Private Golden Heart, Purple Mind

[Cailen Corso]

Location: The Ember | Soundtrack: Tranquility

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As the Ember dropped from hyperspace, Cailen’s nerves were shooting through the roof. He wasn’t exactly sure why, though. He’d completed a ceremonial crystal hunt already, in the form of the Gathering, when he was but a youngling. So why did the search for a second one have him on edge?

Maybe it was the ominous name of the world that came into view outside the freighter’s cockpit.

“Hurrikaine…” Cailen said, wide-eyes as he turned to Valery. They were following his own calling in the Force, but she seemed just as confident as he was. This was the right place.

“It’s here,” he said, nodding to the wild world before them.

His hand clutched the amber crystal that hung from his neck. This is where it wanted him to go.

Location: New Cov Jedi Temple | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

“It’s cracked,” Cailen said with a quivering lip as he held the ochre Kyber crystal in his palm, lifting it for Valery to see.

There was a visible knick in the center of the crystal, where an impact had crushed the side and sent a thin crack down the length of it. It was at still intact, no slivers or shards were missing, but Cailen wasn’t sure if this much damage could be mended. He understood that Kyber was a living substance, and the faint golden glow from the crystal’s core gave him a glimmer of hope despite its outward appearance.

“Does it hurt?” the boy asked affectionately, gently rolling the crystal over. If Sith could bleed them, then maybe they could suffer from physical injury well. Maybe they could heal it.

He looked to his Master with desperate eyes.

“Can we fix it?”

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

he Ember

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Don't worry, Cailen. It'll be alright," Valery said after she noticed that he got a little nervous when they dropped out of Hyperspace. Crystal gatherings were always challenging to an extent, so it was alright to be a little nervous, but she still wanted to make sure that he wasn't to anxious about this journey.

Too much about it was beautiful as well.

"I've been here before, so I know what we're getting ourselves into. Nothing to really worry about." She chuckled and continued the ship's path down through the planet's atmosphere, before she searched for a place to land. Cailen's senses would be important to guide them to the crystal eventually, but for now, she was leading the way.

Hopefully it would help him ready himself.

Three weeks ago.

"I... don't know," Valery said while she looked at the cracked crystal. It wasn't the first time that she had seen damaged Kyber, but it was a field of study some Jedi dedicated their entire lives to. She didn't know if or how it could be healed, let alone do it herself or help him with it. Even her husband likely wouldn't try to mess with it.

There were risks to it as well, since the crystal was often integrated into lightsabers.

So she looked up at Cailen and sighed softly, "We can look into it, but I wouldn't use it in a lightsaber or anything dangerous. Maybe use it for something less... risky. We can find you a new crystal though." She paused again and gave it some more thought. There was no real need to go back to Ilum so...

"Maybe even somewhere a little more special than Ilum."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: New Cov Jedi Temple | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

“I… don’t know.”

Cailen’s heart sank. That’s exactly what he was afraid of. Since the moment he found Tarus’ lightsaber, his mind played endless scenes of the yellow blade soaring right beside his first one. An inseparable pair, honoring both his fallen Master and the Padawan Cailen had grown to be.

It seems now that it wouldn’t be possible.

Still, that didn’t mean there was no hope for the poor little crystal. Cailen hung on Valery’s every word. His eyebrows raised when she implied there could be other uses for the Kyber.

“You think so?” he asked, pulling the crystal closer to his face. He peered through the translucent gemstone, it’s dim glow just barely visible.

After a moment, Cailen looked back up to Valery. Her fiery eyes bore into him, like burning examples of the passion he hoped to reignite in Tarus’ crystal.

“What should we do?” he asked her with newfound determination.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

New Cov

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"I think so," Valery said with a smile, "Crystals can be used in other items as well, and who knows, maybe it can be repaired. It's just not something that I know much about, so I don't want to give you false hope." She patted him on the shoulder and briefly looked at the crystal. She knew how important it was to Cailen, so she was going to make sure that they did everything they could to keep it around.

Perhaps it would fit nicely into a necklace or bracelet.

"For now, I think we should find you an additional crystal, just to be safe." She grinned a little and met his gaze with her own again. Valery's hand then slipped down to her lightsaber, and she held it up in her palm for him to see. "The crystal in mine didn't come from Ilum either. I located it on Hurikane, a planet known for a very special type of crystal."

"They cut better than regular lightsabers," she said with a chuckle.

"If you'd like to come with me, I can show you."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: New Cov Jedi Temple | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

He scrunched his nose at first, but after a moment of thought, his face lit up with a smile. Cailen examined his Master's weapon with eager eyes, realizing that this was probably the closest look he's had at her double-bladed lightsaber. It was exquisitely crafted with a design that was equally practical and aesthetically stunning, much like herself. It suited her.

His eyes trailed to his own lightsaber, it's simple hilt and practical design suddenly seeming all to indicative of who he'd become since training as a Jedi. Tarus' saber, by contrast, seemed very busy and chaotic. Cailen wondered what, if anything, that meant about his fallen mentor.

"Hurikane?" he asked, tilting his head. He'd never heard of it before, but he most definitely knew Valery's crystal was more than average Kyber. The thought of traveling to where she gathered her own crystal was exciting.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

New Cov

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Hurikane is a planet in Wild Space, and not quite as well explored as most others. But it's the living beings there who are quite fascinating — rock-like and sentient, and partially made of the Hurikaine crystals as well that we can use for our lightsabers. Jedi have historically negotiated with them to obtain crystals, but I got mine differently." She chuckled and thought back about her own challenges.

Not that she was going to share too much about it. She wanted Cailen to experience it for himself, and go through his own, unique journey on the planet.

"It's quite a long journey to get there though, so before we leave..." she paused and glanced at the crystal in his hand. "I could show you how to integrate it into a necklace, perhaps imbue it with your own presence, and you'd be able to wear it as a source of strength." She smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"If we do end up finding a way to repair it, then we can always remove it from the necklace again, too."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: New Cov Jedi Temple | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

Wild Space? Crystal creatures? Nervous anticipation filled the Padawan as he imagined both the challenges and experiences he’d have ahead of him.

But he was ready. He followed Valery’s eyes to the crystal in his hands.

"I could show you how to integrate it into a necklace, perhaps imbue it with your own presence, and you'd be able to wear it as a source of strength."

“I’d like that, very much,” Cailen answered without looking up.

Imbuement was an area he admittedly had little practice with. It was obscure, and often fell to the wayside behind lightsaber training and Force techniques. Cailen imbued a tasar crystal as a gift for Corazona von Ascania but that was really the extent of his delve into the field.

He looked to Valery, eyes wide with eagerness.

“How do we start?” he asked.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

The Ember

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Let's head to the Ember, and we'll work on it while we travel. We're going to need a work bench there anyway," Valery said before she began guiding her Padawan away from the Temple and to the landing pad. The Ember had already been prepared for its next journey by ground crews, so Valery just brought him inside, closed the ramp behind them and headed straight for the nearest work bench.

"The physical part is easy — we build the crystal into a necklace or bracelet of a design you like. But to imbue it with the Force, my advice is to keep it simple and pure from the heart. This crystal belonged to your old Master, so keeping as much of his connection to it intact seems like the most respectful thing to do, hm?" She smiled and gently reached for Cailen's hand to open it with the palm facing up, the crystal in the very center.

"I know you've imbued something before, but I'm not sure how you did it," Valery then continued before her other hand reached for his chest and tapped right where his heart was.

"For this, I'd like you to focus on your connection to the Force, but also the one to your old Master. Let the strength he gives you flow through your heart, and into the crystal."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: The Ember | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

Cailen took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Valery made it sound so simple, but for him, tapping into his connection with Master Undara was always a struggle. It wasn't difficult to do, so much as it was difficult to endure. He'd trained himself to reflect on his fallen Master in healthier ways, but more often than not, he elected to plainly push away the feelings that came up when he focused on the past.

The pain of losing Tarus, and all the uncertainty that it brought into his life, were easier to forget than to meditate upon.

But maybe this is why he was drawn to the lightsaber in the first place. Anyone could have happened upon it after Tarus died, but it stayed right where his Master left it. He had to believe that all of this happened for a reason. That despite the hurt and confusion, the Force had a plan.

Slowly, the memories began to dance behind his eyelids.

Afternoons spent training under the sun, studying in the archives, and exploring the temple on Coruscant... asking questions, parsing enigmatic answers, and listening to stories that only a true Jedi Master could have been part of...

It was raw, and it was painful, but it was powerful.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

The Ember

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

While Cailen tapped into the Force and connected with his memories of Tarus, Valery stepped back and just watched. This wasn't a process she could guide or influence, and even if she could, she wouldn't. To imbue an object and turn it into a useful artifact, it had to remain personal. He had to draw from his own mind and heart.

"That's it, Cailen," Valery said calmly as she watched.

It was impossible for her to tell if it worked, but she could feel that deeper bond to the Force form within her Padawan. All that remained was for him to channel it into the crystal and make it his own.

"Guide these memories, the Force, and use your Master's strength as your own."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: The Ember | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

He tried hard to focus on the stronger memories, those that were the most important of all their time together, but he realized quickly that every memory he shared with Master Undara was important. Even the smallest details, like the way he sat during meditation or how he kept his hair, were reflections of Cailen’s unbroken bond with his friend.

The little crystal began to glow softly, a gentle light coming back to life deep inside its core.

It was responding to Cailen’s feelings, drawing power from the deep connection he once shared with Tarus - and, unbeknownst to him for the moment, his own strength in the Force. It was a deeply craved rejuvenation for both the crystal and the Padawan.

After a moment of silence, Cailen cracked his eyes to see the Kyber floating delicately between he and Valery. His eyes widened, but he kept the excitement at bay; He didn’t want to upset the process at hand.

“It’s working…” he whispered, looking to his Master over the crystal.

“It’s… it’s really working.”

He’d done this once before, when he imbued a small trinket for Corazona von Ascania as a Life Day gift. But the tasar gemstone never responded to his efforts quite like this. Maybe he was stronger now than he was then? There had to be more to it than that. Something deeper than a naïve crush.

This was something different.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"It is."

Valery had remained completely quiet until Cailen himself had opened his eyes to look at what he made. The crystal, now rich in Force energies, floated between the two Jedi, calling out to both but with a clear preference for the young Padawan. A part of himself was now inside this crystal, just as much as a part of Master Undara was. She could feel them both in there, not as opposing forces, but as two sides of the same coin in perfect harmony.

With a flick of her hand, Valery then summoned a series of small components from the table. Pieces of a simple necklace that positioned themselves around the crystal, before slowly coming together to create the necklace. This was the easiest part of the process, but the step that brought everything together nicely.

"Master Undara would be very proud if he saw this, Cailen," Valery told him before a gentle nudge sent the necklace floating towards him, before it moved around his neck, where it gently settled down.

"How does it feel?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: The Ember | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

"It feels... complete," Cailen said fondly. "Like... like all the pieces are here. It feels like wholeness."

He looked over the crystal with unblinking eyes, studying it as though it was the first Kyber he'd ever seen. Cailen could feel Tarus through it, like some kind of catalyst that merged Master and Padawan together in spirit. The ache of loss still lingered in the boy's heart, but in a strange sense, Cailen felt the wounds of the past were being mended.

The amber glow began fading to a brightness more befitting a natural crystal, and Cailen wrapped his hand around it as he watched. After a few moments, he looked to Valery with a smile. His face already seemed lighter. Relieved, almost. Like a weight had been lifted.

"I can feel him," Cailen said. "And now, I'll always have him here with me."

He rose from his spot on the floor and moved to hug his Master. He often found that his words never truly conveyed how he felt, but through touch, he showed just how grateful he was to have Valery here with him. When he pulled away, he looked to her with a reignited enthusiasm.

He hadn't felt this free in a long time.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"You will, both in this artifact and in your heart," Valery said with a smile that brightened when she noticed change in his expression. It always made her happy to see her Padawans shining like this, and the hug he offered only brought up more emotions in the Jedi Master. She held him for a long moment, her hand gently going over his back, and pulled away to look at him with an excited grin of her own.

"I'm very proud of you, Cailen," she told him before she finally turned back to the ship's controls. This was already a good day, but there was still a lot ahead of them. A crystal gathering was always a challenge, and with the two of them traveling not to Ilum, but into Wild Space, there was no telling what would happen.

Something that also made a journey like this all the more exciting.

"Do you feel ready for this task? It's going to be very different from Ilum."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: The Ember | Soundtrack: Greenheart​

|Three weeks before…

Cailen nodded, trying to push a look of determination and seriousness through the sheer excitement he was feeling already. Valery was right; Ilum was a difficult day for him, but it was more or less a controlled environment. The ice caves weren't easy to navigate, but the threats he faced were manifestations of the living Force. It may have felt real, but the danger he truly faced there was relatively low.

Hurikane would we entirely different. But he was ready.

"I can do this," the boy said, both to his Master and to himself.

Cailen took his seat beside her, reached for the copilot's controls and made a few minor adjustments to help prepare the Ember for the long journey ahead. When he finished, he looked behind them, down the short corridor that led to the ship's common area.

"Do we have enough supplies? Should we-" he trailed off, his cunning eyes shifting back to Valery. He gave her a little smirk.

"You had the ship stocked already, didn't you?"

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

The Ember

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"I can do this,"

Valery grinned at the confident response because she knew that he needed to be. Hurikane was a planet with actual threats, and the only way to get through it was by not hesitating too much. There had to be a balance between confidence and cautiousness that Padawans usually didn't have yet. They were either overconfident and would take too many risks, or they'd give in to defeatism far too quickly.

This was not the case with Cailen today.

"Do we have enough supplies? Should we-"

Valery already smirked.

"You had the ship stocked already, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Valery said with a smug look. "I know you better than you might think I do, Cailen." She shot her Padawan a wink and turned her eyes back to her instruments. "I always keep the ships supplied, but I knew we were going to make this trip today. It was just... a feeling."

"So, let's not delay it any further and head over to Hurikane. It's in Wild Space, so decently far out."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Hurikane | Soundtrack: Campfire​

|Present…

Seeing Hurikane for himself was unlike anything he imagined. Cailen wasn’t sure what to expect, but somehow, it matched exactly what his heart had envisioned; It was wild and untamed, yet beautiful in its own way.

Cailen eagerly grabbed the Ember’s controls, helping to bring the ship down safely. He guided them to a place not far from the presence he was feeling, one that he could sense all the way from New Cov.

That alone was a deeply monumental feat for him. Cailen had gotten used to struggling with his Force senses for so long now, it almost felt unreal to have noticed something so small from somewhere so far. His hands once again found the Kyber necklace around his collar.

He had Master Undara to thank for that.

When the Ember was settled, Cailen looked to Valery, clearly eager to head out into the wilderness. He knew the stakes, though, and respected his Master’s knowledge of this primordial world. He wouldn’t move without her guidance.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hurikane

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"It feels strange being back here," Valery said as the Ember touched down on Hurikane's wastelands. "We're not too far from where I collected my lightsaber crystals, not long after I was scarred and lost my first lightsaber." She briefly glanced down at the hilts on her belt. They had been redesigned sometime after she got out of stasis, but the crystals at the center of it all were still the same old crystals, albeit imbued with the Force now to a much deeper extent.

Valery then stepped outside, and spent a moment looking around. She could take him just about anywhere on this planet, but there was only one destination for the two Jedi. One that only Cailen could find, as long as he placed his trust in the Force and allowed it to guide him.

"I don't know how much you know about the planet, but the natives of this planet are a sentient species made of rock, but also the Hurikaine crystals that can be used in a lightsaber. Some can be found naturally, but it's never easy to acquire them. So, it might be that your senses will guide us to locals."

"We'll have to be careful and remain respectful. There have been cases of Jedi being chased down by them."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Hurikane | Soundtrack: Campfire​

Cailen knew that Kyber crystals were living beings, conduits of pure Force energy, but he never imagined a lifeform made of them. To acquire his next crystal from one of them? It seemed impossible. The shadow of doubt only darkened his mind for a moment though, before he remembered that his Master had not one, but two lightsabers powered by crystals from Hurikane. If she believed he could do it, then he could.

"We'll have to be careful and remain respectful. There have been cases of Jedi being chased down by them."

He gave her a little nod. Hurikane would likely be more than dangerous on its own, without the added thread of angry rock people. On instinct, he went to close his eyes to amplify his Force senses, but then he remembered the crystal amulet that hung around his neck. His hand wrapped around it instead, and he reached out to the very planet itself.

Just like on Ilum, he could hear the faint hum of a crystal. It was calling to him from across the stony wasteland.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hurikane

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

For about half an hour, the Jedi Master and Padawan would walk without seeing anything but huge boulders and smaller rocks. It was a complete wasteland, and would have been extremely uninteresting to anybody but those capable of sensing the Force. Because even out here, the Force was flowing strongly. It was hidden in the rocks, the soil and the shape of the planet itself, but they were looking for something more specific.

Something that called out to them, and it wouldn't take much longer until it found them.

"Careful," Valery said, as she looked up against both sides of the ravine they were in. Strange figures had appeared, looking down at the Jedi as they walked further into the canyon. None of them seemed to move to intercept, nor did they make any attempts to communicate.

They just watched.