Private Kings and Queens

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery walked down the ramp of the Bastion and turned around to look at the ship for a moment. It had been a reliable friend for many years, and even though it hadn't been her own from the start, it still felt like home. Now, several upgrades and countless hours of maintenance later, it would be an important ship once more. This time, for a rather interesting mission to an even more interesting planet.

But she wasn't going alone.

Due to an unforeseen question from a dear friend, Midvintir had turned into a planet she needed to learn more about. She wanted to connect with the people and needed to build up some trust with them. It would take several trips, and she'd likely involve her Padawans or others she wanted to guide, but today she wanted to bring someone who could use an opportunity to learn in the field.

Well, learn and prove himself at the same time.

Until he arrived, Valery would patiently wait inside the Hangar.

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

As The Red Night dropped from hyperspace with a dying wheeze, The Vonnuvi just in sight, Gatz wondered how late he was.

A short trip to Ukatis to deliver more relief supplies should have been a quick thing. He wasn't there to throw down with anyone, and he wasn't even there to help Corazona von Ascania dig people out of the rubble this time. He was supposed to stop, drop his cargo, get the fuck out. He should have been back in time for Valery to pick him up (and it was a genuine blow to his pride that his ship was so worn down that she had to pick him up), but naturally, another engine had died.

Turns out, having a suboptimal number of functioning engines made breaking atmo really difficult and very time consuming. Gatz tried not to be irritated with that, as he guided his vessel into The Vonnuvi Enclave's private hangar. As his ship practically limped in next to The Bastion, Gatz tried not to resent the disparity between his prized freighter and Valery's: hers maintained and in flying condition, and his sputtering, sparking, and smoking.

The engines died—no, Gatz didn't kill them, they just straight up died—and it was only a reflexive flick of a switch that allowed The Red Night to catch herself with her repulsor lifts, instead of crashing flat into the deck of the hangar. Landing gear shortly followed—though only three of the four were in working condition, but that was enough to bear the weight of the ship—and a moment later, a very muted Gatz stepped down the boarding ramp, lightsaber on his belt, and a duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late," Gatz said dryly, as if ignoring his ship's near catastrophic entry and landing, "long day."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"You... do know that our ships can get free maintenance, right?" Valery asked with a perked brow when he arrived. Jedi went on dangerous missions all the time, so it was only a matter of when a ship took damage in the line of duty. Droids at the Temple would take care of it, no matter how bad the damages were.

Something told her that he knew this, though. The Red Night was more than just a ship to him — he had always been very proud of it and likely wanted to take care of her himself. A choice he was more than willing to make, as long as he stopped endangering his own life flying it around when it could give no more.

"But it's good to see you, Gatz," Valery added with a smile. "Come on board, we have a lot to talk about. The mission on its own is quite interesting, but the circumstances... well, you're probably going to find it amusing." She could already imagine his face when she told him the position she could one day find herself in.

Probably teasing material.

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

"You... do know that our ships can get free maintenance, right?"

Gatz blinked at her.

"I'm sorry, what?"

This shouldn't have been a surprising outcome. Gatz was woefully ignorant of the resources offered by the Order. His focus was on trying to overcome whatever learning disability he had, and on trying to find help with his studies. And it wasn't like anyone offered this information freely to him. So if it didn't come from Valery or Inanna, then it didn't come from anyone.

Well, that wasn't entirely fair. Amani and Cora would have explained if he'd asked, but he hadn't known to ask. Gatz was beginning to wonder what other resources he was missing out on. There had to be, like, a list or a directory of some kind, right? But how would he get his hands on that knowledge? It was something to ask his Master later.

For now, Gatz let out a long sigh.

"I don't know whether I'm relieved or annoyed," he muttered, before drawing in a breath and trying to seem a little more upbeat, "but thank you, for the information. That ship is all I have left of... well, you know."

All he had left of his father. All he had left of his mother. All he had left of his childhood. All he had left of anything. Without it, he had nothing. The idea of losing it was terrifying, and heartbreaking. Gatz supposed that, if his ship could be maintained for free, he had one more thing to thank the Jedi for. That list was starting to get long, funnily enough.

"Come on board, we have a lot to talk about. The mission on its own is quite interesting, but the circumstances... well, you're probably going to find it amusing."

"What you find amusing, I usually find frightening," Gatz snorted, as he closed in for his habitual hug, "but I'm all ears. I'm sure it'll be mildly entertaining, if nothing else."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"I know," Valery said with a dip of her head. "Repairs can be done for free and you also have access to any resources you need for assignments and to live. Food, water, medical supplies, and even credit chips you need during missions." That was an important distinction to make — Jedi weren't paid for what they did, but they were given necessities and they did get credits they'd need to complete certain tasks.

For now, he could at least get his ship repaired.

"I promise it's not that frightening this time," Valery said with a chuckle before she turned and headed up the ramp and into the ship. "I don't know if you're familiar with Thurion Heavenshield, but he was once the Grandmaster of the Silver Jedi. Now, he lives on Midvintir as King of his people," Valery began to explain. "He's a close friend of my husband and I, but we don't see him very often because of how busy we all are."

Valery reached the cockpit and unceremoniously plopped down into her seat. She spun to face the controls, and started getting them ready to head out.

"Recently, he visited and requested something of me. He has reasons to believe that if he were to pass, Carnifex will come for his planet and hunt down his family. Should the worst happen, he wants Kahlil and I to rule as King and Queen." She paused and turned to him, eyes slightly narrowed.

Valery, referred to as 'chaos incarnate' by her husband, as a Queen.

"I don't expect it to happen at all, but the request means I have to familiarize myself a little more with the people and their problems. And... they're dealing with a lot of them."

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

"That's nice," Gatz joked, "I mean, it's not as nice as you living in your big house, with your many ships, many speeders, and many pets. But at least you give us lesser Jedi the basic necessities."

Humor aside, Gatz wouldn't know what to do with the sheer amount of stuff that Valery had. He'd come from a home the size of a shed. His bedroom had only been big enough for a bed and a small dresser. The Red Night alone was an insane luxury for someone who'd grown up as poor as he had. He didn't resent Valery for being as well off as she was—she used those privileges for good, and so she was deserving of them. He'd have been selfish with that kind of wealth.

Still, he found it funny that she'd list all the basic necessities the Jedi provided as if the Order was being generous, while she herself lived more comfortably than ninety-nine percent of the galaxy. But she was really only listing them so he knew they were there, and so that he wouldn't starve, let his ship fall into ruin, or go completely destitute. She was making sure he knew he was taken care of. Few people cared about him as much as Valery did, and fewer still were willing to put up with him.

So, just this once, Gatz decided not to rib her relentlessly.

Of course, that selfless decision went right out the window, as Gatz was informed that she was now next in line to rule an entire planet. Anyone else might have found that funny. Hell, even he found the idea of Valery as a Queen worth a snort. But Gatz knew all too well what Jedi were capable of when they abused their power and their position. That lesson had been written in blood, and he'd learned it when he was a mere nine years old.

"Ruling?" Gatz didn't sound amused. In fact, there was a touch of disapproval in his tone, though it was nervous, "you're the most powerful Jedi alive, and both the Battlemaster and basically the Grandmaster of the Order. You're the face of the Alliance. I know you'd only rule altruistically, and I know you'd never abuse the position for personal gain... but don't you think that might be too much power?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"Those things weren't paid for by the Jedi," Valery said with a roll of her eyes, "For much of his life, Kahlil wasn't a Jedi." A lot of Jedi these days became Jedi later in life too, so many had credits from old jobs or still had a source of income somewhere. As long as it didn't disrupt their ability to be a Jedi, Valery didn't care much about it. What she did care about, however, were the repercussions of potentially becoming a Queen.

It was a possibility with the Epicanthix because of Kahlil and now for Midvintir too. One a small planet with just one city, the other full of life and with much history. But whether her Kingdom was big or small, she knew better than to mix that kind of authority with other positions of power.

"Well, if I were to become a Queen, I would no longer be a Jedi," Valery said with a perked brow, "My stance for the NJO has always been very clear — we're not to become senators and we don't have military ranks. For the same reason that I'd never be Queen and Jedi at the same time. It's too much power and it just creates problems. Look at the Jedi who fought in the Clone Wars," Valery added with a shrug.

"Their downfall was inevitable long before Order 66."

The sound of the engines roared to life a moment later, and with clearance given by the Temple, Valery took them out and passed through Coruscant's busy atmosphere to get them ready for the Hyperspace jump.

"I also don't really want to be a Queen," she admitted. "I quite like what I do now and what my life has turned into."

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

Gatz let out an audible sigh of relief as Valery explained that, no, she wasn't keen on holding that much power. Idly, he wondered if he had some kind of complex or fear of those who wielded power. It made sense: he'd been at the mercy of people all his life. First, as a Youngling who had no ability to do anything about the Shadow that had killed his friend, then as a poor child at the mercy of a broken economic system, and finally as a lone man fending for himself amongst the criminal underworld.

He had always been small. He would never know greatness like Valery, never know power the way she did, and it frightened him to think that there was nothing he could to about others who held that same vast power. He was at their mercy. He always would be. His only recourse when faced with people like that was... to run and hide behind Valery's legs.

Metaphorically, of course. He was taller than her, and even crouched he didn't think he'd be able to effectively hide behind her.

"It's not that I don't trust you," Gatz clarified, "in fact, you're probably the only person that I'd trust to wear that many different hats. It's the precedent you'd be setting that worries me. Not everyone in our Order would wield that kind of power responsibly."

"I also don't really want to be a Queen," she admitted. "I quite like what I do now and what my life has turned into."

Gatz frowned and thought on that for a moment, trying to come up with the proper words to convey to her.

"Then don't be Queen," Gatz started, "look, anyone else would probably try to talk you out of this by saying something like 'you'll do more good for the galaxy as the Sword, than as Queen of a single world.' Or 'the Alliance needs you more than one planet does.' I'm not gonna feed you bullshit like that. You've more than done your part in protecting the galaxy, and you ought to do what feels right to you. If that means ruling, great, I'll start throwing propaganda together for you. But if that doesn't feel right, then don't. You can protect this planet from Carnifex without needing to rule it."

Gatz took the co-pilot's seat, but uncharacteristically did nothing involving the piloting of The Bastion.

"Also, you're not even from the planet in question. I can't imagine you'd have the support of the people—some foreigner showing up and being announced as the new Queen? There's not a monarchy in existence where that transition of power would go smoothly. You might just end up creating conflict, despite your best intentions."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery nodded along and offered an appreciative smile, "Thank you for your honesty, Gatz. Right now, I wouldn't want to give up on what I do to rule anything, and I did worry about the idea of ruling a planet of people who don't know who I am. Thurion doesn't seem conflicted or worried, but..." she shrugged her shoulders and turned her gaze forward, to the stars that passed by as they went through Hyperspace together.

"I don't want to let him down, and there's also the chance my husband feels more willing to give up on the Jedi one day. Unlike me, he wasn't born and raised Jedi." She turned to Gatz and smiled faintly, "Either way, there might be a day when I have to help Midvintir, whether that's as Queen or as Jedi, so I want to go there and try to learn more about the people. Help them with their current struggles."

Leaning back into her chair, Valery smirked.

"It's also a good opportunity for you. Did I already tell you about the rumors that Dragons have returned on Midvintir?" The adrenaline junkie in her sounded quite excited.

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

"I can't speak for the people of Midvintir, but as someone from an elective monarchy, I can tell you this:" Gatz continued, "if the Queen of Naboo died, and then it was announced that some strange woman from Alderaan—who knows nothing of our people, our culture, or our history—was going to rule in her stead, there would be riots in the streets. Maybe even an actual revolt, and those things don't end without blood being spilled. I know you don't want to let your friend down... but accepting his offer might do just that, Val."

Gatz couldn't believe he was arguing for protecting a monarchy and its traditional rite of succession. He hated monarchs. And nobility. He hated everything about a single soul holding all the power of a nation, organization, or people. He especially hated the idea of that person being able to nominate their own successor, instead of letting the people choose who held that power. It just kept common folk like him on a leash, and underneath a boot.

And now he had to speak in favor of letting the crown reign normally, and ward off the one person who might actually give that power back to the people from doing so. Anger welled up in his chest, and it took all his willpower to repress it.

"I'm sorry. I'll stop lecturing you," Gatz let out a tired sigh, "but... maybe you should talk to this friend about other ways you can help? I'm behind you, whatever you choose, but I really think the wisest course of action is to consider an alternative way to protect his people from Carnifex."

Gatz sagged back into his seat, then, all his energy suddenly drained. Valery was nearly twice his age. She was smarter and far wiser than he was. And really, she kept him in check, and stopped him from doing stupid, self-harming shit all the time. It was arrogant to think he could expand her perspective in any way, but when he thought about what would happen in the streets of Theed if this situation were to arise on Naboo...

Well, he had to say something. It was his moral obligation to raise those concerns.

"It's also a good opportunity for you. Did I already tell you about the rumors that Dragons have returned on Midvintir?"

Oh god dammit, Valery.

"You're going to be the death of me." Gatz bemoaned with a snort, "river rapids, dragons, and Sith Lords? Promise me we'll do something normal and safe one day. Like a picnic in the park."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"You don't have to apologize to me," Valery said with a chuckle, eyes briefly shifting to look at him. "I wouldn't be dragging you along and talking to you about this if I didn't want to hear your opinion." She shifted in her seat and looked out at the stars with a content smile. She wasn't quite sure how she'd handle this whole situation, but for now, she didn't need to make up her mind just yet. Because regardless of her answer to Thurion, she was going to help his people.

He had made it very clear just how much they needed it now, and how much they might need it in the days to come. Luckily, there were some exciting things to look forward to, as well!

Like Dragons.

"The river thing was supposed to be normal and safe," Valery said with a stupid little grin. "Besides, maybe these dragons are tiny and can't do anything? Like a big bird..." She said it but the sincerity never reached her eyes. In reality, she hoped they'd be huge, with razor-sharp teeth and able to breathe fire.

Vera would love it.

"There are some more troubling things than Dragons there too, though. But we'll see what we run into. My idea was to start at the capital city and go from there."

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

"I wouldn't be dragging you along and talking to you about this if I didn't want to hear your opinion."

"Yeah, but I probably shouldn't be mansplaining what a monarchy is to someone who deals with as many political messes as you do." Gatz sighed.

All this talk of politics was giving him a real headache. He was a street urchin for fuck's sake, why was he getting involved in the succession of a foreign world?

"Valery, you telekinetically lifted us over a bunch of sharp rocks during the river rafting. That is the farthest thing from 'normal and safe.' It was fun, and I'd happily do it again, but that definitely wasn't normal and safe."

River rapids he could do. But dragons? And even more troubling things? Why was it always something that was almost certainly going to kill or maim him? Gatz knew he shouldn't be complaining. A Jedi's life was sacrifice. But he really didn't think he was at the level of fighting dragons just yet, and he really didn't want to chance being roasted or eaten alive.

Something in his chest felt tight, and he was struck with a sudden dizziness.

Valery seemed only to be excited at the prospect of dragons. Gatz didn't want to ruin her excitement, but he couldn't share in it. He loved Valery more than anyone—she was the only family he had left, even if that feeling was one-sided. But being at her side meant confronting Valery Noble-sized problems, and he just wasn't Valery Noble-sized. One day, something they faced would finally succeed in killing him.

That scared him. And he was ashamed of it.

"I-I have a headache," Gatz gave a lame and rushed (but not untrue) excuse, "I'm gonna go dig around the medical bay for some painkillers."

He made a swift exit from the cockpit.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"Maybe not normal, but it was safe!" She smiled and dipped her head in agreement with herself. It was simply impossible that telekinetically lifting them over a rock would have gone wrong. But she could kind of understand why some people didn't trust in her that much, to the point they'd view it as normal. To her, though, there wasn't anything special about their little adventure on the river. Another day in the life of a Noble.

That said, she understood that Dragons were another thing entirely. Gatz was not nearly as excited about it as she was, and it showed in the way his face paled.

Was he that worried about it?

"Gatz?" Valery asked and held out a hand to stop him from walking away, "You know we're not actually going after Dragons, right?" She perked a brow and pulled back her arm, allowing him to make his exit if he wanted to. She had plans for what they'd do on Midvintir, but she wasn't going to throw him into that kind of trouble.

Not until he was ready for it in the future.

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

The ship was spinning, and he couldn't breathe. His head pounded something fierce, and his chest felt like someone had set a pile of bricks on top of it. Why wasn't there enough oxygen in the air? Was Valery recycling the air on the ship? Why would she do that? That was silly—no, wait, they were in space. Of course she was recycling the air.

He gulped for air greedily. Why couldn't he get enough? Why were his legs shaking? Why was he sweating? Why did he feel nauseous? Why was his heart about to beat out of his chest?

Valery stuck out a hand in front of him, probably so that he'd stay put. But he had to latch onto her arm to keep from falling over. He was so dizzy and disoriented. Why? What was wrong with him? Was it the gravity generator? Had to be. Why else would he be swaying like a drunkard? Except, no, Valery seemed to be keeping her balance just fine.

What. The fuck. Was wrong with him?

"You know we're not actually going after Dragons, right?"

He did know that. She'd even told him that they were just starting small, and getting to know the people of Midvintir. Maybe lending a helping hand. He knew he was safe, and he knew he was fine. Gatz tried to tell her that, but all the came out of his mouth was a wheeze.

This was a simple assignment, with none of the bombastic shit they usually partook in. No Sith Lords, no weird ass jungle predators, no mercenaries or bounty hunters, no Sithspawn, and no dragons. Certainly nothing to be afraid of. So why couldn't he breathe? And why couldn't he stand? And why did he feel like he was actually dying?

"Something wrong with me." Wait, was that his voice? Why did he sound like a ninety-year-old chain smoker? "Help. Please?"

But what even was help in this situation? Nothing about this made sense to him, and Gatz was pretty well read in medical emergencies these days. This wasn't cardiac arrest, or a stroke. He wasn't a smoker, so his lungs ought to be just fine. He wasn't physically exhausted, and it was physically impossible for him to be pregnant so...

This wasn't physical at all, was it? This was psychiatric.

Panic attack?

Motherfucker. Again with this shit?

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

The moment he asked for help, Valery was already moving.

She had felt the unsteady wobble when she had reached out to briefly stop him, and she wasn't going to let him walk off alone. Her first instinct was that he was ill or that something had sparked a very physical reaction. But a feeling in her chest made her realize that it was something else. Something much deeper than a purely physical response. As a result, Valery nudged him back down into his chair and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sit down and just breathe," Valery said, her body positioned a little further away to give him space. She wasn't sure what sparked the panic attack, but she wasn't going to make him feel like he had no place to go.

"Focus on your breaths, and tell me what you need." She kept her words purposefully short and direct, knowing that she needed to focus him, rather than overwhelm. She made no sudden moves either, nor did she freak out in the slightest. She remained calm and kept a steady hand on his shoulder unless she was asked to remove it.

She needed to know where this came from, so she could help him.

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

Knowing that he was having a panic attack didn't make having the panic attack any easier. Which was lame.

At some point, Valery gently guided him back into his chair—he didn't know when or how, so focused as he was on trying suck down even a wisp of air. The hand she had on his shoulder kept him grounded, and it felt like it was the only thing keeping him from just floating away into the afterlife. It was, quite literally, the only thing that felt real right now. And so he refused to let go of her arm, even though he knew she wasn't going anywhere.

Breathe she told him. He wanted to make a smartass remark about how he was trying, but he didn't have enough air in his lungs to make the snippy comment. It was better that way, though. The last thing he needed was to chase away the only person around to help him, and who actually wanted to help him.

"Focus on your breaths, and tell me what you need."

"I—I don't know."

A wheeze escaped him, and little by little, his lungs began to manage holding air again. The ship slowly stopped spinning, his heartbeat became less erratic. He was still shaking and sweating, and he was still lightheaded, but he didn't feel like he was dying anymore. He let his head fall into his free hand, panting as he reclaimed the oxygen that had been denied to him.

"I'm sorry," Gatz managed through huffs and puffs, "I'm just so afraid. Every time we do something, I nearly die. Every. Single. Time. I can't sleep at night because I'm always having nightmares of being shot on Denon, or torn apart on New Cov, or being melted by acid on Lao-mon, or bleeding out on my own ship with a knife in my stomach! I'm supposed to be a Jedi, but all I am is a coward playing pretend."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"It's alright," Valery said to reassure when it seemed like his breathing was returning to normal. As intense as it had been, nothing had happened that was going to linger. Nothing beyond the fears that sparked it, and she could address those without having to drag him to a hospital for a medical emergency. So, as much as this had frightened her, she felt relieved to know that he was going to be alright.

"It's okay to be afraid," Valery said, withdrawing so she could stand in front of him and look into his eyes, "I know our missions haven't exactly been normal, and that too many ended in disaster. But I picked this assignment because it's up to us to make our decisions here. We can't solve every problem this planet has with just the two of us. We can meet these people and help out where we feel able to."

Once ready, Valery extended a hand out towards him to pull him up to his feet, "I say we first go into town. Meet the people, look around and maybe get some rest if you're feeling drained. We'll just take it one step at a time, and it's going to be fine."

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

"It's alright,"

Those two words shouldn't have been as soothing as they were, but he was glad for them nonetheless. Some part of him, however small, had been afraid of being deemed worthless or of little use because of this... panic attack. It was in his nature to expect judgement or dismissal—or maybe Nar Shaddaa had simply taught him to expect those things. He hadn't thought that Valery would outright abandon him... but he had expected her to turn the ship around, and tell him they weren't continuing with the assignment.

Even as he trembled and shook in his seat, he felt relieved that she still wanted to go to Midvintir.

Valery pulled him to his feet, but he took the motion a step further and stole a hug from her. Weakness? Probably. More proof that he just wasn't the man she was expecting him to be. But what was the point of an (significantly) older sister if he couldn't ask for comfort every now and again? And right now, he felt like he needed it more than ever.

"I'm sorry," Gatz muttered quietly and lamely over her shoulder, "one of these days I'll be worthy of the title of 'Jedi.'"

But what kind of Jedi panicked at the thought of facing death and fear? That was half of the job description. Shame burned in him, and in this moment, he felt more like an imposter than ever before. But there was nothing he could do about that. How he felt and what had just happened to him didn't matter—not when they were on Midvintir for a reason.

Go into town. Meet the people. Look around. Gatz was pretty sure that even the two of them could manage that without summoning the grim reaper.

"Okay," Gatz let out a shaky breath, "I'm not... I'm not good. But I think I'm okay. Let's get going. I'll keep complaining about how unfair monarchies are while we explore the city."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

"You are worthy," Valery assured him while she returned the hug and patted his back. "You have a lot to learn, but so have I. We're always learning and confronting new fears." Valery pulled back to look him in the eyes and hoped to project some strength. It was important for him to go through with this mission to Midvintir. The past few missions had been hard, some perhaps even traumatic, but he'd never rise above any of those experiences if he gave up now.

That's why she wasn't going to abandon this mission over what happened. Besides, they had no time limit either. She could be here for a day and just spend time talking to people, or they could be out here for a week to handle some grand mystery. Whatever the case, she wanted him to build confidence as a Jedi.

A first step was to land and meet with the people.

"I think the fresh air might be good, too. It's a little cold there, though." Valery chuckled and turned to her controls to begin their landing. She had already informed planetary authorities of her arrival, so clearance was given quickly and they'd soon land within the city.

Years ago, she had been here with Kahlil and Thurion to help the King out already. This time, she was hoping to leave a more lasting mark.

"I was thinking we'd start at the market? That seems like a fairly central place for people to get together."

Gatz Derrevar ​

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Valery Noble

Fear.

Gatz supposed that was the human experience. Or the sapient experience, really. There had been many times when he'd thought he'd finally be free of it: when he ran from the Jedi, when he ran from Naboo, when he ran from Nar Shaddaa... the list went on. But everytime he thought he'd escaped one terror, he ended up running headfirst into another.

He was tired. He didn't want to be afraid anymore. He just wanted all of it to be over, whatever that meant. But when had Gatz ever gotten what he wanted?

Well, actually, the hug was nice. And it did make him feel a little less afraid, because Valery was here and that meant that things would eventually be alright. Sure, it was their missions together that usually traumatized him... but if he'd been on them with anyone else, then he wouldn't have survived them at all.

Maybe that was a weird way to cope with his frequent near-death trauma, but as long as he was with Valery, he would at least live.

"I think the fresh air might be good, too. It's a little cold there, though."

"Well, at least I'll have an excuse to wear one of the jackets you bought me." Gatz tried to sound upbeat, but failed. He needed more time to distance himself from that panic attack before he could plaster a smile on his face.

"The market sounds like a good enough place to start to me," Gatz agreed easily, "maybe we should check-in with local law enforcement too? I'm sure they're overburdened and underfunded. Maybe we can lend a hand."

Him. Volunteering to assist the police. Freely, and of his own volition.

Maybe he'd changed after all.