Private How Doth Your Garden Grow?

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Spring was in the air. The Shore was humming with life. Classes were done for the day and the children were outside playing in the hills. It was good to hear them laugh again. Running the Shore as an orphanage turned academy had provided Brandyn with a realistic glimpse into the lives of those less fortunate. He was even starting to reevaluate his own childhood in a more favourable light.

"Pera!" He called out across the windswept hill, "Remember that we do not go down to the lake again...right?"

"Yus, Mr. Sal-Soren," came the eager but slightly mournful reply. She had been reprimanded twice already. Brandyn wasn't sure what to do if there was a third incident.

He shook his head, a smile showing that he was not as upset as his tone had signified. Mr. Sal-Soren sounded so wrong for him. He wasn't that old, surely?

Looking up towards the only mar on the landscape, the landing zone, Brandyn smiled and waved his dirty hands toward a familiar face. He had asked Lorn here with the intention of having a serious conversation, but the surroundings made him feel lighter than the conversation's tone demanded.

Brandyn stood, brushing his hands together, and took a moment to admire his work on the vegetable patch. It was sufficiently weeded. There was some sort of life lesson there, he pondered. "No more life lessons today," he muttered to himself.

He gave his attention again to Lorn, who was still a ways off, and gave another little wave. There was a small basin of water at the gate to the garden, one with a slow tickle of water going into it. Brandyn dipped his hands into the tiny pool, and rubbed the dirt off his hands. He made a mental note to give the basin a clean out at some point soon. He would probably forget.

He was part way to the gate when he was almost trampled by a swarm of students. "Hey! Watch where you are going!" He said, and the offered various forms of jumbled apologies as they ran off over the grassy field to play catch.

Life was good. And his smile less forced than it had been in years. "HEY LORN! Welcome to The Shore!" He said, calling out. With a sweeping motion, he gestured to the humble though expansive homestead and orphanage. The buildings and gardens stood out from the rolling hills and grassy plains of this region. It was a humble abode. It was home.

| TAG: Lorn Reingard |

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[Lorn Reingard]

Brandyn Sal-Soren

​

Lorn stepped off the ramp of his compact shuttle, the landing gear hissing as it settled onto the platform. He inhaled deeply. The air here was clean, untainted. He let the fresh air fill his lungs, a welcome change. Placing his hands behind his back, he started down the grassy path towards the homestead.

The sight was… idyllic. Children dotted the landscape, their laughter carried on the breeze. And there was Brandyn, looking almost... exasperated, but with a clear affection in his movements as he kept a watchful eye on them. A genuine smile touched Lorn's face. It had been too long. He'd seen snippets of Brandyn during the Enarc situation and the Foundations conclave on Crait, but those fleeting encounters barely scratched the surface. He'd heard rumblings that Brandyn had taken a step back, seeking a quieter life, and judging by the scene before him, the rumors were true. It looked like Brandyn had found his place.

A burst of youthful energy nearly bowled him over as a group of children raced past. Lorn chuckled, waving back at Brandyn, picking up his pace slightly. He needed to find out why he was summoned here. He moved quickly down the pathway, his foot steps soft against the grass, as he approached the gate.

Reaching Brandyn, he extended his hand, a warm smile plastered on his face. "Brandyn! Good to see you, my friend. And I hear congratulations are in order. Another little Sal-Soren on the way, huh?"

Taking a step back, Lorn gave the vegetable garden a thoughtful once-over, admiring Brandyn's handiwork. "It's good to see you again, Brandyn. Really good. You look... happy, my friend. Genuinely happy."

His gaze drifted across the plains, following the energetic children at play. Another group dashed by with a ball, narrowly missing Lorn before he gracefully sidestepped. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be with babysitting... if that's why you called me out here." Lorn said with a laugh, a touch of self-deprecation in his voice. He chuckled, picturing himself trying to corral a group of rambunctious kids.

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Brandyn's arm slapped a little to firmly into Lorn's as the shook in greeting. He offered a sympathetic apology in the form of a wince. "Another little Sal-Soren," Brandyn said with a quick lift of his brow. He was nervous about being a father, and immediately far more protective than ever.

Happiness? Yes. He was happy. Brandyn dipped his head as if in shame that he should have it this good.

"No, no, no...no babysitting. We have Gianna here, and John comes and goes. Cybelle isn't going off world as much," he said as he started to walk a path that lead away from the buildings and the children as they played, "so far as babysitting is concerned we have that pretty much sorted. But when the baby arrives, you can Aiden can fight it out to see who gets first duty when Cybelle and I are going out for the night."

He offered a smirk towards Lorn, before pushing a gate open so they could access the privacy of the fields ahead. Brandyn ran. his fingers through the long grass that brushed against the top of his thighs. It reminded him that they needed to shift the animals to this field to get the grass down.

"Happiness is something we can all have, Lorn. Something you can have," Brandyn spoke in a slower more contemplative tone, "something sister...should have..."

He realised in that moment that the pause might not have been a good thing. Lorn might have gotten the impression that this was a set-up conversation.

"I am worried about Briana, Lorn. You have seen the headspace she is in. You have been privy to many of the horrible things she has been apart of...and it is not just recent events. She takes the world on her shoulders. Right now...almost literally taking Naboo on her shoulders. It makes me uneasy. About the future. About her future. About...all of our future."

| TAG: Lorn Reingard |

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[Lorn Reingard]

Brandyn Sal-Soren

​

Lorn followed along the path, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest. The image of either him or Aiden attempting to wrangle a kid was rather amusing. Aiden, with his gentle nature, would probably have a better shot at it. Lorn, on the other hand, envisioned himself more in the role of the stern, but ultimately loving, uncle. The thought brought a genuine smile to his face, picturing Brandyn and Cybelle's sheer joy with their expanding family.

They moved into the field, the tall grass swaying rhythmically in the breeze. Lorn could practically feel Brandyn's internal gears turning, working up to whatever he wanted to discuss. He almost burst out laughing when Brandyn suggested he could find the same happiness. Here he was, a seasoned warrior, almost resigned to a life of quiet sorrow. He waved it off without even realizing it, and they continued their walk when the real reason he was summoned here came out: Briana. Lorn had sensed the tension between the siblings the last time they were together, something unspoken hanging heavy in the air.

The brief pause allowed them to stop deeper in the field, the long grass swirling around them as Lorn instinctively searched for the underlying reason for this invitation. He didn't particularly possess any special influence over Briana, nor could he claim to fully understand the depths of her grief.

Lorn stopped walking and looked out to the rolling hills, taking in Brandyn's worried words. "She does carry a heavy burden." Lorn admitted, remembering the subtle, yet distinct, shift he'd noticed in her demeanor ever since the Hapan wedding. The weight of leadership, the decisions made, the lives affected, it all seemed to be etching itself onto her.

"But she hasn't led us astray yet..." Lorn trailed off, a flicker of the recent conclave on Crait crossing his mind. He remembered Brandyn's sharp words for his sister then. In truth, Lorn and Brandyn were in agreement about the conclave's outcome. While The Foundation didn't exactly say they would fight against the Alliance, some of those Jedi were too eager in the extreme. Lorn only thought about Naboo and the Republic, wanting to secure a future for its people, for children just like the Sal-Soren's newest addition.

Lorn paused, his eyes searching Brandyn's, a preference for directness winning out. It was time to cut through the polite preamble. "What are you suggesting, Brandyn? Name it. I will do everything I can to help."

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

This was a hard conversation to navigate. Lorn tried to cut to the chase but Brandyn understood that being too blunt might lead Lorn to thinking Brandyn was determined to take a set path. Instead, Brandyn just needed to test the waters.

”I love and trust my sister. But there is one thing she has never been good at. None of us Sal-Sorens are particularly good at it,” Brandyn said with an attempted smile, "she can often not see when she has gone too far."

Brandyn plucked an ear from the nearby seeding stalk of grass. With it in hand he began nervously pulling at its bounty. He rolled one of the many seeds between thumb and forefinger.

"I just want to know, Lorn, if you will be able to see when she...has gone to far," Brandyn said before lifting his heavy eyes to see Lorn's reaction.

“And, if I can rely on you if that moment were to come."

| TAG: Lorn Reingard |

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[Lorn Reingard]

Brandyn Sal-Soren

​

Lorn's gaze didn't waver from Brandyn's, though he noted the nervous fidgeting with the grass seed. He understood. Brandyn wasn't asking him to undermine Briana, but to be a failsafe, a voice of reason when she might be blinded by her own convictions, by the crushing weight of leadership. It was a huge request, a responsibility that Lorn didn't take lightly.

He considered his words carefully. He couldn't outright promise blind obedience, but he could offer something more substantial: his unwavering honesty and a commitment to the well-being of Naboo, a principle they both held dear.

"I will be honest with Briana, always." Lorn said, his voice firm and steady. "I will speak my mind, even when it's difficult. If I believe she is straying from the path that is best for Naboo and its people, I will say so. I will not stand by and watch her, or anyone, make decisions that could jeopardize our future and the future of your child."

He paused, letting his words sink in. "And yes, Brandyn, you can rely on me. If that moment comes, I will stand with you, and with Cybelle, and with Naboo. But know this, I will only do so if I truly believe it is the right thing to do, for all involved. I will not be swayed by personal loyalties alone."

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

His heart had been racing as Lorn spoke. But with the words of his fellow Shirayan Knight sinking in, Brandyn relaxed the previously unnoticed knots in his shoulders. He dropped the grain that he had been playing with and rubbed both hands over his face.

"Your loyalties lie with mine," Brandyn said with a thoughtful nod, "with the people and planet that have given us both a second chance."

He extended his hand towards the Knight. A wary smile graced his face. This matter had been keeping him up. It was good to not be alone. "I can respect your conditions. They are my own."

He turned towards the buildings that were now a small walk away. "Cybelle's mother is here. She has been promising something special for our evening meal. Will you join us?"

He began to walk towards the house without giving Lorn a chance to say no. "You know Lorn...there is this really lovely Theelin that I met at the market the other day. Don't see many Theelins about...I could introduce you two?"

| TAG: Lorn Reingard |

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[Lorn Reingard]

Brandyn Sal-Soren

​

Lorn nodded, a silent affirmation passing between them. They were aligned, two Shirayan Knights bound by a shared oath to Naboo and its future. He clapped Brandyn on the back, a gesture of reassurance. "Relax, Brandyn. We've got this." he said, the weight of responsibility feeling lighter now that it was shared.

As they strolled towards the cluster of buildings, Brandyn's attempt at levity brought a genuine smile to Lorn's face. "Of course I will. How could I refuse a home-cooked meal and the company of good friends?"

A few steps later, Brandyn's mention of the Theelin woman at the market snagged Lorn's attention. He shook his head, a faint blush rising on his cheeks. Romance had been a distant afterthought, buried beneath years of duty and war. "A Theelin, you say?" he questioned, a hint of curiosity piquing his interest.

"I might just take you up on that, Brandyn." Lorn admitted, a touch of self-deprecation coloring his tone. "Though, I confess, I'm not much of a 'catch' these days." He chuckled, the sound a little rusty, but genuine.

As they walked towards the promise of food and friendship, Lorn felt a sense of hope blossom within him. Maybe, just maybe, Naboo wasn't just a second chance for duty, but a second chance at life itself.