Private Full Circle

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
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| Location | Wielu
| Objective | Reminisce

Wielu was a beautiful world. A planet of tropical seas, blessed with a warm climate - a planet Jenn regarded as something of a paradise, given her unique nature. The ocean's song was not the reason why she chose to sit on a deserted beach this day, however.​

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Wielu would always hold a special place in her heart as the place where she first crossed paths with the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. Or, as she came to regard her as the war between their people raged on, her dearest friend. Valery Noble.​

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Mesmerized by the sight of the planet's two suns setting over the horizon, bathing the water in a warm glow sitting between orange and purple, the Mandalorian found her thoughts flowing with ease. Whenever the waves crashed against the shore, the peaceful state of contemplation she found herself in was reaffirmed, allowing her to look back to the past with clarity of thought.​

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Valery had shown her respect, when she allowed the lone Mandalorian to reclaim the birthright of her people from an arrogant youth without a fuss.​

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Valery had shown her kindness, when she spoke of her dream of family, speaking of the joys that came with motherhood, going as far as to show the warrior pictures of her beloved family.​

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Valery had stood by her side, time and time again. Guiding her through the caverns of Ilum in spite of the war raging between their people. Talking her down when she pursued her desperate desire to escape from the Galaxy in fear. Stepping up as a neutral observer when the time came to put things to rest with Natasi Fortan .​

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It was in the wake of the council held on Manda'yaim by the Mandalorian Protectors that Jenn truly realized how blessed she was to count such a virtuous woman as her friend... and how lonely she felt, now that she realized just how different she had become from her people. Jenn Kryze, humble smith of the Mandalorian Enclave, devoted to her people and blind to their misdeeds, was no more - and with her, died a lifeline to the greater culture of her people, it seemed. When she warned the so-called "Protectors" of the dangers of conquest, the pretender quite literally showed her the door; a rebuttal she had taken in stride, and yet... the weight of it made her somewhat desperate.​

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"I am not like them", she whispered softly, setting her helmet down in the sand next to her, facing the ocean - as if wishing for the Jaig Eyes etched upon the venerable piece of equipment to gaze upon the same beauty she did.​

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"Not anymore."​

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Jenn could not quite tell if the thought brought her despair, or relief.​

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Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"I had a feeling I'd find you here," Valery said as she casually strolled up to where Jenn was sitting. Their first meeting here wasn't one Valery would ever forget. It had forged a friendship despite all odds of the time. The Jedi and Mandalorians had been at each other's throats, enveloped in a war many feared would last a decade or more. While that hadn't happened with the collapse of the Enclave, it had still been strange for them to connect the way they had.

But Valery wouldn't have it any other way.

Jenn had a kind heart and soul, and no matter which side they found themselves on now or in the future, Valery would always call her a friend.

"The weather is nice, isn't it?" Valery asked as she looked across the horizon. "So why so glum?" She looked at her friend and offered her a warm smile. Something that would hopefully pull her free from her own mind, and give her that confidence to speak freely to someone who would always listen and try to understand.

Jenn Kryze ​

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
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| Location | Wielu
| Objective | Converse

That familiar voice was quick to shake the Mandalorian from her state of melancholic reverie, looking up to find her friend awaiting. Something to be said about how the Jedi always made a habit of showing up where they were needed unannounced - a fact that once left her frustrated, but now... she took some measure of solace, knowing that the galaxy was blessed with such stalwart guardians. Brother-in-arms, after a fashion, who had proven their worth time and time again as worthy allies, and, in their case? Even friends.​

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"It doesn't beat Scarif", remarked the warrior in that pleasant, sing-song voice of hers as she kept her arms crossed over her knees, her gaze returning to the sea before her. "But it's close." Given how deeply tied she was to that world, no small praise indeed. It was Valery's next comment that truly shook her out of her contemplative state, however, turning to properly meet her gaze, the faint glow of her own betraying the truth of her nature, often left buried beneath the beskar and expectations. A siren, who yearned to be free.​

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"I came by Manda'yaim, thought I'd attend a... summit, of sorts, held by the Protectors." She shook her head, then, and actually winced. "Saw some familiar faces there, folks who were in the Enclave before, same as me. Seems like that pretender is just letting anyone in - even the more savage among my people. I was shown the door when I warned them about the dangers of conquest."​

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Evidently, she was less than pleased with the outcome. Why, her expression really made it look as if she had just bitten into a lemon.​

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"So, I suppose that's that. I'm so far apart from the majority of my people that I can't help but wonder if I am still really Mandalorian."​

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Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"What does being a Mandalorian mean to you?" Valery asked when Jenn explained why she was here, and why her aura felt as somber as it did. It wasn't too surprising to Valery, not after she learned just how different Jenn had been from the Enclave back when they first met. She wasn't like most Mandalorians, but the Mandalorians had never really been the same way throughout history.

Perhaps she was more Mandalorian than she gave herself credit for.

"I'm not an expert at the Resol'nare or your beliefs, but I know enough to see that you care about and fight for many of the same things. Family and friends are important to you — your clan. You see value in being able to protect yourself. Just because you're less likely to go on a crusade or seek conquest, doesn't mean you're not a Mandalorian, right?" Valery asked as she followed Jenn's gaze across the waters.

"There were times when the Mandalorians were so few in number, they couldn't hope to expand or conquer. Were they not Mandalorian either?"

Jenn Kryze ​

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
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| Location | Wielu
| Objective | Why do we fight?

"Strength", came the siren's answer, the otherworldly echo betraying just how deeply that belief ran. "We are the mightiest warriors of this galaxy. Conquerors of a thousand worlds, martyrs of a hundred causes, villains of a million stories. Conquerors, mercenaries, heroes- whatever we've been throughout the ages, we've always been strong. We just never agreed on what we're supposed to do with that strength."​

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She marked a pause, then, digesting her friend's words. Her thoughts were brought back to Ilum and its crystal caves - the challenge she had faced there, the allure of power and glory beckoning her into the darkness... and how she emerged triumphant, in the end. A victory won through her own force of will, perhaps, but the entire venture would have been pointless if not for the kindness of the woman standing by her side now. They were Jedi and Mandalorian, ancient enemies brought into conflict once more, and yet Jenn refused the path presented to her by the Enclave, choosing instead to make peace with the Jedi and move on from the wounds of the past.​

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She looked up to face Valery properly, a grin pulling at her lips. Try as she might to hold on to wisdom and calm, the Alor of Clan Kryze was not without pride, and the great things she had come to achieve were certainly worthy of it. Under her guidance, the Clan was reborn from its ashes; tempered by the wise counsel of her dearest friend, her daughter, and the newly-crowned king of Alderaan, she chose not to flee, but to dig her heels into the earth and make a stand.​

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Some dreams, she could not pursue. Never would she walk in the glorious footsteps of Tarre Vizsla; never could she count herself among the ranks of the Jedi, warriors of Light she had once scorned, only to learn to treat them as equals.​

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"All my life, I believed that weakness was a choice. That any one could be strong, if they chose to do so, and put all of themselves towards that." Even now, her voice was filled with doubt. Somewhere in her heart... the siren believed that tale, still. That anyone, so long as they armed themselves with courage and purpose, could count themselves among the Mando'ade.​

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"Maybe I was wrong. Maybe- maybe the strong were always meant to help the weak, and my people should be guardians, not... whatever it is we keep on becoming."​

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Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

Valery hummed in thought and nodded along while she listened to Jenn. Strength was a good answer, but strength could mean a lot of different things, "Well, I believe strength is more than what you have. It's not just raw power, skills, abilities, or weapons and armor. Strength is also something that you are," Valery began while her eyes shifted between her friend and the horizon. Despite the choices of her people, Jenn had always made decisions for herself. Even if she disagreed, she wouldn't change who she was just to fit in.

That was true strength.

"Strength is believing in something good and pure, and being willing to defend it, even if you stand alone. It's so easy to change and follow the herd, even when they go against everything you stand for. But that has never been you." Her eyes were now purely focused on the woman beside her, and she reached out with her hand to comfortably place it on Jenn's shoulder.

"You are strong because you care for and protect your clan. You give them purpose and direction and you're willing to listen to them as well, the way a family should. What you've believed all your life is true, Jenn, and that's why you're a Mandalorian."

Jenn Kryze ​

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
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| Location | Wielu
| Objective | Listen and learn

In many ways, Valery was the best friend a Mandalorian could ever ask for. Jenn understood why the Rallymaster she had found herself looking up to had forged such bonds of fellowship with the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. The name of her friend would echo in legend long after her passing, her sword-arm revered as steadily as her drive to stand against the encroaching darkness. Valery was kind, yet truthful; mighty, yet restrained. All of the qualities of a warrior and a mystic combined made for a warrior and peacemaker she would follow into the depths of hell without fear nor pause.​

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Perhaps more importantly than all of those qualities, Jenn knew she could rely on her friend to speak truly. To tell her what she needed to hear, rather than what she wanted to hear, just as she had done so during her attempt at exile from the known reaches of the galaxy. Such an enduring commitment to doing the right thing was as clear a mark of Valery's inherent nobility as anyone could possible ask for, and Jenn cherished their friendship all the more for it... just as she knew that the Jedi spoke only the truth, then. It made the kindness of her words all the more meaningful to her, her lips pulling into a tender smile as that hand was brought to rest on her shoulder.​

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"Of all the people to walk by my side", spoke the siren at last, her gaze meeting her friend's own, so very full of mischief - a rare break from her increasingly sullen demeanor, ever more frequent since her ascension to the rank of Alor. "I never would have thought I would count a Jedi as my staunchest ally and dearest friend. And yet... here we are. With the words of my people sounding more and more foreign every time I hear them, and the descendant of my people's old enemy bringing me clarity, and peace."​

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She gave a sharp nod of assent, then. "There will be a reckoning, one day, I just know it. It's been on my mind for a while now - how I'm taking my Clan away from the attempt made by the Protectors to unite us all... but, frankly? I would rather have us stand alone than alongside the barbarians and murderers that so-called Mand'alor allows in his ranks."​

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Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"True friendship can cross most borders," Valery said, as her gaze rested upon the calm horizon. She truly believed it. Most differences could be overcome and great bonds could form as a result. Exceptions existed, of course, as certain forces of evil were never to be reasoned with, but a Jedi and Mandalorian with the right mindsets and openness could set aside their differences. She had proven that when she befriended Shai, and now it had shown again when she met Jenn.

"And I'm glad that I can offer you some clarity and peace of mind. I know you'd do the same for me." Once more, Valery squeezed Jenn's shoulder and looked at the woman with a smile. Jenn's kind heart and her care for those close to her will always be her strength. One that Valery knew she'd be able to rely on if her life ever demanded it again. War was tearing the Galaxy apart again, so it was only a matter of time until she'd need it.

"As for your clan, their safety is your number one priority. If your decisions and actions reflect that, they will follow you wherever you go." Whether that meant settling in the Galaxy somewhere remote or joining forces with any other group. She didn't believe Jenn would easily follow after other Mandalorians, knowing who was among their ranks, but perhaps that would be different one day. If they proved they had changed.

"Just don't stray too far, hm? I'd miss you." Valery looked at Jenn again and smirked.

Jenn Kryze ​

 

[Jenn Kryze]

Beskar'gam
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| Location | Wielu
| Objective | Listen and learn

"Letting go of past hatreds for new friendships; that is the Way." There was confidence behind her words, a measure of surety that nothing could hope to vanquish, no matter the odds. Not now that she found the difficult choices she had made validated by their results. Shai had been a ferocious warrior, someone who extended a hand towards Jenn during her younger years and proved herself a shining example of all their people could be - but she had chosen to remain loyal to the Enclave until the very end, dying for the home she had worked so tirelessly to protect. In many ways, Jenn had been saved from the same fate by her example; Shai had the privilege of dying a hero, fighting for the Enclave before it truly descended into banditry and raiding in the name of some higher purpose. Jenn would only die an unremembered smith who fought for a perverted shadow of the home she had fought for all of her life.​

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In the end, Jenn made a decision Shai could not, turning her back on that which she had called home for most of her life, allowing her to forge on ahead and make something new. Something better. Something that could sometimes be terrifying, given the responsibilities that came with her position, but there were people like Valery to catch her when she fell, offering some measure of comfort in the darkness. Her lips curled into a grin, then, in the face of the Jedi's last few words, clearly amused, yet touched.​

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"What, and let you have all the glory?" teased the Mandalorian lightly. "You're stuck with me, Val."​

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And, for a moment, she was content to bask in the satisfaction of it all. The light-heartedness of it all. Her thoughts gently danced in another direction before long, however, and she stood up at last from her sitting position, inhaling deeply. The sea air was doing wonders for her nerves, as did the pretty sight of the sunset over the horizon- but her attention was fully turned towards her friend, then.​

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"... I've been thinking. With the darkness encroaching, and given the place I am trying to steer my people? I'd like to go and see if I can obtain some measure of official treaty between Clan Kryze and the Galactic Alliance. I know Jedi and Senate aren't exactly in the same sphere, but... figured I'd mention it to you, first. See what you think."​

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Valery Noble ​