First Reply Into the Jungle

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Odryn
Appearance: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: First Reply or DM | Preference to writers I've not written with yet.

"It can't be too far..."

Valery let out a soft sigh as she stepped through some thick vines and checked her map again. It wasn't often that she found herself so deep inside a jungle alone, but she was looking for something rather special out here on Odryn. A long time ago, the Sanctum of the Exalted had been on this planet but it was blown up after charges inside were detonated. Valery, however, believed some of the ancient artifacts that were once stored there survived and were still out there. Considering that many of them were tainted by the Dark Side, they could be incredibly dangerous if they were to fall in the wrong hands.

So even though her job as a Jedi Shadow hunting dark side artifacts was behind her, Valery had decided to use her experience with jungle worlds to travel to its former location. Using maps and information from the archives, she had an estimate as to where it was, but it was impossible to land a ship in the middle of a jungle, so she had brought hers down in the closest clearing she could find, and the rest of the journey was going to be on foot.

This meant dealing with the difficult flora that blocked the way, but she also had to be careful with predators and small bugs that could cause her harm. They were literally everywhere, and the Force was constantly warning her that they were close or looking for an opportunity to make a move against her.

Luckily, she was much faster and clever enough to avoid most confrontations. But there was still the chance that she'd run into something or someone out there.

Valery couldn't possibly be the only person in the Galaxy interested in history or powerful artifacts. The difference was that Valery's job was to neutralize these particular artifacts and make sure they wouldn't be taken off-world for other purposes.

But whether or not she'd run into any trouble or people along the way remained to be seen. Only time would tell.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra had spent her first 16 years not knowing her father.

It wasn't malice that kept Joza from informing either of the two of their relation, it was plan common sense and perhaps... some kindness. Things were different now. As Coren Starchaser he slowed down, she had grown up. Heritage rarely remained a secret forever.

Relic hunting was in her blood.

She had arrived one week prior and that was all the little Starchaser needed to already locate a collapsed shaft of the Sanctum. She was two artifacts in and sensing more deeper down. Exciting.

She sat on a log enjoying a makeshift lunch of canned beans and soup. She felt Valery before she heard her. She snuffed out her fire and snatched her bag, the beans left spilling across the ground as she slipped a step back into the foliage. She pulled her machete out of its sheath.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Odryn
Appearance: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Kyra Perl

After hours of walking, Valery looked on the map and noticed she was finally getting close to where at least part of the Sanctum's ruins was supposed to be. But after thousands of years, the jungle had reclaimed much of the territory around it, and finding any way inside the old structure was going to be difficult. If it even still existed, anyway — charges had been detonated inside, so it was possible that truly nothing remained.

This would mean the surviving artifacts lay scattered between the plants and trees now, hopefully still covered in the nullification resin. But just to be safe, Valery had raised her mental shields and walked carefully with her senses constantly extending ahead of her.

It's because of this fact, that she soon noticed something standing out among the fauna and flora. There was a presence that belonged to someone Force-sensitive, and they had likely felt her too. A hint of danger filled the air as if this presence was readying itself to strike, but Valery felt no true hostile intent in the Force.

"You know I can sense you as well?" Valery asked out loud, as she stepped forward and noticed the remains of a small campsite around her. Someone was out there, and while she considered drawing her lightsaber into her hand, she decided against it to show that she wasn't here to be a problem. "I'm a Jedi, I mean you no harm."

That was either going to relieve all tension or turn them hostile instantly. But it was better than be left wondering about who she was dealing with here.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Round blue eyes emerged from the foliage, skeptical.

"You don't look like any jedi I know."

Kyra stepped out of the shadows, the force gently ebbing forward to flex and brush up against Valery. It was clearly reading her, in a more complex and controlled nature than most could do. Kyra herself didn't look like a jedi herself. Her plain cargo pants and wild hair were unkempt. She was young and yet somehow aged, her tense nature stemming from experience that she was unlikely to forget.

Valery's intentions, at least, seemed pure. Her shoulders slowly relaxed. She pointed the tip of her knife to her lost meal.

"You made me spill my beans." It was truly a grave offense.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Odryn
Appearance: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Kyra Perl

It was a kid. Or well, maybe an early adult — either way, she seemed very young. But there was also something about the pink girl that Valery couldn't quite place; a feeling through the Force that got stronger, the closer the woman got. At the very least, she felt no hostile intentions at all, so she relaxed her own body and did her best to greet Kyra with a friendly smile.

"I don't think I look like most Jedi, and we've definitely never met," Valery replied with a nod.

Her eyes then followed the tip of the knife to the spilled beans on the ground, and her smile turned just a little more apologetic, "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to startle you. But aren't you a bit-" she stopped herself and reconsidered her choice of words, "What are you doing all the way out here on your own?"

"Oh, and the name is Valery, by the way. Valery Noble."

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra raised a brow at the insinuation.

"I'm.... eating my beans," she deflected. She sipped both arms through her pack and bent to pick up the can. There were plenty of reasons for a jedi to be in woods such as this but Kyra thought it was mighty coincidental for a jedi to be here . Over a shaft of a collapsed temple.

One that specifically known for holding artifacts.

This girl was competition.

She straightened and lied with a snuffed, "My father owns these lands. Which makes you a trespasser" She tsked. "You should probably leave before he comes home. He wouldn't like you here."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Odryn
Appearance: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Kyra Perl

"You're eating beans in the middle of a jungle on your own?" Valery raised one of her eyebrows, and clearly didn't seem convinced about that. Especially not so close to an ancient structure full of artifacts. Jungles also weren't exactly safe, so there was no way she'd just be out here to eat some beans.

"A trespasser?" she blinked and looked around, "Nobody owns these lands, this planet hardly has any people on it, and no proper government," she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Look, I'm not going anywhere. The remains of an ancient temple are nearby, and I want to take a closer look at any of the artifacts that remain inside," she continued in all honesty. "They can be very dangerous, especially if their nullification resin was compromised. So this isn't a safe place for you to be."

"Even if your dad is okay with you... eating beans here."

 

[Kyra Perl]

"And how would you know that?" Kyra rolled her eyes, her shoulders rounding back in a stubborn set. "Typical jedi, showing up places that aren't yours and acting like you know best." She didn't actually feel that way, but she knew the pain of that stone when it was thrown. She wasn't beyond fighting dirty. Not when she had a week's worth of work at stake.

"Look, it's obvious you aren't from here. You clearly don't know how this goes, but these are my lands, I'm not a child, and you are not wanted here." She put herself between Valery and the obvious signs of overturned dirt ten feet away. She puffed her chest out in a threatening bluff.

"So go. Scat. Before I file an R3 complaint to your order." She thought that was convincing enough, but Kyra had overplayed her had.

R3 was an internal behavior complaint.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Odryn
Appearance: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Kyra Perl

Valery's eyes only narrowed at the comment Kyra made, showing very clearly that she wasn't really amused. But she wasn't one to get frustrated over the comments of a stranger either, so she remained perfectly calm and just let out a soft sigh, "You can file any complaints you like to the non-existing authorities of this planet or my Order, but I'm not going anywhere, lady."

Her head tilted and her fiery eyes looked just past Kyra, at the dirt that lay scattered around.

"I'm not here to steal or take anything, I'm here to make sure none of the dangerous artifacts end up in the wrong hands," she continued, her voice a little sterner. "Do you have any idea what a corrupted artifact can do to the mind of someone who can't shield themselves? They'll go completely insane, and they could even lose their lives."

Another sigh followed but now she looked at Kyra with slightly more pleading eyes, "Why don't we take a look together, hm? If there's nothing corrupted down there, I'll leave. But if there is, I'll show you and I will only make sure they can't cause trouble anymore."