Private Dazed Preparation

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dazed Preparation
Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

​

Jalen was disconnected from the physical world as he sat below the s-foils of an X-Wing. The hangar had been consumed by the chaos of preparation. Everyone within was getting ready for departure, a destination which Jalen did not know. He wasn't going, after all. Not that he'd be any good in a naval battle given his... very obvious physical limitations. It made it easier to get lost in the cords he played on his hallikset, which Jasper had so tediously made for him after the loss of his old one. Everything seemed to blend together as he played, all the auras of the people and microscopic lifeforms a blur, bobbing and weaving to the tempo.

The pluck of each string seemed to trigger a nostalgic feeling. The sensation of wind on his face or the sweet taste of the leaves that grew on the vine of a particular crop. The rustling of grass in an open plain... a warm blanket beneath the moon. A way of life with no complication where the rest of the galaxy simply didn't exist. Everything had been so small... how could one realize the scale of such a thing? That little, simple world was gone now. Gone with his sight. At least it could exist here; in his own little world, filled with the sound of strumming cords and faintly shuffling feet. Jalen always wondered what got him wrapped up in something so complex. Was it being found by his brother or what put him on the path to being found? Things were only more unclear with time it seemed and Jalen was no closer to concluding what had brought him to all of this, or where his place was in it for that matter. At least the music made it easier to ignore those thoughts. Not forget. Just ignore.

He was very unaware of everything around him in that moment. The ship was he sitting under, the people hustling past him, or the tools scattering on the floor no less than a meter away from him simply didn't exist, at least from within his mind. It was just him, his hallikset, and the dancing auras around him.

Jalen was okay with that.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

"Hey Bee? Can you give me the hydro...spor...span...thingy??" Mechanical skills had never been a strength of hers at all. Fixing up simple things for her ship was about as much as she could do, and even that was a struggle. She had no idea what the tools she used were called, how some of them were properly used, and if it wasn't for some simple instructions she had and years of repetition, she'd be completely lost trying to fix even these simple things.

Sliding out from underneath the X-wing, Valery sat up and adjusted her tank top, before raising a hand up through her hair. She was sweaty from having to work here in the heat of the hangar, dirty from accessing various parts and compartments of her fighter, and she was getting increasingly more frustrated that it didn't seem to work.

But unlike the times before, she had a new friend to help her.

BB-610 hadn't been with her for very long yet, but already made a huge impact on her life. From assisting her with simple tasks to joining her on missions and entertaining her daughter. It wasn't just work she ordered him to do either — he loved it every time she asked him to come along, and the shenanigans he got up to with Vera were likely at the top of his list of things to do somewhere as well. He was the perfect friend, and far more than just another droid to her.

Now out of her working focus, and after a few seconds of stretching her arms, Valery picked up on something else. Someone was playing music, and she found herself swaying along to it just a little, despite the atmosphere it was trying to create.

"Hey Bee? Got any idea where that music is coming from?" she asked, as she reached for some cloth to wipe her hands with.

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: NJO Temple, Coruscant |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Jalen Kai'el |

Starship repair was almost a safe haven for BB-610, feeling right at home as the astromech performed one of the primary tasks he had been created for. For once, the usually skittish droid had a layer of comfort around him, entirely in his element as the X-wing's components are scanned, diagnostics are ran, and adjustments are made. He'd never repaired alongside someone before, but Valery made for delightful company as always, even with her lack of know-how relative to the astromech's. BB-610's welding torch burned brightly against the vessel's exterior, sparks flying as his saw chiselled away at steel ever so subtly. There was very little in life that he could say he felt more confident in handling than a Jedi could, but as his data probe is socketed inside the X-wing's port to ensure all systems are operational, he can definitely say that this was one of them.

Peering down at the sound of Valery's voice, BB-610 replied with some affirmative bweeps, utility arm grasping onto the hydrospanner before lowering himself from the astromech socket, rolling over to the Jedi and gingerly handing her the tool. Despite her slower work, BB-610 was nothing but patient, never once chastising or poking fun. To him, it didn't matter that Valery wasn't as naturally skilled with mechanics as he was, because any little bit helped, but more importantly, the droid was simply grateful for the company. He had been living under the Noble's roof for little over a week now, and it was breath-taking at how healthier the droid had become in such a short amount of time.

He booted up each morning with excitement, gave Vera a playmate during the day, and when he was needed elsewhere, he'd spend the remainder of his time assisting Valery. It was bizarre for him to feel needed and appreciated, and while BB-610 was still no where near perfect, those baby steps were still progress, and the two Nobles had made him the happiest he'd ever been in his excruciatingly long life.

Perking up at Valery's question, his antennae rising for an even more crisp reception, BB-610 inquisitively pinpointed the music's source. Music, itself, was much of a foreign concept for the droid; he'd not listened to much, failed to understand its purpose, and often found it rather distracting when it came to concentrating on work. He'd tuned it out while performing his repairs, but as his optic narrowed at the sight of the human male responsible for it, the BB-unit knew it wasn't going to stop any time soon.

So, it's perhaps with this underlying annoyance that it wasn't all too surprising for it to bubble up to the surface as the droid's First Order programming forcibly took control of him, optic flickering to red. Immediately, BB-610 began his journey, rolling rapidly as he zoomed across the hangar floor, the photoreceptors on all six tool-bay disks flashing bright reds and blues akin to a police siren as his audiobox blared a series of deafening alarm-esque screeches.

INTRUDER. INTRUDER. INTRUDER. INTRUDER.

BB-610 chanted in droidspeak, closing the distance between him and Jalen. Upon arriving at the boy's feet, the droid's electro-shock prod is primed, threatening to zap him as he shrieked for the human to state his directive and designation. And just like, the astromech's First Order programming phased away, his regular self finally returning, optic blinking back to blue while BB-610 shook himself steady. Realizing that - suddenly - he was right in front of this complete stranger with no recollection of when he'd rolled over to him, BB-610 promptly swirled away, looking back to Valery and clicking in desperate binary for her to come over, like a child screaming helplessly for their mom after getting separated in different shopping aisles.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

​

Jalen's playing began to slow as a distant rolling sound reached his ears, along with a chanting in droid speak. It beeped something that sounded like "intruder" before aggressively asking for identification. It was a BB Unit based upon the sound and the rolling, armed with a zapper. With very little time to react, Jalen cradled himself around his instrument. If he let it get damaged, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Not after his brother spent so much time making it.

"W-wait!" Jalen stammered in a fit of confusion and desperation. "D-don't break it!"

Fortunately, it seemed bargaining wasn't necessary. The little droid seemed to flip it's personality, turning tail and running, crying out to someone in the distance for support. Like a lost child. It made Jalen feel bad. Really bad. He didn't like hurting anyone, and he had grown up around droids. The young padawan very much disliked people who mistreated them. Now it felt like he was just as bad.

"Hold on!" he called out to the BB Unit. Jalen couldn't help himself. He felt so bad that tears were beginning to well up in his eyes. "I'm sorry I scared you!"

Why did he always have to make everyone around him feel so terrible? Jalen sat up again, hanging his head. He couldn't slip back into his mind anymore. All that remained was the crushing anxiety in his chest.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

After Bee left to check on the source of the music they heard playing, Valery took the hydrospanner he had given her and continued to make the final few tweaks her X-wing needed in this small maintenance check. BB-610 had taken care of the majority of repairs, but she insisted that she'd do a few things herself as well. This way, she could learn a little and maintain her knowledge of the basics, should she ever get stranded somewhere alone and needing to make quick repairs.

But right as she was down on her back underneath the X-wing again, Valery heard Bee calling out to her, and he seemed frightened. It was odd because the Temple was probably one of the safest places in the Galaxy, but she was not going to leave her little friend alone when something was up. She crawled out from underneath the fighter, put away the hydrospanner, and wiped her hands on a piece of cloth along the way.

When she finally reached the droid, she realized that the music had stopped and that he was standing close to a young boy she recognized immediately. "What's wrong, Bee?" she asked before turning to the young Padawan. "Jalen? Are you alright?" Valery asked with a calm voice. She could see that tears had formed in his eyes, and felt what he was going through.

Had something happened between them?

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: NJO Temple, Coruscant |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Jalen Kai'el |

Relief flooded his system as Valery made her way over, the droid wobbling impatiently and hastily rushing to the Jedi once she was close enough so BB-610 could weave between her legs and hide behind them, dome head sliding slightly down the curve of his spherical body as to keep a wary eye on the human boy. Valery, unsurprisingly, wasn't intimidated by him at all, and even appeared to recognize him. Curious, the astromech inched a ways out from behind the Jedi Master, a smidge more confident now.

The boy in question seemed... upset. BB-610 was no stranger to eliciting that kind of emotion, but he was often treated to anger and malice rather than sombre sadness and quiet words of defeat. Perhaps it was his soft voice, perhaps it was how Valery had addressed him with worry, but BB-610 felt a pang of guilt well at his core, wildly unsure of how to process such a strange sensation amidst a bizarre situation. Peering up at his friend, the astromech hesitated, but truthfully replied in sorrowful binary that his First Order side had come out, and he'd accidentally scared the boy.

Guilt, shame, regret. BB-610 felt incredibly small, metaphorical tail between his legs as he rolled forward, slowly closing the distance between him and Jalen; the droid felt as though he owed an apology, and ever so carefully, he arrived at the Padawan's feet, central optic constricted in sadness, its blue light glistening.

Soon, the astromech bweeped a string of droidspeak as BB-610 shamefully told Jalen that he was sorry for the scare, and that he didn't mean to act so aggressive. Apology concluded, the BB-unit rolled beside Valery once again, gazing at the boy and instinctively analysing his facial shifts for any patterns of hatred just in case. Trauma had gotten the droid far too skittish for his own good, but hopefully Jalen would have the same open mind Valery had.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

​

"Jalen? Are you alright?"

Jalen knew that voice very well, as well as the fiery, yet calming aura. It was Master Noble. She was the one that the BB Unit had gone to. A wave of embarrassment came over him. He hadn't just scared any droid. He had scared her droid.

"I-I'm sorry," Jalen apologized. "I didn't mean to scare your droid."

He really did feel awful about it. One as sensitive to emotion as Jalen couldn't cause bad feelings without being aware of such things. It made him feel worse when people felt guilty, or annoyed.... or afraid. Organic or otherwise. But, as Jalen had begun to dry his eyes, he could hear the rolling of the little droid returning, much slower this time. The movement was delayed. Reserved, even. Then, in very clear and regret filled droidspeak, an apology came. He had picked up on something before hand too, something about previous programming? It was clear that the little droid hadn't been in good hands at some point in it's lifetime.

"Oh," the padawan reacted with a puzzled frown. "I-I thought I did something wrong."

A wave of relief did wash over him. He was glad that at least he hadn't caused the droid any harm, but it was still distressing to know that somebody had. The worst part of all of this was how embarrassing it was. Jalen, no doubt, looked very helpless. Childish as well for that matter, and in front of Master Noble no less. His face was becoming more red by the second as his empty eyes gazed off into nothing.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

Valery blinked in surprise when Bee rolled between her legs to hide behind them — it seemed that they were somehow both upset, afraid, or just generally uncomfortable after their little confrontation. But when Bee explained that his First Order programming had taken over for just a moment, Valery understood that it was just a simple misunderstanding. Her gaze shifted from Bee to Jalen, and she offered a smile.

One that, while he couldn't see, he could likely feel through the Force.

"It's alright, Jalen," she assured him but there wasn't much more she needed to add to it. Bee crawled out of hiding and slowly inched towards the boy to clear things up, and judging by Jalen's response, it was all that really needed to be done. All that remained now was a bit of embarrassment about the situation, but Valery wasn't one to comment on it, and instead stepped forward to place a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry if we interrupted your music as well. I heard it while I was working and wanted to find out where it was coming from. It sounds really good," she said, her tone genuine and warm. "If you'd like, maybe we can get something to drink and eat? Unless you're more interested in helping me make some final repairs to my X-wing. I'm going to need it soon for an upcoming mission, so Bee and I were going through the standard list, and making sure everything is tuned just right."

Whatever it was they'd like to do, Valery figured it'd be more interesting than parting ways and having him be alone. Even though he likely didn't mind playing music on his own all that much.

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: NJO Temple, Coruscant |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Jalen Kai'el |

The situation had defused. The air was melancholy, as while the tension had vanished, there was a lingering sadness that pulled at the droid's metaphorical heartstrings. Perhaps it was out of a failed first impression, perhaps it was because of Jalen's response, or perhaps it was because the astromech was only now detecting the fog in the human boy's milky whites. BB-610 doesn't know any better, and while blindness isn't entirely an organic subject, his lack of relative knowledge of the visually impaired meant he could only see things through a lens of experience, and as such, it was only instinct for the droid to assume Jalen had been a victim of abuse.

BB-610's glance bounced between them, pondering. He was skittish, still somewhat shaken up, but if the Padawan were in a similar boat to him, then that could potentially bridge the gap between them that BB-610 had inadvertently caused. Sheepishly looking up at Valery as though to silently ask for her permission to talk, the droid rolled forth ever so slowly, head lowered with the intent to appear as harmless as possible-- something rendered obsolute due to Jalen's eyesight, of course, but the astromech knew nothing else-- as he bweeped quietly, asking the boy if he had been hurt, as more clickings of binary informed him that the droid's scans had informed him of Jalen's blindness.

Regardless, BB-610 was more than fine with allowing their dynamic duo to merge into a trio. More hands on the X-wing meant more progress, although just how effective Jalen would be due to his disability was weighed; ultimately deciding that there couldn't possibly be any damage caused that the astromech wouldn't be able to fix, the BB-unit chirped some encouraging droidspeak as to parrot Valery's invitation. Rolling back to the Jedi Master's feet, BB-610 peered up, and softly informed her that he'd not experienced much music before. Ever the data collector, a few tweets promptly asked what its purpose was.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

​

She called the droid Bee? It was a very nice nickname, One that reminded him of the names Jasper had given his droids. He wasn't exactly surprised by this. Master Noble was a very nice lady. She had a friendly aura and made burgers, which was pretty much a win on the nice scale. When the Sword of the Jedi asked if he'd like to join the two in checking the systems on her X-Wing, Jalen's face lit up a little. He did have some technical skills from hanging out with Jasper, and was pretty good at identifying parts even without sight.

"Yeah," Jalen nodded with a faint smile. "I can do that. H-help with repairs, I mean."

Then Bee had asked a question, prompting him to slightly cock his head to the right. The droid asked about his blindness, asking if he'd been hurt. Jalen paused for a moment while pondering how to even respond. He didn't like thinking about it often... how he wound up losing his sight.

"I... was," he responded. "It was a while ago..."

Relative to his own short life, at least. Jalen had, admittedly, only been alive for about fourteen years. It was a while ago for him, anyways. Jalen's somber demeaner faded a bit when the droid asked Valery about the purpose of music. The boy thought about how he would answer, but nothing came. It was a bit too profound for him. Or maybe that was just his excuse to wait for what Master Noble though, just to make sure his thoughts weren't stupid sounding.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

With a slight dip of her head, Valery let Bee know that it was fine to roll forward and talk to Jalen. He didn't actually need her permission for it at all, but she figured that he just wanted to feel a bit reassured. Especially after the rougher start between the two. The conversation that followed quickly relieved some more of the tension that lingered, and with the young Padawan accepting her offer, they'd have more time to get comfortable around each other.

As much as Bee liked to stay close to Valery and her family, she believed it would be good for him to make some more friends, or at least interact with other Jedi.

"Very good, I have a few simple repairs that still need to be done. An adjustment to the cannon alignment, maintenance check on the torpedo launcher, and the suspension of the landing gear is a little stiff." Mostly simple things to address with the tools and materials they had here, but it should be a fun thing for them to work on together.

Valery then turned to Bee when he asked the question and offered a smile, "Well, music is a form of art so it's about expressing yourself, or capturing something about the world around you. From love songs that try to dig into the powerful feelings of a relationship, to simple happy tunes meant to just make you smile." While she didn't really make music herself, Valery loved to sing, so her understanding of the subject was decent.

"What about you, Jalen? What is music about to you?" Valery then asked before turning around to start heading back towards the X-wing, hopefully with the two following after her.

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: NJO Temple, Coruscant |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Jalen Kai'el |

BB-610's central eye stayed firm on Jalen, studying in meticulous detail. Unblinking, unfazed, concentrated and scanning. Cold, unfeeling machine staring without a hint of emotion behind nothing but a glass optic and harsh, objective data ran through equally expressionless circuitry.

"I... was. It was a while ago..."

. . . At least, that's how it would have been years ago, before he severed ties with The First Order and The Resistance, and before he met Valery. The astromech's head lowered, a low beeping of saddened binary resonating from his voicebox as his suspicions are confirmed. While he now, admittedly, felt even worse for having frightened the poor boy, he at least understood this organic's plight and skittishness. BB-610 wished he didn't, but not all of life's cards are dealt fairly, and some cards simply leave more lasting damage than others. The astromech knew that all too well, and this Padawan did as well. A yin and a yang, however - for every fall into his First Order programming, there was the joy and happiness he could experience when he was himself.

If Valery loved him through all of his flaws and imperfections, warts and all, then that surely meant Jalen had a place in the world, and BB-610 felt it upon himself to ensure the other knew that.

Gently nudging into the boy's feet, BB-610 beckoned him to follow the droid. While the Padawan couldn't see, the astromech's motor made enough noise while he was rolling for Jalen to be able to pursue, slowly guiding him over to Valery's X-wing, head twirling around to signal the Jedi to do the same as she dispensed crucial information (or 'told' if you're not an analytical machine) regarding his inquiry. While it was an answer, it hardly left the droid satisfied; if anything, Valery's response had only increased his hunger for knowledge. There was never a 'too much' for BB-610 when it came to data collection, and despite him understanding music's use as a means of therapeutic expression, there was simply something that wasn't quite... clicking for him. Perhaps it was because BB-610 was artificial, with no real brain to host true feelings and sentimentalities, regardless of the identity he'd developed from years without memory wipes. Perhaps it was because he had no first hand experience.

Thankfully, Jalen just so happened to be his golden ticket, as the astromech's attention lay focused entirely on him upon arrival to the X-wing. He hadn't meant to pile on to Valery's query, but BB-610 simply couldn't resist tweeting and chirping right after, asking Jalen if he could provide some of the music in question.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

​

"Very good, I have a few simple repairs that still need to be done. An adjustment to the cannon alignment, maintenance check on the torpedo launcher, and the suspension of the landing gear is a little stiff."

"Okay!" Jalen nodded, "I'll check out your landing gear."

His mood did lighten up as Bee bumped his feet, seeming to usher him towards Master Noble's X-Wing. It was a change in attitude that put him more at ease. Jalen was very happy that he hadn't hurt the astromech in any way. As he made his way over to the starfighter, Valery gave her views on music, asking for his. Bee seemed to ask as well, still curious it seemed.

"Well, uh..." the boy began with a frown. "Music is sort of like a story. People make it to hold information or feelings that they want to be retained for generations. Sometimes people remember it. Sometimes it's forgotten. It can be written down, but also exchanged from person to person. But it can also be used to communicate ideas between individuals or groups. A song is a kind of journal entry... just, written in a more abstract way."

Jalen became very red in the face after sharing this.

"Th-that's just what I think, anyways," he shrugged with an awkward smile. "Most people just think it sounds good."

That was the obvious answer, anyways. With that, he slid under the X-Wing in order to assess the present damage. He ran his hand gently along the hardware, poking fingers under a loose plate to check the internal alignment off all the components. It didn't take long for him to find the problem.

"You've got a crooked piston," Jalen informed the pair. "It's tilted slightly... feels like one of the clamps that keeps it lined up shifted a little. It's rubbing against the frame of the leg, which is why it's stiff."

Most likely brought on by a hard landing, which wasn't uncommon. Jedi couldn't always have a perfect flight, especially not one as active as Master Noble was.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

"I like that description a lot, Jalen," Valery said with a warm smile for the young Padawan. "I don't remember much of my own people and I've never returned to my homeworld, but there's a melody I do remember. It's supposed to be whistled, and it was tied to an old story of all-female Keshian warriors long before hyperdrive and modern technology were a thing." So the idea of thinking about music as a way to hold information for generations seemed quite fitting.

Jalen then disappeared underneath the X-wing, and while he did that, she'd let Bee either help him or look at another problem. Valery herself disappeared to check on the cannons, and only perked back up when she noticed that Jalen was ready to report his findings.

What he said was... not surprising. Valery often made rather rough landings because of how quickly she needed to be able to get down to the surface.

"Ah... yeah, that seems about right," Valery chuckled and tapped against the hull of her X-wing. "She has gone through a lot recently and I haven't had the time to give her the attention she needs." She looked back at Jalen and smiled softly, "You think you can help fix the problem? If you need assistance, I'm sure Bee would love to help."

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: NJO Temple, Coruscant |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Jalen Kai'el |

He mused on their words, intrigued. Deep in pensive thought, as though his servos were trying their hardest to decipher the hows and whys, running a multitude of programs, each more algorithmically inclined than the last, in fruitless attempts to uncover a mystery he'd never even realized existed. Like a painful itch begging to be scratched, it egged the droid's processors on. BB-610's memory banks were an archive for information, little and large, and the fact that this subject eluded his knowledge was causing him more discomfort than he'd care to admit.

Music was entirely subjective, and it provided a bothersome clash against the droid's objective programming. BB-610 was no stranger to feeling in similar ways to organics, but there remained one key difference: those came with firsthand experience, with the highs and lows of the development of cognitive thought and gained independence.

He was a stranger to music, and that flickering flame of curiosity had now roared into a burning inferno.

It was a thought to chew on while he idly worked on the X-wing. BB-610 was more than capable of repairing the ship's damages, and he was certain that said damages would scarcely occur in future now that Valery had the astromech to fly them much more carefully. That being said, there were other things currently occupying his headspace, subtly distracting him from anything else.

He hated it. That itch… tearing him away from his prime directive.

thweeet~

A whistle cut through the air, artificial in nature. BB-610 wasn't familiar with the melody that Valery had mentioned, but he had tried all the same.

thweephoweeeweeee~

The whistle trailed off, somewhat awkward as one's first attempt at music tends to be, but the droid's synthesized voice lended well to a low melody, rising and falling in octaves. Valery's last comment went unheard; there were no bweeps or chirps or any words beyond the notes he played, with BB-610 entirely focused. His optic constricted, almost surprised at the noises he was making.

Slowly, BB-610 settled comfortably into the rhythm he'd started, more and more confident as his whistling grew in volume.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

​

"I don't remember much of my own people and I've never returned to my homeworld, but there's a melody I do remember. It's supposed to be whistled, and it was tied to an old story of all-female Keshian warriors long before hyperdrive and modern technology were a thing."

Jalen's face lit up at this. He was very happy that Valery hadn't thought he was crazy, and that she had added to his description no less. He was very interested in what such a song would sound like. But he needed to help finish the repairs first. Jalen turned to Bee.

"Could you find me a hammer and a screwdriver please?" he asked. "I just need to tap it back into place and tighten it down."

As he awaited the tools from the little droid, something interesting caught his ear. Whistling, digital in nature. It was Bee. He was making music. And it was kind of good, after a bit of trial and error to begin with. Jalen smiled, bobbing his head side to side ever so slightly as he waited.

"Hey!" Jalen beamed in an upbeat tone. "That's really good!"

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

​

Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

After encouraging Jalen to work together with Bee, Valery focused on the alignment of her X-wing's cannons. She wanted to try and nudge the two to interact, so she kept her distance and soon overheard Jalen asking Bee to help find some tools. With a smile tugging at her lips, Valery continued making adjustments.

Until she heard something else as well.

It was somewhat faint, but with Jalen and Valery both stopping what they were doing, there was enough silence to hear Bee stringing together a series of digital pitches. At first, it perhaps seemed a little random, and Valery wondered if he was trying to maybe say something. But her own musical knowledge kicked in when she recognized distinct intervals between the pitches, making it obvious that he was playing a melody.

Her little buddy was making music.

"Heyy, that sounded great, Bee," Valery called out. "Now, try something like..." Valery cleared her throat and began to whistle a tune for him. Somethin simple covering basic intervals, but she knew he could do it.

 

[BB-610]

| LOCATION: NJO Temple, Coruscant |
| TAG: Valery Noble | Jalen Kai'el |

There wasn't much thought put behind the pitch, rising and falling at random, somewhat clunky yet entirely earnest in its execution. BB-610 had no frame of reference, no possible understanding of how to sing, how to play music, how to grasp the concept and steer it towards something of familiarity. The droid was still finding that reason, weeding through notes and whistles as he tried to make sense of something completely foreign to him, and that was reflected in a bizarre melody of artificial tweets and chirps.

"Hey! That's really good!"

BB-610's tune fizzled out, dying down as the droid glanced at the boy, completely and utterly bewildered. The astromech hadn't quite understood what he'd done, and - mathematically speaking - he was certain that there were far more aesthetically pleasing sounds than whatever mess he'd just come up with. And yet, all the same, Jalen's approval and accompanying smile instilled nothing short of confidence into the droid's circuits, welling up in pride as he fidgeted, unsure of how to properly process such a feeling. Turning to Valery, optic dilated, he tilted his head, listening attentively as she whistled in turn.

It was nice, much, much better than his. Like Valery herself, her tune held a flawless elegance to it - simple yet effective, with a gorgeous sweetness to it that compelled him to focus entirely on her. Like the computer he was, her notes were studied; processed and replicated, BB-610 began quietly following her lead, whistling in identical rhythm to the Jedi's, yet with a lower tone to compliment her harmony and provide a backing for her center stage.

Already, BB-610's music had drastically improved, head bobbing ever so subtly as his body swayed side to side with their rhythm. There was an intrinsic bliss that accompanied them, a comfort that lingered at his core and nudged him to fall deeper and deeper into passion. It felt right to sing along with her, picking up the steps she'd laid down for him, low note to boost a high note, a yin and a yang as their harmony reflected the journey of Jedi and droid: a leader and a follower, entangled together and working as one, different as they are, serving to meld those differences into a combined effort that shined brighter than any star.

That... was music to him. That's what Jalen had said, wasn't it? A story without words, abstract in the most beautiful ways. BB-610 understood that now, slowly rolling over to Valery, optic glistening as their whistles intertwined. An expression of intimacy, of a sacred bond that could blossom not from a conversation, but from a tune reverbing off of heartstrings. BB-610 finally got it, and never before had he felt more organic.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Valery Noble , BB-610

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Jalen didn't say anything. He simply smiled, bobbing his head side to side as the two of them whistled. That was what music did for Jalen. It was something that you could get so wrapped up in. A moment that could be brought to life anywhere, understood by anyone, loved deeply and cherished. A dream... a memory... a story. It didn't matter what it was. It was a real, tangible thing, even if you couldn't see it. Jalen didn't need to see it. After all, he couldn't see anything. Perhaps that gave him a different perspective on the entire matter.

"I think your piston is good," Jalen informed them. "Uh... thank you. I usually spend days like this alone. I-I... I'm glad you came over to talk to me."

That was a rare sentiment from Jalen. He usually greatly preferred being alone. Maybe it wasn't all that he thought it was. Perhaps he knew all along that it was only a temporary solution.

Maybe friends like Bee and Valery were to each other were what he needed to find.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

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Appearance: Pilot look
Tag: BB-610 Jalen Kai'el

It didn't take long for Bee to listen to her whistles and analyze the various tones she produced at all. They were pure and sounded clean, so she felt confident that he'd be able to replicate them. But rather than just matching them exactly, he shifted to a lower octave to compliment her. What followed was a song between friends, whistled and hummed with beautiful harmonies. To Valery, it helped tell their tale — one of friendship and joy.

She knew how much his life had changed after joining her family, and Valery couldn't be happier herself about having such an amazing friend in her life. This is what she ultimately wanted to show in this song.

"That was amazing, we should practice more often." Valery smiled and patted his head after he joined her to complete the song. As fun as it was, she didn't want it to last forever. Jalen was still working on the piston, and now that he finished that up, she wanted to involve him in the conversation as well. "I appreciate it, Jalen, and I'm very happy to hear that. I always enjoy our conversations and I'm sure Bee did, too."

She chuckled softly and looked between the two. Her hopes were that with this little encounter, they had both just made a new friend.