[D5EE] Crossover Confrontation [Vera Hawke's Volcano Lair]

[Alysele Cortess]

Aly blushed as well, turning away. Where did that come from?

"Yslane is great. She's one of my few friends during my time in the enclave." She practically beamed. "She is a bit shy... but it's well worth digging for her to relax. She's.... great."

Her smile dropped a bit. "Guilty...there are... a few things." She sighed. "It's going to be long winded. And all about me. Be forewarned."

[Niall Organa]

"I enjoyed talking to her." Niall said. He gently nudged Aly, smiling. "You actually came up in conversation a few times. It was clear to me that she really likes and admires you, you know."

"Mmm. That's fine." Niall shifted again, just a little, his arms still around her. "I can't think of any place I'd rather be right now. Go ahead; I'm listening."

[Alysele Cortess]

"Well... she's a good friend. Great, even." She smiled fondly as she spoke of Yslane. "Prettier than she thinks she is too. Won't let me do a make over alas."

She tucked in even closer to him. "Well.... I... There was a vision." Ste started, rambling. "Master Mersl invited everyone over to a luncheon and... drugged us, so we'd have a vision. It was about the Jedi code in a weird, round about way. Letting go of attachments."

She turned away from him. "I saw my home Niall. Saw our home. Burn away. I saw you die. I fought against.. something. Something that I couldn't beat."

[Niall Organa]

"Oh." Niall said, blinking. "I see. That sounds like rather an extreme way of letting go of attachment. And to drug you to make it happen... hmmm. I'm not sure I understand."

Gently, he reached out, stroking her cheek, encouraging her to look back towards him once more. His eyes seemed very large in the dark room, soft and grey. "It's not something I'm going to let happen. None of it, if I can stop it. And I know you won't, either." He reassured her. "But it sounds as though the real question is, how did it make you feel?" He asked, his voice soft.

[Alysele Cortess]

She didn't turn back, though she did smile at his touch. "Yeah, it was extreme. A few people outside the order were invited, and it didn't really go well. At all. I did have a talk with the Master about it."

She slowly turned over. "As for how do I feel... I don't know. I know how do I think though. My time with the order was... not happy. I was taken, without a choice. My family was happy to turn me over, for more gain. My master wasn't a... good fit." It still took effort to verbalize that part. She was used to the adulation that Fehraror received everywhere, and the blowback that followed.

"When I graduated, I was tasked with... well, with being an assassin, basically. I fought and killed. This vision has helped me realize one thing... I'm tired of being a pawn in other's schemes."

[Niall Organa]

Niall's grey eyes were sympathetic as she spoke. As she finished, he smiled fondly at her. "That certainly sounds like the Aly I remember. You were the youngest of us, but you always seemed to take the lead."

He hesitated a moment, and then went on. "And I certainly never thought of you as a pawn. Much more like a queen." He said, his expression serious. Suddenly he kissed her, his lips finding hers, some of his earlier passion returning.

As they parted, he frowned thoughtfully. "But Aly... what does that mean? You're a Knight, now; surely that affords you some additional freedom. Can you forge your own path?"

[Alysele Cortess]

Aly hugged him close, her arms snaking around his body, holding him strong. "Queen... yeah, that sounds good. I thought I would be queen one day, when I was young. I would rule, and make sure everyone was happy." Her voice was silent. "Didn't exactly turn out that way."

She took a deep breath. "Losing you was painful. I... love you. I may not love love you." She smiled sadly at the turn of the phrase. "But you are one of the most important parts of my life, either this way, or as a friend."

[Niall Organa]

Niall chuckled at the story. "I had a remarkably similar dream. But I've since exchanged one dream for another. Perhaps you could do the same?"

As Aly spoke, Niall's expression grew both softer, and more serious. "And I love you, Aly." His tone was strange, tinged with emotion, but also rather matter of fact. "I always have. And I think I always will. When we were young, that meant one thing. Now, it means this." Softly, he kissed her forehead.

He sighed, returning her squeeze. "In the future, it may mean something else. I don't know. I suppose that depends on what we do."

[Alysele Cortess]

"Oh? What is the new dream?" Her voice was curious and sincere. "Yeah. What we do... that is the question." She looked up at him, her blue eyes searching for his. "I don't know if this'll work. Or it should. I don't know anything about this."

[Niall Organa]

"The new dream." Niall chuckled. "Well, it started when I decided that joining the Republic military would be the best way to serve Alderaan. There are a number of paths from here. I'll make it up as I go along, I suppose." He smiled.

The smile faded as his eyes met hers, his grey orbs softening once more as they met her blue, almost seeming to communicate wordlessly. "This is unfamiliar territory." Niall agreed, managing a smile. "I can say that the last few days, with you, have been very good for me."

"As for the future..." He sighed, his smile going lopsided, charmingly so. "Well, it's as uncertain as always. Maybe it won't work. Maybe it won't keep being good for us, for our future. Or maybe it will." He shrugged. "And if that's the case, then there's no should about it."

[Alysele Cortess]

"I still can't get over that. You thought the best way to serve Alderaan was to go out and get shot up?" She laughed softly.

"Yeah, I have no idea what I'm doing. Which is more familiar than I care to admit... but at least I had a path up until now. Now.... well, not sure what comes next. I do believe that about most masters I met here are nuts. Master Merls drugged everyone, without consent. During peace talks. Seriously."

[Niall Organa]

"Hey, you." Niall said. His tone sounded offended, but his eyes were dancing with laughter, and there was a smile on his lips. "I've only been really notably shot the once, thank you very much. Granted, I'd rather like to avoid it in the future, but still..." Still smiling, he gave her a squeeze.

"Hmmm. That does seem... provocative." Niall said, frowning. His frown grew more thoughtful as he looked at Aly. "But if you don't know what you're doing, doesn't that mean you have freedom to choose? You can do what you think best. Or so it seems to me."

[Alysele Cortess]

"Notably shot? Are you going to quibble with terminology?" She poked him in the side, gently.

Thoughts raced in her head. "Perhaps... I am so used to working within boundaries. To know what I can and cannot do. Now the world seems so... big. There's nothing I can't do." She fell silent. "Have you heard of the Sith code?" She turned the topic around.

[Niall Organa]

Niall snorted, unable to stop from laughing as Aly poked him in the side. "I'm going to get you for that, you know." He said softly, his tone playful.

He looked happy and approving, right up until Aly mentioned the Sith code. That threw him. Niall blinked, frowning, his forehead gently creased. "Well, yes, actually. I looked it up after Shaisha mentioned it. Why?"

[Alysele Cortess]

"I've met with a young lord... Zeno Deathwright." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I know. Still... we talked, and he brought up his view on it all. It is about freedom, to do whatever you can in your power. While this sounds terribly selfish, it does mean that you are not constrained in helping those who you think deserve it."

[Niall Organa]

Again, and despite the serious topic, Niall couldn't quite help but laugh. Partially at the way Aly rolled her eyes. His expression grew more serious as she spoke.

"Maybe..." He said, frowning. "But I don't think so. We're shaped by our actions, for better or for worse. It makes us who we are. And..." He sighed. "I think making decisions based on gaining power, and being selfish, would just lead to being the sort of person who selfishly seeks power."

He reached up to gently stroke her cheek. "And I don't think that's you, Aly. You can make things better without that."

[Alysele Cortess]

Again, and despite the serious topic, Niall couldn't quite help but laugh. Partially at the way Aly rolled her eyes. His expression grew more serious as she spoke.

"Maybe..." He said, frowning. "But I don't think so. We're shaped by our actions, for better or for worse. It makes us who we are. And..." He sighed. "I think making decisions based on gaining power, and being selfish, would just lead to being the sort of person who selfishly seeks power."

He reached up to gently stroke her cheek. "And I don't think that's you, Aly. You can make things better without that."

"Perhaps... but it only takes one good man, or woman, to use that power wisely. Think of all the good we could do, if we wouldn't be constrained by rules." She turned around, now on her belly, head propped up on her palms. "You're a good man, a smart man, a born leader. Think of what you can do if you wouldn't just follow orders to tell others what to do, but could lead to your heart's content. I know you will take everyone under your wing and take care of them, even if you would have a legion under you. Power wouldn't change that. You wouldn't change."

[Niall Organa]

Niall smiled down at her, his grey eyes warm, touched by her confidence in him.

"Well... yes. And thank you." Niall said. "But it's not the power that makes someone bad. It's the how and why of their accumulation of it. You can seek power because that's the best way to help people, or seek it for its own sake, or for yourself. Those people who follow the second way will have a harder time doing the first. And I think the Sith code is the second way. It's baked in, and it shows in their Empire."

He smiled gently at her, lying on his back. His hand reached out, finding hers, entwining their fingers. "You're already the strongest person in my life. I know you're going to do what's best, for you and for everyone, in your own way. The Aly code." He gave her a firm nod, his eyes dancing with laughter. "There would be worse things for a person to follow."

[Alysele Cortess]

"Do you think there are no good people in Empire? No one who would use it for good?" She asked genuinely. "Aly code, heh... maybe I should publish it. See if it sells."

[Niall Organa]

"I do think that there are good people in the Empire." Niall nodded. "But I don't think they often thrive. And I don't think it's because they follow the Sith code, but because they resist it."

His expression grew more thoughtful. "Of all the Sith I've met, Shaisha is perhaps the best. And she said the Sith code is incompatible with peace. Yslane thinks that if they didn't have us, they would turn on each other, and I think she's right. If we want peace, we have to get them to turn away from their Code."

Niall shifted a little, draping his arm across her back. "If you do publish it, will you give me a signed copy? I'll trade you a Captain Alderaan signature." He smiled.

[Alysele Cortess]

"The Aly code, this made Captain Alderaan Great! Nifty title, don't you think?" She snickered.

"Well... possible. We don't know enough of each other, but believe we do. That's how I feel now." She frowned. "It could be interesting to have peace again. So new, yet ancient."

[Niall Organa]

"It's perfect." Niall nodded, his expression mock-serious. "I can put my endorsement on it. It'll sell billions."

"Peace... yeah." Niall sighed, stretching his entire body, his lean height emphasized. "The war has been going on, in one form or another, since before we were born. It's hard to imagine it not being somewhere out there, every day." He gave Aly a curious look. "If there was peace, what do you think you would do?"

[Alysele Cortess]

"Tea parties. Allll the tea parties. I'd invite everyone. Even the Hutts." She let out a smile, and extended an arm to hug him. "I don't know... it wouldn't be worse than now. I still don't know what I want to do."

[Niall Organa]

Niall sighed, smiling. "I suppose, in peace, even Hutts get to come to tea parties."

He closed his eyes as her arm went around him, and his around her. "You'll figure it out. I know you will." He shifted, bringing him face to face with her. "If I can help at all, just ask." He said, his voice soft. "I may not have all the answers, but we can work on it. Together. Just like old times, huh?"

[Alysele Cortess]

"During old times we had pie. We don't have pie now." She smirked. "Clearly these are worse times. You figure what are your plans? Go back to not getting shot?"