Private 28 Days Later

[Valery Noble]

Valery's Ship

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Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

Somewhere along the Alliance border...

Valery sat in the cockpit of her ship, eyeing her instruments and making the occasional correction to ensure a smooth journey to their destination — a small colony that had gone completely quiet after receiving an unknown freighter. A lot of things could have happened, ranging from pirates or even Mawites launching a surprise attack to malfunctions of communications equipment. While she hoped the latter would be the case, she had a very bad feeling about it all. The Force swirled darkly around this planet, and that's why she had decided to not go alone.

In the co-pilot seat to her right sat Alexander Hayes , a Marine who had recently returned to service and was in need to get back into the swing of things. There was still the hope that she wouldn't need a soldier for this mission, but if things were to go wrong, she felt more at ease knowing that she was joined by a Marine. In the past, especially in the days of the Old Republic, she had fought alongside soldiers countless times, and those interactions were among her most cherished. She got along with the military types quite easily, and they always appreciated her fiery spirit in combat as well.

It was a match made in heaven when it came to these types of missions.

"Alright, we should be arriving at the colony soon but until then..." she turned in her seat and looked up at the much taller man from the corners of her eyes. "Maybe discuss a few things? If you need to make any preparations or need to gear up, I have room for it on board. But if you can tell me what you specialize in, I'd appreciate it. I have no idea what we'll run into down there, but I have a feeling we're going to have to work together quite a bit."

Valery then got up to her feet and reached for a belt she had put aside earlier. It was different from her usual one, as it contained more pouches and room to clip items to it. Her whole outfit for this mission had changed to accommodate some extra equipment she wanted to bring along and to be more pleasant for the weather down there. It was a rather tropical planet, and this way she felt a little more of the breeze down there. "If you have any questions about the mission or for me, feel free to ask as well."

 

[Alexander Hayes]

Alex did his best to stifle the anxiety he felt welling up within him. He had barely returned to active service and he was already embarking on a mission. Which in of itself wasn’t an issue, he wanted to return to something that was familiar. His expectation was to be placed on a squad again, sent out onto another battlefield.

Not to be paired up with Valery Noble , the goddamn Sword of the Jedi herself.

He had heard of her, hell who hadn’t over the years? The woman out of her time, taking the galaxy by storm and becoming famous not just within the Jedi ranks, but the Alliance military too. She had been the focus of gossip amongst the troops for a long time. Especially considering she often worked alongside them. For Alex though, he had never met her personally until today.

The HoloVids did not do her justice.

He had to stop himself from staring upon meeting her, mentally reprimanding himself for almost acting like a gawking teenager. Yes, what a wonderful first impression there Alex.

But whether it bothered her, she didn’t show it. Instead, explaining the situation that had been decided upon by the higher ups. Apparently they wanted Alex to have a smoother time getting back into the swing of things. Do some small missions, rather than being thrown back into the hellhole that was war.

A brief tour around the ship, and they had set off. Alex had remained mostly quiet, opting to observe the Jedi Master as she went about doing her thing. Although, he often found himself looking at the walls around him.

The soldier shuffled in the co-pilot seat, turning it a bit to face Valery but not completely. A conversation? Force help him, did he even know how to hold one that wasn’t with someone he already knew? Alex mentally shook the thoughts away, no this was about the mission. Focus on the mission.

“Depends on what you wanna discuss.” He started, glad he hadn’t immediately got tongue tied. “Honestly I don’t take too much, I’ve got my rifle and pistol, maybe a few grenades and I’m good.” Alex wasn’t even dressed like you’d expect a marine to be. There was no armour, which albeit his old suit did get destroyed on Selvaris. Instead he was dressed more casual, trousers, shirt, jacket. Looking more like an off-duty trooper than anything else.

“In terms of specialisation? Well I’m good with a rifle, any kind of weapon really.” Alex looked away for a moment, a crack of a smile appearing as he was reminded of an old memory. “Had a bad habit early in my career, kept losing or misplacing my weapon. But I found a knack in picking up any weapon, even the enemy’s, and quickly learning how to use it.”

He turned to look at her again, debating what to ask her.

Do Jedi often use the art of distraction against their enemies? Damnit Alex, focus on the mission.

“Hmm, what kind of colony are we heading to? Civilian?” Any colony going dark was a bad thing, but there was a big difference if it was a military one.

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery's Ship

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

She had noticed.

While she made it seem like she was oblivious, Valery heard the comments soldiers made about her and saw the way some of them looked at her. It didn't really bother her, but she wasn't one to really address it or confront it either. In most cases, because of a lack of interest but often because it simply wasn't worth the trouble. Alexander was a little different though — he looked and shifted around awkwardly around her, but he didn't say or do anything inappropriate.

She could appreciate that, and she definitely had peeked his way a little as well, although much more subtly.

"I'd like to discuss whatever is relevant," Valery said before she listened to his answer. Apparently, he had everything he needed already, which surprised her a bit given his lack of armor. But for this mission, there was no real need to gear up like they were going to war. The colony was along the southern border, far away from the Maw and Empire, so it was highly unlikely that there would be a real fight waiting for them.

"In terms of specialisation? Well I'm good with a rifle, any kind of weapon really."

"Oh really?" Valery asked with a slight grin. Of course, he was good with weapons - he was a Marine. "I'm sure that'll be... useful." Joking or not, she did actually hope there would be no need to draw weapons at all this time. But should something happen, she knew she had someone with her she could count on. And he could count on her skills as well.

The soldier then looked at her and Valery's fiery gaze shifted to meet him directly. He asked his question and she dipped her head, "Civilian colony along the border. Mostly farmers and some scientists who were studying fauna and flora on the planet. 28 days ago is when some unknown freighter arrived, and we haven't heard anything from them since."

"It's... strange," Valery said with a sigh. Her eyes shifted to her instruments and for a moment, she remained completely quiet. When she looked back at him, it was with her usual charismatic smile again. "So I don't know much about you, Trooper Hay-" she paused. "Can I call you Alexander? Or do you prefer to stay formal with ranks?" Valery didn't care much for it, but she understood military discipline and their need to stay very professional.

"Anyway, have you been settling back in well? I heard about what happened on Selvaris. I was there myself."

 

[Alexander Hayes]

There was something in the way she grinned at his answer, that made Alex wonder if there was a meaning behind it. But then again, picking up on conversational cues wasn’t exactly his forte. So he took it at face value, and nothing more than that. At the end of the day, should the situation require actual combat, then it was always good to know you had someone at your back who was capable.

Alex listened intently to what Valery knew about the colony. He was relieved to know it wasn’t military, but there was concern that a civilian one had been quiet for almost a month now. On one hand, why was this only now being addressed? Surely it should’ve been checked long before now.

But he knew the answer, the attention was likely focused elsewhere. Resources for the ongoing wars had to be directed to the more crucial points.

The K’paur shook those thoughts away, now was not the time. Instead, he focused on the facts Valery had laid out. The colony had been focused on studying local fauna and flora, and only went silent upon the arrival of a freighter. Alex pondered if their studies had caused something, but the ship’s appearance was far too coincidental to not be involved.

His thoughts were broken by Valery’s voice, and he looked at her again just as she flashed that charismatic smile again. Damn it, I can feel my cheeks burning…

Alex attempted to disguise it with a shrug, “I’ve never been one for formalities, plus we’re not in a military setting so Alexander or Alex is fine.” He paused for a moment, then flashed a smile of his own. “As long as it’s alright to call you Valery.”

The next question had Alex looking away, opting to stare out at hyperspace zipping past them. He let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

“It’s been…rough. I was stuck in a medical facility for what felt like god knows how long. Never really been a civilian for longer than a shore leave. Not to mention it feels like I woke up to a different time.” The irony of his words didn’t pass over him, as he turned his head to look at Valery again. “Before I fell into a coma on Selvaris, we were only fighting the Maw. Now I’ve been hearing stuff about the Imperials?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery's Ship

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

"You can call me Valery, Alex," she said, her smile lingering while she chose to shorten his name. There was no need for formalities between them on this mission — it was no official military operation and she wasn't tied to any formal Alliance positions. She had also given up on a lot of the more traditional Jedi etiquette, with a few exceptions such as bowing to other Jedi and addressing them by rank and last name.

But Alex was no Jedi, and she hoped to at least get a good working relationship going with him.

After asking her question about him, Valery quickly noticed a shift in the man, both by looking at his eyes turning to the stars and because of what she felt in the Force. Selvaris had left behind mental scars that were unlikely to ever fade, and the more he talked about it, the stronger that deep, lingering pain felt to her. It reminded her of her own inner conflict, created by the loss of those close to her in the past, and more recently with the loss of her husband.

To an extent, she understood his struggle.

"I can imagine a little what you went through, and I know it's very hard. But I'm glad to see that you've returned despite it. Shows a lot of strength and I think being around the troops again, or others you trust, will help you move forward much better than taking an extended leave." At this point, she was clearly speaking from experience. Self-isolation could help if one knew how to turn inwards and reflect, but more often than not, surrounding yourself with the right people was a far better solution.

"Mhmm, the Empire attacked Ilum for its crystals. We stopped them, mostly, but it's another war at a different front..." she sighed and turned to him, but she didn't realize that her datapad still rested on the console, and knocked it off onto the ground. It got her to smile awkwardly before she leaned down to grab it, which took a moment as it had fallen just out of reach. When she came back up, a hand passed through her long, dark-brown hair, and her fiery gaze shifted back to meet his eyes.

"Oh and if you don't mind, I'll take lead on this mission. If it all goes well, you'll almost be just a body guard, but I have this feeling..." she frowned and decided to share it anyway. "The Force is warning me about this colony. So don't let your guard down, okay?" she asked with a caring tone of voice. He had lost enough already, so she wanted to make sure he'd get back home safe.

 

[Alexander Hayes]

“Perhaps, but a part of me feels like I’m just treading old ground. Being in the military, being a marine on the ground is what led to what happened to me.” Alex sighed as he voiced the concerns that had been circling in his head. “Kinda feels like I’m stepping back into the same minefield. Just asking for something to happen again.”

But he knew Valery was right, and that she was speaking from her own personal experience. He could only imagine the depth of that, considering she was removed from her original time. And yet, there was something else in her voice. There was something in that that felt like it was more recent.

Alex let out a grumble hearing what the Empire had been up to. No wonder the Alliance’s resources were so spread out, they were fighting two different wars on no doubt different fronts. It reinforced his belief that needed to strike at the heart of the Maw already, being too dispersed was only going to blow up in their faces down the line.

His musings were interrupted by the sound of something falling. Alex glanced over in time to see Valery lean over to pick it up, finding a small bit of difficulty reaching it. He found himself watching, until reality clicked back into frame and his gaze snapped back to the viewport.

And yet he found himself returning, his eyes settling on Valery again as she sat back up, taking a moment to move her hair. Alex was staring, and it wasn’t until a pair of fiery orange eyes stared back that he realized. The K’paur froze on the spot, but yet again the Jedi Master showed no outward reaction to it.

Definitely busted that time…

“That’s okay with me, I’ve never been much of a leader before. More use to following orders.” Being the leader was more of Aiden’s shtick anyway. The mention of the Force got a raised eyebrow from Alex. Right, that’s what that feeling was. “I won’t let my guard down, I’ve been feeling it too since we hit hyperspace. I feel a sense of unease in my bones.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery's Ship

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

After Valery swept aside some of her long hair and tucked it behind her ear, she looked back at Alex and noticed the way he looked at her almost instantly. He seemed to catch himself staring as well, so rather than make it more awkward by verbally addressing it, she just shot him a smirk and a quick wink - her first sign today to show him that she wasn't all that oblivious after all. "It might feel like the same minefield, but it's an important part of who you are, is it not?" Valery asked to give him little time to overthink her gesture. As fun as it could be to tease a little, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. They still had an important mission to focus on.

"I'm also not going to give you orders," she then added while she leaned back in her chair to relax and finally broke eye contact to look at the stars again. "I hold no military position, and it's just us two. I'll suggest things and might make decisions if they need to be made quickly, but I'd like your input as well. We complete the task together."

She turned her gaze back to him with a contagious smile. "That sound good to you?"

At the mention of what she had felt through the Force, Valery first nodded in response to his answer but it quickly made her realize something as well. Something she had felt already when he first entered her ship. "Don't often see Force sensitive marines," Valery said, clearly with a lot of interest in her tone. "Have you gotten any training to control it better at all? Or has it been difficult at times?"

 

[Alexander Hayes]

Just when Alex thought she might’ve been oblivious to the looks, Valery shattered that into a million pieces. Now he was sitting there, his cheeks burning red and well, he didn’t need to be trained in the Force to feel the amusement coming from Valery.

Gods, if Aiden could see me right now he’d be teasing me to no end.

It wasn’t like he was completely wet behind the ears interacting with women. During his military career there were plenty of shore leaves that provided opportunities. Alex just preferred to focus more on his duties as a soldier, rather than indulgences. But it certainly didn’t stop the other guys from teasing him.

And there was something different about this, about Valery.

He frowned in thought as she mentioned orders, but the realisation quickly snapped into place. Of course, this wasn’t a military operation. Valery wasn’t a superior officer even if she was taking the lead on the mission. He was still far too used to doing things in a military setting.

Alex could feel it, those fiery eyes looking at him. And sure enough as he turned he met Valery’s gaze. “Nah, that sounds good to me. I guess I’m still too stuck in my old ways.” He chuckled in response.

Her last question got a shake of the head from him. “Nothing formal, or rather I’ve never been trained by Jedi. K’paur have an innate connection to the Force. For me, I was raised as a Hayi, so I was taught how to control it.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery's Ship

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

She was definitely amused.

The awkward and almost apologetic look, the reddened cheeks and the knowledge that she had caught on to it - it was a fun little distraction from what was destined to become a very serious mission. She also felt he'd be completely fine again soon enough and able to move on from this, so she wasn't worried it could compromise his focus. That wasn't to say that she'd stop teasing and poking fun, though.

There was just something about him that not only made it easy, but very enjoyable as well. Deep down she knew the reason, but she was much better at hiding it and keeping herself composed.

"Nothing wrong with holding on to old training, but this is a pretty... unique mission. Soldiers usually don't work alone but Jedi do. So might take some adjusting." She flashed another charismatic smile and ran her hand through her long hair again as she turned to her controls. "We'll be fine."

Hopefully with them both assured and confident in the mission together, she allowed the topic to shift back to him, and his answer surprised her a little. "Can't say I know much about K'paur biology and culture. But that's...interesting." she searched for eye contact again and grinned for a moment.

"Would love to learn more, though~" she said with an almost sing-song voice.

At this point, the navi-computer alerted them that they were approaching the planet and as soon as they dropped from hyperspace, Valery and probably Alex too could sense a strange kind of darkness. One that didn't belong to Sith or Dark Jedi but some other kind of evil.

 

[Alexander Hayes]

Alex mused over Valery’s words. She was right, this was a pretty unique mission for him. He’d spent the better part of almost a decade in the military. As one soldier in a squad, that in of itself was a part of a larger unit. He never ran solo, always had his brothers in arms at his side.

Well aside from the times he took a gamble and charged into a situation he shouldn’t have. But even then, they were right behind him still. This would be the first time he’d be flying as a duo, completely removed from the usual battlefield he found himself on. A part of him wondered how this mission would go. The colony going silent could simply be down to a malfunctioning communication array.

He glanced over, catching another one of the Jedi’s smiles. Though this time his cheeks didn’t burn as bad as before. Plus he threw in his own small grin. Yeah, they’d be fine.

When the conversation turned to K’paur biology, Alex raised a curious eyebrow at Valery. He opened his mouth to speak, but her final words had it clamping shut a second later. There was something in the way her voice sounded, that even Alex picked up on it. If he didn’t know any better, that was a underlying sense of-

The K’paur shook the thoughts away, no. He was probably just reading into things too much. Either way, the navi-computer soon pinged to life, signalling they were about to arrive at their destination. Alex couldn’t help but feel a swell of excitement rise to the surface…only for it to immediately plummet.

Within a second of them exiting hyperspace, Alex felt a chill run down his spine. His inner soldier went on alert, body posture turned rigid and alert. All of a sudden the chair he was sitting in felt uncomfortable, and he wanted nothing more than to be on his feet with his rifle in hand.

From this distance, the planet looked perfectly fine. But there was a foreboding feeling emanating from it.

“This feeling…I’ve been on my fair share of battlefields against Sith.” Alex paused, tearing his eyes away from the planet, and settling on Valery. “But this is something entirely different.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Colony

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

The pinging of the Navi-computer came at quite the time — Valery was not given an answer to her question because of it, but perhaps that was for the best. She had noticed that it sparked something in him, even though there totally wasn't something else behind her apparent curiosity over his people. Valery, as a Jedi, loved to learn about varying cultures and people in the Galaxy, as it helped her in her duties and gave her better insight into what the Galaxy was like... but there were sometimes additional reasons as well.

Much like him, though, the feeling through the Force that struck her when they dropped out of Hyperspace was quite sickening. She had felt something like it before, at times when places were subjected to a lot of death. Some battlefields felt like this, and some natural disasters could but more recently, a completely different kind of problem in Enclave space had also caused these kinds of voids. Valery had played a part in helping them out, and she sincerely hoped that the faith of those worlds hadn't come to this colony as well.

"This was not caused by Sith or anybody tainted by the Dark Side. It's too... intense, and even more unnatural," Valery said, her tone a lot more serious than it had been thus far. As easy as it was for her to tease, be playful, and be kind, she could also be incredibly intense, focused, serious and feisty. It was a shift that surprised many who first met her, but one that was necessary for a Jedi with her responsibilities. "I have a terrible feeling that I might know what happened. If that's the case... stay close to me."

Finally, Valery brought the ship down towards the colony, which appeared awfully quiet even from the skies. They could still sense people down below, survivors of whatever happened here, but the lingering feeling of death made it difficult to focus on them. It was like a cloud that kept a Jedi's senses from piercing through entirely.

"Alright, let's get moving, hm?" She looked at him with a gentle smile tugging at her lips. She had brought the ship down, lowered the ramp, and stood up to make her way out with the Marine close to her.

 

[Alexander Hayes]

The closer they got to the planet, the more Alex felt that uneasiness. It quickly clicked that it reminded him of battlefields, of that feeling of death that lingered over a war torn landscape. But it felt wrong to be sensing that while staring down at a seemingly serene location. Usually there was a lot of smoke, ruined buildings and charred ground. And yet the colony and the surrounding land looked untouched.

Alex glanced over when Valery mentioned she suspected what this was. “That sounds an awful lot like there’s some history. I’m guessing this ain’t the first time you’ve felt this particular feeling?”

It took a moment for them to find a spot to land. The landing pads were all occupied with other vessels. Of which, none bore any resemblance to the mysterious freighter that had supposedly landed here. Alex presumed it was located at a different section of the colony.

They finally found enough space in an open storage yard. A tall fence stretched around its perimeter, but there was more than enough room for Valery’s ship.

Alex took a deep breath as he stood up to follow after the Jedi. “Let’s, I’ve got your back.” He flashed her a smile and nod. He grabbed his rifle as they moved through the ship, quickly checking it over before he attached it to his belt. There was no telling what they were going to encounter, but Alex wasn’t going to go in unprepared.

As soon as his boots were on the ground, Alex drew his rifle into his hands and kept it at the ready. There was an eerie silence all around them, with not a single sign of life. All that was around them was machinery and numerous sizes of storage crates. Towards the far side of the yard, was a pair of large bulkhead doors that looked securely shut.

He followed close behind Valery as they headed towards them. Alex paused for a moment as he noticed some tracks in the dirt, likely caused by one of the vehicles nearby. He knelt down, running a hand over the surface. “Tracks aren’t fresh, I’d estimate that yeah, nothing has been moved out here in almost a month.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Colony

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

While Alex followed her outside and began to scan the environment, Valery froze up and stood alone for a moment, her focus drawn completely inwards. Her senses were sharp, trained for almost as long as she lived and she was no average Jedi either. They had expanded out into the environment, and it was very clear by the way she frowned that something greatly disturbed her. So much so, that she barely registered what Alex was telling her.

Her breathing picked up, her heart started beating faster and faster, and when she finally realized what she was fearing all along, Valery looked up at Alex and opened her mouth to speak, "Alex, we shoul-" she couldn't even finish her sentence, as the fence on the opposite of their ship began to rattle loudly. What looked like a very large group of people at a distance were tearing it down with animalistic aggression. But they weren't people. None of them felt alive, but they clearly weren't dead either.

"We gotta go!" Valery called out, now understanding that their approach with their ship had drawn a lot of attention. There was no way back inside with the undead breaking down the fence and coming after them, so their only option was to escape into the colony and figure out a new plan.

As she rushed passed him, Valery grabbed his arm and pulled him along to the bulkhead doors, which seemed to be their only way out, as more and more undead swarmed the area at each side of the fence around the yard. Upon reaching the door, she offered the first display of her unique prowess with the Force — her hand connected with the metal, and the entire door cracked open and fragmented to pieces, allowing them to spring down a currently still open street.

Up ahead, however, a small group of infected were already running to meet them. "Shoot them! These are not people anymore!" she screamed, and finally, a violet lightsaber ignited in her hand, as she readied herself to charge forward and keep the fight up close while he could cover her from range.

This was going to get close.

 

[Alexander Hayes]

Alex looked up when he realised Valery hadn’t spoken, and immediately zoned in on the fact she had tensed up. Something had drawn her attention, something that Alex couldn’t see or hear, meaning it was something she was sensing. He immediately stood to attention, raising his rifle up ready to fire if needed.

One eye on the scope, the other watching Valery.

Then he felt it, the ground rumbling beneath his feet. A sound reminiscent of an army matching on their position. Only as it grew louder, more distinct, it became apparent it was disorganised, a crazed charge.

Valery spoke, but her words were interrupted as a large mass of bodies slammed into the fence on the opposite side of the yard. Alex’s eyes widened for a moment, until his focus snapped solely towards the mass of people. Even from this distance, he could hear them gnashing and gnawing at the impeding fence, taking it down bit by bit.

He stood his ground even after Valery had yelled for them to run. Alex’s attention snapped left and right as another mass of people slammed into the fence on both sides. This, yeah this wasn’t looking good. Alex didn’t resist when he felt the Jedi grab his arm, letting himself be pulled along. He was calculating the distance in his head, if they could get the doors open quick enough then they wouldn’t be able to catch up in time.

Alex just hoped Valery had a means to open the doors. Which was promptly answered by her smashing one of the large doors into pieces with just the touch of her hand. The K’paur would’ve made a comment, but he was focused on keeping up with Valery as they ran deeper into the colony.

“We need to find a secure building, higher ground, something!” There was a moment where Alex questioned what Valery said, but his training kicked in and he began firing. He very quickly fell into a tandem with the Jedi Master. Alex took down as many of the charging undead ahead of them as he could, firing over Valery’s shoulder. Any stragglers fell to her violet blade. In those moments the K’paur turned on his heel and focused on the infected behind them.

But more and more were flooding in from what felt like every direction. They were far too exposed in the open, they needed to lose the horde, and quickly.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Colony

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

Right now, Valery was very relieved to have a trained Marine with her.

Not only could he get himself to focus despite the fear these undead were able to inflict on most people, but he also provided a lot of cover from a distance. With careful and precise shots, she watched one after another drop around her, making it easier for her to focus groups and use the benefit of having a lightsaber to cut down several in a single sweep. But even with their combined efforts, the horde threatened to overrun them.

With elegance, speed, and acrobatic movements, she began to jump over and through their numbers, swatting down even more with each strike of her lightsaber. She was starting to make her way back towards Alex this way but noticed a group of undead suddenly bursting through a wooden door at his side. Wanting to help, Valery exploded high up into the air and moved over Kardek with her legs together and above her, while her head was now closest to him. Time for her seemed to briefly freeze at this moment, as she glanced down and he likely glanced up at her for just a second. After the brief connection, she landed between him and the undead and spun around, ponytail whipping through the air, while her lightsaber cut the group down with ease.

"This way!" she exclaimed, and again, she reached for his arm and pulled him into the alleyway the zombies had opened up for them. Along the path were tons of doors, leading into the backyards of small homes that were now abandoned or filled with more undead.

But in the distance, she saw temporary salvation — a tall apartment building from where she sensed no death like what she felt from those chasing them. And by going into the alley, they were no longer seen and they had their chance to escape...

 

[Alexander Hayes]

Valery had been right about holding onto old training. Alex felt oddly at ease as he twisted and turned, firing his rifle at those that sought to do them harm. Though it wasn’t like this entire situation wasn’t also on his mind too. An incredibly messed up situation where it seemed an entire colony’s population had died and rose back up.

Zombies, he was fighting actual bloody zombies. Aiden isn’t going to believe this one.

But a soldier was trained to think on their feet, to adapt to a situation that could change rapidly at any moment. And despite his inactivity for the past several months, Alex was still as lethal as ever. He might’ve been a rubbish shot at long distances, but up close? That was his expertise.

Somewhere in the corner of his vision, he saw Valery leaping up into the air, hopping in between the infecteds’ numbers, cutting them down in swathes. For a moment he was mesmerised by her movements, but snapped back to reality and continued firing. The situation however, was about to take a turn for the worst.

Another group of the undead entered the scene via smashing down a side door near him. The K’paur cursed as he began rapidly turning back and forth, trying to keep fire on every side. But then just as he was about to change things up, he felt a shift in the air. Alex looked up to catch Valery’s gaze as she jumped over him. He found himself frozen in the moment, before the Jedi landed and deftly cut the enemy down.

Once more, Valery grabbed his arm and pulled him to safety. They utilise the opening the zombies had created, disappearing down into an alleyway. Alex remained tense for several months, just waiting for them to follow, but none did. The soldier let out a relieved sigh and lowered his rifle.

“Nice moves by the way, I forgot you Jedi were very…acrobatic.” He spoke between breaths, grinning at the end as he looked at Valery. It was a sight he wasn’t soon to forget, that was for certain. Feeling his heartbeat fall to a steady rate, Alex started to take in their surroundings.

The alleway stretched out before them, doors lining each side. In the distance appeared to be a tall building that stood out, apartments if he were to take a guess. He looked at Valery, catching her too looking towards the same place. Alex nodded in agreement, that was their next destination.

“We should probably try and keep quiet, it seems these zombies retained their hearing.”

Alex clipped his rifle back to his belt, and unsheathed his knife. The alleyway was not going to give a lot of room to swing a rifle around. And if they were going to be as quiet as possible, a blaster pistol wasn’t going to help.

The K’paur began to walk, incidentally taking the lead. He looked left and right at each door they passed, just in case something decided to burst out. And then just as he was about to whisper something, a door ahead squeaked open.

He froze, watching as a lone zombie shambled out into the alleyway. It was clearly unaware of their presence, and Alex wasn’t going to let that change. The marine dashed forwards, at a speed that ought to not match his size. And despite the knife in his right, Alex lashed out with his left. The strength behind the cybernetic fist was enough to knock the zombie’s head clear off its body.

“Well…good to know that’s effective.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Colony

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

"Agreed, stay quiet and only engage if necessary," Valery now whispered, as they began to move through the alleyway together to reach the apartment complex up ahead. The tension of their first encounter with the undead was beginning to fade, giving her the time to really realize what they had gotten themselves into. A immense horde of zombies now lived within the colony and the path back to their ship was blocked off but even if they could reach it, there were still other survivors out here as well.

They could not be left behind, so this was going to be a very risky rescue attempt. She did not look forward to having to drag others along, who likely could not defend themselves and would rely on her and Alex.

As they continued to move forward, Alex switched weapons to be a more quiet killer with his knife, and he even took lead without realizing. Valery didn't mind in this case and watched him for a moment - he seemed more intense than before and far more focused. The marine within him, even though it had been dormant for a few months, was back in full swing. Just in time as well, as a door squeaked open and a lone zombie stumbled into the alley. Fearing that it would alert others, Valery readied herself to take it down with Jedi speed, but Alex beat her to it.

With unnatural speed, he closed the distance and used his free hand to punch the undead's head clean off its torso. Valery blinked and looked at him with slightly widened eyes, clearly a bit surprised about his strength, and walked over. She squeezed herself passed him through the narrow alleyway to take lead again, and as she did, she made eye contact with a grin on her face. "Very impressive..." She said softly before she walked ahead and kept him behind her.

She was clearly very impressed.

The two soon reached the entrance of the apartment building, which had been forced open by undead but the door could still be closed. She barricaded it behind them and let out a soft sigh now that she finally felt somewhat safe. "We need a new plan. Find survivors and get them out of here somehow...either by bringing them to the ship or maybe we should first collect them all in one place."

"What do you think?"

 

[Alexander Hayes]

Alex kept his eyes on their surroundings, even a silent kill could potentially alert another enemy. But his attention was pulled away when heard and felt Valery move up to him. Despite the obviously narrow space in the alleyway, somehow Alex didn’t anticipate her needing to squeeze past.

So when she did, the soldier’s posture stiffened and he felt his cheeks burning red again. He looked down at her as she passed, and sure enough he was met with that fiery gaze again. With that ever teasing glint in her eyes, coupled with a knowing grin. Neither did much to settle the blush across his cheeks, and the follow up comment only deepened it.

As if her work was done, the Jedi continued forwards without missing a beat. Whereas Alex had to pause for a moment, to clear his head of the sheer whiplash of emotion. From running down a street from a horde of zombies, to a quiet stroll down an alleyway.

Both had induced excitement in the K’paur, and both had his hearts beating quicker.

The pair continued down the alleyway, and as they did Alex maintained his vigil. Even though he knew Valery was checking the doors, he made sure to double check as she passed by them. But as his gaze shifted from left to right, he found himself pausing. And no matter how many times he silently chastised himself, he kept looking.

Eyes up soldier, eyes up.

Alex didn’t know if his face could keep it up if he kept going so red everytime she caught him. Although, a part of him suspected she didn’t even need to look to know. Weren’t Jedi able to feel things through the Force?

Eventually they made it into the apartment building, the entrance clearly showing signs of it being forced open at some point. Alex’s concern was over whether it was to get out, or get in. Ultimately though, it was a potential safe haven for them, and he wasn’t about to refute that.

“I think…” He began, settling his back against a wall. “I think, if I was a betting man.” Which to be fair, he was. “Then any survivors would’ve tried to get to the most secure building in this colony. And given its original purpose was the study of local flora and fauna, there’s got to be a facility somewhere in this place.”

The K’paur crossed his arms, fingers tapping against his concealed cybernetic arm. His gaze settled on the now barricaded door, before lingering up towards the ceiling.

“We should head to the roof, the building is tall enough for us to get a good vantage point of the entire colony.”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Colony

​

Outfit: Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Alexander Hayes

When they entered the apartment building and Valery turned to discuss their next plan, one corner of her lips was tugged up into a smirk, and she gave him a knowing look. She hadn't felt anything in the Force beyond his chaotic emotions, but she seen his eyes drifting a little. Yet, nothing about the way she looked up into his eyes made it seem like it bothered her, or that she was about to confront him about it. Just the smirk that transitioned into a charismatic smile.

But even though she had been poking at him a little, Alex was still very much able to focus and offered some ideas that Valery quickly found herself agreeing with. Those within the city, unfortunately, were unlikely to still be alive with how aggressive and strong the undead were. The scientific facility had blast doors and other containment facilities, so that was their best bet.

"Good thinking. If we get there, I'm sure we'll be able to sense the survivors as well if there are any. From here...my senses are too clouded by all these zombies." She frowned but quicky shook it off and followed his gaze up to the ceiling, as he proposed an idea to get to the roof. Valery had no idea where the scientific facility was, so it was a solid plan.

"Alright, I'll lead the way up. Keep a pistol ready and stay close to me~" They could not afford to be separated here, after all.

Valery then moved passed him again with a gentle smirk and brought them into the long shaft up that contained the winding staircase. Very slowly, she began to ascend, so they made less sound and for reasons she kept to herself for now. "I think I feel trouble up ahead," Valery did whisper.

"We are not alone in here."

 

[Alexander Hayes]

The mention of clouded senses struck a cord of realisation in Alex. Right, whatever it was that had caused this undead infestation was rooted in something so dark that even the practitioners of the Dark Side supposedly couldn’t match it.

Hmm, is that why it’s not having an effect on me right now? I wonder how an Edri would do in this situation…

Alex caught that singsong tone in Valery’s voice again, and there was certainly no mistaking the intent this time. The K’paur grinned, pulling out his pistol. “Oh don’t worry Valery, I’ll be right behind you.”

He watched the Jedi as she walked passed, flashing a gentle smirk and led the way into the apartment’s towering stairway. Alex chuckled to himself as he followed. There he was thinking following her in the alleyway was going to be a challenge for his focus.

As the duo quietly ascended the stairs, Alex swept his gaze upwards and down the staircase. Unlike the alleyway, there were a lot less avenues for an undead to appear from. For better or worse, it meant the K’paur had less points to check, leaving him to focus on…other things.

Every now and then as they reached another level, he could see the flash of a smirk on Valery’s face as they turned towards the next set of stairs. Alex felt both his hearts beat just a bit more each time. Somewhere in those moments, whatever doubt that lingered in his head disappeared. But before anything further happened, Valery suddenly stopped, whispering her warning.

“We’ve also got another issue ahead of us,” Alex whispered back. He pointed towards the next flight of stairs that were presently blocked off by a load of furniture. Now while he was sure Valery could get onto the railing and shimmy her way up to the next level. Alex was not nearly as confident in his acrobatic abilities. Plus any attempt to take down the barricade would cause too much noise.

“Let’s go through this level, see if we can find an apartment that’s unlocked and has a balcony.”

Keeping their quiet pace, the duo entered the floor. Before them was a corridor, apartment doors lining either side. A majority of them were shut, whether they were locked or not was unknown. However, at the far end there was a visibly open door. But just as they were able to delve further into the corridor, something got knocked over. Followed by something or several somethings beginning to shamble towards them, currently out of sight.

If it was just one or two zombies, then they could easily take them out. But if there was more? If just one was able to get out a yell, then they would not only alert the undead in the building, but those outside too.

Alex made a choice, acting in that moment and taking a gamble. He holstered his pistol and reached towards a door to his right. He had no idea if it was locked or unlocked, or if it was even an apartment door. But he grasped the handle and found he could open it. The K’paur reached out with his cybernetic arm, wrapping it around Valery’s waist and pulling her with him into the room. It was only when the door closed behind them, that Alex realised it wasn't a room, but rather a storage closet.

Valery Noble​