Private Proposals

[Alicio Organa]

AMANI AND ALICIO'S APARTMENT, CORUSCANT
LATE AFTERNOON
​

Residing only a few minutes from the Senate Building, the Serys/Organa apartment was a small affair. While it had once housed only the sparsest of living arrangements, all themed in dull greys and blacks, the space had sprouted a bit more color since Amani had moved in. Straddling the line between cozy and cramped, with only a few different rooms and a small kitchenette, one might expect a more extravagant living space for an Alderaanian noble and a Jedi Council Member. And they would move, eventually. But for now, Alicio enjoyed the intimacy. He didn't need a big house to feel at home.

Though it would have been nice to have a little extra space, considering he'd invited over the Sword of the Jedi.

Recent developments in the Senate had soured Alicio's views of the Alliance. The result of their vote on Denon sickened him to his stomach, to the point he almost felt like hurling. All he knew was that he couldn't give up on the people of Denon. He had to help them up from under corporate control, however he could. Hopefully, Val could help.

Alicio spent a second too long staring at the couch, trying to decide if it was clean enough for Valery to sit on. A goofily-faced stuffed purple nerf stared at him judgmentally from atop the furniture. He gave it a scowl, before moving on to the kitchen, and checking on something within the stove. Then he went back to staring at the living room. At Chauncey's stupid, lovable face.

He was lucky enough to consider Valery a friend. Perhaps not as close a friend as she was to Amani, but a friend nonetheless. Close enough to accept a secret meeting at their apartment. To listen to a proposal. To try his famous cinnamon bread.

And maybe let Alicio ask for some... personal advice.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

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Tag: Alicio Organa

After leaving Vera with Iris Arani for the rest of the day, Valery stepped out of her apartment in a casual outfit very few would ever get to see her wear. These days, she almost always walked around in her Jedi attire, but for more social visits like this, she didn't want to be seen as the Sword of the Jedi, or even just a Jedi in general — to friends like Amani Serys and Alicio, she was just Valery. They had never made her feel weird about her role as a Jedi in their friendship, but it was nice to change up outfits as a reminder of it all.

Today, though, she wasn't visiting both of them. Amani was out there somewhere, perhaps handling her new Padawan, and Alicio had asked if they could meet a little more secretly. She knew it would be an opportunity to catch up some, but after what happened with the Denon bill, she had a feeling there was a little more to it. Iris had felt different because of it, and Valery herself was severely conflicted about the decision as well.

She just didn't have the time to focus on Denon as much, so all she could do was make sure those who could focus on it were given the tools and permissions they needed. It's what she tried with Iris, but the vote was definitely a setback.

Knock, knock, knock.

Valery waited quietly in front of his door after taking a taxi ride there and fixed up her hair a little. She wanted to look presentable, even though it hardly really mattered, and even felt a tad nervous about this meeting. What if Denon did come up, and they couldn't come to an agreement about it?

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio turned his head a moment before he heard the knock on the door. He took a deep breath in, before stepping towards the door, and opening it, the smell of baked cinnamon wafting out behind him.

"Hey, Valery," he said, offering the Jedi Master a small smile, and a quick hug, if she so desired it. He was dressed in simple blacks, with some hidden tension behind his face. He stepped to the side, allowing Master Noble entrance. "Come in."

"I hope you're hungry," the Count said, following Valery in, only splitting off to step into the kitchen. "I have bread in the oven, and I'm certainly not eating it all myself."

He looked at her, his piercing grey eyes a conundrum. "How have you been?"

Too much had happened since they spoke last.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Commission
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Tag: Alicio Organa

The second the door opened and Alicio appeared, Valery beamed him a bright smile, but she had already picked up on the tension behind his own through the Force in those first few seconds. Or perhaps it was just because she felt a little tense herself. It didn't stop her from stepping closer for a quick, friendly hug, though. "Heyy, it has been a while!" She said, wanting to keep things light between them. They were good friends, so there was no need to be awkward.

"Actually, I am quite hungry so I'd love to try it. I've been training today and I got a little too into it. Lost track of time and had to still drop Vera off," she said with a soft sigh while she entered the apartment and looked around. She could instantly tell what part of its decorations were influenced by him and by Amani, which got her to chuckle. "Speaking of which, she wanted me to give you this."

Valery offered a sheet of paper, which had a typical 5-year-old drawing on it, depicting their little trip to the festival. Of course, she had chosen the water fight for her drawing. "She also asked about seeing you again soon. I know you're very busy but her birthday is coming up and it would mean the world to her if you and Amani could make it. She doesn't have many friends because we moved, and she really loves you both," Valery said, and as he rotated around the sheet of paper, there was also the invitation to her birthday party, made by Vera herself.

"I've also been well, just busy and recovering from a recent trip with my partner. What about you?" she asked carefully, already knowing the answer a little bit.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio studied the picture as it was passed to him with a small grin, which slowly widened as he realized what was on the page. A valiant struggle of good and evil, fought with water guns. All of his nerves seemed to banish themselves in that moment, as he gazed upon Vera's drawing. The adorably-designed birthday invitation on the back made his heart grow a few sizes.

"Magnificent," he said, neatly placing the sheet of paper on the kitchenette island. "Of course, I'd be happy to make time for Vera's birthday." He had been entirely enraptured by the little girl's antics on Pasaana, nearly dying from cuteness overload a few times. Any chance he could make her life a little brighter, especially considering recent events, he would take.

It wasn't like the Senate would miss him, anyways.

"I've also been well, just busy and recovering from a recent trip with my partner. What about you?"

A rather loaded question. Alicio decided to take a positive approach.

"Well, Amani and I took that trip to Mirial." He grew a soft smile as his mind turned to their vacation, his hand tracing his forearm, whereupon rested a small, intimate tattoo. "We walked around, watched a play with surprisingly good production value, attended a ceremony... It was lovely, Valery."

"Otherwise... there was... an issue on Alderaan. It's handled, mostly." Why he declined to mention it was an assassination attempt, he didn't know. Valery probably had heard the news. Everyone in the Alliance that read the daily news had likely seen it in the bulletins. Maybe he just didn't want the pity. "And then the vote on Denon."

"That's what I wanted to talk with you about, but before that... Could I ask a strange question?"

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Commission
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Tag: Alicio Organa

Valery couldn't be happier when Alicio accepted the invitation, and for just a moment, all the earlier tension faded away completely, "Awwe, I'm so glad to hear it, thank you. She's going to be so happy," Valery said with motherly love in her voice. Even though Vera always seemed happy and energetic, she had been struggling a little with the move, so a birthday party with friends and people she looked up to would do her well.

The conversation then shifted and while she expected for it to turn to recent events on Denon, Alicio decided to focus on the better parts of life first. "She told me about the trip and showed me her tattoo; it's so adorable," Valery said with an encouraging grin. She could easily tell just how happy they were with each other, and she'd always remain their biggest supporter. "I'm glad that you two had an amazing time and cherish it all. Before you know it, we're all focused on the wars again," Valery said, her expression a little less bright, but not somber. It was part of the lives they had chosen, after all.

"I heard about Alderaan as well - I'm glad you're okay," she said, not wanting to linger there too long. The topic, however, didn't really get better, as Denon was finally mentioned. Valery quietly nodded and let out a soft sigh, "Yeah, I had a feeling we'd talk about it, and that's fine."

"And of course, you can always ask me anything," Valery said with a slight tilt of her head. She was clearly quite curious to find out what this was going to be about.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio smiled a little sheepishly as Valery mentioned their shared tattoo. Still, he proudly displayed it to the Jedi Master as it was brought up. A small triangle and line, combining with it's match to create a full diamond. Her following comment broke a little of his bliss.

"I worry for Amani, you know," he said, a bit of shade covering his grey eyes. "I know I shouldn't. She's an incredible warrior. One of the best healers in the Jedi Order. But... I worry anyways." He hummed under his breath, feeling a little guilty for bringing it up. "I don't want her to get hurt."

Valery had heard of the attempt on his life. Alicio's lips puckered sadly, content to let the topic drop as quickly as her. He also brushed off Denon for the moment, taking special note of Valery's quiet sigh. Instead, he focused on his strange question.

The Count turned away from her, pulling on some mitts to remove his bread out of the oven, the aroma of cinnamon only growing. "Apologies if this is an... awkward question, but... I don't have many people I can ask." He took in a deep breath, focused on cutting his loaf into slices. "Um... how does one know they're ready for... the next step?"

He finally turned around, a cautious, hesitant smile on his face. He was sure Valery could guess at what he meant.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Commission
Appearance: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"I'd be more surprised if you told me that you didn't worry," Valery said with a hopefully comforting smile. "You love her, and she's out on dangerous missions all the time. It is completely normal that it can make you nervous. But you're also right... she can handle herself. I've seen her punch and kick her way through droids and crush the flamethrowers of a huge war droid," she smirked a little as she thought about it all. They really got up to some wild stuff sometimes but with Amani, her best friend, it was always fun as well. Even if those missions were incredibly tense.

"If it helps at all, I've always got her back too, as she has had mine several times." In fact, she wouldn't be standing here today if Amani hadn't patched her up when she was severely injured by shrapnel once.

Alicio then turned away to get the bread out of the oven, but he also had a question for Valery that got her eyes to widen immediately. She understood exactly what he meant, and couldn't stop the excited squeal from leaving her lips. "Well..." she began, trying hard to contain herself. "It's different for everybody, but a lot of it is about commitment. If you two get married, you're really making it clear that you want to spend the rest of your life with her."

"...that you perhaps want to start a family with her as well." Amani had told her about those discussions, but Alicio didn't need to know that. It helped her now to bring up things that were familiar to him.

"Sometimes it's hard to put these things to words and know when it's the right time, but in your heart, you can feel when it is. That's what matters most."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio chuckled a little as Valery described some of her and Amani's antics. "Trust me, I know how strong she is." He clasped his hands together, looking down at them. "But I've also seen her get hurt. Granted, it took four vehicles hitting her at top speed at the same time, but still..." He found a sardonic smile. "I'm glad that you have each other, out there."

Gathering up the sliced bread and a bit of butter to spread on it, Alicio grinned sheepishly at Val's obvious delight at his question. Bringing the ensemble over to his coffee table, he sat down on the couch, motioning for Valery to do the same, as he listened to her. Even blushed a little bit as the Jedi Master brought up children.

"I think..." Alicio pondered his words a moment more, before responding. "No, I am ready. I love Amani, so much. And... I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her." Of that, there was no doubt. He'd had that promise tattooed into his skin. Still, something else was obviously on his mind.

"But... I'm worried to ask. I don't know how she feels, and I don't want to pressure her into anything she isn't ready for. Especially with House Organa's... situation." He frowned a moment, before gesturing to the baked goods in front of them.

"Let me know how the bread is."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

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Tag: Alicio Organa

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," Valery said with a grin that quickly shifted to a more comforting smile, "She might get hurt and there will be difficult times, but that's the real strength of these relationships. You get through those times together and when you need it, you have friends to turn to as well." Of course, it went without saying that she was one of them. No matter what they needed, Valery would always be there for them.

Valery then made her way over to the couch and slowly lowered herself. She crossed one leg over the other and watched as Alicio prepared the bread and returned with it. What she had told him seemed to have sparked something in him, and his readiness for it really said it all. There was, however, some doubt in him about how ready Amani was, which got Valery to snicker a little, "You're kidding me, right? She's head over heels for you. She just can't shut up about you either~" Valery said, clearly with a playful tone and a wide grin.

"In all seriousness, she wants the same thing as you. Just pick a good moment between you two and make her feel special. She'll be the happiest woman in the Galaxy to hear it from you," Valery said, fully convinced of herself before she finally leaned forward to take a slice of bread. After taking a bite, she smiled approvingly.

"I love it," she said after swallowing her bite, "Would you mind sharing a recipe? I think Vera would love this as well. In return, I can share some of mine~"

 

[Alicio Organa]

He found some comfort in Val's words. Neither Amani nor Alicio were alone, and neither of them only had each other. He shot the Master a genuine, easy smile. "Thanks, Val. It doesn't help my worry, but... I do feel a little better." He inclined his head to the Keshian. "You know, you also have us to turn to, for whatever you need. Amani's probably the one to ask if you require healing or fighting, of course, but if you ever need... um... political assistance, I guess... I'm your man." For the one who taught him so much when he needed it, anything.

Valery's disbelief at his fears brought a hint of rose to his cheeks again. "You two talk about me?" Of course they did. They were besties.

Deep down, he knew already that Amani held the same feelings as him, but to have someone come out and say it gave him the confidence he needed.

"Okay," he finally said, ponderously. "A good moment. I'll think about it." Then overthink it. Then chastise himself about overthinking it. Then overthink chastising himself about overthinking it.

Alicio tried not to look too interested as Valery took a bite of the cinnamon bread, beaming wide as she seemed to enjoy it. "Of course," he nodded, already sending the recipe the Jedi's way. "You can take home the rest of the loaf, too. An early birthday present for Vera." There was something deeply fulfilling about creating something he could share with others.

If only statecraft were so simple. Alicio's mood cooled.

"But... That's only half the reason I wanted to talk with you today." He paused a moment, taking a slice of bread for himself.

"Denon."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

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Tag: Alicio Organa

"Good, I'm glad to hear it and... I know. Thank you," she said with a warm smile but he likely knew her well enough to understand that she wasn't really one to burden others with her problems. Part of that was her stubbornness about certain things, but she also kept herself so busy addressing the issues of others, that she found little time to deal with her own. In the past, Kahlil had sometimes forced her to take breaks and talk about things, and now Aldric knew exactly how to deal with her as well. So perhaps there was a chance she would approach them but whether she did or not, she appreciated the offer.

On the topic of Amani again...

"You two talk about me?"

Valery grinned mischievously and flicked some of her long hair over her shoulder, "Mhmm, but don't think you'll get more out of me~" she shot him a wink and nodded. It was definitely for the best that her private conversation with Amani remained between just the two of them. For reasons.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, but don't stress too much about it." She had known him longer than just today, so he was definitely going to overthink it. "You don't have to do something crazy to make it meaningful. When you ask her, she'll know."

She then gave the bread a try and turned her eyes to Alicio to show him she enjoyed it. As far as she knew, she had never seen someone watch her eat bread so intensely, but it faded when he noticed that she loved it. "Oh really? That's too kind," Valery said, now beaming a bright smile of her own. "I'm sure Vera will love it too. I'll let you know or maybe I'll let her holo-call you two sometime soon."

But finally, as expected, the conversation shifted to something quite serious again — Denon.

"Yeah... I figured. After the vote, I arranged a small meeting with DireX board members for myself. Nothing big, as I can't change anything politically and I haven't been involved much on Denon, but new plans will have to be made. Plans I'm sure you're already working on...?"

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Mhmm, but don't think you'll get more out of me~"

Alicio snapped a playfully annoyed smirk at Valery. Apparently, being one of the greatest Jedi in the Order's history didn't stop her from being coy.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, but don't stress too much about it."

...Or reading his mind.

At the last mention of Vera, Alicio's smile became more genuine. "Definitely, anytime she wants to talk. I know how hard it can be, moving to a new place when you're so young."

But finally, they shifted the conversation to what weighed heaviest in his mind. Alicio listened to Val, taking a quick bite of his bread before responding. "Yes, I've been plotting..." the Count muttered, apparently finding the word distasteful, despite it's technical accuracy. "The vote... didn't go the way I expected it to. In hindsight, it makes sense, Senator Holst was a corporatist lobbying against corporatists. No party wants to get anywhere near that." Alicio frowned. "Still, there's plenty of evidence suggesting there are civil rights violations on Denon, and the Senate just decided... it wasn't worth the time. And even if I have time to create a better case than Holst, I suspect the result might be similar. I'm still going to try, but... we need a trump card."

"Investigations can be launched independent of the Assembly..." he started, relinquishing a datapad onto the table. The same one Iris had passed him at the meeting. "Neither the Jedi Council, nor the SIA, are beholden to the Senate. All they need is a smoking blaster." He nodded towards the datapad, willing Valery to take a look at it's contents.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

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Tag: Alicio Organa

His willingness to talk to Vera over a holo-call brought that warm, motherly smile again. Anything that helped her little girl be happier was important to her, so friends wanting to help meant so much. "Thank you, I'll let her know," she said with a final smile before they moved on to the topic of Denon. The mention of civil rights violations hardly surprised her — she had witnessed and stopped some herself long ago.

But with her own purpose to the Force and Jedi changing, she no longer had the time to focus on it. There were, however, plenty of others who could make a difference on Denon and she knew her own former Padawan to be one of them. "Hmmm..." Valery muttered as she accepted the datapad and took some time to quickly go through the files. Some of it was familiar to her, but there was a lot more than she had expected.

Yet, the senate had voted against the investigation.

"Investigations can be launched independent of the Assembly..."

Valery looked up again, a more serious expression on her face while she listened and began to understand what he was saying. It was a dangerous statement to make, but one she couldn't disagree with entirely. "You're right, but I'm sure you know it's not that simple either. There was a lot of tension between the Senate and the Jedi at the start of the Maw war. So much so, that we separated ourselves from official Alliance positions. But we do still need to follow the same laws and I fear that if we make moves against the decisions of the Senate, we could ignite a new problem between them and the Jedi."

"Politicians often care most about the power they hold and will be blind to any other issue as long as that power is threatened. So what will they do if they find out the Jedi are ignoring their decisions? Or the SIA?" She clearly feared that it would threaten all the immense progress they made fighting the Maw out of the core, and that was something she couldn't risk.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Valery's answer had been about what Alicio had expected; measured caution. Of course, he'd hoped for a different response.

The Count's first reaction was a twinge of annoyance, which upon only a second more of reflection, faded into understanding. It was unfair to judge the Jedi Council Member for her hesitation. It wasn't long ago that a rogue agent in the Senate struck a mighty blow against the Jedi.

But it didn't change his mind, either.

"The Jedi, or the SIA, would be ignoring a decision to willfully ignore the plights of an oppressed people." His voice was calm, but just as insistent as Valery's own. "If there were ever a reason to go against the Senate, that would be it."

Alicio frowned, distracting himself by rolling a piece of bread between his fingers, absent-mindedly constructing a little cinnamon ball. "It's no secret that there are corrupt elements in the Assembly. People that will do anything to keep their power. But if we don't stand up to the bullies, make the right choices despite their threat, they're going to keep taking ground."

"I'm going to try with the Senate again. Draft something less scheme-y than Holst's proposal. But if it doesn't work... I'm not going to allow the Alliance to turn it's back on Denon." Alicio's stormcloud eyes practically rumbled with intensity. "And I hope the Jedi won't, either."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Alicio Organa

While she didn't show it, Valery did pick up on the frustration that flowed out from him when she showed caution with this way of thinking. It was understandable, given the fact that the Senate was shutting down the formal and proper methods to address obviously significant issues. She could never disagree with him on that, but if this were to escalate, it could threaten so much more than just Denon.

If trust between the Alliance and Jedi was broken to an extent that it stopped the Alliance from fighting the Maw out of their territory, what would remain of Denon in the end? But was the risk really that big and worth turning one's back on Denon for? Valery wasn't entirely sure and probably had no way to be sure of it.

"Mhmm, going through 'proper' channels with the senate again will be good, especially if it works in the people's favor and gets them the help they need. But even if it doesn't succeed... it'll keep them distracted," Valery said, which also revealed that she wasn't going to just sit by and do nothing. "The SIA can be very tricky because their agenda is hard to understand and, quite frankly, I would not trust them blindly. Jedi can investigate if they have serious reasons to suspect laws being broken, though. Still... it would be for the best to conduct said investigations a little more... off-record."

That Shadow part of her eyes lit up and she made eye contact with Alicio, searching for his agreement with this part of the plan.

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Mhmm, going through 'proper' channels with the senate again will be good, especially if it works in the people's favor and gets them the help they need. But even if it doesn't succeed... it'll keep them distracted."

Alicio cast Valery a quizzical look. Distracted from what, he almost said, before the Jedi Master elaborated. His confusion turned to a resigned, mildly consternated look. He folded his hands in his lap, lips pinched together.

"Well... I didn't exactly get that datapad through proper channels," he admitted, rubbing his thumbs together. "So the concept of a... subtle investigation isn't foreign to me."

"Still, I don't like sneaking around," the Count said, turning dark eyes on Val. "It makes me feel like we're doing something wrong. But if you think it's the best way to protect the Jedi, and the people of the Alliance, I'm all for it."

Of course, he would try the senate again. Good and proper. But if that didn't work, something needed to change.

Something Valery had said earlier wormed it's way back into his mind. "You don't trust the SIA?" It was news to him. One more grievance against the Alliance to add to his list.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Tag: Alicio Organa

"I don't like sneaking around either with things like this," Valery admitted, having picked up on the way he looked at her as well. They both didn't really like this plan and approach at all, but they also both understood there likely was no other way. Not without the risk of losing everything in the war, Denon included. "But we're not breaking any laws, and we're going to be careful. We're just... keeping this investigation more internal."

It still felt a little off to her, but as long as nobody turned into a complete Vigilante for this, she believed they would be fine. Hopefully, though, a proper procedure through the senate from Alicio would prove successful. None of this would be necessary, then, and no risks would be taken to possibly shatter relationships.

"You don't trust the SIA?"

The question that shifted back to what she said earlier caught her by surprise, and got her to blink, "Well, it's... complicated," Valery said a little more sheepishly. "It's an intelligence agency full of spies and people trained to infiltrate, investigate and use whatever means they deem necessary to do so. Like other agencies, they have an agenda. But as you might know, I once worked for them, so I have a lot of contacts there, and good ones at that."

"I saved the Director's life once, and... my boyfriend is a Senior Agent as well."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio took solace in the fact that Valery felt as off-put as he did about a fully secret investigation. But they both knew that if the proper channels were to fail once more, it was the safest, most effective option. A little necessary... not quite evil. A necessary morally-ambiguous act.

The Count seemed to catch the Jedi off-guard with his question. Alicio smiled internally, wondering if Val's current blank, blinking expression was where Iris Arani had gotten her own shockingly similar surprised face.

Of course, his good mood disappeared as he brooded on the new information. "It seems everyone has a hidden agenda," the Count mused, including himself and Val in that number, now. "Everything is complicated. I... wish things could be simple. That there wasn't a game." A game he had steadily, annoyingly, been getting better at.

Of course, the last part of her thoughts got Alicio to raise one of his eyebrows teasingly. "Boyfriend?" He paused, obviously expecting the Jedi Master to tell him more.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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"It's sad how the Galaxy works sometimes, and you either play the game to win, or you can forget about helping people," Valery said with a frown of her own. She was a Jedi to help others and to do whatever she could to prevent the things that were running so rampant on Denon. For those efforts to be stopped just because of politics was difficult to accept. "But there are lines I won't cross, and I'm sure you feel the same way about that."

She then let out a sigh and figured the conversation was mostly shifting away from that topic. Alicio, however, had picked up on something else she said, and got her to blink again.

"Oh uh, yeah... I thought I told you already?" she asked with a sheepish smile, knowing that she hadn't. Amani had probably mentioned it to him, but now he had a chance to poke away at her for once and get some more up-to-date information out of her.

"Aldric Laurent and I started dating not too long ago. We met through the SIA years ago and reconnected when I tried to talk him into coming back."