Private Blood and Water

[Yuri Maji]

Coruscant | Residential Area
Evening | Rain
Tags: Valery Noble

---

Afterlife​

The Shistavanen ran as fast as his battered body could carry him through the streets of Coruscant's upper levels, a part he hadn't visited in years. Even then, there was one building he knew of where he could seek sanctuary from his pursuers. The drugs in his system spun the world around him, while the blood loss tapped his energy with each waking moment. He didn't know how he managed to escape, only that he got hit with more than one blaster bolt and a few other things before making his escape from the compound.

He barely had the clothes on his back. His ship was taken by them, his livelihood and belongings... but most importantly, his armour. They got his armour. The mere thought of it made his blood boil and his heart beat faster, burning more of the dwindling energy he had left.

He finally reached the door he sought and crashed against it. "... Help..." His wavering voice feebly cried for the occupants inside. But what his voice lacked in power, the fist against the door and buzzer made up for. The occupant inside was the only person he could trust on the damn planet. He knew her since he was a small pup still guided along by his mother. The 'Sword of the Jedi' as she was called.

None of that mattered.

He wanted his aunt, his second mother for all intents and purposes. The pursuers weren't far behind, and the trail he left would lead them to here. In his hazy thoughts, he only realized now the mistake he made.

He led them here.

To her and hers.

"Auntie..." He whimpered, smacking against the door a few more times before slumping down to clutch the wounds along his stomach and arm. The rain pelted against his exposed body. causing him to shiver in the cold.

He messed up badly...

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Valery told Aurra, the youngest of the three triplets and the only Noble not sensitive to the Force. The thunder outside had made her cry, but in her mother's arms, she always calmed down easily. Especially when Valery began humming the Keshian melody they liked so much. "The storm won't get you here, sweetie. Mommy will keep you safe, always," she added with a tone full of motherly love.

Even when they cried or weren't easy to handle, Valery felt at her best surrounded by her husband and kids. They made life worth living, both in good and bad times. But after gently pressing a kiss against Aurra's forehead, she felt a sudden tremor in the Force that was immediately followed by banging on the door.

Aurra began to cry all over again, resulting in a soft sigh of defeat from Valery.

"Come on, let's go take a look." With Aurra in her arms, Valery walked over to the door. But as she got closer, she suddenly realized why the presence had felt so familiar. An aura of pain lingered around Yuri, and without wasting another second, she rushed forward and opened the door to find him bleeding over the floor.

"Yuri, what happened to you?!" Valery lowered herself and pulled his arm over her shoulders to start carrying him inside, while she held the baby in her other arm. "Sit still, I'm grabbing a medical kit," Valery told him after bringing him over to the couch. Aurra had to be set down as well, so she put her on the couch too. Not ideal with a bleeding person next to her, but she had no other choice.

She feared he might bleed out if she didn't act fast.

 

[Yuri Maji]

In a spinning haze, Yuri didn't realize when the door opened until he was laying in the doorway. Valery managed to drag him inside and dispense him on the couch, though her child drew his drugged attention back to reality for a few seconds. Valery's voice faded to the background as fear gripped Yuri's soul. "Shhh..." He raised a finger to his lips and caressed the child with a gentle, shaky hand before turning his focus towards Valery. "Val... the devils... the devils are coming..." He spoke up, tugging at his ears as he stared at her with wide, glossy eyes.

"They're coming!" He tried to stand up, but crashed to the ground with a yelp in his attempt to get to her. He looked around him as tears filled his eyes. Fire, fire all around. The laughter and cackles of demons from below as burning vines crawled towards him. The innocent baby morphed and twisted into a vile spawn of nightmare, tendrils slinking along the couch to grab hold of him. In his state, he could only crawl away in hopes of escaping. "Valery... they're here... help..." He finally collapsed as his eyes fluttered closed, bringing an end to the living nightmare around him. A few moments barely passed before the door buzzer went off again.

On the other side, a group of finely dressed men waited with hands tucked into their jackets. Their blasters were ready to draw once their prey's host answered. "Good evening, miss. Sorry to bother at this hour, but we're looking for someone." The first man, a tall Zabrak, glanced down at the blood along the ground and wall before continuing. "We'd prefer if you handed him over to us, no need for things to get messy." He stared down the Jedi Master as his men shifted behind him.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

By the time Valery rushed back into the living room with medical supplies, Yuri was already on the floor, and little Aurra was crying. She had no idea what was going on, but she could tell that something was wrong, and all she wanted was for her mother to pick her up and comfort her. So while Valery tried to get to Yuri to help, she sat on the couch with her arms extended towards Valery. It hurt her to not be able to get to her daughter, but she had to know what was going on.

"What happened, Yuri?" she asked with a frown as she quickly opened the first aid kit.

"Who is after you? Why? What is-"

The buzzer went off again, and while Valery turned towards the door, Yuri finally blacked out from blood loss, drugs or whatever else was affecting him. Valery gritted her teeth and despite wanting to just help him, decided to get up, fearing that not answering would only cause more trouble. Slowly, she walked over to the door, and opened it up to see several men standing there. There was a lot of tension in the Force, so she kept the door opened enough for just her own body to fit in the doorway.

"What do you want with him?" she demanded, clearly not intimidated one bit. She was covered in some of Yuri's blood too, looked like a civilian in her dress, but it wouldn't stop her from helping him. "I'm not just handing him over, so explain yourself first."

 

[Yuri Maji]

The group remained calm as they faced the woman in the doorway, their leader brandishing a faint smile as he maintained his calm and relaxed composure. "Well, let's just say we have some business that needs settling. And unfortunately it's too important to wait. So I'd suggest you hand him over, before things need to get drastic." He spoke with a calm voice as he maintained his unwavering gaze.

Behind him, one of his compatriots, a lithe Nautolan, frowned in curiosity as he studied the woman in the doorway. After a few tense moments, his eyes widened and he leaned in to whisper something to the leader. The Zabrak backed away and exchanged a few hushed words with the Nautolan, before finally facing Valery once again. "You know what? You can hold onto him. Have a lovely evening, ma'am." the leader gave a slight nod before turning to leave, his comrades following him away from the house.

Yuri, on the other end, remained passed out for the rest of the night. Only a few grunts, mutters or whimpers escaped him in his slumber. When he finally awoke, heavy eyelids fluttered open to reveal an unfamiliar room. The pain in his body prevented him from moving much, however that was overshadowed by the splitting headache that pounded in his skull. He groaned as he buried his face into the nearest pillow he could find.

"What the kriff..." He muttered, still half asleep as he tried to massage his head. "Close the karkin' curtains or something, jeez..." He continued in his zombie-like state as bloodshot eyes dared to peer over the pillow.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

While they remained calm and made their threats, nothing changed about Valery. If they had expected her to feel intimidated, they were at the wrong address, and it showed in her eyes and body language. Luckily, before it could actually escalate, a Nautolan stepped forward to talk to who she believed to be the boss of this little group. The Nautolan's words were enough to change the entire atmosphere immediately — they were leaving.

But Valery knew better. They had likely figured out who she was, or the risk of breaking in was too great for another reason. Either way, she expected them to come back or hunt down Yuri when he was out and about on his own again.

"No, it's time to get up," Valery told him after she had managed to move him to her own bed. Yuri, however, tried to just hide away behind the pillows and only peaked out to spot Valery standing there, arms crossed in front of her chest. "The least you could do is tell me why these people are after you? What happened?" she asked with a frown. Valery didn't mind helping people close to her, but bringing trouble to her home when the little ones were there was... unsettling.

"Who are those people?"

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri's ears perked up at the sound of the familiar voice as his heart sank into his stomach. He dared to look up at an angry Valery Noble standing over him before burying his face into the pillow with a long groan. How the hell did he end up in her house? "How the hell did I end up here?" he asked himself with a grumble. He faced his fears and carefully rolled over to stare up at the Jedi.

The bandages around his stomach and arm drew his lethargic attention for a moment as he tried to remember the previous night. "People? What? And how the... oh..." He immediately rolled over once again to avoid facing her as the previous night's memories came flooding back in buts and pieces. "Don't tell me they followed me here, I thought I lost 'em." He glanced up at her with a pitiful look.

"They're a drug ring in the lower levels. Mafia types. I smuggled product for them a while ago, but things went south." He explained after a few long moments of staring at his feet. "I, uh... might have had a night out when they found me." He admitted half-heartedly as he glanced up for a second. She didn't need to know the details of where he was or what he was consuming. She likely didn't care about the nuances in this situation. He knew that she knew that he messed up very badly.

"I'll be out of your hair, auntie. Dunno why or how the kriff I ended up here, but I'll go. I ain't dragging you into my mess." He muttered in shame as he tossed the sheets off and tried to stand, only to nearly fall over and sit back down. "As soon as my legs decide to work." He continued.

In the awkward silence, he continued to puzzle over how he ended up in her place. Instead, another memory hit him like a truck. A thought that seemed to sober him up almost immediately. "My ship... They got my karkin' ship." He stared up at Valery with wide eyes as the implications of that caught up. "They got my armour." He growled, trying once again to stand up.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

"You're asking me?" Valery perked a brow.

"They did follow you here, to my home. To my kids." Valery wasn't really just angry with him, but mostly worried. Both for him and what he brought to her home. People like those outside her door last night were the types to also target others if they helped their true target. What if they came back for Valery and her family because she helped him? But at the same time, Yuri was like family to her, and she'd rather risk herself to help him than let him fall victim to people like that.

This internal friction was visibly tearing her apart.

"They're a drug ring in the lower levels. Mafia types. I smuggled product for them a while ago, but things went south."

"Yuri..." Valery frowned, "I thought you knew better than to associate yourself with people like that. They're dangerous." She sighed and sat down on the end of the bed while she looked at him. It was hard to be angry, even though he had likely made some mistakes that led up to all of this. Drug smuggling? She had really hoped that Yuri wouldn't have gone down that path just to make some credits.

"You're going to stay here until I give you permission to leave," she said with that motherly tone that made it clear not to argue. "I'm not sending you out there injured. What would your mother think of this?" She grumbled a little and fell silent too, until Yuri spoke up again about his ship and his armor.

"A ship and armor can be replaced, but you can't be. And quit trying to stand if you're dizzy!" She stood up again and walked over to help him up if he really wanted to try and stand. "Is there anything I can do to help you? You know I'm not just going to let you be hunted down, right? Even if you made some mistakes..."

 

[Yuri Maji]

The way she spoke to him made him feel like he was a pup all over again, receiving a scolding for being naughty or something silly like that. On top of that, a heavy frown set in at the mention of leaving his armour to be looted and desecrated by those criminals. "You know how important that armour is to me, auntie. You know. Ma made sure about that. I might not act like it or wear it all the time screaming "ooga booga Ima raid it" but it's still mine. Ma and me made that together." He spoke up as he looked up at her.

It made him sick to be so useless. Sadly he had no other option but to listen and lie down again. His arms crossed as he looked away again, mulling over what she said. "Dunno why this is news to you. I deal with bad people. I thought you knew that. I'm a transporter, I smuggle stuff and I get through to places, whether it's the middle of the unknown regions or Coruscant prison." He protested as he leaned back against the headboard. "Not like I got much of a choice..." he muttered softly. "I don't want you to do anything, auntie. You ain't involved in this. I dug this hole, I screwed up. I'm gonna climb out of it myself." He continued as he looked up at her.

Maybe it wasn't too bad that he was with her. It had been a while since his last visit, and his mother's news about Rodia was a bit alarming. He decided to switch topics to a better note as a toothy grin took hold. "In the meantime, how's my lil sis doing?" He asked her with a brighter voice. "Haven't seen her in ages." He slightly wished that she was around, but that likelihood was pretty low. She joined the Jedi, following in her mother's footsteps.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

"I know it's important to you, but it's worth nothing if you're dead. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?" Valery asked with a much deeper frown this time. "You were bleeding out and the only reason those people didn't get to you is because they decided to back off when they saw me." She let out a soft sigh and tried to push away her own frustrations. He was alive, and while his ship and armor were taken, it wasn't too late to get it back.

Valery then listened to him as he rolled back into the bed, and sighed softly. Of everything he said, though, there was one thing that really stood out to her. Especially knowing who his mother is.

"Dunno why this is news to you."

"I always felt you had the potential to be much more," she said, not as an insult but hopefully as a way to encourage him to look beyond what he's doing now with his life. "You've always had that same strength and charisma your mother has, and it can really take you to better places. But it's all your own choice to make." She sure as hell wasn't going to try and push him down any path, and she still was conflicted about him bringing trouble here too.

But the topic then shifted to Vera, and while Valery knew he was just trying to shift to a less negative conversational topic, she decided to go along with it. "Vera is doing great, but she's busy with her youngling training. She still talks about you, you know?" she chuckled and shook her head a little.

"It has been a while since she last saw you."

 

[Yuri Maji]

"Here we go..." He grumbled to himself when Valery decided to bring his mother into the debate, she just had to draw that card. Thankfully she went with his attempt to change topics and spoke about Vera. "Wish she were here. It's been... a long while. Lot has happened since then." He muttered with a glance at Valery. "She became a Jedi and I became a smooth criminal." He quipped with a wink and a weak laugh.

He studied the wounds once more as he contemplated trying to leave again. But he knew better. Saying that she and his mother were sisters wasn't just sentiment. They both had a way with words, especially when it came to putting their foot down. That usually came covered in a reinforced jackboot and some form of highly lethal weapon.

Skipping on that plan, his mind drifted back to a previous topic. "What did you mean?" He asked her with a frown. "With better places. What would you suggest? 'Cause, I mean... Ma's a borderline genocidal warlord and Dad's a kriffin' crime lord... options ain't really flexible. Besides, ma used to do the same thing from what I understand. Smuggling pays well. But..." He looked away for a few quiet moments. "Between me and you, auntie... I wanna do something with my life. I just... don't know what. Hell, can you imagine walking around Kestri and everyone looks at you with that look. The son of the 'Wardog'. It's why I don't wear the iron. I ain't Shai Maji. I ain't Xyoz Maji. I'm just here. But what else is there for me?" He looked at her with sincerity, hoping that his auntie had some answer for him that could help.

He understood that his current profession was going to land him in a shallow grave one day. He wanted more... but what? If anyone could help him figure it out, it was her.

"By the way, uh... when do you think I can go after my stuff?" He asked with a chuckle.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

One part of Valery wished Vera had been here to see him too, but another didn't. How would Vera feel about him having gone down this path? What about the blood and the people who had knocked on their door? Maybe it was for the best that Vera had missed out on this whole situation. Unlike the triplets, she was old enough to understand exactly what was happening, after all. Still, Valery managed a small smirk at his smooth criminal comment.

"I don't know about smooth. You looked like shit when you came in last night, and nothing about your mumbling was smooth either." She winked back and let out a soft sigh. He was okay, that's ultimately what mattered the most to her right now. His life choices... were his own to make, although Valery couldn't approve of smuggling drugs or other illegal goods.

Then, their conversation circled to just that — his life.

"The only one stopping you from doing something with your life is you. You're right, you're not your mother and your dad, but you really don't have to be. I don't want my kids to feel pressured to be like me either," Valery said with an almost motherly tone this time. "You have skills and a willpower that not many other people have, and it can take you just about anywhere. Smuggling might be the easy route to take because it's what you know, but nothing good ever comes easy."

"So... it's really about what you want to do. Set a goal, give it everything you have, and I know you'll succeed."

After offering another warm smile, he had to bring up the armor again, and Valery squinted, "Well, for starters, maybe after you eat something? I can cook up something simple for you. But... you don't have to wait. If you want to go and get your armor back, don't let me stop you. Just be safe, alright?"

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri listened as he looked out of the window at the skyline and passing ships, contemplating her words. He was hoping more for some ideas, not exactly a pep talk. But she wasn't wrong. All he needed was something to work towards. Problem was that put him back at square one. What? He had the skills, but he wasn't a soldier. He wasn't an engineer and he certainly wasn't an immortal monster who could kark around and find out what worked for him.

A laugh escaped him as he looked back at Valery. "Becoming a cop or something would be too cliché, right?" He jested with a shake of his head. "Too overqualified for that anyway, I'd make the rest of 'em look bad." He remarked with a shrug.

At the mention of food, his ears perked up and he looked back at Valery, though his bashfulness wouldn't let her do that. "Nah, that ain't necessary, auntie. Ain't gonna let you go and struggle now for me." He sheepishly smiled as he waved the offer away. He was still stuck, though. The gutshot was far too fresh for him to be out and about. He was stuck here, for better or worse.

"Is it cool if I stay for a few days? Just 'til I get back on my feet?"

---

After a few days of recovering and exercise, he was confident enough to move around on his own. He took the time to get to know his new cousins as well, though that wasn't his strong suit. He wasn't good with children.

"Ow- hey! Auntie Val!" Yuri called out in distress as he held Aurra out in an attempt to get her away from pulling at his ears. "Help, please!" He wandered through the house in search of her for aid.

Finally free of the torment, Yuri parked on the couch with his hands clasped. "I need to go. Stayin' here is putting you and yours in danger. But I do gotta ask a favour." He looked up at her with nervous eyes. "Could you help me get to those guys? Or at least to Underworld. I'll call the cops to report on their whereabouts or whatever, but I can't let 'em take my iron. They're a gang at the end of the day, I know where they are. But I don't wanna drag you into the mess. Those dudes are dangerous." He asked her softly.

Deep down he wanted to ask her for help. He couldn't admit that those criminals scared him, but he also couldn't ask her to put herself in harm's way for him. He would rather take his chances alone than expect that of his aunt.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

"Maybe not a cop out on patrols, but there are more specialized roles in Law enforcement too. Not saying you should, but down look down on it too much." It also wasn't a decision to just make on the spot, so she wasn't really going to push anything. But seeing that he was open to maybe exploring a change in his life did make her feel a lot better. She just hated seeing people she cared about falling off the best path for them.

But moving on...

"If you're staying at my place for a few days, you will eat what I cook," Valery said with narrowed eyes. "You can help with the dishes and keep Vera company to make up for all of this."

...
"Ow- hey! Auntie Val!"

Valery blinked and rushed over to take Aurra from him, after he had managed to make her let go, "You're lucky it wasn't Aeryn. She wouldn't have let go nearly this easily," Valery said as she cradled the little one in her arm and swayed back-and-forth to make sure she wouldn't just start crying.

She then followed him over to the couch, Aurra still in her arms, and listened to him. Valery did agree that it wasn't a good idea for him to stay here. Not with that gang knowing about his whereabouts. So, even though she didn't really wanted to get involved in this mess at all, she sighed and nodded, "Sure, I can help you get to them, but please be careful after that, alright? I don't want you crawling over my floor covered in blood a second time."

"It's a real pain to clean," She said with a smirk.

 

[Yuri Maji]

As she spoke, Yuri's gaze lowered to the baby cradled in Valery's arms. He couldn't help but think back to his own mother for a moment. The things she would do to keep him safe when he landed himself into trouble. Valery would do the exact same for any of her kids. But it wasn't right of him to bring danger to her doorstep, not people like that. Sure, he was in danger and heavily under the influence when he fled to her place, but that merely made the situation worse. His own carelessness and reckless life brought this threat to her children.

His face darkened as he contemplated what needed to be done. He couldn't leave any loose ends with this, one way or another. Whether it meant turning them in at the proper authorities, or retiring them from life with a blaster, he wouldn't let his mistakes jeopardize her family.

His mother would kill him if he let this go.

"I don't want you crawling over my floor covered in blood a second time."

"It's a real pain to clean,"

"You cool if I sink a cartel real quick?" He blurted out as his head snapped back up, modesty and thoughtfulness out the window. "I ain't lettin' 'em come knockin' here again." He rose from his seat and gathered up the very few personal items he had on him, namely his shoes. The kriffers couldn't even leave his datapad for him. "Can't have poodoo on Coruscant..." He muttered to himself as he made his way to the door, whether Valery was coming along or not.

Determination drove every step he took, through the lingering pain in his stomach and arm. His injuries still had a while to go, but he was fine enough to do this. He didn't train through his whole childhood and survive a rite of passage just to sit back and let people walk over his family. "We takin' a speeder or should I pull over a taxi for us?" He asked casually as he adjusted his shirt against the breeze.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Casual Epicanthix Clothes | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Tag: Yuri Maji

"I..."

It wasn't right to tell him to just take justice into his own hands and go after a Cartel, and it was dangerous too. If he got himself in even more trouble, how would his mother feel? Valery definitely didn't want to visit Shai just to tell her that her son had gotten himself killed after paying her a visit. That was a type of pain she never wanted her sis to go through, no matter what. So, rather than telling him yes or no, she sighed and stepped forward.

"Wait up," she said as she followed him to the door.

"If it's a Cartel that's behind all of this, I can take them down and provide evidence to the authorities." In other words, she wanted to go with him and help.

But would he accept?

"I can't let you go alone, Yuri. Not in your current state. Hell, do you even have a weapon? They took everything, didn't they?"

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri blinked as Valery rushed over to join him. She raised a few good points and it saved him the trouble of asking her to come along outright. "Was hopin' you'd wanna come along." He admitted with a nervous chuckle. "I got some guns on... nevermind." His mood sank a little as the realization hit him mid-sentence. His ship was out of the question.

"If we can get to my ship, I'd be sorted. In the meantime... well... Ma didn't beat the tar out of me for nothing." He shrugged, rubbing at the wound on his stomach. "Just need to take one of 'em out, then I'll have something in the meantime." He continued out along the sidewalk as he looked around them. "So... how you wanna get in there?" He asked her.

Once they were underway, Yuri spared a glance at Valery. Something that was on his mind since he woke up in her bed. "Auntie Val... I'm curious. What's... what's your thoughts on the mess at Rodia?" He asked her carefully. There was a more important question he had in mind, but that could wait for now.

Or perhaps not.

"Or rather... what's gonna happen between you and Ma?" He continued. He needed to know where things were going.

Valery Noble