Private Finding Strength Within

[Valery Noble]

Finding Strength Within​

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Planet: New Cov
Location: Ilic
Time: Evening local time
Tag: Aayla Shan
Valery: Appearance

Valery was walking through the streets of Ilic alone in the evening, lost in her thoughts while she stared up at the stars beyond the city's massive dome. Much quicker than she ever could have expected, she had met other Jedi and learned about the current struggles within the Galaxy. It was similar to all those years ago with forces of light and dark clashing, but new threats had popped up as well, while others were long gone. To Valery, it meant that the same strength was required of Jedi, both mentally and physically. They had to be ready to endure incredible hardships and be prepared for what the Galaxy is truly like. All whilst holding on to the values of the Jedi.

This is what ultimately brought her back to New Cov, a planet she had spent an incredible amount of time on in the past. This is where some of the toughest things in her life had happened, but also where she taught her Padawans valuable lessons. These next few days were going to center around training and testing a Padawan she had met and was likely going to be working with more.

"Let's see what you're made of." she thought to herself with a smirk as her gaze shifted down to the spaceport.

Stepping inside, Valery found herself a quiet spot and reached for her comms device, <Transmission> "Padawan Aayla Shan, this is Master Noble. I'm transmitting a set of coordinates to you - please meet me there as soon as possible. I would like to put you to the test with some training, and perhaps teach you a thing or two. I'll see you soon." she said before ending the transmission and forwarding the coordinates of the planet's spaceport. With how late it was currently, she figured it'd mean that Aayla would arrive during the night, which would be perfect for the plans she made.

This training was going to help Valery understand Aayla better, and hopefully push her as well. It was going to be tough but there was purpose behind everything she had planned. She was looking forward to these days of training.

 

[Aayla Shan]

Location: New Cov
Mission: Regroup with Master Valery Noble
Equipment: (Avatar Appearance) , Lightsaber, Witchblade . Various trinkets in usual loadout

THUM! the SJC suddenly dropped out of hyperspace, Aayla was easy on the controls as she veered the ship planet-side. Requested permission to land, and receiving said permission the craft effortlessly glided through the clouds, and down to land on the spaceport. After touching down, Aayla would open the cockpit, making two deliberate actions; being to jump up on the edge of the cockpit, then stepping off to land with some bounce in her step. From there, she would turn a wrist and realize she had just actually walked past the coordinates she was supposed to be meeting Master Noble at. She stopped on a dime, eyes raising up and looking about herself.

She had expected to be outside, but instead had landed within a domed area. Coming in she noted there were several huge biome domes on this planet, all of which were surrounded by thick vegetation. Maybe jungle would have been a better word. What in the world was she doing on a planet like this anyway... It was time to find out. As she walked, she drew more than a few eyes, and on instinct would melt into the Force. Having garnered a better grasp on Force Concealment, she happened to use it a lot more; sometimes even during mundane tasks. Rationalizing that people did so much more when they didn't expect others around, as opposed to when you were in plain sight.

As she walked along, light thuds emanating from her boots, she would press a button on her wrist-pad, and speak into the earpiece that she was wearing.

"Master Noble... I've arrived at your coordinates... Did I pass the test on piloting and navigation?" She joked purposely then, almost baiting some kind of trick from the other, as her senses were alight in the Force. Ready for anything, but cool and calm. As she walked, and scanned with her eyes, she also searched through the Force for any signature that was familiar, or of note. The lightsaber she wore very much visible did her no favors in anonymity however. And those that came in direct contact would mumble their theories as to why a Jedi had suddenly come to the planet.

Of course, she would ignore them, only really listening to anything that was said loudly enough to be heard without straining.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Reaching around, Aayla's senses would take note of the largely peaceful area around her. During the evening, few wandered the streets near the spaceport or industrial sectors. The population of each city wasn't that large, but at night the sounds of nature around the domed city could almost reach you - it was that quiet. However, beyond the walls of Ilic, it was easy to sense a great deal of life but it wasn't quite like one would expect. There was a sense of danger and a feeling that the jungle wasn't meant to be visited.

Meanwhile, Valery was heading for the rendezvous point when she heard Aayla's voice come through over her communications device. She rolled her eyes and raised it to her lips. "I'm glad you were able to successfully enter coordinates into a computer and follow them. I'd be worried if you ended up on Coruscant" she said in a joking manner with a smirk. "I'll be right there with you." she then added.

Moments later, Aayla could sense Valery approaching. While Valery typically suppressed her own presence in the Force as well, she currently refrained from doing so to a large extent - she wanted Aayla to sense her. "It's good to see you again, Aayla." Valery finally said as the two met on the marked coordinates. As usual, she bowed her head in respect and offered a warm smile.

"I know I didn't explain much in my message, but I figured it would be better for you to see it as well. Come." she said as she looked around and gestured for the dome while they began to walk through the city. "This city and many others were built to separate the population from the incredibly dangerous fauna and flora of this planet. A long time ago, I trained in those jungles with my Master and they put me to the test in a way no other place did."

"Since then, it is almost tradition that I bring my students here to train and test them. While you might not be my Padawan specifically, we are working together and I believe it may benefit you. So if you're up for a challenge.." she said with a grin, as she figured it would get Aayla's attention.

Valery then resumed her path towards what appeared to be a large gate leading out of the city. A gate that was typically closed and regularly opened for reasons that would soon become much more clear.

| Aayla Shan |​

 

[Aayla Shan]

The Master responded, and her gray hues would widen lightly with a smirk. Listening intently as her cadence was transmitted through the microphone. No tricks then, just snide comments. She held up a hand as the Master spoke, and let it fall away from her with her fingers spread apart. Master Noble was an interesting woman to Aayla, and to be offered a moment to train with the other was considered an honor, the fact she had a sense of humor only sweetened the deal.

"No Mam, I can find Coruscant well enough... See you soon."

She had responded, moving to sit on a bench, leaning back and letting her eyes peer about the area. It would prove ironic she was thinking about how humid and terrible it must have felt outside. Even thinking it was the last place she would want to go... Though, as she thought of it, it would slowly dawn on her. Places like this were absolutely right up the alley of training locale when it came to Jedi. She would rather be cold, than hot to be honest; so before Valery got there, she would already rubbing her temples lightly.

She stopped suddenly as the familiar signature in the Force was suddenly made tangible. Aayla got to her feet, and offered the Master a full bow of her back, returning that respect as it was given. "Its good to see you're doing well too, Master Noble... You put on a little muscle.." she joked, moving alongside the Master as she motioned, and stated for her to come along.

And with that, she would listen intently to what the other had to say, nodding where applicable, but otherwise silent. There was a jungle on Kashyyyk, and one that Aayla was familiar with, what was the point of dragging her halfway across the galaxy to one she had never even been in? Well, then again it made sense. There was a point in time where she knew nothing about Kashyyyk's jungle, but training there taught her much about herself, and the locale.

She had zoned out for barely a moment, but her head would snap-to at the word 'challenge'. Was she that easy to read? Not like she did well to hide it, with her shoulders squaring, and chin rising as she heard the word. Gray hues pierced the other as a smirk again found Aayla's face.

"So you'll teach me some new tricks, and it'll help me on my path; Would've thought you guessed by now you can't tease me with a good time..." She smirked, looking about herself in curiosity; it was something she always did before she 'started' something. Like a personality quirk you couldn't shake. She just looked at her own body, and everything on her person, and with that she was good to go. Tugging down on her belt lightly as she approached the gates with Valery.

A single glance given to the other as it tickled her imagination... Was Aayla really that easy to bait? Well, not like it mattered. Training was training, and she liked Valery's approach on it; so far...

Out the gates they would go, unless there was a surprise afoot.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

A chuckle was given at Aayla's joke, and Valery would glance down at herself for a moment before she explained more about the world, and mentioned her little challenge. The curiosity and readiness it sparked in Aayla caught her attention immediately, causing her to smirk a little herself. She had a feeling Aayla would be up for it, not because she believed Aayla to be easily read, but since she recognized herself in the gray-eyed woman. Or well, her younger self, back when she was a Padawan and even early Knight.

With the smirk still on her face, she then turned her orange eyes to Aayla and nodded, "I'm here to guide you and push you to develop yourself further. The Force has a great deal of mystery and depth to it, and much of it can't be directly taught. You have to create that deeper understanding and find what lies within yourself, so you can bring it out." she explained with a largely serious tone, but a smile came through at the end. "I believe you have a lot of potential as a Jedi and my goal here is to help you tap into it even more."

The two then continued their path towards the city gate, where a pair of Guards seemed to be expecting them. It wasn't common for people to leave the city and head into the jungle at all, so Valery had contacted them beforehand. After a brief exchange between them and Valery, the gate opened and they would step outside the safety of the city walls. There was still some distance between the walls and the tree line that marked the start of the jungle, but the temperature and humidity were already quite different here.

Stopping for a moment, Valery looked at Aayla again, "What I believe to be incredibly important for a Jedi's growth is developing true strength. As Jedi, we do not seek power but strength is of course different, and necessary. But it's not just your ability to overcome great physical hindrances; it's also the ability to stand with a strong will in the face of true danger. It's a balance between perseverance and recklessness that you train through experience and always must seek to develop further."

Valery then looked away at Aayla and stared into the jungle, "I brought along some basic necessities for survival but during our stay, it's mostly your willpower and ability to push yourself further, that's going to make the difference." she said as her gaze settled back on Aayla. "Because trust me, this jungle will test you and expose any weaknesses you might have. You either overcome and push through or it will punish you." Valery said with a tone that made it clear she understood what this punishment meant. Her face was permanently marked because of it.

"Of course, if all goes well, you will come out much stronger and you'll have learned valuable lessons about yourself and the Force." she grinned a little again and looked at the Jungle.

"Any questions before we go in and get started?"

| Aayla Shan |​

 

[Aayla Shan]

Aayla quickly noted the difference in time to speak and joke, and the time to listen. Valery had a personal connection to this place, to this planet. Aayla understood, and had no intent on to undervalue that herself. Master Noble honored her with this invitation, and this offer to further her, albeit just a smidgen, it may have been more; who knew. What was certain was that Aayla trusted in her guidance, to a point of putting herself as the others mercy; if Valery was some sort of undercover Sith, Aayla would have been indoctrinated by the time she left the Jungle, but she also didn't see that from the other whatsoever; there was a light bond forming from Aayla to the other.

"I understand My Master"

Aayla responded, looking towards the Jungle. It was at that point she recalled the previous skulking her and Kadan did. Specifically, her being caught off guard by Force Lightning, She thought against asking the other first, simply out of caution they dug too deep and began asking certain questions, but it didn't really matter in the end. Hell, Valery had allowed herself to be dragged to Cor Leonis hadn't she? In that moment she thought of Ala as well, head drooping a bit. She was truly a coward for not going to see her friend sooner. She just felt so helpless whenever she looked into Ala's eyes.

Something innate in her just caused her to travel, and move around... The solid year she spent on Kashyyyk was made alright by helping others, but it was torture. She liked to explore; that was something about herself she knew for a fact; albeit she came off as aloof, or sometimes foolhardy. That being said, one day she had to travel back; and confront it. After all, it wasn't her fault Ala got hurt right?

"Master Noble... Can you teach me how to stop Force Lightning?" She asked plainly, gray hues moving to rest on the other.

Valery Noble