serious nature of his students. She was a firm believer in all parts of his education holding equal weight.

The sight of him made her expression soften immeasurably. It was a combination of things. Sol was glad to see him, well, and without a dark cloud hanging overhead. He also seemed a little taller when he straightened up. If that were even possible…He already towered over her. When he bowed at the waist she returned the sentiment with a delicate bend of her swan-like neck. A proficient greeting for both teacher and student. "…Good morning, Aiden."

She could see his eyes wandering, curious, about what she held.

There were a few things she could always count on to be true. One? Taxes. Two? His inability to refuse her cooking and the sound of his hungry stomach roaring like an underfed bear. "No. I fully intend to let you starve.", her very serious response was ruined by the honeyed humor that was written into lovely Hapani features. She set the canteen down on the low table beside them and opened the container to show the breakfast pasty, wrapped partially in brown paper, so he could eat on the go if needed.

"I thought you might not have eaten, little dove."

Eventually, she would have to stop calling him little. The holo-docs that floated behind her head seemed to settle at her command on the table as well. There were four or five of them at least. Each of them was laden with several course-books on different species, planets, and a variety of flora and fauna that could be used for both poultices and easy rations in an emergency.

While he dug in Solenne took a moment to inspect his quarters and make sure that everything was tidy. Having a clean and organized living area meant less stress and an orderly mind. It would allow him to meditate freely and without distraction. The theme for this month?

Survival.

Winning was excellent, when, the Force smiled at them. But there were times when they wouldn't win. It would be hard. Difficult—And she would do what she could to prepare him for that inevitability. Everything she taught him was so that he might succeed in her absence. Solenne wouldn't always be around, even though, it left her with a sense of pained pride to think of him on his own.

One day. She reminded herself. One day—Not yet.

She smiled after a moment in approval and returned to the table. "I expect each of these assignments to be completed before the end of the month. You may do so in any order, however, I want one turned in every Centaxday, every week, until then."

"If you require assistance, please ask. But, no extensions. We're a little behind from when you were away with your Father. You can work on them at your leisure—"

"But not today.", Sol intoned, kindly, and with another warm smile for the youngling she had so dearly missed. She knew not to get too attached so that she might do his learning justice…But that didn't mean she couldn't care. Everyone, deserved to be paid attention to. Cared for.

"Today—We're going on a field trip."

 

[Aiden Porte]

Coruscant
Padawan Quarters
Solenne Abraxas

"You wouldn't dare…",

"We might see one of these days." Aiden said as he raised his eyebrows and gave a lopsided smile. "If I ever ask for you to come take a walk with me by the lakes of Naboo, be warned." The padawan chuckled and shook his head slightly, there was a first time for everything. It was nice that he was able to joke around with her like this. Since he came back he hadn't really been in contact with anyone that he talked to previously. The darkness that was chasing him and ceased for the moment, so all was well. However looming threats in the galaxy not related to his predicament were starting to take shape.

It was good to have someone.

He was forever grateful it was her.

"I thought you might not have eaten, little dove."

"Thank you so much." The padawan was thrilled that she had brought him something. He set a chair out for her so that she could sit if she wished, he had to make a point to bring in a much more comfortable chair for his guests to sit in. The pastry was incredible and the blue milk that followed in between bites was also just as good.

Aiden set the plate and glass to the side and would clean and or dispose of them properly here in a few minutes. She spoke of the assignments and he nodded his head, understanding that the time of away did bring about a sense of urgency with his studies. And he was proving himself quite well in getting them done. Just study, focus and keep grinding away. Although not forgetting to have a little fun every once in a while.

"A field trip?" Aiden inquired, as he placed his hands together in his lap. Regardless of what it was for, he was ready for anything. More so eager to prove himself to her out in the field as well as with his mind here in the Temple. "When do we depart, Master Abraxas?"

 

[Solenne Abraxas]

​

Location: Coruscant [Padawan Quarters]
Tag: Aiden Porte

He would hear her sunlit laughter fill the room with warmth at his less-than-chilling threat. Her Padawan was many things, but a terror was not one of them. Her expression softened immeasurably while he settled in and had his breakfast. Solenne had no children of her own. Being a Jedi Master who frequented dangerous backwater worlds hadn't really facilitated that…Nor had her partner of choice. It was an incredibly difficult thing to build a family with someone that was adamantly against it.

Against her.

Her head shook at the errant thought. Korvan Toldreyn wasn't against her.

Just the idea of her. It was a very old-world Jedi way of thinking…But it was his way. She did her best to respect it but there were times when her resolve started to break. When the soft echo of loneliness that could be found in his absence made her…Wistful. There was only an echo of a singular memory to bring her any sort of relief. Just one. And every time she relived it, she was left with nothing but a shattered dream. Her faith in the Force was what kept her steadfast. Hopeful and Whole.

Solenne drew her thoughts away from her old friend and placed them firmly where they belonged. With her Padawan. She smiled sweetly at his inquiry about the field trip and hoped he wasn't disappointed they weren't leaving the planet. "As soon as you're finished. It isn't far…But I'm going to show you a well-kept family secret…"

"You know that my family…They're either Jedi themselves or Forceborn—Right?"

Both of Sol's parents were faithful Jedi and her extended family had been involved in a variety of Jedi Orders throughout the decades. She could trace her lineage back to some of the first Jedi in Hapes. It had been a difficult road. To accept that unlike many of her friends as a youngling, she wouldn't be attending schools designed to create a refined, Hapani noble, but conclaves and academies that would hone and protect her affinity for the Force. She was sent to Coruscant at a fairly young age.

Separating from her home had been a painful but necessary step in her training so that she might learn the value of the whole galaxy being family. Every woman her sister; every man her brother—And a healthy respect for creatures large and small. All beings were worthy of her attention, her kindness, and dedication. "Well…We like to be prepared. Coruscant was attacked by the Sith Empire when you were just a few years old. It was beyond anything I can describe…"

Her eyes grew distant for a moment. It was an echo of a battle that no matter how they'd tried to move forward the Dark Side threw them to the wayside as if they were nothing. Solenne had been much younger then. Far more inexperienced. She'd had the heart—But not the skill to be effective. "One of the reasons we had such a hard time recovering from the initial attack was because all our armaments and communications were cut out immediately. We couldn't call for help until…"

Until it was…Too late.

The auburn-haired Jedi Master gave Aiden a soft smile that was tinged with inherent sadness. He would be able to infer without her delving into the gory details. "At any rate—My family began adding a series of interconnected bunkers in different places in the galaxy a long time ago. We never thought Coruscant would need one being so deep in the Core…We were wrong."

"So…We corrected our assumption. There is one on Coruscant and I need you to familiarize yourself with accessibility and protocols…Just in case."

She waited patiently for him to finish his meal before sweeping up the leftover dishes. There was no telling when they would get back so they could just drop it off in the kitchens on the way out. Solenne had a rather plain landspeeder, borrowed, from the Jedi Temple waiting for them at a nearby platform. Coruscant was a whirlwind of activity on the slowest of days.

This wasn't one of them.

"Would you like to drive?"

It would be a good test of his reflexes and navigational skills. There was a reason that most sky-cabs in Galactic City were handled by droids. One wrong move and they could easily end up careening into another skylane. Few survived that sort of accident. Even, Jedi. Slender fingers held out the key chit for a moment before she tossed it toward him with another smile.

 

[Aiden Porte]

Coruscant
Padawan Quarters ------> Undisclosed Location
Solenne Abraxas

She was incredibly good to him, incredibly. He hoped that he could be at least half of the Master that she was to him, to his own pupil someday. That was a long way off, but his expectations of himself were incredibly high especially when he was in her presence. Not wanting to let her down or even give her a cause to be disappointed in him. However, the Padawan was only human after all, and mistakes were bound to happen.

That was the cause for learning. The Jedi had been steadfast protectors of the galaxy for far over a thousand generations. And the art still hadn't been perfected, the jedi still made mistakes. Learn and adapt, and keep the light close to you as possible. Such a thing coupled with the strength of one's heart....

Could move mountains, and light up the darkest of places.

He knew that she was living proof of that.

"As soon as you're finished. It isn't far…But I'm going to show you a well-kept family secret…"

"You know that my family…They're either Jedi themselves or Forceborn—Right?"

Aiden had indeed known, given the bookworm that he was and as much time as he spent in the archives that were accessible to him. He learned much more of the Hapan culture when he visited there during the gala that was held over eight months ago. Knowledge was an incredible tool in one's arsenal. Hapes was a incredibly rare planet indeed, their lifestyle and culture seemed even more incredibly rare.

"Well…We like to be prepared. Coruscant was attacked by the Sith Empire when you were just a few years old. It was beyond anything I can describe…"

"One of the reasons we had such a hard time recovering from the initial attack was because all our armaments and communications were cut out immediately. We couldn't call for help until…"

"....it was too late." Aiden finished slowly as he locked eyes with her for a brief moment and then glanced down. He let out a small sigh as her speaking of such a thing reminded him of the destruction that Naboo had faced years ago. He arrived after with his mother and sister in the aftermath. His father was there, and he was gravely injured during the battle. Aiden remembered it took almost two weeks for him to recover. The Jedi Padawan just still a young kid at that point went out and helped with the efforts to restore the city.

"At any rate—My family began adding a series of interconnected bunkers in different places in the galaxy a long time ago. We never thought Coruscant would need one being so deep in the Core…We were wrong."

"So…We corrected our assumption. There is one on Coruscant and I need you to familiarize yourself with accessibility and protocols…Just in case."

"Would you like to drive?"

"Let's do it." Aiden smiled and he nodded his head catching the key chit in his hand. Driving, much more comfortable with then flying. One would think they were almost the same, but still slightly different. In his mind, flying was a different type of deal altogether.

"I find it incredible that your family constructed a network of bunkers around the galaxy." Aiden spoke as he glanced towards Solenne while their trek to the speeder. It was something that Aiden honestly wouldn't have thought about. It was an incredibly smart move on their part. Many times Jedi would find themselves marooned on a planet for some reason or another. He wondered if the Alliance or even the Silver Jedi of old had such string of bunkers throughout the galaxy.

"Let's get this thing going!" Aiden voiced as the speeder was in view and soon they would be in air and headed to location. "Did you write your will?" Aiden inquired as he glanced to Sol just before taking off, giving her arm a small nudge. "Just kidding..." He said with a small laugh.