Private Leviathan Sized Problems

[Kahlil Noble]

"You ever seen an Altagak before?" Kahlil lowered his hands from the controls, casting a glance towards the only person he'd ever bring on a mission like this. Offered a faint smile where he could. This was.. Well. There were a lot of things he'd done as a Sith. Killed thousands, raised even more as living corpses. Created some monstrosities and horrors. This was the deadliest by far. Sith Leviathans were the deadliest creatures a Sith could create. And even the one he made he couldn't control.

He just left it here out of the way until he was strong enough to control it. Not that he was here to control it now. Now? Now he was here to fix this colossal mistake.

"They're the Apex here, usually. Where we're going the uh, Leviathan eats them. To put it in perspective anyway. You ready for this?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Never seen one in person but I saw a picture."

Valery shuddered as that mental image re-entered her brain and turned her eyes back to her husband to meet his gaze. This was about correcting something he had done long ago, during a very different time in his life. Perhaps he had moved forward from that entirely, but she still wondered if there was something behind that faint smile. What they were going after together this time was far beyond the other Sithspawn they tackled, after all.

At his question, Valery briefly frowned — ever since the encounter with the Drengir on Xa Fel, she had been haunted by visions, especially at night, where they kept her from sleeping. He knew that was the case, but she had to be here for him."Even back before my stasis, Leviathans were the most dangerous creatures we could possibly run into. It's not going to be easy but together with you? I feel ready." Valery offered a brighter smile and reached out to place her much smaller hand over his to squeeze gently.

"You feeling good about this one?" she then asked, her tone caring and gentle while she tried to get a good read on him. It wasn't too difficult because of their unique bond, but it was important to her.

After a moment of connection with him, she turned her eyes back to the instruments, noting that they were getting closer to their destination. "We should land the Bastion a safe distance away and reach our target on foot. We can't risk it getting damaged." If they took care of the Leviathan, those Altagaks would still be around.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I don't feel really good about the whole situation, but I feel fine with handling it if that's what you meant." He raised a brow as he glanced her way. They were here because of the crap he did as a Sith after all. But with her? Yeah. Kahlil smiled and nodded his head. They'd be able to handle it together. The ship landed in a patch of tall grass, flattening the field out in the process.

Then he stood. Patted his saber.

"Let's go."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Yeah, I meant about handling this. But..." She paused and offered a soft smile while she withdrew her hand. "I also hope you don't feel like you still owe it to others to do this. You've done so much already, and today, we're taking something down together because of how dangerous this threat is." It was likely that he felt that way already, but a little extra support from his wife wasn't going to hurt, right?

People holding his past against him was something that could really grind her gears too. It was that caring, protective side of her that she couldn't control, and didn't really want to control either.

Soon enough, their ship landed in an open field of grass, and once the ramp had lowered, Valery strapped her double-bladed weapon to her belt and followed after him. "This world looks so peaceful, but what I feel up ahead is..." she pinched the bridge of her nose and strengthened her barriers again.

The Drengir's call was never-ending.

"For all my experience as a Shadow, I've actually never fought one of these before. I did do research in preparation but... any tips?" she asked with a faint, but loving smile.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I owe it to myself to stop this thing before someone else tries to use it." And someone very well could. Especially that undead who'd recently already escaped from his other lab. Not that he'd see that creation since it left. Part of the reason he was here now trying to get ahead of the thing after so long away. He blinked though. Glanced to Valery. What did she mean? The Leviathans were strong in the dark, but they didn't affect the mind.

Sort of. Blister traps were a different topic.

"Don't get caught in a blister trap. It spews lightning from it's mouth. .. And it's big. I mean, massive big. And it's hide isn't easy to cut through."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

One last time, Valery reached out with her hand, this time to squeeze his shoulder while she smiled. It wasn't really about comforting him because she could feel that he was calm and composed despite the legendary Sithspawn they were going to tackle together. She did it because she was actually feeling just a little nervous herself, and wanted to go into this with both of them sharp and ready. There was not going to be any room for mistakes today.

"A huge monster, Blister traps, lightning breath, resistant skin..." She smirked at how dangerous it all sounded. "The perfect date for us, I'd say," Valery said before she drew the hilt of her weapon into her hand and began to walk forward, through the field of grass and directly toward the source of darkness she felt.

"I read they were quite fast too despite their size, so be careful."

In her mind, she was already plotting out various ideas to fight it. From Kahlil pinning it down with gravity manipulation to her attempting a miniature Wall of Light to weaken it, and everything in between. Of course, that meant he was just as aware of what she was thinking about.

For several minutes, the two would continue to walk, but a sudden loud roar forced her to stop, right as they were approaching the edge of a large forest. She could not only hear but feel it moving around in the distance, and glanced at her husband once more.

"Do you think it knows we're coming?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I dunno, I thought the cabin was better."

He just waggled his eyebrows and cast her an all too wide grin. Good vibes, good memories. It was going to be important to remember to smile and avoid giving into the darkness that emanated from the Leviathan itself. The forest shook with a roar shortly after, causing his gaze to drift that direction. For his smile to dim, just a little. Did it know they were there? Kahlil's expression turned blank for just a moment.

Then he ignited his saber and carved it through the air. Blue glowed before them, another of his runes. Just as the trees cracked and burned. Lightning ripped through them, leaving nothing but ash before it clashed with the barrier he'd drawn.

His silver eyes stared in the distance. Only just now realizing he'd, at some point, just reached out to tug Valery close. Behind him. Old habits, it seemed. He turned his eyes towards her and cracked another grin.

"I dunno. Maybe?"

The barrier fell as the line within the trees that had been carved was still smoldering. Through the cloud of ash a pair of icy blue eyes flashed. Eyes larger than each of them. And the low, guttural growl.

You don't belong here.

Kahlil blinked. For once surprise filled his features as he glanced towards the silhouette.

".. Okay they don't normally talk."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I..." Valery looked at him, her cheeks faintly colored red and smiled. "I agree." She could tell that he wanted to keep the mood between them good and positive, and it worked amazingly well. Her frown had faded into a smile, and she felt less nervous knowing that she was going into this with him confidently by her side. But once that roar echoed through the forest and far beyond, her expression did shift a little as well.

Turning her eyes to Kahlil, she watched him draw a blade to quickly carve a rune, and just in time too, as a large blast of lighting ripped its way through the trees and rushed towards them. His hand pulled her close around the waist, and she just remained where she was, almost pressed up entirely against his back. Where she was protected.

She'd have likely been just fine, but she knew exactly why he did it and offered him a loving smile.

"Good, then we don't have to bother looking for it."

It was her turn to grin but this time, it faded much quicker than before. As the beast's eyes pierced through the smoldering forest, its voice not only rumbled through the air, but Valery could hear it inside her mind. She could feel the hive behind it, as well as its call for her to be part of it. "Ahh..." she pressed her eyes shut and turned her head away, as that stinging headache returned. "Babe it's... the Drengir."

She pushed out her breath and raised a fortress of steel around her mind, but she already had the answers. This Leviathan, as unnatural as it already was, had somehow grown into something even darker.

Another loud roar followed before the crackling of lightning warned both Jedi of the imminent attack. This time, Valery jumped off to the left, knowing that he'd be evading by moving to the right. She drew the hilt of her lightsaber into her hand and began to move towards it. Faster than any human could track, but so easily followed for his eyes. They were one, and this beast was going to be taken down.

"We'll have to completely destroy this thing to take it down!" Valery called out. If it had been changed by the Drengir, it was reasonable to assume that it could have strong healing properties as well.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

She felt something familiar, and in turn he knew what it was.

How in the Nether did they get all the way over here!?

Kahlil glanced her way, nodding in confirmation. Drengir. So much for this just being a Leviathan problem. He darted to the side just as Valery did to avoid the next burst of lightning that charred the very ground they were standing on. Eliminate it all at once, huh? His saber burned through the ground as he rushed through the trees, weaving in and out. Setting his runes where he needed in the blink of an eye.

"Keep it's attention as best you can. Avoid it's back, that's where the traps are. We have to keep it centered here!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Without looking, Valery could see that Kahlil was preparing something. Runes were being scatted throughout the forest, but these were very different from those he typically used. More powerful, and far more threatening even for a beast of this size. It brought a brief grin to Valery's lips and even before he called out to her, she already knew what her purpose was.

Distraction.

Her own plan to weaken the beast at the right time flowed through their bond as well, but for now, Valery tried to move in circles until the beast looked her way. She stopped instantly, raised both of her hands, and every tree that had been knocked over and scorched suddenly began to float around her. Without Padawans or civilians to worry about, she no longer had to restrain her own strength in the Force, and thus the forest began to levitate around her.

Valery's hands balled into fists, channeling the Force to crunch the tips of the trees into sharp points, and before the beast had time to unleash another lightning attack, she threw it all toward it. With its incredibly resistant hide, Valery knew that he'd survive easily, but this was about pissing it off and drawing its attention.

"I think it's working!" Valery yelled as the beast turned its entire weight around to roar at the Keshian. Lightning crackled again, as it prepared its attack, but something was different this time. She could easily evade the attack but still felt immense danger. The answer came swiftly, as vines lashed out from underneath her, grabbing around her ankles and legs in an attempt to pin her down. She began to cut her way through with her double-bladed weapon, but the beast was seconds away from unleashing its attack.

Chit... I'm not gonna make it in time

 

[Kahlil Noble]

The line Kahlil created behind him was filled with various, complex runes. The very forest seemed to be fighting against the Leviathan, though that was Valery herself. Good. No, wait. The Force shifted, sent it's whispers. It's warnings. He abandoned the runework to instead raise his hands. Willing the runes into existence from the Force took a lot out of him. Especially this magnitude.

But there wasn't time to just carve them manually. The ground lit up, the runes already placed igniting as he scrawled out the rest. Spread them around the area to surround the Leviathan itself. As it's maw opened, the runes flashed just before Valery's tangled feet.

Close your eyes.

Runes filled the circle. No longer was it just a ring, but a complex web spiraling to the center. Freeze, burn, ignite, pause, amplify, countless others intertwined and written flashed. Rose from the ground just as the lightning ripped from the creature's mouth. It'd never reach her. At the center of the spiral a mote of light, no larger than a pinprick, shot upwards. Then expanded. A column of light, covering the sky, ripped through everything. Sight, sound. All there was was Light.

It spread to the edges of the runic circle, and it when it faded, nothing remained. No trees, no Leviathan. Just smooth, charred ground. Kahlil let out a breath as he lowered his arms. Then took a half stumble of a step before just falling over.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

After a moment longer of fighting, Valery gave up on trying to fight herself free. She began to think about ways to shield herself without moving instead. Perhaps a Barrier? Tutaminis? Maybe she could phase right before the blast and go completely untouched that way? All of it was risky because she didn't quite know just how strong the lightning was. But right before she made a decision, Valery heard a familiar voice.

Close your eyes.​

She drew in a small breath, closed her eyes, and felt the immense surge in the Force, as the runes were activated, intertwined, and created a web around the entire area. An expanding column of intense light followed that she couldn't see with her eyes, but she could certainly see and feel it through their bond. It was a manifestation of all his strength in the Light, so there was no doubt in her mind about the outcome.

When her eyes opened, she no longer saw the Leviathan, and all that remained was charred ground and an atmosphere that felt much lighter now that the darkness of this beast had been purged. But they weren't quite safe yet.

"Kahlil!" She called out, as she watched him fall over. Without even realizing it, she tapped into the Force and burned down the vines around her legs, all so she could get to him as quickly as possible. But the Drengir were coming for him too. Not one, not two... at least a dozen were targeting just him to neutralize him after what he had done.

I'm going to shield you with a fortress of light. Not to imprison, but to protect.​

Her fiery eyes snapped to his body and with her hands raised, Valery drew on the pure Light within herself. It was an immensely demanding process to draw it all out, but before the beasts could reach her husband, a circular wall of intense blue light formed around him, created by her focused power. The beasts struck against this wall and in the process, their bonds to the Dark Side were severed for good, killing them all instantly.

Valery's arms fell beside her body and even though she felt exhausted, she ran over to him, dropped down to her knees, and pulled his head into her lap. "Heyy love..." she said softly, as she looked at him with the smile he always loved to see. Her hand slowly moved through his hair and even though she could feel that he was alright, she needed this for comfort. "You did it. It's gone and we're both alright," she continued but she was struggling to stop herself from just pulling him into a very tight hug.

"You feeling okay?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

A flash of light, and his head was on something.. Well, not quite soft. Warm, though. Familiar. He opened his eyes after a moment, looking up to give a brief smile. Then raised a hands for a thumbs up. Words would take a little. Every part of him felt exhausted beyond all belief. Totally worth it, though. His gaze drifted towards the now empty land around them. Drengir, Leviathans. All gone and dealt with.

".. Can't say I expect any less of the Sword, huh?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Hey, sleepy."

Valery smiled warmly when she watched his eyes open and noticed his hand raising to give her a thumbs up. Feeling just how exhausted he was, she was quick to grab his hand and hold it against herself while she gently squeezed. There had been no fear in her that he'd be in danger or not get through this, but it still felt good to have him close after fighting such an immensely dangerous Sithspawn.

Very few Jedi lived to tell the tale of fighting a Leviathan, let alone one altered by Drengir.

When he finally spoke after a moment, she rolled her eyes but chuckled with a grin on her lips at the same time, "Oh shush it. I couldn't have done it without you, babe. This Sword needs her shield." Without really thinking about it, she had one hand gently on his chest while the other continued to hold his hand. Her hair had fallen around him, and she leaned in real close to bring her forehead against his.

"I'm... going to have to carry you out of here, huh?" She finally asked after a moment, her tone now a little more playful. "Lucky you~"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Mm. I'll certainly be your shield."

He flashed her a grin, though it seemed a little too sleepy to tell if it was anything suggestive, serious, or just him being woozy. Not that it mattered. He squeezed her hand before just leaning his head up enough to catch her in a kiss, even after she set her forehead on his.

Most likely a little out of it.

"Proooobably. That's.. Whooo. That's a lot."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

She did not expect that comment.

Valery's sudden rosy cheeks hardly hid that fact either, but he was probably too exhausted to notice. Probably. Likely not... he loved her blushing way too much for it to go unnoticed. Luckily, he leaned in close and she was able to somewhat hide the heat in her face by bringing the heat into their kiss instead.

She just held him, lips locked and his hand held in her own.

"Hmm... just take it easy, okay?" she traced a hand over his chest and kept her lush lips only inches away from his. "Keep some of that energy for later." She chuckled and began to tap into her own strength to slowly help him up to his feet. If he could walk by leaning on her, it would be a lot easier than if she'd have to actually carry him.

She was very strong for her relatively small size though, so she'd carry him all the way back to Coruscant if she had to.

"It's a decent walk back, so just lean on me and we'll get there." But what Valery didn't feel in her own exhaustion, was that their way back wouldn't be so easy. Something darker stirred in the distance, and it was waiting for them.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Take it easy. Yeah he could do that. He slumped practically over her as he was pulled to his feet, smiling just a little in the process. Whatever sense of danger was around them still seemed lost to him. His focus was.. Distant, to say the least. No power came without it's repercussions, even for him. He looked around, smiling just a little more.

"Well. It worked, huh."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"That's... quite an understatement," Valery said before she lightly jabbed him in the stomach with her free hand. Not too rough, though. He was still exhausted and perhaps even a bit sore. "I knew those runes were powerful but that was quite... hot." She shot him a wide grin of her own and slowly began to walk back towards the Bastion.

Most of his weight rested on her shoulders but she wasn't going to buckle. She was way too stubborn for that, and she really wanted to be his support pillar right now. The way he'd always been for her.

Finally, once they had cleared away from the mostly scorched forest, Valery could spot the Bastion in the distance but there was something else as well that she could feel. Faint whispers reached her mind now that the Drengir's darkness could piece through her exhaustion, and she suddenly stopped moving. Her breath hitched before it turned erratic, and the arms she used to keep Kahlil steady began to tremble

"We're... not... alone," she gritted her teeth and watched the grass around her die.

They were here.

"Sit down, I'm not letting them harm you," Valery said with great determination while she slowly lowered him to the ground. She then drew her weapon back into her hand and stared down the approaching vines, her mind and body weaker than she would have liked, but she couldn't have had any better motivation to fight.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

More Drengir?

Kahlil's exhausted expression shifted to a frown. They were both spent at this point. More and more. They grew like weeds, huh? Ha, weeds. Man eating darkside weeds. Given how the ground rotted around them, that seemed to be the literal definition. He slumped to the ground, watching Valery for a moment. Then reached up to tap her forehead. There was a faint glow in his fingertips.

He gave a single rune. Shield. Her mind, so she could focus her powers elsewhere.

"Go get em, babe."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

After carefully helping him down, Valery was about to rise up to her feet to fight the Drengir, when she watched his hand reach up. He touched her forehead and at first, Valery just blinked, believing it to be some kind of loving gesture. But a second later, every whisper that still managed to get inside her head was suddenly silenced.

Her mind was shielded.

"Go get em, babe."​

Valery shot him her typical fiery grin, leaned close to kiss his cheek, and turned around to face the approaching Drengir. A burst of Force energy rushed through her body and with superhuman speed, she dashed between the two most forward Drengir. Her twin blades were twirling around in the process and used her momentum to cut them into little pieces. She jumped and backflipped over vines lashing out at her, only to land and spin around to cut more of them down.

Not to kill, just to weaken.

Maybe also to show off a little for someone special who was watching. Just a little.

With the Drengir trying to heal from their weakened state, Valery pivoted on her feet and drew in a deep breath. Her eyes seemed to glow and as her hands came up, the temperature all around her made a drastic shift. The molecules rubbed together violently and a huge fire erupted that was so immensely hot, that it incinerated the Drengir. She had to draw on her strength through the Dyad to do it, but the path forward was clear.

"There..." she said through a heavy breath as she slumped down to her knees. She was exhausted.