Private Here we are again

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Yvaine..." Valery's father began as he walked over and stood by his wife to look at their daughter. Valery had stopped crying and looked up into her parents eyes with the innocence of a child. It was heartbreaking for her mother to meet her daughter's gaze.

"What if she doesn't want to be a Jedi? What if she ends up hating it there?" Yvaine asked with tears rolling down her cheeks. She had hoped that it would somehow get better and that it wasn't necessary, but they could not control the Force sensitivity of their child.

"She's going to be alright and find her own way in life eventually. But if she doesn't learn to control this..." He let out a sigh and wrapped an arm around Yvaine's shoulders. While comforting, she still cried and held her daughter close. "We may not ever see her again."

"I know....I know."

Another flash of light disturbed the vision, and rather than being inside the house, Kahlil suddenly stood outside but he wasn't alone. Master Dawn, the familiar Jedi Master from previous shared memories stood with him and smiled. "It was never an easy thing for parents to give up their children to the Jedi," he told Kahlil, and his tone made it clear he recognized the man.

"But if I hadn't picked her up that day, who knows what things would have been like now, hm?" While he spoke, another Master Dawn appeared at the front door - the man from the actual Force memory. He knocked on the door and soon, it opened.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It's an old way, taking children from their parents. The why I understand. .. It must be so difficult for Jedi in this age who don't know their parents among those who still do and have a relationship." Especially these days. Would it breed jealousy among the young, like those around Vera? Would it not? Those were the trials of the New Jedi Order but.. He wouldn't have it any other way. Letting those who could have a relationship keep it would teach them things the Jedi of old lacked.

Knowing how to care with everything and let them go, when it came time. But to know the difference between accepting something they couldn't change, and surrendering without trying. Kahlil watched the Master for a moment. Just a moment. Then followed. He was curious, why wouldn't he be? And all that pain, that loss, Valery deserved to know how much her parents actually cared.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I imagine it is, but from what I've seen, the Jedi have grown far more understanding of such personal matters. Valery, yourself, and many others are there to guide those who struggle, hm?" He smiled brightly and stroked his beard at the idea. In the old days, no Jedi truly understood relationships and how to control all sides of them. Even though many still struggled, there was at least an understanding.

Together with Kahlil, the spirit of Master Dawn watched his younger self knock on the door. It opened quickly, and Yvaine welcomed the man into her home. She looked calm and composed, but even in this vision, they could sense that she was utterly heartbroken.

It would likely remind Kahlil of Valery's love for Vera.

"She'll be taken good care of, right?" Yvaine asked but before Master Dawn could answer, she shoved a small note into his hand. "This is a list of her favorite meals and what she really hates. I've also packed some clothes and her teddy bear." She smiled sadly and Adam just watched her for a moment before speaking.

"You have my word that I will take good care of her," he said, his eyes shifting down to look at baby Valery, who was flailing around her little arms and squealing excitedly. Until Adam reached for her and picked her up. The little girl began to cry and reached for her mother, who stepped closer for one last embrace.

"It'll be alright, love," Corr assured her, and as Yvaine fell into her husband's embrace, crying and trembling, the vision shifted away, and Kahlil found himself in the hallway of doors again.

"Thank you for looking after her, Kahlil," Master Dawn's voice said before his presence faded away.

---

"The next memory is waiting, but choose carefully. Eventually, you'll be able to see them all but I can only manage a few at a time," Valery tried to communicate, warning him that passing through all 9 doors in a row would be impossible.

He'd have to make a choice.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil's expression softened as he watched the exchange. Valery was as he always suspected; loved. By her family, by her friends, her Master. His gaze shifted to him for a moment, just before he faded. And he simply dipped his head.

"I always will."

Then it was gone. The vision. He blinked for a moment, glancing through the doors. Blinked in surprise at Valery's voice. Did that mean she could see what he could? He paused by the second door, fully planning to just go in order.

"You alright, Val? Seeing all of this?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

His question seemed to come as a surprise, even though it probably shouldn't have — she paused and thought about it for a moment, before answering him. "It's... not what I expected," she told him honestly. "That was a memory I can't recall, but I'm glad you were able to show me."

Her desire to return to Keshi had grown so much because of it.

"But I'll be alright. Some of these memories are unpleasant, but I've moved on." With her reassurance, she waited and if Kahlil were to step through the second door, he'd find himself in a place he'd remember.

New Cov.

It was dark outside and the large trees around him towered over Kahlil, allowing the light of the full moon to be the only thing faintly shining through their leaves. He no longer was his normal self either — he was younger, about 16 or 17 at most. And he wasn't alone.

A terrified scream echoed through the woods, so loud that even the heavy rain couldn't drown it out. It was a voice that despite the young age, he'd always be able to recognize. She was in danger, and as lightning split the sky above asunder, Kahlil would be able to see her, surrounded by predators moving in for the kill.

One of them jumped, she was tackled to the ground, and a shrilling scream of pain and agony followed.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

This, this he knew. Not the memory itself, not the events that happened, but he'd seen the after math. The pain with it. Kahlil didn't hesitate to run. He sprinted through the jungle, towards the screaming. Memory or not, he acted on instinct. Even as he broke through the underbrush and saw her he was still moving, leaping through the air to just tackle the creature from her.

"Get up! Move!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

​

Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Get up! Move!"

A bloodied face slowly turned to the young man who had tackled one of the beasts. If it wasn't for him, she would have likely been dead right now, but she still wasn't in good shape. The left side of her face was clawn open and another had bitten her right ankle so hard that she couldn't stand on it.

But after seeing him do that just to save her, she forced herself up.

"Ahh..." she cried in pain as she limped away, but she was slow and other beasts circled around her. They did realize that Kahlil was the bigger threat, though, so one charged at him from behind, and tried to claw open his back. A third moved in from the flank, trying to find a killing strike, but she wasn't going to let it.

With a telekinetic blast, she sent the Vornskr flying into a tree. A yelp was the last thing that escaped its mouth before it remained there, wounded.

"P-please... come on... Master."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

How much strength he had, he wasn't sure. But right now that didn't matter. He raised his hands as he watched the creatures surround him. His younger body was weak. Frail from the Dark. He could probably use it if he tried, but he wasn't going to. Instead he raised his hands and let the Force move. Grasp at the creatures and force them to the ground. They struggled, but bit by bit he brought them to their knees. Straining.

It was a lot harder to do in this body, but he could manage. Mostly.

His gaze shifted as one he didn't see was thrown back, by her no less. He gritted his teeth. How much of this could he actually influence? He really wasn't sure.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

She wanted to help him.

But as she turned to look his way, Valery knew that she couldn't. She was too badly injured and would only get in the way of becoming a new target. The only thing she could do was run and hopefully, find her master. She could already feel him out there somewhere, so he had to be close.

But would he be fast enough?

The answer luckily came soon enough. As Kahlil moved to control the beasts, a blue lightsaber cut through the darkness, and the older Jedi Master stepped through thick vines to assist him. Not to fight off the beasts, but to help defend him against their Master. The Beast Lord was watching, and after seeing the Jedi Master, ignited his crimson blade.

"Thank you for saving my Padawan," Adam Dawn said. "But this isn't over. Can you fight?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil let out a breath before glancing up towards the next blade. Crimson. He turned his gaze to the Jedi Master, simply giving a nod. He didn't have a lightsaber. This age, he never would've. Instead he lifted his hands, steadied his breathing, and narrowed his eyes in focus. He could play support at least.

"I've got your back."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Very good," the Jedi Master said before he pressed forward, and clashed with the Sith Beast lord. Their lightsabers hissed against each other, and several blows were exchanged in the blink of an eye. Valery had once told Kahlil that he was the head of the Jedi Guardians, and one of the senior lightsaber instructors.

It showed in every move he made, even though he wasn't as fast and flexible as he once was.

Finally, the Jedi Master and Sith Lord found themselves in a blade lock, and Master Dawn nodded his head ever so faintly, hoping to give Kahlil a signal to engage and end this fight. The longer it took, the more blood Valery would lose, and she was already starting to lose her strength.

She couldn't run or walk anymore and fell down to her hands and knees.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil watched calmly from where he stood, his eyes scanning. Just waiting for the moment. He knew it was coming. Valery's master seemed to have quite the plan already in mind. It was still weird, being part of the memory. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it was weird. Right now though? The moment came and he acted. A twist of his hand and he sent a pebble, no bigger than his palm, right for the side of the man's head.

Sometimes the simplest thing was the most deadly.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Bang.

The Sith had been so occupied trying to keep up with the Jedi Master, that there was no way for him to see the pebble coming, let alone defend himself against it. The pebble struck the side of his head, sending him off-balance and stumbling. But he wouldn't stumble for long — with a sudden thrust forward, Master Dawn impaled the Sith's heart and disengaged his blade immediately, allowing the dead body to fall to the floor.

With his passing, the wounded Vornskr retreated further, leaving the Jedi alone.

"I'm... so sorry, Master," Valery cried as she looked over, but there was no response from Master Dawn yet. He stood frozen, looked down at the Sith's body, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"You're lucky to be alive, Valery," Adam finally said after a moment, before he turned his eyes to Kahlil. "Thank you for helping her. I don't know if I would have made it in time." He sighed softly and walked over to lift Valery off the floor. She was like a daughter to him in many ways, and he had promised her mother to look after her.

He was going to honor it.

In his arms, Valery's bloodied face was quick to turn to Kahlil, and for a long moment, her gaze lingered. He felt familiar, even though she had never seen him before. "Thank you."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I'll always help her."

His gaze shifted, watching Valery for a moment. Watching the Jedi Master he'd never had a chance to truly meet and how he cared for Valery. It brought a smile to his face. Though seeing Valery so injured still wiped the smile away. He stepped over, reaching a hand out to pat her head. And draw a rune to at least halt the bleeding in a flash of light.

"I'm not sure how this works as a memory, but I'll see you again soon. Don't give up."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

​

Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I'll always help her."

Both Adam and Valery looked rather surprised when he said it, but Valery's confusion was very quick to fade. Every second she looked at this stranger, she could feel that some kind of connection was forming between them. So despite her injuries and pain, she was able to smile just faintly when he stepped over and patted her on the head.

Not just because of the gesture itself, but also because she could feel that he gave her strength.

"I will. T-thank you," she smiled weakly and with another flash of light, Kahlil was brought back to the hallway of memories, this time in front of door 3. Of all the doors, this one looked and felt the most painful of all, but perhaps that alone made it important to see. So after stepping through, another flash of light followed, and Kahlil would find himself standing on old, rotten wooden planks in the middle of Rishi's outskirts.

It was hot and humid and an old abandoned warehouse was waiting for them.

"Master? Are you okay?" A young redheaded Padawan asked Valery. She looked like she was in her late 20s, so her appearance was hardly any different from what he'd know. But she felt so very different. There was a great turmoil within her — a fire that had ignited but couldn't be controlled.

"I'm fine. I can sense him inside but he's not alone." She turned to look at Fay before shifting her gaze up to Kahlil, "Come on, he needs our help."

After moving around and entering through the opened bay doors, they'd see him — Master Adam Dawn, beaten to hell, bloodied, and hanging by his wrists inside a ray-shielded contraption. In front of it stood a Twi'lek about the same age as Valery, her presence was Dark in the Force, and her smile showed pure insanity.

"It wasn't easy to lure you out, Master Noble."

Valery's body tightened, and Kahlil would be able to feel intense anger inside her.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil blinked slowly as he looked around Rishi. This was- Well. He didn't actually know what this was. Unfamiliar faces, save for Valery. Who seemed.. Different. Angry. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he just nodded. Followed after her. this was her memory, so he'd do his best just to experience it without too much of his meddling. Though the sight as the door opened even had him grimace.

It was a trap for Valery. This wasn't good.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"It was your mistake to lure me out," Valery assured her, which had her Padawan step back a little as she looked at her Master with a frown. She was scared and extremely worried about Valery, but she felt so powerless. If she stepped between her Master and a Sith Lord, she'd get hurt or worse.

"Stay back, Fay, I'm handling this." Valery stepped forward and ignited her lightsaber by her side. "If you want me, release him now and draw your blade. I'm not going anywhere." She narrowed her fiery eyes and tightened the grip on her hilt. One opportunity was all she needed to engage, and back during this time, there was no taking prisoners when it came to Dark Jedi.

This was going to end with either one of them dead.

"Hmm, I don't think so," the Twi'lek said before she tapped a button on the display of Adam's cell. Arcs of electricity passed through the Jedi Master's body as a result, burning his skin instantly while he spasmed and screamed until the immense current killed him within a couple of seconds.

Valery's eyes widened in shock, her body tensed and she screamed. "Noo!!!" Without thinking, she exploded through the air to charge at the Sith, and for the first time in her life, she used the forbidden variant of Form 7 to let all of her emotions fuel her strength.

She wanted to destroy this Dark Jedi.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Oh.

Kahlil's eyes widened as he watched. He didn't want to intervene. This was her memory that she wanted to show him. And then, he died. This was how her master died. He raised a hand, trying to pull Valery back from her assault. He'd never seen her dance so closely to the dark, and he wasn't about to just let her fall, memory or not.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Spira

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Outfit: Link~
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery felt the pull back from him, but all it did was delay the inevitable. It gave the Twi'lek a chance to breathe and in that moment, she realized she had made a mistake. What should have weakened the Jedi master and killed all of her hope ignited an unstoppable fire instead.

A fire that was now being turned against her.

After pushing herself through Kahlil's pull, Valery returned to combat and bashed away the counter-attack from the Twi'lek. The sheer force knocked her blade aside, and Valery followed up with a cut across the woman's chest. The Dark Jedi screamed in agony, but was suddenly silenced as Valery extended a telekinetic grip to control her entire body. She lifted the woman off the ground, applied pressure and watched her with a clenched jaw.

Then, with a swing of her arm, she tossed the Twi'lek into a metal container with enough power to shatter several bones. But even before she could recover, scream or make a move, Valery was already on top of her and swept her blade up to end it.

The woman's head separated from her torso, and Valery was left standing over her body, breathing heavily and with anger still burning in her eyes. But after a moment, that anger faded and turned into her own agony, as she understood what happened, and realized what she had done.

Valery's blade disengaged and she sunk down to her knees, her eyes filled with tears.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil could only watch. He had to watch. Had to know, understand. Valery had opened herself up to let him in, so how could he not? It ended worse than he thought it would. Valery struck down the murderer of her Master. She seemed to have known this Twi'lek, who they were. The sorrow she felt as she sunk to her knees. Kahlil stepped forward then. It didn't matter where her Padawan was at this point. He moved down beside her, gently pulling her into a hug.

"I'm sorry."

Valery Noble