Private Into the Hornet's nest

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

It was a dark and stormy day at the New Cov Temple.

Most Jedi who were there had retreated inside for classes, meditation, or some personal training, while all lightsaber instruction and outdoor classes were canceled. But inside the Bastion, which was parked at the landing pad there, the Noble family wouldn't really be bothered by any of it. Valery was down in the cargo area to prepare some gear and supplies for the upcoming trip — she had heard back from the investigation into the strange group that attacked them, and together with Kahlil, they were asked to address it. On a personal level, she wanted to handle it before settling down as well, just to prevent any threats from finding them in the one place they wanted Vera to be safe.

Their home could not be compromised again. Valery couldn't allow it to happen. But while she was taking care of those final few preparations, which included alerting a trusted Jedi friend to pick up their daughter and keep her safe at the Temple, Vera was running around looking for her father.

"Daddy?" she asked as she moved away from her room and began looking for him in the living room and kitchen area. She looked a little pale, and disorientated, almost as if she was sick or on the verge of crying. When she finally found him, she began tugging on his pants and looked up to get his attention, "Mommy would never hurt you, right daddy?" she asked without any further explanation.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

The question alone would've had Kahlil spit out his coffee if he hadn't already set it down. Worry filled his gaze as he watched his upset daughter, and the question itself had his heart drop to his feet. Another vision, was it? He didn't need to see it first hand to think she might've seen Valery harming him in some way. Whether it was Valery herself or even Kahlil himself. At least in Kahlil's case there was a clone already running around.

Did that mean the same for Valery?

Ah, didn't matter. He crouched down, gently patting the top of Vera's head. "Only ever to protect you, Vera. Never without reason. Never forget that, okay?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Okay..." she was convinced by her father's words — she never had a reason to doubt what her parents told her — but she had definitely seen something that disturbed her a little. That discomfort and fear echoed through the Force without any control over it, and that's what summoned Valery to make her way over as well.

"Hey sweeties, everything okay?" she asked with a warm smile, but Vera looked at her with slightly widened eyes. It took Valery by surprise, and she just looked at her daughter for a moment. But then the eyes faded, and the girl ran over to wrap herself around Valery's leg. "Hey... it's alright, we're here." She looked up and over at Kahlil and mirrored the worry he likely felt too.

"I uh, made sure Vera can stay here at the Temple and is being looked after by a friend. Are you ready to head out soon, love? Those people need to be dealt with before they cause more trouble."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Sure enough Valery felt it too. Kahlil let out a sigh of relief as Vera immediately went over to hug her mother. Part of him was worried whatever she might've seen might've made her scared of Valery. He nodded once, glancing between the two with a soft smile. No, no matter what Vera might see in her visions she'd never stop loving her parents. "I'm ready whenever you are."

He stepped over, crouched down to gently pat the top of Vera's head.

"While we're away I want you to try and remember what you see isn't set in stone, okay? Visions are only visions."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I love you, little star," Valery whispered with a motherly tone as she crouched down together with Kahlil, who patted Vera on the head and offered some wisdom. That finally got the little girl to release her tight grip, and she stepped back to look up at both her parents, "I don't like the bad pictures," she said, but she did nod to her father to show she understood.

But whether they showed an inevitable future or not, they were still unpleasant to see.

"That's why we make sure they don't become true. We won't let anything happen to you or our family." Valery got up but with Vera in her arms and looked at Kahlil.

"I already put the coordinates into the navigational computer. They're in an old formerly abandoned space station in the outer rim. I'll let you fly, and we'll have to find a way in," Valery said before she looked at Vera, "Come on, let's get you out of here for now. Be good, okay?" Vera just nodded and with that, Valery brought her outside and made sure the Jedi would keep her safe.

On New Cov, nobody was going to find her.

"I didn't want to bring up too much with her still around, but the intel we got also suggest that they might be under someone's influence. Not Sith, but... I don't know." She plopped down into her seat, already in her Jedi attire and with weapons clipped to her belt. "We have to take them down no matter what we find. I can't let anything or anybody attack our home again." Images of Empress Teta flashed through her mind, and for just a moment, she frowned.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I know."

Kahlil didn't like them either, but there wasn't going to be a way to fix them. Not with it being from the Force. He gave his daughter a small wave and a nod as she was taken off to stay with the Jedi here, and upon Valery's return he was already getting the ship ready to take off.

".. Yeah." Teta was terrible. Loosing their home as they did.. The Jedi let out a breath, closed his eyes. "We'll be okay. We're Jedi, after all."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Mhmm, you're right," Valery said as the engines fired up and the rhythmic hum of the vibrating hull could be gently felt in their seats. She took the moment of departure to relax, and sat back in her chair with her eyes closed. Her hair fell around her face and even without saying a word or showing the way she looked, it was easy enough to tell that she was a bit tired.

But how could she not be? They've been going from one fight or problem to another, and have been given very little time to relax. She just hoped that taking care of this strange group would let them finally focus on their home, and a moment of peace.

"When we arrive, it shouldn't be too difficult to approach the station. It was barely armed when it was new, and most of those systems shouldn't be working anymore now. The masked people don't really worry me either, but I wonder who or what is really pulling the strings there. For a long time, it felt like it was just the Maw out there as a threat, but I've been dealing with a lot more smaller groups recently, or even just Sith and Dark Jedi working alone."

"It's worrying."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil watched her for a moment. Not really listening to what she was saying, just watching her. About half way through he just reached out to pat the top of her head and smiled. "Take a breath, love. We're not fighting anyone right now. Why don't we have lunch and forget about the dangers, just for a little bit?" He needed it just as much as she did. A break from the torment of the wars they were in. His arm still ached with the repeated loss of it.

Not many could say they lost their arm three times. Probably shouldn't be proud of it, either.

"I'm thinkin' grilled cheese. What do you think?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

She was completely in her own little, entirely mission-focused world when Kahlil reached out and patter her on her head. It instantly snapped her out of it, and an almost sheepish smile appeared on her lips. Valery was sometimes a little too into briefings and making sure every little detail was discussed and figured out, but he always managed to pull her back out

"Lunch?" she blinked and looked at all the gear she already had on her. It didn't matter though — he was right about taking breaks, and she really needed to start taking more of them.

"Grilled cheese sounds nice..." she finally admitted with a smile, "We'll eat, relax a little and head out for this mission when we're ready?" She still couldn't entirely forget about it, but she was trying her best.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

He reached over, punching in their coordinates so the ship would take off. Then blinked and looked to Valery. "Huh? .. Oh, no. We just relax while the ship takes us where we need to go. Multitasking." And as much as Kahlil wanted them to be calm, he also wanted this done and over with just the same. They needed to end this, as quick as they could. For Vera. But once the ship was taking off he'd already head to the kitchen to start getting some bread and cheese.

Well he stopped at the cheese.

"What'r ya thinking for cheese? Mozt? Pepperjack?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Multitasking, right. Sounds good, love."

She beamed him a smile and got up to her feet, where she stopped to rub her eyes and take a deep breath. In the past, she would have tried to hide her exhaustion or personal problems, but she no longer did. And even if she tried, he could see right through it, both with and without the bond they shared.

Valery then followed him to the kitchen and began to grin. It was time for a little fun payback.

While he was getting everything ready, she stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist for a somewhat tight hug. Just so he couldn't shake her off too easily, "Pepperjack sounds good," she hummed with a happier and slightly teasing tone. Now it was her turn to make his cooking life a bit trickier.

But while she held on, a moment of silence fell briefly too on her part.

"You know, I really can't wait until all of this is over, and we can enjoy our new home. Seeing Vera smile and just... relaxing a bit again."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil set about crafting their lunch for the day. Buttered bread, hot pan, cheese. It wasn't a long process, but that was the point. Soon enough a couple sandwiches would be out on plates for the two Jedi to enjoy. He took a bite of his own, humming softly. Yeah, Valery was right. He nodded in agreement. Seeing Vera smile was just the best thing he'd ever experienced, really.

"We'll figure it out. We always do."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery kept herself wrapped around Kahlil until the smell of their food being done reached her nose, and caused her stomach to growl. She pulled back and chuckled — she was quite a big eater, so whenever he made anything, she was always ready to enjoy it.

"Hmm, it smells great. Thanks, love."

She took her plate and made her way back over to the cockpit, where she sat down in her co-pilot seat and checked the instruments for probably the fourth or fifth time now. At the same time, she took a bite of her sandwich, which tasted fantastic. She felt her body relax for a moment, and her eyes shifted to Kahlil.

"We should be arriving pretty soon. Is there anything you need to get ready before we dive into it all?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil didn't let her pull away, at least for a moment longer. Sandwiches got to cool or whatever other excuse would work, not that he said anything aloud. He just wanted to keep that moment with them. Just for a little while. But all things had to move on, regardless of what he wanted. Back in the cockpit he plopped down and focused on eating. And gave Valery the 'look' as she again went over everything.

"Enjoy the sandwich. We can talk shop when you're done eating, okay?"

He'd force her to relax if he had to. Well no, he wouldn't, but sometimes it felt like he would. He chuckled softly, taking a bite of his own grilled cheese.

"Vera's gonna start school soon, y'know?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

She blinked when she felt his hands keeping her from pulling back out of the hug, but smiled when she felt why. No excuses were needed for it either — they needed these moments together. As Jedi, they were always out there fighting and as parents, a lot of their focus was on their daughter. It wasn't something she'd trade for anything, but it was still important that they had their moments alone together too.

But after a moment, they did make their way back to the cockpit, and right as Valery was about to bite into her sandwich again, she spotted that look of his. She tried to hide her face behind her food a little but offered him a sheepish and somewhat apologetic smile.

"Yes love..." she said before it became impossible not to smile lovingly. As much as he never wanted to pressure her into doing anything, she kinda needed the nudge sometimes to relax. For him, all it took was that look, really, and she loved that about him. "The food is amazing, thank you."

She got up to her feet and walked over before she sat down in his lap, sideways so they could still both eat, "Exciting and scary at the same time, isn't it? I keep worrying about how the other kids will respond to her, and if her teacher will be kind. But she's a tough little girl too, so... she'll probably be fine?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"She'll be fine. If she takes after any part of you, she'll make all kinds of friends right away." Kahlil nodded once, firmly believing that. Even with their memories shared as they had been, he had little doubt that Valery, sans the accident, was capable of making anyone into friends. He finished off his sandwich, giving her a brief smile before the ship beeped. They were getting close. Relaxation was over with, as brief as it was.

Not that he let her leave his lap.

"There will always be bad people in the galaxy. It's just our job to help handle them."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"She does have the energy I had when I was that little, so maybe. I really hope she will." She chuckled and set aside her now empty plate so she could lean against his chest with her side, and bring an arm around him. Just briefly though because the beeping of their ship's instruments signaled that they were getting close to their destination. Which meant they had to be focused.

Valery made the move to hop off his lap to get ready but felt his arm keeping her there. So her eyes shifted back up to his, and she nodded along to what he said, "And handle them we will, hm?" she leaned in closer for a quick kiss and then looked at the display that showed just how close they were to dropping from hyperspace.

"Starting with these people. Ready to go get them, or are you too comfy like this?" she teased.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"This is plenty comfy. Could always fight like this." Kahlil grinned, but not the 'I'm totally kidding' kind. He grinned like he fully intended to fight off whatever dark cult this was with Valery in his lap. Which he relented after a moment to let her stand so he could stand himself. While he probably could just through the Force, she wasn't the type just to let him do things on his own.

Then reached out. Calling over his new saber. He paused, glancing over the weapon with a frown.

"We're not here to kill them. Just stop them." Right? His grip on the weapon tightened.

".. Maybe we should've had someone else look into this. It's too personal."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion | New Cov
Appearance: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Well, you know I wouldn't have a problem with it..." she winked at his grin and understood that he wasn't just making a pure joke. He'd probably actually be able to keep her up and go through the fight like that. But it wasn't really the proper way of handling things, so she did get off his lap after a final hug, allowing him to stand up as well.

She made sure her two lightsabers were attached to her belt, and looked back up at him, "That's right, but it's hard to say how many are there and what will happen exactly. I hope we can stop them without taking lives." She really did stand behind her words, but she was also realistic. They were going to be outnumbered and under great pressure, self-defense could lead to casualties. The important thing then was to not take them lightly and to make sure nobody would suffer.

Valery then watched him tighten his grip on the weapon, and stepped close to briefly take both his hands, "I think, in this case, that's exactly why it should be us. As Vera gets older, there will only be more things threatening her. I think it's important that we can still be ourselves despite it, and part of that is to confront these things together, rather than leave them to others."

"Not always, but this is important for more than just Vera's safety. These people also target others, and we're Jedi. It's our job to handle them," she smirked a little after using his own words like that. Valery then let go of his hands and looked at the cockpit window, right as their ship entered real space again.

In front of them, was an old and eerie-looking space station, clouded by dark feelings in the Force.

"Let's get them."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

It was their job to handle this kind of stuff. But wasn't it also their job to keep their emotions in check? Kahlil sighed. No, they were Master's of the order. If they passed this on because of it being personal, where would that stop? The galaxy was full of danger, and they'd always be targeted. He squeezed her hands before she let go, offering a small smile. "Right." They had each other, anyway. They could keep each other in line.

Right?

R6 took over the controls, guiding the ship towards the hangar. Thus far, quiet. The ramp came down and Kahlil stepped into the older building. It looked abandoned. Was it? .. No, he could feel something here. Dark, like the world before.

His saber lit up, green cutting through the darkness of the barely lit station.

"Alright. Creepy. Lets be quick, yeah?"

Valery Noble