Nar Shaddaa

Aly tried to hide her limp as best as she could while walking. She raised the communicator, and checked the message from Niall. He was concerned, which wasn't exactly surprising. She was withdrawn during their hunt yesterday, and a part of her felt that this was how he was dealing with his grief. Helping others.

Wow, how much did she miss him. A small, fond smile appeared through her lips at the thought.

Arriving at his room, she beeped a greeting. "Hi, it's me."

Niall frowned down at the package on the low table. It was nice wrapped, in blue paper with white ribbon, but it looked a little lopsided, somehow. He was never very good at this sort of thing.

Hearing the door chime, he rose quickly to his feet. A few steps took him to the door. At a press of his finger, it slid open.

Niall was looking very Alderaanian this morning, dressed in his fine blue house Organa tunic, and a jacket with a high collar. "Aly! Great, you're here. Please, come in." His smile was warm, but his grey eyes did show a hint of concern as he stepped aside to allow her to enter.

This room was more spacious than the ship had been, with a pleasant living area with low table, a couch, and two chairs around it. There was also a desk in the corner. A small gift-wrapped package was on the low table next to the couch, thin and rectangular.

She stepped in, trying to turn in a way to hide her right leg's limp. "I saw your message. I hope everything is fineeee..." she trailed off as her eyes scanned him, then the room, then the package.

She sighed, and took a step closer to him, adjusting his collar. "You're still not the dashing Captain Galaxy of Space Force Seven. High collars are for fictional heroes, regular ones are for real ones."

She stepped back, her expression serene and playful. "There you go. What's the occasion?"

Niall tensed for a moment as Aly stepped closer, then grinned, tilting his chin up to let her make her adjustments. "What, you don't care for it? And I thought I could pull off dashing." He actually reddened just a touch at her words, although his grey eyes seemed to laugh.

He rolled his neck a bit after she finished, adjusting to the new fit. "Well, the occasion is partially a thank you. For yesterday, for everything. And partially just because we're finally meeting again, after all this time. Here-" He took her hand, leading her to the couch, perhaps quickly enough she'd have trouble concealing her limp.

He reached down, lifting the package in both hands, handing it to Aly. It felt solid, perhaps metal. "Open it." He said, smiling at her.

Her own face was slowly reddening from the contact, but she was determined to push through it. "Oh, come on. You don't need to pull of dashing. You can do regal." Her eyes were smiling at him.

She was surprised at his pull, and she did slow him down, while gritting her teeth. Heels were not the best idea today.

"You don't need to thank me Ni. That's what friends are for. And.. Jedi too. It's my job." She accepted the package, a critical eye noticing how lumpy the packaging was. "And this is why I always did the gift wraps for you." Her tone was not critical, just teasing.

She slowly and carefully opened the package... too carefully for Ni's taste perhaps.

Niall did catch the limp, a frown flickering across his face. But with the excitement of the present, he filed the information away for later.

He laughed at her criticism. "Yes, but that would have spoiled the surprise, wouldn't it have? I couldn't very well ask you to keep your eyes closed while you wrapped it. Or, you're a Jedi. Perhaps I could have." He waited patiently while she opened it.

Inside was a holopic, much like the one Niall had been looking at back on the transport. It was already programmed with a picture.

All three children were instantly recognizable, even though the picture was taken a dozen years ago. Arsele, a few years older than the rest, didn't seem to have any problem posing with her younger playmates, and was mugging for the camera. Alysele was in a fine dress, smiling and happy. And Niall, more serious-faced, seemed to be trying to act older than he was, although his attempted aloofness was spoiled by him holding Aly's hand.

"I thought of it, when I saw you." Niall said carefully, watching Aly's expression. "I thought you might enjoy having it. I mean, you could put whatever holopic you liked in there, of course, but I hope you like this one."

Aly smiled at the holopic, emotions taking over her. "Thank you." Her response was heart felt, and she reached out to hug him. "I missed you guys." The confident demeanor broke hard for a moment.

"You've always been there. And here." She put her hand where her heart was.

Niall closed his eyes as Aly hugged him, his arms going around her as well.

His gaze was warm as he looked at her. "I missed you too, Aly. I don't think I realized just how much, until I saw you the other night."

"Umm... lets sit down." He sat on the couch, his posture as perfect as ever. His gaze grew concerned once more. "I wanted to check in with you, too. You seemed a little quiet, yesterday. And... unless I'm mistaken, you're favoring that leg." He nodded towards the limb in question.

Aly sat down on the couch, still smiling. She crosses her leg, delicately, trying to hide it. No success alas.

"Yeah... I've been thinking sometime, when I had time. How everyone is doing at home." She held her hands in her lap. "Besides you and the parents, no one checked in." Her tone was measured as she spoke.

Glancing down at her leg, she frowned. "Just a small misunderstanding."

"Oh." Niall looked away, his gaze going forward. "I wish I could have done more." He turned back, a hint of a smile on his lips. "At least I always remembered your birthday."

His eyebrows went up. "Oh? A misunderstanding? What exactly happened, Aly?" His tone was concerned, but also had a touch of authority in it. He had been trained to lead, after all.

"You always did." My parents didn't, though.

She arched her back, and straightened herself, responding to authority with.... resistance. "They misunderstood me as someone that can be defeated." she looked into his eyes fiercely.

Niall met her gaze, his lips curling up into a smile after a moment. "I mistake that I would not make, I assure you." He said, his voice soft. In fact, she quite impressed him with her fierceness. He was suddenly reminded again of what a beautiful woman she'd become.

NIall broke the shared gaze, looking down at his knees. "Well, I'll respect your privacy, of course. Although we never used to have secrets from each other." His sounded a little distant. He looked back up at her. "Tell me that you've at least had it checked by a doctor. I know one, here. Does it look okay?" He craned his neck, peering down at her calf, where he imagined the injury to be.

"You are a fast learner." She smiled happily at him, now at ease.
"We didn't use to have duties like this before, too." She looked down at the ground. "We've grown up." She leaned in close to him, whispering. "Sometimes, I don't really care for it."

"Yes, I have. This is just residual pain. It'll get better, I promise." She crossed her legs again. "I appreciate your concern though."

"You're certainly right, there." He turned to her, smiling, at her whisper. "I understand what you mean. There aren't many choices I've made that I regret, except maybe not finding better cover when I was on Tatooine." He chuckled. "But sometimes I wonder what things would have been like, had I chosen a different path." That put the germ of an idea into his mind...

"Pain does fade with time, yes. It sounds as though we've both learned that lesson." The wry smile again as his eyes met hers. "Aly..." He said, a flicker of doubt crossing his face. "Do you think I did the right thing yesterday?"

She smiled at him, at ease now, the stiffness evaporating from her posture.

"Well, you recovered more or less, that's what counts." She gently caressed her arm. "Yes, you did. I do think bringing him in one piece was more work than he warranted... but the lieutenant is a resourceful woman, I will give her that much."

"Hmmm." Niall murmured, some of the doubt vanishing. "It's good to hear it from your lips. I'll admit, a small part of me was tempted by what that Sith said." He shook his head, smiling. "But I don't think it's what Rayne would have wanted. This was better." He sat back on the couch, reclining somewhat, growing more relaxed.

"Oh, yes, the Lieutenant is very good." Niall said with a nod. "I've worked with her before, on Tatooine. She has a background in intelligence, you know. She's one of the best working relationships I have, considering that I don't think I'd know her first name without looking it up."

Niall Organa wrote:"Hmmm." Niall murmured, some of the doubt vanishing. "It's good to hear it from your lips. I'll admit, a small part of me was tempted by what that Sith said." He shook his head, smiling. "But I don't think it's what Rayne would have wanted. This was better." He sat back on the couch, reclining somewhat, growing more relaxed.

"Oh, yes, the Lieutenant is very good." Niall said with a nod. "I've worked with her before, on Tatooine. She has a background in intelligence, you know. She's one of the best working relationships I have, considering that I don't think I'd know her first name without looking it up."

Aly smiled, mulling it over. "Her side... it's strange. To talk to one, where the conversation is not 'You die! No, you die!' in pretty words."

She leaned back, her arms spread on the back of the couch. "She was always a sofite... except when it came to teasing you." She smirked at the man. "Her first name is not lieutenant? What a shock?" She raised a hand to her mouth, mimicking shock. "She is resourceful. And can wear a dress and heels like she was born into it."

"It was strange." Niall nodded. "Although, even moreso for you than for me, I fancy." He hesitated a moment, then continued. "I did see a Sith in combat once. I think. It was right before I was hit." He touched a finger to the center of his chest, indicating the location of his injury.

Niall grinned. "Her name could be Lieutenant. I'd need to check her file." He shrugged, his expression turning thoughtful. "I suppose she did pull off her look quite well, at that." He tapped a finger on the edge of the couch a moment, then shrugged. "No doubt the intelligence training. Or perhaps I just think that because I've watched too many spy movies."

His eyebrows went up as he glanced at Aly's heels. "Although Jedi training will apparently suffice, at least for the heels, I see!" He chuckled as he looked at her, although there was something earnest in his grey eyes. "And I'd have little doubt about the dress, too. If Lieutenant Varra was born to it, I'm certain the same is true for Alysele Cortess."

Aly smiled, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, I've seen a few too." She stated simply, before extending a hand to his chest, touching where his wound is. "It's all okay, right? No issues since then?"

"Well, it is better than those silly action movies you used to watch. Galaxy Commando, Space Force Delta 13, Colonel Action and his Action Captains." While she teased him, it was odd that she could recall all of them.

She blushed and turned away. "Thank you... it's not something I get to do often." She looked at him. "Speaking of which... you've grown into a fine young man. Don't recall the traditional garb suiting you so well."

"Um. Not really." He said, glancing down at the delicate appearing hand touching his chest. "Trouble breathing sometimes." Like right now, for instance. His heartbeat, tangible through the thin tunic, was strong, although it seemed to quicken just a little as her hand lingered.

The moment passed, if not entirely, as she withdrew her hand. He grinned at her. "Hey now, Galaxy Commando is a classic! Although it went rather off the rails by Galaxy Commando Six: Return of the Supernova Squad." He made a face. "I'll certainly grant you Colonel Action, though. That was certainly not the finest in holoprogramming."

"Thank you." He said, glancing downward with a wry smile. The germ of the idea grew further. He looked at Aly, a speculative look on his handsomely aristocratic features. "Aly..." He began hesitantly. "Jedi... you're allowed evenings out from time to time, I hope?"

"You should get that checked out." Ah oblivious women!

"True.... though I am still surprised that the actor is an actual Mandalorian! And still around! He's going to be in the new movie... Havoc Squad: Unleash the Havoc that's coming out sometime... I think the Jedi knight actress is also in it?"

She let out a small laugh. "I don't have a curfew Niall, I'm a knight now. The masters have better things to do than tell me to go to bed when it starts to get dark out."

"Jin Vaya?" Niall's expression went briefly distant, his lips twitching ever so slightly. He came back to himself a moment later, clearing his throat. "Hmmm. I hear she's good." He said, a little too casually.

"Hmmm." Niall's lips twitched again. "I was just thinking... let me take you to dinner sometime. Not as Captain Organa and Alysele, Jedi Knight. But as... Lord Niall and Lady Alysele. Like when we were children, only with real food, not just macaroni and blue milk. I suppose other things would be different, too." He chuckled. "Anyway. What do you think?" He smiled at her. It was, after all, perfectly natural for one old friend to ask another to dinner; nothing to feel nervous about, he thought.

"Oh? You saw some of her work?" she asked, oblivious to the female's boob knight status.

She smiled happily. "I... I can do that. Not sure if I am a lady though... but please, no blue milk. Had enough of that for a lifetime." She smiled. "I can do that." It seemed the sentence was partially to herself. "To get away for a bit. Just relax and enjoy what we have."

She looked him in the eyes, joy obvious. "You always were there for me, and still are."

"Yes, that's exactly the idea." Niall said, grinning. "Relax and enjoy ourselves. I know I could use it. It's been a while since I've been out."

His smile slowly faded as his grey eyes met her blue, but he looked just as happy as she did. "Of course, Aly. I did promise that, when we were children. And I do keep my promises."

"Tomorrow night, then?" He asked, smiling again. "I'll meet you..." He frowned. "Do you have a room at the temple? Perhaps you should meet me here, actually."

She looked happy. She was happy. One night away... just.. hiding out from the world. She could use that. The world was wearing her down, and she wanted to hide behind Ni.

"Well, we have 'a' room." She rolled her eyes. "Privacy is a lost art among the younger Jedi... and a luxury."

She looked curious. "Oh-kay. I'm happy to meet here... are you going to tell me where we're going? Or is it a big surprise?"