Private In the Jungle

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

After her return to the Jedi with a Temple visit on Coruscant, Valery had worked hard to catch up with paperwork, meetings and anything else she missed during her time in captivity. Perhaps she worked a little too hard, and with Coruscant never really feeling quite like home, she talked to Kahlil Noble and decided to spend some time at the New Cov Temple instead. He had rebuilt it for her years ago, and now she was quite happy to see other Jedi using it again. Today, she'd invite a new Padawan of the Order there, first to just meet, but also to do something more exciting.

Simple meetings at the Coruscant Temple were starting to burn her out a little too much.

"He should be arriving soon, Master Jedi," one of the Temple's many protocol droids told her, after she made her way down into the hall. Valery just offered a smile, and dipped her head in response, "I'll wait for him at the landing pad." It wasn't too far away from the Temple's entrance, so she made her way there, greeted some of the ground crew working on parked ships, and looked up at the blue sky to wait for his shuttle to arrive.

Hopefully, he wouldn't feel too weird about being asked to meet her at one of the Galaxy's most dangerous jungle planets. But, as her messaged to him had pointed out, the Jedi Temple here was quite safe.

 

[Shan]

Shan had not expected to be called away from the temple on Coruscant, nor had he expected to be called to one of the more dangerous planets in the galaxy. He would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't terrified about the thought of what could be on the planet...but there was also a part of him that was eager and excited. The idea of all the wildlife, flora, and fauna excited him! It was one of the main things that were pushing him forward with this meeting with Master Noble as he sat in the shuttle, taking a look around the place. He was used to the sight of cold and hard metal, but now he was about to be able to see greenery once again as the shuttle landed. He gave a short bow towards the pilot before hurrying out and onto New Cov

Though he hadn't expected Master Noble to be waiting for him as soon as he got off the shuttle, Shan made sure to give her a quick bow "Master Noble. I did not expect to see you so soon. The planet already seems quite impressive to me." With that, he raised his head back up, breaking out into a small smile whilst keeping his hands down by his side. Doing his hardest to keep himself calm and relaxed, in what was a pretty nervous situation for him. Being on a new planet was always something that was strange for him, but it would only be a matter of time before he began to relax.

"I tried to read up on the New Cov whilst I was in the shuttle, but it was hard for me to focus on the reading. Planets with a large...floral and fauna population have always excited me. The beauty of them compared to my old home is astonishing." The greens, browns and blues he saw on these types of planets also seemed so impressive compared to the dull greys, white and silver he was used to with the metallic surroundings of Nar Shaddaa as Shan started to look around their surroundings

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

When Shan made his way off the shuttle, Valery could already tell that he was quite excited to be here, and it warmed her heart. New Cov was very different from Coruscant, and even other Jungle planets just weren't quite the same. She hoped that he'd enjoy learning a little more about the Galaxy from her here. "Greetings, Padawan Pavond. It's nice to finally meet you," Valery said with a kind smile when he made his way over. She then offered a respectful bow in return and looked around the landing pad for a moment.

"I'm glad to see you excited about it. There are dangers out there to keep in mind, but out here, we're perfectly safe. It just feels more alive than Coruscant to me... more natural." She chuckled and held up a hand in the direction of the Temple, as a gesture for him to follow her there. The path forward was a small trail through a field of grass with the occasional tree — a teaser for what the planet was really like.

"There is a lot to read up about, but it's most important to understand that both the fauna and flora are very lethal here. To such an extent that every city has a huge dome built around it." So besides the beautiful nature of the world, the cities and their engineering was just as amazing.

"That said, the Jedi who built this Temple thousands of years ago learned how to safely navigate through the jungle. It's something I still teach my Padawans as well."

 

[Shan]

Shan nodded, listening to Valery's comments about Coruscant, letting out a small chuckle afterwards. "It's amusing. For me, it's the opposite. I was raised around metal skyscrapers, a lack of vegetation and animals. So whilst everything does feel more alive and connected...That fact makes it feel more unnatural to me. But I still like it." His eyes took in the vegetation as they started to walk towards the temple, Shan just held his hands out towards the fields of grass, letting his fingers brush along the grass before turning his attention back towards Valery, listening to the talk about the dome as he started to frown in thought.

"It makes sense to separate the people from the wilderness. Much better than trying to destroy the wilderness for the people. The wildlife here has its place, just like we do." Shan was more concerned for the creatures that lived on this planet, as opposed to the actual people. Plenty of the people chose to live on this planet, whilst most of the wildlife didn't. In his eyes, this was their home, not that of civilisation. At least not fully. Though he shook his head, trying not to focus on his own thoughts too much and listen to the Master in front of him instead.

"Learning to travel amongst dangerous flora and fauna must be...interesting to say the least. Presumably using the Force to make you appear invisible, or friendly to them? I like to believe the Force connects all of us and our perceptions. So I'd assume it'd be possible to manipulate those connections to alter perception...Though that is only my own belief, Master." Shan had thought about the Force quite a bit in his spare moments at the temple at Coruscant. How it worked, how it felt. It was something that helped him when he was meditating to try and focus.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"Huh," Valery said with a chuckle, "I suppose that makes sense. We've all grown up in different environments." Each with advantages and disadvantages. A part of her wanted to raise her kids on a planet like New Cov, or at least somewhere quiet and peaceful. But on Coruscant, they could more easily make friends and explore different paths and options in life. It also kept them closer to the Jedi, so it was something she'd just have to endure.

"Exactly," Valery then said in response to his comments about the dome. "New Cov does have an export product that has caused the wrong types to go into the Jungles to acquire it, but most people leave it be. Either because they respect nature, or perhaps because they're afraid of it." She smirked a little and walked up the small staircase at the front of the Temple now, so she could lead him inside and show off the remarkable interior.

From fountains, to ancient statues and other decorations — the Temple was meant to fit right into the world, with a calming aura and a noticeable lack of technology compared to other Jedi Temples.

As they walked, the conversation continued about safely navigating the jungles, and the idea he offered made her smile, "That's actually one part of the lesson. We can learn how to leave impressions on animals, or even bond with them. But there's more to it, and those lessons can help a lot in your life away from this planet too." Valery then turned back to him and tilted her head a little, "Speaking of which, how has your adjustment to the Jedi life been so far?"

"I hope you haven't been overwhelmed or ran into any issues?"

 

[Shan]

"Exactly. And each upbringing is another advantage for us to learn more about each other." Shan nodded carefully, frowning mostly to himself whilst he thought. Every upbringing helped the Jedi Order in some way. Some people from Nar Shaddaa might have known more about criminal enterprises which would be valuable knowledge to help stop any criminals whereas someone from a more...affluent background might be able to get more connections for the Order. Though he shook his head, trying to focus on the current events now, instead of letting his mind wander.

Once again he frowned at the thought of people going out to deal with the export of New Cov, and getting themselves injured or killed all for credits. But at the same time, maybe because of coming from Nar Shaddaa, he could understand why some people might go to desperate lengths to get some kind of payment that could help change their lives. Though the fact it was only a small amount of people who actually risked their lives for it, made Shan smile ever so slightly. Either way, he followed Valery, to take in the sights of the interior of the temple.

The fact there was little technology both was something Shan was happy about...but also disappointed in. He had commonly been spending his time reading the datapads in the comfort of the archives on Coruscant. Part of him felt like that would be a bit harder in this temple but the beauty of the temple was enough to make him look on the bright side. Though he turned his head to the side as Valery started to talk about how the lessons would go, and he gave a few short nods, seemingly quite happy with the topic at hand...until they got to to Valery's next question.

"I've adjusted well...to the peaceful aspect of it. Learning has always been a passion of mine, even when I was back at Nar Shaddaa. I've been overwhelmed, but in a good way I suppose? With the things I could learn, the new ways I can help people. I can learn more ways to treat people who are sick as well, like I used to back on Nar Shaddaa..." Whilst it seemed mostly positive for the aspects of the Jedi Life that he liked...Shan knew there was no point in keeping secrets. "Though when it comes to the more...physically intensive aspects of training, I've been struggling. Sparring is quite difficult for me. I like to think that my actions cause ripples throughout the galaxy, so if I cause someone pain, that means they might cause someone pain later and it would just repeat from there."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

Valery listened along intently to what Shan explained about his experience with the Jedi thus far. As expected, it had its fun but also its challenges. What was a little more surprising, though, was the very thing he felt himself struggling with. Young Jedi especially were often excited by the more physical training or Force abilities that could be used in self-defense. From Force Speed to Telekinesis and lightsaber forms — those were the things Jedi often liked over learning how to meditate or just connect with the Force in less tangible ways.

It was quite interesting to her to meet a Jedi who was the opposite.

"That's an interesting way to look at it, and it's certainly true in some cases. Violence breeds violence, which is why Jedi shouldn't view it as their first or only option when it can be helped. We focus on Self-defense, and react to physical threats when there's no other way to stop it from causing harm to people." Valery paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder with a soft smile. She knew that even her answer wasn't always something Jedi wanted to hear. Especially not the more pacifistic Jedi of the Order, who wanted to avoid conflict at all cost.

But she had something more to add to it.

"There are a lot of things you can learn to stop threats without causing pain too, though. An old friend of mine used to be viewed as the most skilled user of Force Stun in our Enclave. I've seen him freeze up entire groups of armed thugs at once, allowing me to disarm them without anybody getting scratched or bruised. Others lean into Shii-Cho's philosophy of Victory without Injury — it's often seen as a simplistic Form, being the first that we use to instruct, but its ability to disarm might be something for you."

"There are other techniques, forms or abilities too. So if that interests you, I might be able to help."

 

[Shan]

Shan was at least grateful to see there was someone who actually believed his thought process made sense. Or at least, didn't disagree with it straight away. It actually brought a smile to his face. The idea of Self-Defense had slowly been growing as an option in his mind at the very least. He wasn't fully opposed to the idea of training against others as much as he used to...but it wasn't something he was comfortable with yet, as he had made evident earlier. That didn't stop him from thinking about it at the end of the day.

"I had spoken to another Padawan about my dislike of fighting, as I associate it with violence and pain, from my upbringing on Nar Shaddaa. They said I should be...more open-minded about the idea of fighting. That in various cultures they use it as a way of communication." He sighed after that, running a hand through his hair, tussling it slightly as his mind tried to figure out what words to use. "And whilst I can understand that...It is still something that I can't see myself enjoying or understanding. Words should just be as effective as actions." There was a small aspect of Shan that was afraid that he was being close-minded without realising it. Though he shook that thought off as well, looking around the Temple once more. "They also suggested I get a Master to help me with my...dislike of fighting. That it would help me in the long-run."

Leaving that topic there however, Shan tilted his head in thought as Valery suggested other ways he could stop threats without causing pain, his eyes seemingly lighting up at the thought of some of the options. Stunning an entire group with the Force...That was definitely a technique that intrigued him as the Mirialan thought about it all, before giving a short nod of confirmation, mostly to himself.

"I think that is something that would appeal to me. Yes. I've also been looking into lightsaber forms to see what might appeal most with my...philosophy." He felt ridiculous saying it like that. It wasn't a philosophy in his eyes. Part of him felt like it was just him not being willing to hurt people but he had always wanted to stick to his values, even if they appeared ridiculous to him. "Soresu and Niman have seemed the most...interesting to me. Soresu allows for me to focus on a defensive approach but would also require me to have intense training for my stamina to make sure I could outlast an opponent...whilst Niman allows me to focus on using the Force..."

Though realising he was about to start rambling about his research, Shan shook his head once more, breaking out into a bright smile. "I just want to focus on a more...defensive, or disarming approach. I believe everyone has a chance to do good, even if they're currently doing bad. If I went on a more offensive approach, and end up taking their life instead of disarming them, my opponent loses out on the chance to change. It goes back to what I think about pain causing more pain. Forgiveness and kindness can cause more forgiveness or kindness...Or perhaps I'm just naive in that belief" It wasn't necessary for him to explain more about his reasoning for his beliefs, but it was just something he wanted to explain.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"I'm not sure that you need a Master who can help with your dislike of fighting. Not all Jedi need to fight, although it can help that you're at least able to defend yourself. What I do think you need is a Master, or at least mentors in your life who are also not afraid to challenge your beliefs, even if they themselves agree with you," Valery said with a soft smile while she watched him try to put his thoughts to words. It was likely that he understood her own beliefs were different — she was called the Sword of the Jedi for a reason. But she also wasn't one to force others to change their views.

All she wanted was for Jedi to be open to different perspectives, and flexible enough to adjust their views based on experience and new things they learned.

"Soresu has the defensive focus you might want, and Shii-Cho has an emphasis on disarming. But what I think is more important than already choosing Lightsaber Forms or Force abilities, is to focus on developing your view of the Galaxy. I also like to think that people can change, and I still believe that most can. But..." She paused for a moment, just to think about how she was going to present her own thoughts this time. After a short moment, she decided on an example.

"A long time ago, a group of Jedi were banished from the Order because they used the Dark Side to experiment on living creatures in an event we call the Second Great Schism. They were the founders of what we now call Sith Alchemy, and used it to create Sithspawn among other things. These exiled Jedi started a war that lasted a hundred years, but they were ultimately defeated at the Battle of Corbos and captured. The Republic at the time wanted to execute every Dark Jedi they captured, but the Jedi convinced them to exile these captives instead, hoping they would see the error of their ways." She paused for a moment and a more sad smile took over.

"These exiled Dark Jedi formed the first Sith Empire, and returned thousands of years later for revenge through another bloody war. They were again defeated, and again returned thousands of years later for revenge." She let out a soft sigh and looked at the Padawan, as they now walked up a staircase that brought them to a huge bridge across Temple grounds.

Valery then looked back at him, her gaze a little more intense "More recently, I fought a Dark Lord of the Sith who captured my 7-year old daughter and killed his own son to extend his own life. One of his other sons is my husband, and we've both tried to change him. It has nearly killed us both, several times. I was once captured and tortured by him, and my husband lost both his arms before he put them back together with Sith Alchemy in an attempt to turn him to the Dark Side."

She paused again.

"I'm not going to tell you that you have to fight. But I want you to know and understand that there are people out there who will not give you that choice. Who won't even give that choice to children, elderly, or men and women unable to fight."

 

[Shan]

It made sense to him about learning how to defend yourself at least. It's why he wasn't fully opposed to the idea of sparring or learning a lightsaber style, since he would need it if he did ever want to actually protect someone. There would only be so much he could do with the Force, or at least that's what he believed. Whilst he was still firm in his beliefs of not wanting to fight, that didn't mean he didn't want to stay being unable to fight. It was a strange thing for him to think about. Though he tilted his head as Valery started to give him a small history lesson though he was still listening as intensively as ever.

He wrinkled his nose at the idea of using the Dark Side to experiment on living things. In all honesty, even using the Light Side to experiment on living things would have seemed foul to him. Though it was interesting for him to realise it was originally Jedi, or well...exiled Jedi that founded the Sith Empire. It was making him think even more as he rubbed his chin in thought. Just from hearing that, Shan assumed there'd be some people in the Galaxy who would have thought it would have been easier to execute the Dark Jedi. Though that thought caused him to frown as he shook his head. Even if the Dark Jedi had been killed, there probably would have been Sith in another aspect. It wasn't something he was entirely sure about though he just focused on the rest of Valery's lesson, that went from being ancient history to more personal history.

Though this turn to the story was something that Shan didn't know how to respond to. Partly because the gaze Valery had intimidated him far more than he'd be willing to admit. But also because part of him felt wrong to have a belief in redemption when someone like Dark Lord she spoke of could have done something like that to his own family and in a way, his own grand-daughter. It wasn't the kind of thing he could say "Everyone is still deserving of redemption" because in a case like that, it would be hard to even believe it himself.

"I'm not...adverse to fighting. Or learning how to fight. I'm not good at it, I'll be honest. I hesitate too much. I give away too much." Even when sparring against training droids, Shan knew he had always hesitated. He had only ever focused on basic moves as well, to get through his sparring but he knew he would need to do better if he wanted to protect people. "But I believe it is something I need to learn. I never want to fight for myself. But I want to fight for other people. People who can't defend themselves. But I never want it to be my first resort..." He was willing to learn how to protect others, and in a way protect himself so he could protect the innocents. It was just...part of him still wanted to believe he could redeem someone. Part of him wanted to believe no-one was too far gone.

"I thank you for the lesson you gave me however Master Noble. It was...eye opening to say the least. For people to be able to go through so much...It is hard to believe. It is also hard to believe that anyone would be able to do things like that to their own family but I suppose it's part of why you said I should develop my view of the Galaxy. My current view is so limited by what I've seen and experienced, that there's some things I can't even fathom happening."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"That's very Jedi of you," Valery said with a chuckle when he talked about wanting to fight for others, and how he didn't want fighting to become a first resort. A lot of the current Jedi grew up during times of war, either with the Brotherhood of the Maw, or even some wars before it like Valery herself. It made many of them far more comfortable with combat than they probably should be, so it was refreshing to hear a very different look on the Galaxy.

Even if it was somewhat idealistic, Valery appreciated it a lot.

"I'm also glad that my story offered a useful perspective, but I brought it up for another reason too. My husband who I also mentioned in my story was raised within one of the most influential Sith families in the Galaxy - the Zambranos. So he grew up in an environment where nobody would even consider being anything other than Sith. He learned how to do terrible things, and has done terrible things not because it was a choice, but because that's how he was indoctrinated to live his life. But even though he was a Sith prince in a way, he's now a Jedi Master on the Council, an amazing husband and a fantastic father."

As always, Valery smiled lovingly as she talked, or perhaps gushed a little about her husband.

"So as I'm sure you can imagine, it's not easy to tell when someone might be beyond redemption or not. It's why we tried even with his father for so long. So as dark as I might make the Galaxy sound, I do believe most people can be better. It's just important to learn to understand when that might not be the case, or when you really have to take action to stop something immediately. Sometimes we have to take the life of a slaver, a Sith or someone with dark intentions, not because they're beyond redemption, but because the repercussions of inaction far outweigh anything else."

Valery let out a soft sigh now, and gave it a moment to let everything sink in, and offer him time to ask questions or make his own comments about it. But in the end, she didn't want the whole day to just be about heavy subjects like this.

 

[Shan]

"Heh. I've always felt like that in a way. Even in Nar Shaddaa, I tried to stop other people from getting hurt by letting them focus on me." Though afterwards he turned his attention back towards Valery's story, frowning in thought. It wasn't as simple as black and white it seemed which was...a bit of a struggle for Shan to wrap his head around even though it made perfect sense to him. It wasn't obvious what was right, and what was wrong. There were various differing shades of grey it seemed which just made Shan wonder about things, staring off into the distance...before shaking his head.

As Valery started to gush about her husband however, Shan just rolled his eyes, fighting the urge to just chuckle to himself. He wasn't exactly used to people being all loving but he was polite enough that he wasn't going to make any comments about it. Though he was going to comment about the story instead as he tried to think about it all.

"I understand where you're coming from. In fact, I confided in the Padawan I told you about earlier that I'm afraid of inaction. I feel like I'd be too busy trying to talk someone down, or redeem them and someone would get hurt because of my inaction.. It's just because...I don't think I have any right to decide if it's too late." It was easier for him to talk about these concerns with Valery, and he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe because she had experience that he thought was valuable and could help him adapt his own viewpoint. Or maybe it's because one of his other fears was disappointing other Jedi and Valery didn't seem like someone who would be disappointed in his concerns and ideas.

"It's just hard when I think about how I could have been a bad person. I know it's rare for most people from Nar Shaddaa to be as...polite as I am. I'm only like this because I had a reliable upbringing. I've always thought of life being precious no matter what. That everything is connected and that causing one thing pain could cause another pain.. But I can see how it's a...naïve belief to think you can save everyone. Like you said, inaction can cause more suffering. So my attempt to save people could cause more damage than harm...Hm..." He stared off in thought again...before giving a small chuckle to himself.

"It's amusing to me. On Nar Shaddaa, there's barely any flora or fauna. Yet I've always thought they're connected to us." Shan glanced around the temple with a smile, mostly trying to change the subject since it was getting a bit heavy. It wasn't something he wanted to spoil the time here too much since he did want to learn still. "Yet now I'm on a planet filled with more plants and animals than I could ever dream of, and I've never felt more disconnected."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

Valery caught the rolling of his eyes and smirked a little. She knew how she could be whenever her family became a topic, but she wasn't ashamed of it at all. In fact, she was very proud to have a solid family and friends around her who supported her. It was a source of strength the ancient Jedi certainly missed.

"Inaction can cause a lot more suffering, but the desire to save everybody can also be a dangerous mindset for other reasons. It can push us to go to greater and greater lengths to achieve what we want to achieve. It can make us justify using the Dark Side or committing crimes because we believe it's for the greater good. It's one more common cause if you study the Jedi who fell to the Dark Side. It's not that they had some evil in them, just waiting to be released — it started with an overwhelming will to do good." That said, she hoped that he understood that a desire to save people wasn't a bad thing either. It was just important to maintain a realistic view of the Galaxy and the people around you.

Valery's gaze then shifted back to the Temple and she allowed the subject to shift a bit as well. If he wanted to talk more about it, she'd be more than happy to offer her thoughts, but there was more to being a Jedi than discussing heavier philosophy. "Plants and animals are connected to us through the Living Force, but on a more personal level, it's often familiarity that connects to a place. A sense of belonging or just... home."

She shot him a smile and guided him across the bridge now, which would bring them directly into the Gardens. The place that was most connected to nature around them. "I'm sure you can grow more used to this, though. But it's not that you need to feel more connected. This is just one Temple we use for training or as a stop on our way to this side of the Galaxy. Coruscant is where most Jedi will be."

 

[Shan]

Interesting...Shan's brows at the fact that some jedi who fell to the Dark Side hadn't done it for greed or actual darkness, but from an urge to protect. Now that was something he hadn't been expecting. Though it made sense if he thought about it. Too much of anything, even if it was a good thing could lead to the dark side he supposed. Wanting to get stronger and stronger could easily lead to the dark side if Shan tried to think about it. People might willing to take short cuts instead of doing the work themselves...He shook his head, trying not to focus on it. Philosophical questioning wasn't exactly something he had came here for, even though it was quite useful. It helped him be less...ignorant than he could have been for lack of a better term.

"The Living Force?" Now that was something Shan wasn't too knowledgeable about. He just thought there was the Force. Though the idea that there were different types to the Force peaked his curiosity as he followed Valery over the Bridge and into the gardens where he took in the sight of all the plants and nature around them, breaking out into a bright grin. It wasn't something he had been used to as he had said earlier, but the sight of the plants was something beautiful to him. It was something beautiful in the galaxy that let him smile.

Though Valery then mentioned something interesting that caused Shan to start thinking about something. "If most of the Jedi stayed at Coruscant...Would it not be better to try and spread out more?" He tilted his head to the side at that thought, frowning ever so slightly. "Surely spreading out across the Galaxy would help us to protect it more as opposed to staying in one location? Alongside staying in one specific planet might cause other sections of the Galaxy to think we don't care about them..." It was an interesting thought he had, but he wasn't too sure if it was a useful one. Shaking his head afterwards as he looked around the gardens once more.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"It's one of the two aspects of the Force, and as the name suggests, revolves around the connection of life to the Force. There's a lot of theory to it that I won't bore you with today, but it might be worth reading into sometime." Of course, if he was overly curious and wanted to know more anyway, she could talk about it for hours on end. But after an already deep philosophy dive with the topic of Redemption, she felt it was better to focus on other things for now.

At his question that followed, Valery chuckled and offered a warm smile, "It's not that we're all constantly on the Temple. It's more like a hub that we return to after we complete assignments or if we're focusing on training or teaching. We have Temples everywhere in the Galaxy, and Jedi tend to visit them as they're traveling too." She looked around the Temple grounds and let out a soft sigh. "This one isn't too far from Hutt Space, so Jedi used to visit a lot when there was trouble with the Hutts."

"Ilum was on the border between the Alliance and the Empire that recently collapsed, so the Temple there was an important outpost as well. Especially during the Battle on Ilum." There were a lot more examples, but she figured that he'd get the idea.

"Hmm," Valery hummed as she thought about where to go next. "Would you maybe want to train a little? I could teach you something new, or just spar."

 

[Shan]

"Interesting...I'll put some time into researching it when I have some free time then." Whilst the dive in philosophy had been a bit much for Shan, that wasn't going to stop him from trying to read up on this kind of stuff in his spare time. There were other things that were useful to spend his time on right now however as he still took in the sights of the temple, listening to Valery. Though he tilted his head at Valery's response about how they didn't always stay at the Temple. It made sense to him...but part of him still felt like they should have other Temples be as busy.

"I assume that all of the temples are equally as important. Even if there isn't any battles nearby, it still works as place for us to relax and recover." It seemed pointless for him to say but he felt like it was important to show that he was understanding what Valery was saying about the temples. Though the idea of there being trouble with the Hutts seemed like a strange thought to him. If he didn't understand the power of the Force, he'd have thought it was impossible to go against the Hutts, but he shook his head, trying to pay attention on the conversation instead of focusing on his own thoughts.

His eyes went wide at the offer to spar, and the Mirialan shook his head rather quickly, giving a nervous chuckle afterwards. "I don't mind learning something but...sparring isn't something I feel super comfortable with at the moment. " Shan rubbed the back of his neck at that, taking a look around the temple. He wasn't totally comfortable with sparring against Valery, even though he knew she wouldn't use all of her strength against him. He just wanted to start to work on his sparring in his spare time for now.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"Exactly, each Temple has a certain purpose. Coruscant is like our main gathering place while Ilum is crucial for crystal gatherings, and used to be important to keep us close to the front. Other Temples are amazing for learning, or even just to relax and meditate in the absence of busy Coruscant traffic." She chuckled and guided him away from the Gardens, and down a path that led to the training grounds in the back.

They were most often used for Lightsaber Form classes or sparring, but with him expressing interest in learning something else, they'd still be a lovely spot for some training.

"That's quite alright, there's plenty that I could teach you. A lesson that I always find important is teaching Jedi how to shield their minds. This can be especially useful if you're dealing with Sith or their creations — they often target the minds of people, in an attempt to manipulate them or even drive them insane." She then paused for a moment and gave the situation a little more thought.

"I could also teach you something new about Telekinesis, or... almost anything you'd like to learn."

 

[Shan]

"The idea of getting different crystals has always seemed interesting to me. What they represent, the power behind them. They are such powerful things, even though they aren't that big." A small smile spread across his face as he thought about the different possibilities for crystals, shaking his head however so he could focus on Valery. The idea of going to different temples for learning also seemed interesting. It could work as some kind of pilgrimage...Though he shook that thought off quickly, glancing back over towards Valery.

A small frown came across his face as she discussed what she could teach him. Whilst advancing his telekinesis knowledge would be helpful for him, considering it's what he relied on as opposed to fighting...If he did want to protect people, he'd probably come across the Sith or some form of Dark Side user and so being able to protect his mind and thoughts would probably be the most important as he gave the Jedi Master a sharp nod.

"Shielding my mind sounds like the best course of action. With my whole...aim of wanting to protect people, I feel like the Sith would be able to easily manipulate my mind. And I don't want to be vulnerable to that. I need to...venture out of my comfort zone instead of working on what I already know." Which was true, at least in his eyes. He could still work on the basics that he knew, but he needed to learn more to be able to progress. Getting himself stronger and being able to protect more people.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Shan

"Oh, I agree," Valery said with a warm smile, "My first crystal came from a gathering on Ilum as well, and its color formed when it bonded with me to show a reflection of who I am. I eventually lost the crystal on the day that my face was scarred, and ever since, my bond with crystals have changed." In terms of color, it had shifted from blue to purple, but the reason for it was very deep, and related to who she was as a Jedi and a person.

The two Jedi soon reached the training area at the back of the Temple grounds — a huge ring of stone, with pillars around it. The structure looked ancient, despite that it was rebuilt, but it was like home to Valery. She couldn't even hope to guess the amount of hours she spent here as a Padawan, perfecting her form with the blade, or training with the Force.

"That's a good choice, and I personally believe it's one of the most important things to learn. Sith can be lethal with how they manipulate the minds of others, but the holocrons they create can also connect with us. Even simple, ordinary items can be imbued with Sith Alchemy in a way that makes them drive you insane if you get too close." She shuddered at the thought, but quickly smiled at him again.

"I'll teach you how to protect yourself against it, but I always want you to still be careful. I was once a Jedi Shadow, so I practiced this skill more than almost anything, but if I'm weakened, exhausted or not paying attention, my mind can also still be breached. Never assume yourself to be immune," she stressed.

"That said, to practice it, I'd like to try and telepathically enter your mind. I won't dig deep or cause pain, but it'll give you an impression of how it feels, and you can practice by keeping me out in a safe, controlled environment. You have my word that I won't break privacy or push you too far. Is this okay with you?"

 

[Shan]

Shan listened intently to Valery talking about her first crystal, though a small frown spread across his face at the news that her first crystal had been lost. It made sense, but the idea of losing your first crystal felt...awful to him. Though he had to remind myself that getting attached to things such as crystals could be a negative thing. Instead, he decided to turn his attention towards the lesson they were about to have. Teaching was more important than focusing on belongings. Or well, learning since he wasn't going to be doing anything teaching.

The training grounds of the temple seemed interesting to Shan, with how open it was to the world and it was actually something he found quite enjoyable. Reaching a hand out to gently run his fingers over the stone, trying to feel more and more of a connection to the world and the training grounds. Trying to make sure he felt relaxed for the training. If he was all anxious and on edge, it would make defending his mind even more difficult...unless he used it as a trick but he shook his head at that afterwards.

"Exactly. And I will admit that I am quite a...naïve person. It would be easy for a Sith to be able to manipulate my mind, if I'm not be able to defend myself. I'm not exactly in the mood to ever go insane." Shan tried to joke around with the last part, trying to find a comfortably place to stand in the training grounds and folding his arms along his front. Even as Valery stressed that no-one was immune to the manipulation, Shan knew he was nowhere near that. In fact, he just thought he was even more vulnerable to this kind of manipulation, so the training was going to be even more of vital importance.

"I am willing to let you enter my mind. It's completely fine with me. I'm going to...try to keep it safe." At that, Shan just tried to focus on something in his mind. Just trying to think of something for him to focus on as like a small wall. His mind just going to the streets of Nar Shaddaa, as like a small maze. Focusing on the different alleyways and corners he'd have to walk through every day. Almost like trying to make a maze of his own thoughts.