Private Journey to the Past

[Jonyna Si]

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Jonyna nodded, still cupping her head with a hand as Valery Noble looked around. Inside the cave, Val could immediately spot a huge frigate, an old CIS ship that had been converted into a makeshift base off the left wall of the cave. Seeing it, it became apparent just how large the cave was, the ceiling being at least 100 feet up. As the two got their bearings, Val could see two ships parked outside the frigate. One was an old X-wing, practically a museum piece at this point. A T-65 model that seemed to have been painted with Cathar markings, although the paint had long faded into a shadow of it's former glory.

The other, an Imp scout ship about 95 meters long, still in pristine condition in it's old age, and...

Leaned up against it, was what was kicking off Val's danger sense. A Battle Droid, a B-1, or at least what was left of one, sitting ready with a massive slugthrower sniper rifle, waiting for a target, as it had for now 900 years. The rifle looked to be a hodgepodge of parts, put together with one express purpose. Take down whatever came through the cave door, no matter how big. But the bot was dead in the water, simply staring with the rifle trained right at what would've been Valery's heart.


Jonyna, after having finally gotten the chance to gain back her senses, looked a little stunned at the bot. "Sevs..." She approached the droid's inactive body, bringing a claw to brush it tenderly.

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

Woah.

After stepping into the cave, Valery hadn't really expected it to open up this way — it was much bigger than she imagined it to be, and the ship she saw was one she only recognized from old images and records. Only the X-wing down there looked familiar to her, but it didn't really catch her attention quite as much as the other ships did. Well, the ships and the droid that seemed frozen with a weapon leveled at her.

Slugthrower or blaster, she'd have no trouble defending herself, but it was not the most comfortable thought to walk in here with an old battledroid holding you at the other end of its barrel.

"You know the droid?" Valery then asked once Jonyna spoke up, and together with the Cathar, she made the approach to go check it out up-close. "I recognize the model from old records, but never seen one active. What were they like?"

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"Yeah, he was..." She paused. Probably not best to admit this droid was once part of her...

Yeah, let's not admit she had a harem once upon a time to her current idol.

"He was a good friend. Our team's sniper. That slugthrower we used to take out Stormtroopers from a mile out." She knelt down, petting the head of the bot. We found him on a planet malfunctioning. His restraining bolt had been broken after years of neglect, and he...kinda went a little crazy. Saw the Empire as the Republic, and wanted nothing more than to continue his previous mission of bringing the Republic down. I doubt anyone would be able to bring him back now but..." She paused, looking up at the ship. "This might be salvageable. and if we're lucky...inside..." She rose to her feet, walking up to the old ramp. "DICE?! YOU STILL IN THERE?!"

A few moments of silence went by, before finally, an astromech rolled down the ramp. The model looked almost familiar to Valery Noble , though even by her time, the model was outdated.

"Ah! Master Jonyna has returned! I was wondering if my calculations were..." The bot paused, it's reticle adjusting to look at Val. "...is that Master Valery Noble? My processors hadn't predicted the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order arriving with you! An astounding .23 percent chance even! Fantastic!"

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery listened to Jonyna's story regarding the droid with intrigue. Once an enemy, but due to various circumstances it became a trusty ally to her. In a way, it wasn't too different from her own droid's story. Bee had once been a First Order droid, after all, and was now one of her most reliable companions for missions.

Well, that and he had become family.

"We could bring him with us to see if he van be repaired, but it's up to you," Valery said before Jonyna seemed to pick up on something else. Another droid appeared and unlike the B1, this model looked a lot more familiar. Which meant...it had to be ancient, but Valery wasn't going to say that and set herself up for an easy age joke.

".23 percent chance, still? I was long gone by the time Jonyna here was first active, you know." She chuckled and looked between the Jedi Knight and her droid companion.

"But I feel there's a story here? I didn't think droids of this model would still be around, even around the time of the Galactic Civil War."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"That's Dice. He was a present from my first master. Knight Sylvar, One who Clawed Kuun, to my people. We came across her tomb on Ryloth during my time, and her ghost was still there."

"Master Sylvar gifted me to Master Si as a way to watch over her and her friends in her absence!" The bot chirped in binary.

"She was trapped inside the tomb, only place her spirit could persist within the Force." Jonyna noted, looking back down to the B-1 "...no, I think...I think I'm gonna give him a burial. He did his job and...he deserves a rest." There was a sadness to her voice, as she brushed a hand across the droid's head. "But we can do that later. Dice, you still have your databanks from Sylvar's time, yeah?"

"Of course! What would you be interested in viewing?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery listened to the story and blinked again. First a B1 droid that had changed sides and helped her in her conflict against the old Empire, and now a droid dating back to before her own time? Jonyna sure had a collection of very peculiar droids, but it must have formed a good bond between them all too. Although, back in the days of the Galactic Empire, Valery suspected they among others lived in fear a lot as well.

Fear of being hunted down just for who they were, and how they were born.

"I don't know what you can show, but I'd love to see any fond memory of those old times," Valery said, her eyes briefly shifting to Jonyna. If the Cathar wanted to see something specific, that obviously would be more important. But why not get a brief glimpse into the past? Her own past, in a way.

 

[Jonyna Si]

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The droid whirred to life, his top case opening to reveal a large holoprojector, which activated and transformed the cave into another place. Another time.

The Coruscant Senate room, or, at least, a version of it from long before either of them. The senate chambers were still made of stone, and still resembled that of a coliseum, hundreds of senates sitting in open stands, looking down on a massive pillar that acted as the centerpiece.

And standing on the pillar, was a face Valery Noble would have known well.

Ulic Qel-Droma. He went into a speech, denouncing the Republic in favor of a new Sith Empire. Another blonde human tries to reason with the sith, before finally the doors of the senate burst open.

And there he stood. Exar Kuun. Sylvar, which stood next to the droid, growled at the sight, bursting forth with another familiar face. Nomi Sunrider. They would attempt to strike at the man, but Ulic would keep them at bay, while Exar fought a master of old. Jedi Master Vodo. Vodo would fall, and Sylvar would attempt to strike once again at Exar, but would fail.

He would escape, along with Ulic, and another figure.

Mandalore...

The hologram would fade, returning them back to the cave.

"I hope that was satisfactory! My calculations indicated at a 87% rate that this is what you would have liked to have seen based on your given parameters!"

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

The recording was... astonishing.

As a Jedi of the Old Republic, Valery had of course heard about all these events during history classes at the Temple. But to see an actual recording of what happened back then was something else entirely. These were the Jedi and people she had looked up to when she was younger, and now, she was in their position making the same impact on the Galaxy. It was a strange thing, but it brought a smile to her lips.

"That was... very interesting. Maybe it would be possible to copy some of these recordings for the archives? I'm sure others would love to study them as well."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"Don't see why not. We'd just need to..." Jonyna turned back to the now sealed cave entrance. "Get back to the ship. Or get this old bucket of bolts out of here." She slapped the side of the Reaper, smiling. "I might donate my old X-wing as well. I'm sure this model is completely out of date now. I don't take it you know terrakinesis as well? We'll be moving rocks for days if we can't get that cave unsealed. Not sure the steak I left in the fridge 900 years ago is still good, and after that trek, I'm starving..."

"Chances of starvation are at 3.7 percent at current!" The bot beeped, causing Jonyna to roll her eyes.

"What did I say about calcuating my demise Dice?"

"Never tell you the odds? But that's my whole thing! I calculate the odds! It is my purpose!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

"I can't fix ships or manipulate the ground, although I could force our way out.." she chuckled and glanced at the direction they came from. It wouldn't be hard for her at all to break them out, but the risk of further collapse would be there. "If you can get the ship working, that would be the safest option though." She glanced between Jonyna and the droid — they knew the ship better than she did, so maybe they'd be able to?

The low chance at starvation at least suggested a positive outcome.

"Your call, Knight Si. Either you repair the ship, or I can blow up the barricade. Unless you have other ideas?"

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"...I guess the question needs to be asked." Jonyna considered. "Dice, does the ship still work?"

"I have done my best to keep the Reaper up to repair standard! 85 percent chance of success!"

"...I'll take those odds." Jonyna smiled, pausing as she looked back to the ship. She wondered if it could be refitting for the modern day. A question for later, she assumed. For now, she climbed over to the boarding ramp, pausing only to motion Valery Noble to join her. "You can do your thing from the bridge, yeah? Might as well. Once we get out, I can show you around. If memory serves, I've got a Dejarik board in the lounge."

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

"I like those odds too."

They were definitely a lot more positive than her blowing their way out through the cave — the risk of collapse was too great. So without arguing, she turned around and followed Jonyna up the ramp of the ship, "I can assist from the bridge, yes. But I'd certainly like a tour of the ship. Not every day that it's possible to explore older models." Perhaps, much like her own fighter of the Old Republic that Kahlil had recovered for her, this one could be modified too.

The advancements in technology were impressive, but it wasn't that difficult to modify older tech. A lot of it was still built around the same exact principles, just with some upgrades.

"What do you need help with?"

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"Piloting, mostly. Dice here is my co-pilot, but he's not designed for complex maneuvers like getting us out of a cave like this. I mostly used the X-wing for air support." Jonyna said as she led the three into the ship, the first thing they see being a small armory next to a set of stairs, old imperial blasters alongside slugthrowers and an old crossguard lightsaber. Jonyna paused, looking to the saber. "...that was Giran's. So that's where it went..." She chuckled, leading them up to a large lounge, a set of old couches facing a massively out of date holovision screen, and a gambling table set up to the left, flanked by a bar that sat covered in dust. Behind it, a hall that led towards the bridge, Valery Noble seeing a full kitchen, and...a pool?

Jonyna smiled as she passed by a set of bedrooms, leading them to a bridge with a clear captain's chair, as well as three other chairs. Jonyna paused, looking to Val. "You wanna take the captain's chair?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

"I can help with that."

With larger ships like this, Kahlil Noble was the better pilot of the two, but she had more than enough experience flying the Bastion to make it work. Together, they walked through the ship, where Valery took note of the interior. It had a similar feel to the Bastion as well, in that it felt like more than just transportation. The lounge, the holovision screen, the pool - this had been their home as well.

"Sure, I can help lead this," Valery said before she walked over, patted some dust off the seat, and plopped down with an audible sigh. She had been walking all day already, so she was starting to feel it.

"Let's see if all critical systems are still operational," Valery then added, as she turned to Jonyna.

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"Right...." Jonyna sat down in one of the other chairs, staring at the screen. She struggled to remember what exactly the 'critical systems' were, closing her eyes to bring a memory of Zash into her mind.


Meanwhile, the little astromech that could rolled in, hooking up to the ship and causing it to start up, Valery Noble seeing that all the systems required to fly were at least still operable. Mind you, the computers were running a 900 year old OS, and had none of the functionality the Bastion did, so it could be a bit of a struggle...

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

"...you won't get angry if I scratch the paint a little, right?" Valery asked with a sheepish smile after she looked at the display. "The required systems for us to get out of here are all online, but this software is really old. I don't know how it'll handle," she admitted before she carefully looked through the options of switches to get the engines online and running. Luckily, 900-year-old technology still worked on the same principles.

With the engines roaring to life, shields and life-support coming online, Valery finally took control of the ship and made them hover just above the ground. She retracted landing gear, did another systems check to really make sure they'd be able to safely reach space, and then started to move.

It was a tight fit, but she could make it. She'd just have to let the Force guide her.

"While I pilot, can you watch sensors? Let me know if anything shows up."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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Jonyna nodded, allowing Dice to do most of the work while she watched what little bit of the sensors she could understand.

The fit was indeed tight, as the ship was not exactly designed for running straight though a cavern that had been caved in, and if they wanted to come back, they'd definitely have to do some excavating to dig the rest of the base out. Val could hear the scraping of the ship's exterior as they exited the cave, but once they were out, the ship was free to escape into the atmosphere.

"We should get back to the Bastion. Dice can fly the ship back to Coruscant once we do." Jonyna nodded, giving Valery Noble a thumbs up. "Better to convoy back than leave your ship here. I'll need to put together some sort of expedition back to uncover what's here..." She frowned. "Last I remember there's a lot of...what do you call it....Songsteel! That stuff. It's all over the jungle here, just...hidden. That, along with a few ghostfire crystal veins. That's where I got this." She pulled out her second saber, igniting it to show Val the translucent blade. "Twins. Apparently the birds we saw earlier treat Kyber like this as spiritual artifacts, so...might be nice to get some jedi in here."

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

"If I left the Bastion behind on a planet with hostile locals and other dangerous things that tried to kill us..." She blinked and didn't even want to think about how Kahlil Noble would react. He put a lot of work into the ship that had been their home many times, and she wasn't going to mess with it. Not even to tease him. "So I agree, let's head back to the Bastion and we'll pick it up," she said with a smile, as she plotted her path and began their little journey.

Now that she was out of the caves, flying this old thing felt a lot less stressful.

"Songsteel and ghostfire crystals?" She blinked again. "If people find out about this planet, they'll come in masses to strip it off its resources. But maybe we can make use of it for the Jedi and their gear, as long as we don't throw the planet's balance off completely with it."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"That was my thought. If we can set up some sort of base here for the GA, or at least the NJO, we can get some nice resources for jedi to use. You ever handled a ghostfire?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Old Base

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Jonyna Si

"I'm sure we can make an outpost happen, though it will be hard to find people to be here often. So like on New Cov, we should get droids to handle the daily tasks and report anything important straight to the Temple." Even if they had more Jedi to spare, Valery didn't want to assign them to maintaining a place here just for resources. Not with the increasing threat of the Sith and Mandalorians in the Galaxy.

They needed all the able Jedi they could get for what was coming.

"No, I've never used a lightsaber with a crystal like that. Does it feel very different?" She assumed it was mostly the visual part that required some getting used to, but she was curious now.