Private Blade Guardian

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

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

"...don't tell your dad I dented his ship... and scratched the paint."

Valery actually had a bit of panic in her eyes this time, as she turned to Aris with a sheepish smile. He had been sitting next to her in the co-pilot seat when she accidentally hit the walls in the tiny little spaceport they were forced to park in. Maybe next time, she'd pick a planet for shopping that could actually accommodate a ship of this size — it was a miracle she had even managed to land and get out again. So really, it wasn't her fault at all. Nope. She'd just leave that part out when she got home to tell her husband.

"I hope you like the stuff we got you, though. We need more mom, son shopping days, huh?" She wasn't sure how exactly he felt about being dragged along for shopping trips, but he got ice cream out of it, a very nice lunch and she had promised to make him some hot cocoa when they got home. If there was anything that'd keep him happy, it would be that.

"Not long ago, this part of the Galaxy was very inaccessible, so I'm also happy to be out here again," she then said, in part to herself but also to educate her son a little. This was, after all, once Empire territory. Sure, she hadn't brought him to a world with Imperial Remnant forces present, but this area of the Galaxy still felt like exploring something new.

Little did she know that something else was going to be calling out to them.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You should pick a spot that this ship would fit in, even if they tried to say otherwise." Aris nodded slowly, speaking what was already known unsaid. He was just that type of blunt after all. Still, he nodded and smiled again. The dangerous kind of smile, really.

"I understand. Father will not find out, and I will enjoy hot cocoa." Was he extorting her? Absolutely not. Just reminding her of his enjoyment for her world famous hot coca. He did however drift off, glancing over in the distance towards.. Something.

".. I feel a.. I'm not sure."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

Oh man, he even had his father's smile.

"I did try to park it where the ship would fit, sweetie. All the parking spots were like that." Maybe not really, she hadn't checked too much, but she wasn't going to let her son win this battle. Kahlil's teasing was more than enough, she didn't need a second Noble coming for her life in these situations. Still, she chuckled though and looked at him with a loving smile before reaching out to pat the top of his head.

"Oh your dad will definitely find out. He checks the Bastion thoroughly so it's always safe to fly. Otherwise he'd never be okay with you and your siblings being onboard. But... I'll tell him myself." When he's ready. Probably right away because he likely already knows. Valery let out a defeated sigh and decided to just focus on her son's smile. He was going to get his hot cocoa, and he looked happy because of it.

Then, he felt it too.

"We can try to focus on it together?" Valery asked and offered her hand. "Maybe we'll learn more."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

<Oh I already know.>

Kahlil chuckled through their bond, but that's all he said on it for now. Aris was none the wiser though, instead nodding his head with a smile. He could agree with that, yeah. Don't tell dad, mom will do it when she's ready and able to. There was no reason to not believe her, after all. Still, with the focus on the feeling he was being pulled to, well.. He nodded. Frowned just a bit in focus before pointing in the distance.

"That way, I think."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

<Oh I already know.>

While Aris began pointing off into space, Valery sat there just a little pale, staring out the window like she had just seen a ghost. He knew. Of course he did, but it was that chuckle that made her internally squeal. Maybe she could patch it up on the way home or make it look less bad somehow? He knew there were damages because of her, but there was no way he'd know just how bad it was, right?

For now, she pushed it aside and snapped out of her own thoughts to look at her son. He was pointing off into space, but she couldn't plot a hyperspace route like that. So in an attempt to find out, Valery placed her hand on his shoulder, and let him guide her while she focused on the Bastion's navigational computer.

The direction was loud and clear.

"Bastion," Valery said once she opened her eyes and looked at him. "The planet. It's a neutral world now, but it used to not be. When your dad was younger, he spent quite some time there and this ship was named after it." She paused and patted him on the head. "Sounds interesting huh? I don't think it's a coincidence that you feel drawn there."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Bastion."

Aris nodded slowly. It was a place his Father was from, huh? Part of him really wanted to see it. He smiled after a second, once again nodding as he looked up towards Valery. "That does sound really interesting. Do you think we'll find anything fun there?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

The question made her smile.

Most people wouldn't think about looking for something fun when it came to a planet like that, but it just showed how the mind of a child worked. This was exciting to him, and finding stuff tied to his dad's past seemed like a lot of fun! Valery agreed with him there, and let out a chuckle while she started plotting in the hyperspace coordinates.

"I'm sure we can find something fun, but we'll have to really follow our feelings. It's a big planet and your dad wasn't really trying to show himself too much when he was there." She then smiled and pulled on the lever to jump into Hyperspace, for what would luckily not be a very long flight.

"The planet also used to be under Empire control so... stay close, okay? If we get into busy places or if there's bad peolpe, hold my hand and just stay with me." Overprotective mom was going to make sure he'd listen to this request.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris nodded once as he reached up to take Valery's hand. A place where dad was hiding? That sounded weird. And for it to be an Empire world? Already his mind was racing with why this could actually be a threat. There could be enemies here. From his readings, it wasn't very long ago at all that Imperials and the Alliance fought. Dangerous, then. His grip tightened on her hand as he took a more serious expression on his face.

"Okay, mom. I'll stay by your side."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

She could tell this was strange to him. Dad was big and strong, confident and a true Jedi Master as well. So the idea of him hiding for anything was certainly weird, though she figured Aris could understand how he had changed a lot too. The things that had driven him into hiding were serious, and while it was long ago, there was still danger.

The lingering imperial presence was especially a reason for concern. Because even with the Empire's collapse, the people do not just change overnight. Remnants exist and some still follow the imperial doctrine even without being part of the military.

They'd have to be careful with who they trusted.

"Good, that makes me happy to hear," she said, clearly glad he was not a chaotic Noble at this moment. She took his hand l, felt him squeeze and after the Bastion had landed in the spaceport, Valery stepped outside with him.

"Do you feel anything here, sweetie? Or should we just start walking a bit more?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I feel it, always really. It's like it's.. Calling."

He looked up to Valery before once more glancing towards where he felt the pull. It was ahead, somewhere distant, yet close. He couldn't really tell the distance if he was being honest. That thought alone brought a frown to his face.

"I'm really not sure from where. .. Is it usually this difficult?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

"Calling?"

Valery's voice hinted at a bit of concern, and her eyes betrayed the same feeling. It had been difficult enough on Vera to see vivid visions of even the mote extreme things, but now her son felt a calling to a former imperial planet? She hoped it was just related to his father and his past here on the planet, but she still had a feeling that Aris was going to have his own trials with the Force.

But just like with Vera, she was going to be there to help him out.

"It can be, the Force is a mysterious thing to interpret." She smiled reassuringly and gently squeezed his hand while they walked. "But don't worry about anything, okay? Focus on that feeling and focus on me for protection if you need to. Then we'll find it together."

But whether they truly realized it or not, they were not all that alone. From the shadows, the Nobles were being watched on this world they shouldn't be on, if it was up to certain darker forces.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I know."

He looked up to Valery, giving her a rather bright smile all things considered. He squeezed her hand before looking ahead towards where the feeling was. "Mom will always protect me." There was no doubt of that in Aris's mind. He continued to move forward, letting the feeling guide him unhindered and unafraid.

"This way."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

He smiled.

It didn't matter how tense she was over wanting to protect him, Valery's worries melted away in that moment. She felt the little hand squeezing her own hand, and all she couls think about was just how similar he was to his father. He really was a cute kid too, and if it wasn't for the favt that she felt people were watching them, she would have picked him right up for a hug.

She definitely was going to later - he couldn't escape her motherly needs.

"Stop," Valery said, however, as they moved towards their destination. From behind and in front of them, she could feel people approaching them, trapping them in the streets while others were up on the rooftops as well. They were being surrounded.

"A little far from home, aren't you Jedi?" A woman dreased in a long coat, her voice a thick Imperial accent asked. "You are not welcome here."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris stopped as asked, blinking as he looked up to Valery. Then to around them as people came into view. He didn't have her ability to sense them. For a moment, his grip tightened on hers, but he did his best to keep a brave face regardless. Well, the calm face anyway. They knew she was a Jedi. That wasn't a good start. Could he even say anything to help? Imperials likely didn't want Jedi around at all, for any reason.

"Mom?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

Valery couldn't care less if she was being threatened, as it happened almost every day of her life. She had bounties on her, constantly exposed herself to danger and her visible role in the Galaxy invited a lot of trouble. But she would never be okay with anybody threatening her children, and the moment she felt Aris' grip on her hand tighten, she knew enough.

He was putting on a brave face but this was scary, and the unknown to him brought tension. They were scaring her son.

"It's okay, sweetie," Valery then said, choosing to ignore the Imperial to instead pat the top of his head and ruffle his hair. "I'm right here." And she wasn't going to leave, especially not over some Imperials clinging to their lost sense of authority.

"Step aside, please. Don't make this harder on yourselves," Valery urged the woman, but it only angered her further, and with a signal of her hand, two snipers shot at Valery from the rooftops. A mistake, because in a flash of violet energy, her double-bladed weapon swirled to life and deflected the two bolts into soldiers down on the ground.

She squeezed Aris' hand gently, and let go for just a moment, as she reached out and pulled the snipers down from their positions.

"Stay close, okay?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris stared wide eyed as violence erupted. For a moment he was just frozen. Scared. At least until Valery squeezed his hand. He looked up to her, blinking slowly as she seemed so calm and collected. Then, he squeezed her hand in turn and nodded. "Okay. I'm with you."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

There were a lot of them.

Even after bringing down the snipers and reflecting some bolts back, they were putting a lot of pressure on Valery. Normally, it'd have been easy to take them out, especially with her speed and maneuverability. But she had Aris with her, and she was not going to leave him alone.

So with a gentle tug on his hand, she began pulling him away from the street they were in, all while she continued to deflect incoming fire away or back at the source. It wasn't easy to maneuver around like this, but eventually she was able to push them through a door in an alleyway, and into an abandoned little building. There was noise outside, but with how quick she had taken turns and moved around, they wouldn't find her. If they did, she'd deal with them.

"You okay, sweetie?" she then asked with a smile, choosing to ignore the one grazing hit she took to the back of the shoulder from a few bits of stone that exploded from a wall that was hit by a blaster. It was impossible to see without standing behind her, and it was very minor, but she didn't want to upset him. "We should be able to avoid them, if you can help guide mom to your dad's old place?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris stared up in wonderment as she moved this time. He knew he was in the way. Slowing her down. It didn't stop him from trying to move faster, but he knew deep down that he just wasn't as fast as she needed him to be. Except, she didn't need him to be. Valery moved like lightning even pulling him along to safety. He didn't even notice she'd been hurt, she just seemed so untouchable and strong.

"You're amazing mom."

Then he raised a hand. Pointed. "That way."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Bastion

​

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

Valery felt relieved that he didn't notice her getting hurt a little. It was going to only be a bruise, but she didn't want him to feel bad or potentially blame himself. If it had been necessary for her to take a bullet for him, she would have done it all the same, and without ever making him feel like it's his fault. She was his mom, so she would always do anything in het power to protect him.

No matter the cost.

Then he called her amazing, and Valery's smile brightened up. She crouched down, watched him point again, but gave him no time to walk - she pulles him into a slightly tighter hug and kept him there. A hug she needed more than he did, most likely. "You did great, too." She squeezed gently, stood back up and followed him again.

"If you feel trouble or get any funny feeling, tell me okay? I will help you."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Aris returned the hug without any hesitation. There was no where he felt safer than beside her, like this. Even on what seemed to be an enemy planet. Once she pulled away, he nodded. Tried to make sure he wasn't as scared as he had been earlier. With her there, he was going to be fine. With that in mind, he lead the way through the city. Whenever there was danger he'd let Mom handle it, but they kept going further and further into the city.

Then under it. Near one of the large lakes, where across the way a Sith Academy once resided, there was an alcove. Nothing great in appearance, and yet, from within Aris could feel it.

"Here. I think."