Korvin had gotten the word about racers gathering tonight, so he was a bundle of nerves at finally having his chance to return to the community and his top priority. Well, maybe it wasn't his top priority any more? He'd tried to send a message to his... more top priority, hoping she'd be there to see him. Which, with not knowing if she could -- if she would -- the usually cool young man probably looked pretty frazzled.

Instinct had kicked in for making sure he ate before race time. He was almost walking into his favorite little place with the insanely cheap lunch special before he realized it. Of course, the meal wasn't so cheap around dinner time, but ordering something he knew was safe was calming. No extra decisions right now, thank you, he thought. He drank from a large glass of water alongside his bubbly drink, trying to make sure the day's heat wouldn't be the thing that made his racing return a flop.

At one point, he had his head in his hands, taking a deep breath to clear the swirl of thoughts in his head.

"Do they still have that ronto roast plate?" A voice asked.

Jaxom had stopped in for dinner, continuing to sample the restaurants he knew from the old days.
Seeing a somewhat familiar face, he'd approached. Best to get to know the people he was getting involved with.

It takes Korvin a moment to register the question is directed at him, even though he's almost the only customer in there.

"Oh, er, I think so? Sorry, I usually order the same thing... And apparently I'm pretty distracted tonight. Uh, please order something and sit. Company's probably a good idea," the young Pantoran says with about three-quarters of a smile.

He placed his order and sat down.

"Korvin, right? Jaxom. What's got you so distracted?"

"First night back racing after... almost two months," he says, not even trying to keep it to himself. "My bike, Ruby, I know she's ready. And I am too; I've been so ready to get back racing..."

Some of the tension eases as he changes subjects: "Also, there's this girl... Hopefully she's coming to watch me race. So... you know."

The younger man took a long pull from his bubbly drink, then gave a small huff of frustration.

"Hmmm. I never did get into racing." he mused. "Speeders and ships have never been my thing, in spite of what dad would have liked. Girls, however. I can understand that. She'll be there."

"You really...?" Korvin responds excitedly, then turns a little more shrewd. "Wait, you don't even know...," he says, eyes narrowing, then letting out a big laugh.

"You're a good guy, Jaxom. Thanks. You got problems that need a pep talk too?" he asks, smiling but genuine.

"I've been giving this optimism thing a try." he shrugged. "Coming back to Bellionas has thrown that off a bit, though. I'm still not sure I should be here."

"How long ago did you leave?" Korvin asks thoughtfully. "My parents say it wasn't good, even before the Empire. Republic occupation during the war and everything." The Pantoran's tone takes on a grimmer tone talking about it, although he's clearly too young to really remember what life was like during the war.

"It's just worse now." He shrugs. "So it should be able to get better again." He doesn't sound particularly optimistic, but has the stubborn surety of youth.

"Eight years." he answered. "I left before the worst of it. Before the Kaydes. I had been an active part of the resistance and the protests, but my name carried a lot of suspicion. People knew what my father had done, what he was still doing. I just had to leave."

Korvin looks down at the table for a minute. He takes a chill of water then looks up at Jaxom.

"I think... I think the suspicion was why my dad retired from politics. He was a firebrand... firebreather... some word for being really outspoken during the occupation. Everyone knew who he was. My sister and I were little, but we still noticed. The big meetings stopped. There were a few, smaller, louder meetings, then people stopped coming to the house at all. I mean, occasionally someone still does, but it's rare."

He nodded. "As the Republic became the Empire, it became clear that dissention would not tolerated. People gave up, or left. A lot of people blamed my father for allowing the Republic a foothold. He allowed them onto the foundry, surrendered his work to them, joined them. I hated him for it, everyone did."

He stared down at his caf for a moment.

"But, after what I saw on Kamda, I think I understand. It could have been a massacre. The Republic didn't need the foundry, the clones were brought in to stop us from building ships for the CIS. They could have just destroyed everything."

Korvin listened attentively and nodded solemnly in agreement. "I wonder if my dad regrets opposing the Republic. I mean, no one could have seen the Empire coming, but it makes... Makes the Republic seem pretty reasonable."

Korvin stops there as food arrives, taking care to avoid any provocative statements around people of uncertain alignment. Once the server had moved on, Korvin asks, "Jaxom, do you remember anything about the Jedi?"

"A little." he nodded. "When they first arrived, there was concern that they'd discover what was being built at the foundry. It really worried my father. They brought the clones back."

Korvin nodded along, and he paused before he spoke. "I mean, the Jedi were part of the Republic, which was bad, but... My dad doesn't like to talk about the Jedi. Like, even less than he likes talking about the Republic, and he really doesn't like talking about that anymore... It's weird. Like I've heard some people say the Jedi destroyed the Republic, but... I don't think that's what happened." He finishes in a quiet, pensive voice.

He shrugged. "I don't really see much difference between the Republic and the Empire, other than the latter being more heavy handed. I don't know what happened with the Jedi, but things do seem worse without them."

Korvin looks very pensive.

"I don't... I don't want to say anything crazy, but... If the Empire is a lot like the Republic, but without the Jedi..." The young Pantoran trails off, not fully articulating what's clearly showing in his eyes.

"I viewed the Jedi as the enemy during he war." Jaxom said. "They were the Republic's crazy powerful mystics, who could expose us and ruin our efforts for independence. But, if they did betray the Republic, maybe things weren't what they seemed. My friend is my enemy's enemy."

"Yeah..." Korvin doesn't seem sure of what he's saying -- if he's really saying anything at all -- but he nods a couple of times and then looks like he's feeling better.

"Maybe girls are simpler than politics," he says, half jokingly. "At least most of them aren't actively hunting people down."

He shook his head. "In my experience, girls are never simple. But, the simpler approach is probably best. Trying to figure a girl out often leads to trouble. Just pay attention to her and be yourself."