Private Hard Learned Lessons

[Briana Sal-Soren]

H A R D L E A R N E D L E S S O N S
Children of Shiraya

| Ossus Enclave, Late Evening |
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The training saber she’d chosen during her first lesson with Valery, was carefully laid out in pieces on the floor of Briana’s quarters. The young Sal-Soren had spent the week examining each connection, each alignment, the blades' various components, and power studs. She wanted to be ready for when it came time to build her own saber and maybe even secretly hoped to figure out a way to disengage the safety features. Thus far, to no avail.

Whispers through the Force of impending doom with rumors of trouble brewing on the horizon of her home world Naboo, caused an underlying panic in Briana, influencing her recently brash behaviors in a bid to push faster through the Jedi ranks. In her latest attempt, she’d gunned for creating her own lightsaber, begging Valery for the opportunity to prove her capabilities by accompanying her and the other Knights on a quest to hunt down a rogue sithspawn, left over from the days of the Sith Empire.

Briana had thought she could accept Valery's decision on the matter when she'd told Briana 'no', albeit begrudgingly. She knew she was not the ‘ideal Jedi’ like Brandyn, nor as sweet as the demure Iris, but did Valery have such little trust in her?

There was no other way, Briana decided then and there. She would have to take matters into her own hands.

Sitting on the sidelines? Spending the days meditating? when she could be preparing? No thanks.

That was her way, after all.

A problem presented itself, then she faced the challenge and found a way. Usually with Brandyn by her side… but, he wasn’t here. The siblings who’d been inseparable their entire lives, were now lightyears apart.

This was something she would have to do alone.

Gathering a knapsack of supplies, Briana hesitated when she came to the training blade strewn about. Instead of working to put it back together so she could take it with her, another, dangerous thought entered her mind…

Many times at the end of a long day of practice, Briana had seen where Master Noble would store her lightsabers. If she tracked the Sithspawn, and used her Masters lightsabers to take it down… prove that she could wield the real thing…

Gathering up long strands of chestnut-hair, Briana tied it all together with a long leather ribbon to keep it from falling in her face, dressing quickly in her workout attire and pulling on the combat boots her father had bought her for her sixteenth name day. Slinging the knapsack over her shoulder, Briana scurried quietly from her bedroom with a singular goal in mind, only to freeze in the shadows and gasp.

“Justice!” she rasped, slugging his arm. “You scared the beejezus out of me! What are you doing out here?!” Never mind what she was doing out there, at this time.

Justice Lesan ​

 

[Justice Lesan]

A month or more had passed since Briana made the decision that Justice was going to be her friend. While there were no objections on his part, the young Sal-Soren did not give the young Lesan much choice in the matter. That was fine with him as friends were hard to come by when constantly training. It seemed the only thing he had in common with his Uncle Judah was the work ethic which the Padawan displayed in his dedication to getting better.

Briana had helped, more than she would ever know.

The young woman was spirited and confident in ways that Justice likely would, or could, ever be. He recognized that as why his progress had been so slow. Justice simply did not believe in himself the same way Briana believed in herself, or even him for that matter. Her confidence spilled over enough that Justice was beginning to believe he was actually able to do more, be more, than what his reality told him.

She was a good friend, except that trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went.

He tossed and turned for a good part of time he had set aside for rest. Something was bothering Justice, a feeling he could not shake. A recent lesson, or advice, had the young man thinking differently about the weird feelings he would get. It had to be the force, more than a feeling. He tried to stamp it down… Briana in trouble… she was always in trouble. No matter what he tried, the young Lesan could not let it go.

"Frakin Sal-Soren…" he muttered as he dressed into his robes.

The door wooshed closed behind his as he quickly found the shadows and waited outside Briana's room. Sure enough she was going somewhere, somewhere that Justice followed. She was about to round a corner, to somewhere she should not be going at this time, so Justice took a short cut he knew, and cut the girl off.

"Ouch…" he began to rub the spot Bri had just hit him. "You really gotta stop doing that. I'm running out of excuses to tell the healers."

Justice could learn to heal himself, but he had not taken that path of study yet.

"And I could ask you the same thing. You should not be out past curfew, and you definitely should not be heading down that corridor."

Eyes glared intently into the feminine pair across from his.

"She said no."

Briana Sal-Soren​

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Briana’s eyes rolled as Justice spoke, “Look, don’t waste your breath. I’m going to go get Master Valery’s lightsabers and find that sithspawn, so either you come with me or you get the frak out of my face so I can sort this out.” It was out of character for Briana to talk to those she considered friends with such spite, especially when it came to Justice. She was usually quite fond of the Lesan boy, but much troubled the young Sal-Soren as of late, and Briana was nothing, if not notorious, for wearing her emotions on her sleeve as a means to cover up the frailty she buried underneath it all.

Without waiting for his answer, her hand pushed him up against the wall and she shouldered past him.

Brandyn would tell her to remember their training, to stop acting so irrationally, but how could she? Their family might be in danger, how could she think of anything else until she knew for sure that they were safe?

Pausing, she sighed, feeling her friends eyes still on her backside. She glanced over her shoulder at Justice. “Well? Hurry up already.”

Justice Lesan

 

[Justice Lesan]

Justice knew what he should have said in the moment. Briana was impulsive, rash, she didn’t think things through, whereas Justice thought things through more than enough for the both of them. He already had a bad feeling about it all. Justice knew she was in trouble. He also knew there was nothing he would say to dissuade her from following through on what she just said.

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Of course you are.”

His response wasn’t one of acceptance, or even permission. Justice was simply stating what both of them knew to be true. It was also wrong, very wrong. The young Padawan knew he did not have to state that. Briana was operating on a different level of morality. Her conscience would not let her sit idle when something could be done.

Just because it could be done, didn’t mean it should.

Her shoulder hit his as she pushed past him. The boy winced as it had been the exact spot where she had just hit him earlier.

“Would you stop doing that…”

His feet shuffled as they scurried to catch up. If he couldn’t stop her, the young Lesan was going to keep her safe at least. Whatever this bad feeling was, Justice was going to be sure that he was there to ensure there was a way out. Whether he agreed with Briana or not, she was his friend, and her safety concerned him.

“For the record, this is a bad idea.”

Briana Sal-Soren

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

It’d been some time since the two Padawans had successfully swiped Master Valery’s lightsaber and headed out into the great beyond. The engine of the refurbished T-23 sputtered as it came to a stop, landing down relatively smoothly for something that’d been salvaged.

Taking out her datapad, Briana leaned over to Justice to share the screen with him.

“I uploaded the last known locations of the Sithspawn from the tracking devices Master Noble was using to help their team hunt down the beastie. Based on their findings, I was able to estimate the areas where I thought we might be able to find him. Here, here, and here are the most likely places.” She explained, pointing out each of her marked red blips.

Her ocean eyes panned over the landscape from the viewport, then flicked back to the map in her hands. A sudden look of confusion clouded over her features, a feeling of something familiar. Briana brushed it aside, writing it off simply as nerves, before unfastening the crashwebbing.

“You remember what you’re supposed to do, right?” she asked, hoping to go over the plan with him for maybe the thousandth time, assuming the leadership-role in the pairing. When he didn't answer immediately, she rolled her eyes. "Focus, Justice!" she snapped her fingers to get his attention. Exasperated, Briana decided to continue on, jumping forward, down to the lower floor of the ancient temple.

Blackened Corellian boots hit the ground with a soft thud, having used the Force to help soften her descent. Immediately she reached for one of the two glowrods she'd brought along, tossing one to Justice once he made it down. "Come on,"

Justice Lesan ​

 

[Justice Lesan]

Whether Briana knew it or not, it was difficult for Justice to tell the girl no. She was everything he aspired to be in the charisma department. Perhaps she was not as persuasive as Justice made her out to be, but she was persistent. The young Jedi only agreed to go with her because there was no convincing her otherwise. Did the boy think they should be stealing lightsabers and running off to deal with some Sithspawn creature, absolutely not. It was the last thing they should be doing, and yet they were running over the plan for the millionth time.

"It's sithspawn," Justice said with a roll of his eyes as he took the datapad, "Even I can sense that several kilometers away."

It was more self deprecating humor than a dig at Briana. They would definitely sense the creature, but it was good to know likely locations. Neither one of them were skilled enough to feel the presence of the beast from orbit. Part of him wondered what his uncle would do in this situation. Judah always knew what to do. Whether it was how to handle a lightsaber, track a sithspawn, or talk to a girl, Judah had all the confidence Justice lacked.

Justice must have gotten lost in his thoughts because Briana's snapping fingers pulled him back to reality.

"Yes, I know what I'm supposed to do."

The young Lesan muttered something under his breath as he unbuckled the safety restraints which were still fastened around him.

"I am focused."

On you not getting yourself killed.

The closer they got to the actual task the worse the feeling was getting. Something bad was going to happen. Justice knew it at this point. There was something about the sense which was shifting. Despite the fact he had been convinced Briana was in trouble, and that feeling didn't go away, Justice was beginning to get the impression he was in more danger than Bri.

He hesitated.

"It's not too late to turn back and forget this whole thing…"

Justice followed behind. There was no way she was going to turn back now, not after flying the entire way, but Justice was going to try.

Briana Sal-Soren

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

"Do you know what my Dad always told me, whenever I had to face something difficult?" she asked, casting a glance over her shoulder as they moved further into the old structure. "That you face it head on, you don't run away. Do you know why? Because you can't move forward if you turn your back. You have to charge at it, even if you're scared, so you can conquer that difficulty by trampling it under foot."

It was difficult to tell if she was saying this for Justices' benefit, or her own. She felt the chill move down her spine, but the desperation of what drove her made her take that next step.

"I'm not going back Justice. You can if you want to, but I'm not."

The pair walked for a short time in silence afterward with Briana leading the charge, the unsettling feeling in her gut growing exponentially as they continued. Then, without warning, she stopped. A cold darkness seeped into her skin, but that alone was not what put her so on edge, made her so uncomfortable. The feeling of her elder siblings, Marcus Riggs and Careina Riggs, she could have picked out their presence from a million life forms... but how could that be? Preparing for the worst, she reached for the lightsaber clipped to her belt and activated it.

It was then that a surge of dark energy blasted towards them like a flash of lightening, rocks and debris caught in the wind from under the spawns massive wings and flinging them at the Padawan pair. On instinct, Briana tried to cover her face, tiny rocks ripping through her garments and leaving tiny slashes across her arms.

"Justice, we have to move before this area collapses!" she hollered, running towards him and grabbing him by the hand to pull him along to the pathway ahead, the ceiling around them beginning to shake and crumble until the walls of the room they were previously in, disappeared into the level below.

Rounding a corner, she froze, the spawn plummeting from its perch above them. Briana tried to dive, but felt the claws of the beast lodge into her shoulder. A scream of agony echoed through the empty halls, Valery's lightsaber released from her gasp in response to the searing pain. Gritting her teeth, she lifted her opposite hand and concentrated, willing what she wanted until a larger piece of what might have once belonged to a stone archway, flung at the monster and struck it in the face - effectively causing it to release its grip and drop her.

The pain in her shoulder was near unbearable as she tried to lift herself from the floor... the spawn quickly coming in for another attack...

Justice Lesan ​

 

[Justice Lesan]

Briana seemed to have made up her mind. It did not matter that they were about to face down a Sith spawn, or that Valery Noble had said no to her in the first place. They were there. Justice should not have even been there, but he was too concerned for Briana's safety that he had no regard for his own. It should not have been that way, after all they were just friends that really did not owe each other anything, right?

The words from her father were inspiring. They were not the encouragement he would have received from his mother. Force knew she would likely tell him about how much he was disappointment. It was how Justice felt anyway. Even Judah likely would have been upset… well, he was going to find out eventually. There was just one thing Briana or her father were not factoring into the courageous sentiment.

"But Bri… you're going to get hurt…"

He finally said it. The entire trip, even before leaving, before stealing the lightsaber, Justice had been debating whether to tell her what he knew. The problem was he did not know how he knew, he just did. Maybe it was the force and the boy should have trusted his senses more than he did, but what Briana lacked in caution, Justice more than made up for.

She pressed ahead anyway. It was quiet. Too quiet. With every step the young Lesan could feel the urge to grab Briana and run back to the ship, growing like a stone in the deepest parts of his stomach. It ached knowing something terrible was just ahead of them.

That was when a surge of dark energy bolted at them like a bat out of hell. A lot of things happened next, most of which Justice would never recall. Stone crumble around them. Briana got a cool moment of launching a rock out a literal bat out of hell, but the scream Briana let out as the beast clawed her shoulder, Justice would never forget.

She hurt, and for some reason Justice discovered he hurt for her. It was not that he felt her pain, but something about her being in pain did not sit well with him at all. There was nothing he could do about the bleeding, but he could stop the next attack.

His hand reached for the stolen weapon. Justice held it in his hand, but he had not been quick enough. By the time he reached Briana and raised his arm to attack the beast had already been upon them. Justice heard himself scream as a tearing, grinding, sawing pain radiated through his arm up toward his shoulder. It was so loud it almost shook the stone where they were hiding. His agony radiated through the force, projecting to whoever was around. It was a powerful surge unlike anything Justice had ever thought himself capable of. It was enough to stun the beast for now, but it would likely not last for long.

Justice clutched his arm, or what was left of it, trying to stop the bleeding. Through the force he levitated the lightsaber toward Briana.

"I'm bleeding too much… we gotta stop it. Cut the rest off, that will cauterize it until we can get help."

Justice looked at Briana as serious as he could.

"You have to do it."

Briana Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

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Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Iris Arani Briana Sal-Soren Justice Lesan ​

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"When we get there, leave the Sithspawn to me."​

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Valery told Iris as they were moving towards the two Jedi in distress at an uncomfortably fast rate in their shuttle. If it hadn't been for the bond she had with her Padawans, it would have taken Valery too long to realize that Briana had left the Temple and gotten herself in trouble. But she had felt that her Padawan was in danger and even worse, she knew that the young woman was hurt. It had woken her up at night, and she immediately had pulled Iris out of her bed as well — just to come to their aid.​

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"I need you to take care of them while I handle the beast. Can you do this for me, Iris?"​

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Something seemed different about Valery, and Iris would likely pick up on it rather easily. Right now, she wasn't angry that they had left the Temple for a dangerous mission, or that they took her lightsaber without permission. Her motherly instincts to protect those she was responsible for were stronger than anything else, and it showed in her Force presence.​

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Eventually, the two Jedi reached the location, which hadn't been difficult to track with the variety of Force alignments there. She brought the shuttle down fast and rather hard, not caring if it would damage the landing gear, and rushed out to see a Master's worst nightmare. Her own Padawan stood bleeding from the shoulder, and Justice had lost most of his arm — he needed medical attention quickly.​

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"Iris, help Justice first!" She called out before she began to sprint faster than she ever had before, augmented by the Force as her lightsaber was drawn into her hand. With great power, she exploded into the air and charged at the beast that had hurt those she cared about. There was no anger or hatred present in the woman, but she was very determined to slay it.​

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Upon reaching the beast in the air, the violet plasma pierced straight through the winged beast's torso, and a deafening shriek of pain followed, which echoed through the entire area. Valery gritted her teeth and twisted the lightsaber — their little battle had begun and she was going to end it.​

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

The pain that Justice projected was near-crippling, like an invisible flame held against her skin. White hot-adrenaline shot through her veins, leaving her mind a fog and barely able to register the arrival of Valery and Iris. Crawling on her knees, she pulled up beside Justice and looked over his torn flesh.

Blood. There was so much blood.

"C-cauterize it..." cutting off the rest of his arm to cauterize the wound made sense, but Briana could not stop staring at the unnatural way the flesh hung off what little remained of his upper arm. "I...I...yes...I mean... I can... I will..." She took a moment to turn her head and breath. Her own shoulder dully ached, barely able to feel it, strangely - despite the heavy amount of blood that had soaked into a large portion of the sleeve.

This is stupid, Briana. You have to do this. He could bleed out.

With shaking hands, Briana picked up the lightsaber near Justice and made eye contact. He was depending on her, she had to do this. "It's going to be okay, I promise..."

Without warning, one quick and skillful slice lopped off the grossly mangled part of his arm.

Iris Arani | Justice Lesan | Valery Noble ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris was quiet.

The colors told her everything that was happening. A creature, black as night. The reds and oranges of pain and hurt. Blues and purples of fear. Briana Sal-Soren was in danger. Not just her, another. Vaguely familiar. Did she knew whoever this was? .. Had to be someone Bri had been around with before. She gave Valery Noble a nod. No matter what they'd come across, Iris was ready to help.

She ran beside her Master, but didn't pause even as the sight of Briana and Justice Lesan finally put reality to the colors she'd been seeing. No hesitation as she practically slid to them, only to watch as Bri severed off what remained of Justice's arm.

Iris grimaced, but it did make healing him easier. No explanation of why she was there with them was given as she shrugged off the pack she brought. "Bacta, put it on the burn, then hold still." He wasn't bleeding, but she was. And knowing the Sith, there was no telling what could happen with her wounds. Actually focused for seemingly the first time around Briana she'd touch the wound and reach out. Bending the colors to pull out any poisons and close the wound. Keep Bri from bleeding out.

 

[Justice Lesan]

Okay? Of course it was going to be okay. Justice had done what he had set out to do. Briana was still alive and the beast stunned. The arrival of Valery Noble and Iris Arani allowed Just the relief he needed to stop worrying. Their actions were quick. Valery took to killing the Sith Spawn while Iris tended to the wounded. She came to young Lesan first. He shook his head.

“Bri… Briana first…”

Iris didn’t listen. Soon the soothing balm of a bacta patch was placed on the burning wound. His bright eyes searched for Briana’s. She had come through for him. it had been a hard thing he’d asked her to do, to cut the rest of the wound to keep him from bleeding out, and she did. He smiled before letting his head drop into her chest.

He was tired. Justice wanted to black out. It was shock. He knew he had to stay awake, but it was so hard.

“Briana… I…”

The blood loss won out. Justice blacked out before he could finish speaking.

Briana Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

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Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Iris Arani Briana Sal-Soren Justice Lesan ​

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With a deafening bang, the winged beast hit the ground not too far away from the three Padawans, but far away enough for them to be cleared from any debris or dust being blown up into the air. Valery was still on top of the beast's torso and pushed her lightsaber deep through its organs, boiling its blood and frying its insides. ​

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But she wasn't one to allow suffering to continue, even for Sithspawn beasts like this. ​

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In an instant, Valery withdrew her blade and blitzed over towards the beast's head, where a clean sweep through the neck ended the loud shrieks of pain and hatred very abruptly. As the head fell to the ground, Valery disengaged her blade and stood over the body, breathing heavily from the sudden and rapid expenditure of energy.​

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She calmed herself down by taking a long breath and finally turned to the Padawans, some of the fiery intensity still burning in her orange eyes. But seeing them hurt quickly began to temper it.​

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"Briana..." She walked over towards her Padawan and while anger was perhaps expected over the unauthorized use of her lightsaber, Valery's expression was mostly filled with worry.​

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"Let's get you both out of here quickly."​

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

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Some Time Later
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Briana Sal-Soren sat in silence on the floor of her bedroom. She'd long since kicked off her boots and abandoned her tattered robes for her civilian wear, the cold stone of the floor and walls like ice against her skin. On any regular given day, she would have taken the time to gripe over the conditions, but in the moment, she didn't dare pine for the pleasures of her families Estate back on Naboo. In that moment, she didn't deserve any.

How humiliated she felt for her actions, her recklessness. Justice could have died, would have, if Valery and Iris didn't show up. Now he was floating in a tank, to be given a robotic arm, and still recuperating from life threatening injuries.

Briana drew her legs up to her chest, tightening her arms around them and hanging her head. What a shame she was to the order... to her friends.

This Jedi-to-be. What a joke.

Hearing footsteps outside her door, Briana quickly drew herself up, using her palm to harshly wipe away the tears. There was some expectation that Valery would come after giving her Padawan time to brood over her transgressions and build her guilt to a proper level, so she hadn't expected her to arrive so soon.

She would have preferred her solitude, but knew that she was obligated to listen to whatever her Master had to say to her.

"Come in," she called, trying to make herself look less pitiable.

Valery Noble | Justice Lesan | Iris Arani ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Briana Sal-Soren Justice Lesan Iris Arani ​

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The whole situation had been far too much of a close call. To even think about what would have happened if she hadn't shown up with Iris sent shivers down her spine. But luckily Justice was stable and in the process of getting a replacement for his arm, while Briana would make a full recovery. Despite that though, Valery knew her Padawan well enough to understand that she was struggling about what happened. ​

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So while she'd normally give her Padawans a bit more space after a difficult mission, she decided to check up on Briana fairly soon after their return. Not to scold her about anything — she had already learned her lesson the hard way — but to offer the support she likely needed right now.​

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Stepping up to the door of her room, Valery was about to knock when she heard Briana's voice. Gently, she pushed the door open and took a single step inside, as her eyes fell on the young woman.​

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"Hey," she said with a soft and gentle voice, hoping to set the tone of her visit right from the start.​

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"I know you likely want some time alone right now, but I just wanted to check up on you. Mind if I come in?" She asked. If Briana really wanted to be left alone, Valery was going to respect that in this case.​

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

Themes: XoXo
Tag: Valery Noble , Justice Lesan

"If you want," she answered non-committedly, reaching for the small remote to turn up the fade lights she'd installed, assuming Valery wouldn't want to be sitting in the dark.

For a long moment the two of them sat in silence. She didn't know what to say, or how to make up for what happened. Confessing her sins for the rest of the night wouldn't undo what had been done.

"It doesn't matter what you intended to do, Briana." the stern tone of her mothers disappointed voice rang inside her head, "It's what you actually do, that matters."

"I'm sorry that I disobeyed your instructions," even as a Jedi, it seemed she could not comport herself appropriately, only this time, the consequences had almost been fatal. In her own mind, she may as well have ripped his arm off herself. Stifling the emotions crashing like a tidal wave inside her chest, she added, "and stole your lightsaber."

Face pressed against her knees, she turned just enough that she could look at Valery, her eyes puffy and red.

"Have you been to see him yet?" but what she really wanted to ask was, 'is he going to be okay?'

 

[Valery Noble]

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Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Briana Sal-Soren Justice Lesan ​

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After entering the room, Valery quietly sat down with Briana and allowed the silence to linger. Briana didn't have to say anything for her to understand the way she was feeling. She knew her Padawan, and the woman's body language and presence in the Force revealed a lot. Right now, she wasn't the strong and proud Briana Sal-Soren that she met over a year ago. She was far more vulnerable — she was struggling.​

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But after a few minutes, she looked over as Briana turned to face her and apologize. The woman's eyes were red from tears, and everything about her posture screamed that she had been holding back her deeper emotions.​

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"It's alright," Valery said with a genuine, warm tone of voice. ​

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The woman finally shifted over, sitting closely beside her Padawan so she could wrap an arm around Briana's shoulders. She gently pulled her close for a moment and continued with an almost soothing voice. ​

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"I just came back from visiting the medical staff — he's going to be alright. He'll soon have a cybernetic arm replacement, and with some time to adjust, everything is going to be okay." Her eyes turned to Briana to offer a gentle, but comforting smile.​

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"I wanted to ask if you'd like to come with me so we can visit him together? I think he'd appreciate that a lot and it may help him get through this more smoothly. He could use his friends right now."​

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