Ask The Calm and the Storm

[Kalique Baize]

On Raxus, the presence of authorities had been increased. ISB was on full alert, Knights were deployed together with peacekeepers and soliders, too, and new reports kept piling in every second. The Hutt's invasions were more effective than everyone had first assumed and planets already lost, Imperial Czerka had suffered an immense hit and chaos was thus all around.

It was as if the Empire was burning once again and damage control was daily business. The war hadn't left the loyalties shattered, yet they were still without an actual leader and news of more and more losses were hard to stomach. The training of the Knights and Squires kept going, yet the priorities had shifted onto keeping everything safe, protecting what mattered most and somehow keeping it all together through it all.

Once again days turned into nights quicker than she wished and sleep came short, but with all the stress and madness, especially after the official promotion, it was once again Jon who kept her sane. He had taken a transport over the very second she had been notified and once again she couldn't have been any more grateful for his support.

With so much instability and uncertainties all around, it was always the very moment when she passed the threshold to their apartment that alleviated most of the pressure from all around, the constant tenseness in her muscles, the neverending train of thoughts in her mind and so much more. If it weren't for him, pushing onwards would have almost been impossible, but that was also why she was yearning hard for those precious moments spent with him at home, given how rare they were.

When she was coming home this night, she once again crossed the park, but couldn't pay it as much attention as she had before all those years, simply because her gaze was directed at the ground and the thoughts inside her head still running. She dragged herself upwards, finally back onto their level before she unlocked the door, dropped her bag and immediately headed to where she'd sense him, exhaling slowly. The day had been hard, but it was all okay again now.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

They had made plans.

The Galaxy had made its plans.

Jon had spent the last months working on a now completed house that now stood empty. They hadn't been there since he had finished, that could wait for happier days. As soon as he had heard about the invasions that had rocked the Empire and Kali's quick promotion to Lord Commander, he had dropped everything and came here.

He couldn't help but feel kind of useless here. He had gone from working non-stop for months on end to not having much to do during the day. There wasn't any resentment in that. His place was here, with Kali. There was nothing that could convince him otherwise but it had still been an anxious adjustment. The roomy apartment now felt somewhat claustrophobic compared to the open fields of their farm.

He had spent most of the day helping their elderly neighbor across the hallway with issues in her apartment but had finished time to begin dinner, not sure when or if Kali would make it home. The inviting aroma of the dinner he had prepared would drift into the living room from the kitchen as she entered.

Jon hadn't heard her come in, but Luna had and had dashed to meet her at the door, alerting Jon before he saw her. He stepped into the threshold of the doorway leading from the living room and kitchen, leaning against the doorpost as he saw her. She was clearly worn out, exhausted physically and mentally. He wished there was more he could do, something to help ease the heavy load she carried. "Hey there, you." he said with a smile, kitchen rag thrown over his shoulder. "Wasn't sure what time you were going to be home. I have dinner finished if you are hungry?" he asked.

He took several steps forward and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. He didn't have to ask how her day was, he already knew.

 

[Kalique Baize]

He was her calm in the storm. It wasn't the flavor and promise of yet another tasty, warm meal - quite the contrary, this, she didn't even notice at first - but it was the sheer atmosphere that lingered in the air the moment she stepped in.

Luna's claws excitedly tapped across the floor as she came bolting towards her, immediately offering an enthusiastic, tail-wagging greeting. Sensing the overly excited dog and Jon's calm, warm, loving demeanor at once immediately brought a smile back to her lips and a moment later, she quietly melted into his arms, her head pressed against his chest.

Raxus was work. Even before the house had been finished (it was a shame still that she hadn't even seen the finished house yet) she had felt much more homey on Spintir, but once she had been back on Raxus and Jon here with her, she had once again learned that while the life they were building over there was all they've ever dreamed off, home wasn't confined to the farm. It was and had always been where he was, and their canine family.

Obviously, the wolves couldn't come here - as tall as they had grown, the whole pack was no fit for their apartment and also, the city wouldn't make them happy at all - but it had been a pleasant surprise that Luna had come with Jon. Now in his arms, she finally defrosted, the rather stoic, focused facade slowly crumbled and was replaced with a tired, yet warm and happy smile.

"I am...thank you...it smells incredible". She was mostly exhausted, but she knew that those nights with him did at least fill some of her inner reserves. She enjoyed his embrace for another moment before she slowly pulled back, meeting his gaze. "How has your day been?". She didn't want to talk about work. After all those hours, it was more than a pleasant change to simply focus on them right here.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He reached up slowly stroking the side of her head as he held her. He felt a little bit of the tenseness she had held in release, her breathing came a little easier. He waited until she decided to pull back, letting her take whatever time she needed.

Jon wanted to ask what had happened that day, wanted to know what bothered her. Jon's natural instincts were to fix problems, but Kali's problems were not something Jon could help her with. That pang of uselessness returned, he wanted to help but he often struggled to know how to.

He smiled, finally releasing her. Jon gestured towards the dining room table as he moved back to the kitchen to prepare a bowl. "It wasn't too bad. I helped Ms. Yuez with a leaky sink which turned out to not be a quick task. Man, can she talk.." he said. She had asked for his help on several things. It had been good for Jon, to keep his hands busy. He spoke from the other room as he prepared a bowl and carried it out to the dining room. "...Took Luna for a run. She is..not a fan of the leash.." he said with a shake of his head. "I think she enjoys all the commotion though.." he said, glancing over at the dog as she lay down in the other room. "Pretty boring day I guess," he said.

He retrieved everything else and sat down with his own food. The conversation was mundane, maybe even a little boring, but he sensed that was what she was looking for at the moment.

 

[Kalique Baize]

When Jon gestured for her to take a seat in the dining room, she quickly passed it and changed into more comfortable clothes while she listened to him from the kitchen. She was back as Jon sat down her bowl and she chuckled softly as he shared how he had helped their neighbor again.

The food smelt fantastic, and she softly replied, "I don't doubt it", she was a lovely lady, yet once you got engaged in a conversation, half an hour could easily pass...and as she also didn't doubt the sink wasn't the only thing she had needed help with either, she sympathetically met his gaze as he finally returned, a smile still tugging at her lips though.

"Sounds rather eventful to me...". She knew Luna hated the leash. It was the law here on Raxus, but the farm dog simply wasn't used to it and she cherished her freedom on Spintir. Still, she knew it was much harder for him here. While she was overly grateful for his presence, she bit her lip again as he sat down.

They had the conversation before and she knew he wasn't going to leave her here, yet it kept bothering her that he struggled, too. When he had still worked here as a Commander, their days had been different. They were both much happier on Spintir, yet at the moment, leaving was not an option. It wasn't just the war, but her position, too.

The plans they had made had once again been stalled by the madness that raged in the Imperial Sphere of influence and she was tired...if it weren't for him here, she doubted she'd still manage to keep it together so well. But as soon as she noticed her thoughts drifted off again, she slowly inhaled.

"That smells and looks amazing..." she threw him a happy, grateful glance as she stirred the bowl before finally trying. "Mhhh...and tastes just as great...thanks for the cooking". Those nights, she lacked the energy to pretty much do anything at all, but the nourishing meal was just a part of this all - She would never be able to thank him enough for simply being here and giving her the strength to continue.

"Have you spoken to your parents today? I hope the wolves are behaving..." she missed the pack, too. Just as his parents...the farm, their home. It hurt...Once again, she forced her mind to stay focused on the positive things though. It was impossible to predict how the war would keep enfolding, but brighter days were somewhere on the horizon...

She took another bite as she listened to him, before she'd softly ask, "How do you feel about settling on a venue tonight?". She purposely suppressed the pleading undertone the suggestion entailed, not wanting to force this in any way though. Setting a date alone was near impossible these days, even if they had a rough idea...she still hoped that even if wedding planning involved work as well, it would offer this clear perspective on this silver lining to come she was yearning for so badly.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He chuckled. "Eventful. I suppose that is a word you could use.." he said with a shake of his head.

He waited for her to settle in and try a bite before he did so as well. He smiled as she seemed to enjoy it. "You're welcome. Trying out some new ingredients, glad you like it," he said with a smile. He hadn't used anything crazy, he knew she had a low tolerance for that. It was nice having a larger selection of things to buy as opposed to Spintiir. They grew most of their own food, relying on other farmers for what they didn't provide themselves. It was good, Jon liked living that way, but it did lack a little of the diversity of what one could find in a large city.

"This morning for bit," he replied to the question about his parents. "Sounded like things were pretty normal. Some problems here and there, but nothing serious." he continued. The wolves were well-trained, but they were still wild animals. They got a little temperamental when they didn't get out too much, which had happened much less since Jon had been on Raxus.

"Sounds great!" he said, his smile widening slightly. Current events had certainly delayed them some, but if they waited for a perfectly peaceful time to get married, they were likely to never do so. The Galaxy couldn't stop him from marrying this woman forever, and planning reminded him of that fact.

They finished dinner over the next bit, the conversation mundane but pleasant. He talked over some of his plans for a barn on some other structures that needed to be built now that the house was complete. "Go get the stuff out, and I'll clean up real quick," he said, standing to do so. He would be fairly insistent on letting him clean up. It had been a simple dinner, and cleanup was simple as well. He started tea and they reconvened on the couch a few minutes later when it was finished.

The data pad with their different options was on the table in front of them. He handed her the cup of tea and settled in beside her on the comfy couch, putting a blanket around her. "So, I kind of like this one..." he said, swiping to a venue that had been built into a thick grove of trees. He handed her the data pad to look.

 

[Kalique Baize]

The food was indeed a nice change - not that she didn't love what they went for on Spintir, but the wider selection here had its perks - and Jon had masterfully prepared a dish. "How often have you been at your special place since you've come over?", she couldn't help but ask, a soft smirk crossing her lips as she didn't doubt he had gotten himself a few exotic dishes every here and there.

"I hope it stays that way..." she had to check in soon enough...they both had. She was grateful that his parents checked on them, and she was certain they wouldn't fully misstep, yet she knew regular presence was needed. It was another thing that bothered her, yet she was holding onto the hope that it would be different soon.

Kalique intently listened to what he explained about his progresses next and while she couldn't see it just yet, she could at least picture everything he explained. She couldn't wait to be back, but unfortunately, it had to wait a little longer. "I-" the look on his face immediately told her that his offer about cleaning wasn't up for discussion, so she didn't even try arguing and nodded instead.

"Fine...". Said, done. She was getting the datapad and prepared the living room and couch before he met her again. She curled up next to him and excitedly awaited what he had found before she marveled at the picture he showed her. "That's kinda magical...very sweet" she softly remarked before she took it in a few more moments.

"I've also stumbled upon this one here...it's much more vintage...but it's basically a hidden gem. It seems like the location wasn't even accessible for years, but they've recently opened it again". She loved the browsing alone. It didn't matter where they'd end up...what mattered was that she would be saying yes to him forever and she couldn't wait...

Yet, it was absolutely incredible how much it calmed her already to continue their planning. "Or this one here...This one is not on Spintir though" her lips curled into a smirk as she glanced up at him, showing him the picture. "It's on Endor". The place had quite some significance for them and Kalique had been more than delighted when she had found it, as they had literally talked about going there some time. It was crazy that she had found the venue, and she was curious for his thoughts as she had also fallen in love with the ones on Spintir.

@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He took the data pad back. "Hrrm" he said, scratching at his beard. It certainly was rustic which spoke to Jon. He liked it, a lot actually but he decided to wait until she had shown him more before he said too much.

She reached over to him and flipped to the next location. "Really?" he replied when she said it was on Endor. He hadn't even considered having it anywhere else other than Raxus or Spintiir but Endor was actually kind of perfect. The small moon was significant to them, it certainly offered them the more natural look they had kind of settled on. "I love it..." he said a moment later as he thought it over.

"It's perfect actually..." he continued. "Will be a bit more difficult to get people there, but we could figure that out," he said. They had previously agreed on a pretty small wedding, he wasn't sure if that would change given her new position. Perhaps the distance would be an easy way to have to invite a bunch of people neither of them cared about. "You think your parents would come all the way to Endor?" he said, glancing over at her.

He was truly excited about the prospect of Endor. "That's a top contender for sure! You have any others?" he asked, not wanting to discount her other prospects without seeing them, his mind lingered on the previous venue though.

 

[Kalique Baize]

Watching his reactions was literally the best. She was excited, it thrilled her even more to see him this excited. Her eyes widened at the Endor one, simply because it something even more special and she'd never forget the day they had met right there. The venue wasn't even good far away from, the village, given that the moon wasn't that big, and she was in love with the idea to get back there...

"You do??". Sure, the venue was lovely, but she wasn't sure whether he wouldn't just prefer Spintir. "I do, too...it left me speechless at first, to be honest, and I still can't believe it's real". She nuzzled her head against him and swiped through the other photos of that venue, before she pulled back and met his gaze again.

"Booking designated transports will be easy. This way, it wouldn't be hard to get over there". Surely, it was quite a bit away, but that was what was literally good about it. "They would come...they wouldn't be very delighted, but they'd do it nonetheless". She had no doubts about that.

Even if Kalique had shattered every hope they had once had for her joining the Serennian nobility, they loved Jon and thus they had been rather excited about the news. Serenno had never been a place they had looked into in terms of venues and there was absolutely no reason for them to do so.

"Those were the ones I loved the most...I don't know, it's a hard decision though. Spintir is our home...Endor is where it had all started. I like that aspect of it...and also, I believe that Endor as neutral space would be perfect for our low-key celebration...but Spintir is our center". She weighted their options, but it seemed like she was leaning towards Endor still.

She didn't care whether anyone expected a huge ceremony from her - she simply wouldn't do it. This was her personal life and decision and she'd only share it with the people she wanted to share it with. This would be nothing official. They had settled on this a while ago, and in this regard, nothing had changed. So perhaps that was just another reason why Endor was perfect.

"I saw it in your eyes...you do like that Endor idea, don't you?". Perhaps it was easier to let him decide. The day had been filled with decision making, yet this was something totally different.


@Raydo

 

[Jonathen Baize]

He smiled as she scrolled through different pictures of the venue. It was clear she had a slight favorite too but came short of actually saying it. He sat quietly for a moment, looking over the pictures, simply enjoying her presence.

He listened to her weigh both options, making good points, many of which mirrored his own thoughts, except her last words. "Spintiir is just a place, you are my center..." he said truthfully, pulling her slightly closer. He had felt it, standing in their empty house. It wouldn't matter what he did to the place, or how many roots he put down. The thing that made it home was her and nothing else.

"I really do." he said, looking down at her. "Endor just seems right, it seems we both feel that way. Let's book it." he said. Endor was a place of beginnings for them, it only seemed right that they start this new chapter where their first had begun.

"Just don't invite your Ewok ex-boyfriend. Those things are always messy..." he laughed. "That shuttle ride with both of our parents should be....something.." he said, thinking about dragging them all to the far end of the Galaxy.

 

[Kalique Baize]

His words once again touched and warmed her heart so intensely that the day's struggles were forgotten for the moment. She felt relaxed and perfectly balanced while she enjoyed those precious, tender moments with him. She mirrored his view, hence the place truly didn't matter, but it was wonderful to know they now had a winner.

"Let's do it...I love the idea so much". She happily smiled at him before she threw up a quick email. She'd do that while their pleasant conversation continued, her head rested against his chest. "Whaaat?" she feigned a pout as he mentioned her Ewok nemesis before she couldn't stiffle the chuckle that inevitably followed.

"I bet he's changed...maybe he'd be happy for us" she argued, obviously joking, yet keeping her tone all serious. As the conversation circled back to their parents, the sheer image of all of them riding over together was amusing, especially because she could already see her dad scowling at the prospects of not having a golf course nearby for a few days.

"They'll get along just fine...your parents warmth will hopefully rub off on my parents before they land" she softly added before she hit send and put the datapad back down onto the table in front of them. With the location settled though, they could finally fully wind down for the night.

"I've got to be in again by 0900. Means, we do have some time left". She didn't have to head straight to bed to get some decent, which was good. Those precious hours at night were truly healing. She scooted closer to him before she wrapped one leg over his lap and thus climbed onto it, deeply meeting his gaze. She just wanted to be close to him, keep her mind off things for a few hours to once again start again fresh in the morning. "Are you tired?".

@Raydo