Private Knowledge Passed Down

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble


Reina stood outside the door to Valery's office, the redhead frozen in the spot. She needed to talk to someone about how she was. What she needed. But...She couldn't talk to Everest. No. She was part of the problem unfortunately. It hurt Reina so much to feel this way but she couldn't help it. There wasn't anyone else Reina could talk to about her failures. Yet she couldn't bring herself to knock on the door fully. Not yet. She had to calm herself down. Breathe. Things were going to be fine. She didn't have to worry as much as she was. Valery hadn't given a single reason for Reina not to be able to trust her. There was just that irrational fear that she'd be pushed away. She had no reason to believe it, but the cracks were finally starting to form.

There was a growing desire inside of Reina. One that she didn't want. A desire for revenge. To prove herself. Reina knew it would get herself killed if she didn't learn how to deal with it. If she didn't learn how to protect herself and get more experience. To learn. She had to talk to someone about this. Reina couldn't keep it in, but at the same time, she couldn't tell Everest. Not after how she reacted in the Medbay. When Reina told her what had happened between her and Serina. Reina was worried about the anger that Everest had. It wasn't anger that she wanted her best friend to have...so instead, she decided it would be best to discuss it with Valery as Reina raised her hand gave the door a gentle knock finally. It was time to try and face it as much as she could.
​

 

[Valery Noble]

The knock was soft and hesitant, almost too quiet to notice.

But Valery noticed.

She looked up from the datapad she'd been reviewing, the faint hum of the screen still lingering in her ears as she set it aside. There was something about the knock that wasn't just polite courtesy. It carried a weight, like whoever stood on the other side was wrestling with more than just nerves.

Valery rose from her chair, smoothing a hand over her tunic as she approached the door. When it slid open with a gentle hiss, she was already looking down slightly, and found Reina standing there, tension written in her shoulders, worry in her eyes.

"Reina," Valery said, her voice soft but grounded. Not surprised. Not alarmed. Just present. "Come in." She stepped aside and gestured for her to enter, the office behind her lit with the warm, muted glow of late afternoon. It smelled faintly of herbal tea and old books, a comforting contrast to the turbulence Valery could feel just beneath Reina's surface.

Once the door closed behind them, Valery returned to her desk but didn't sit. Instead, she leaned gently against the edge, arms crossed in a relaxed way. Open, not closed off. Her expression was calm, steady, and full of the quiet patience Reina likely hadn't realized how much she needed.

"You don't have to explain anything right away," Valery said after a moment, her tone light, but sincere. "Take a breath. You're safe here."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen."

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble


This wasn't the first time Reina had a conversation like this with Valery. Showing up at her door, knocking away. She made her way into Valery's office carefully, giving the grandmaster as Reina sat herself down. She was grateful for the patience. Reina still needed to figure out how to put her thoughts into words as she linked her hands together, staring down at the floor.

"I want...to get stronger...but not for a good reason."

Revenge. Revenge wasn't something that someone should want to follow. Reina knew that. But it was something she wished for. To be able to take Serina down a peg. To teach her a lesson that no-one else could. But Reina knew she wasn't strong enough to do. And she...knew she shouldn't be the one to do it herself.

"I want...to get revenge on someone. Her name is Serina Calis...She...She's been...manipulating me for a while. Acting as if she knows me better than I do...and I feel like she does...I had wanted to save her...but in the last fight I had with her...She...told me the truth for once. She...never cared about me. She doesn't care who I am...She wants to break me down and remake me...into how she thinks I should be...And I want to destroy her."

There was plenty of anger that Reina was trying to hold back, as she gripped her hands tighter. Her eyes still not lifting up from the floor. But it wasn't her anger that scared her the most. No.

"...But...I'm scared. Of wanting revenge. Of...how my anger can influence others...Everest came to visit me in the Medbay last time...and the anger she had when I told her what happened...It scared me...and I'm scared...of how self destructive I am. I cut off my own prosthesis when Serina went to rip it off...and I destroyed my eardrums...because she just wouldn't shut up..."

At least by now, the eardrums had healed. The physical injuries had healed. But the scars still were there. Physically and emotionally as Reina rubbed her arm against her face, trying not to focus on the various small scars that marked her face. More scars because of her aggression.
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery didn't speak right away. She let the silence stretch, not awkwardly, but carefully. Her eyes never left Reina, though she didn't push for eye contact. She didn't need to. The weight of the words spoken was already enough. Every syllable of it, every pause, had meaning.

And pain.

After a moment, Valery pushed off the desk and stepped across the room to sit in the chair beside Reina rather than across from her. Closer. Not as a Master towering over a student, but as someone who had seen these kinds of wounds before. Who still carried some of her own.

"I'm really glad you came to me with this," she said gently, her voice low and even.

She folded her hands in her lap.

"What you're feeling… it isn't something to be ashamed of. Wanting revenge, being angry, even wanting to hurt someone who hurt you. Those are human things, Reina. Real things. You've been through something painful and deeply personal. Of course part of you wants to fight back in the only way that makes sense."

Her gaze softened, steady.

"But that doesn't mean you have to let that part be the one that leads you."

Valery let a breath go quietly.

"When I was younger, I lost people. People I loved. And I wanted revenge too. I wanted to make the ones responsible feel what I felt. I thought it was justice at the time." She looked down, then back to Reina.

"But it wasn't. It was anger in disguise. And if I hadn't had someone who pulled me back, who reminded me of who I really was… I don't know where I would've ended up."

A pause.

"You're scared of your anger influencing others. That's good. It means you're still thinking about how your choices affect the people around you. That tells me you haven't lost yourself."

She offered the faintest smile.

"And Everest was angry because she cares. People who love us get angry when we're hurt. That doesn't make your pain dangerous — it means it matters."

Valery reached out, offering her hand.

"I'll help you get stronger. But not to destroy someone. Not to feed that pain. I'll help you grow so you can stand up again. So you can build something from all this hurt. Something that belongs to you. Not to your fear."

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

For now, Reina stayed silent. Picking away at her thumb to keep herself occupied as she listened to Valery's words. It was at least...somewhat relieving to hear that Valery had been through a somewhat similar experience to Reina. Of course, it was somewhat different. Reina knew that if it had been someone she had loved who had gotten hurt in the way she had...There would have been no stopping her from seeking that revenge. That righteous justice that she'd have believed in. It was only because it was her own pain that Reina believed it was wrong for her to want revenge. She wasn't valuable enough to seek vengeance in her eyes.

"I just...I don't want...to see Everest go through that anger...It reminded me of how I used to be before I joined the Jedi...I was so...angry. Spiteful. Uncaring...I know Everest won't reach that point...but I'm afraid of her wanting to hurt Serina. I...care too much about her."

Reina saw Everest as one of the constant lights in her life. So to see that Light turn somewhat darker wasn't what Reina wanted whatsoever. It meant she had to learn how to protect herself. Which meant at the offer from Valery to help teach Reina how to get stronger, Reina was quite eager to agree to it, reaching out to take Valery's hand.

"...I need to get stronger. Not for myself. But to protect others from the pain...from seeing me hurt. I can deal with myself...being hurt. I can't...deal with other people being hurt. Not anymore."

It was funny in a way. Reina never used to care about others. Her focus had always be on herself, to be a stronger person so that she'd be better than others. Yet she found herself preferring to work with others at this point. Sure, there were still...some people she didn't care about. But hey. Coruscant hadn't been built in a day.
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery's fingers closed gently around Reina's hand, her grip firm but warm. There was no judgment in her expression, only pride. Not the kind that beamed or praised loudly, but the kind that settled quietly in the heart when someone you care about chooses the harder path. She gave Reina's hand a small squeeze before letting it rest again in her lap.

"That's exactly why we train," she said softly. "To protect. Not just ourselves, but the people we care about. So when something threatens them, we can stand in the way. We can be the shield, not the blade." Her eyes lingered on Reina's, searching not for pain now, but for clarity. For the spark that lived underneath all that hurt. It was there. Dim, but steady.

"You're not wrong to feel what you feel. You're not wrong to want to get stronger for the people in your life. That is one of the best reasons to grow. Because it means you're not being led by fear. You're choosing to be there for someone else. That's strength."

She leaned back slightly, still close, still grounded in that quiet support.

"So let's figure out how we do that. Together."

Her tone shifted slightly, not forceful but encouraging.

"Where do you feel like you're struggling the most? Is it in a particular area of combat? In trusting the Force? In keeping control when things get overwhelming?"

A small smile formed again.

"This isn't just about fighting harder. It's about building the kind of foundation that doesn't shake every time something hurts. I want to help you find that, step by step."

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

She winced gently at Valery's hand closing around her own. It was gentle. It was warm. But it still put up Reina's guard. There were few in her life now, thanks to Serina, that Reina was able to relax around when it came to the physical. It was something she didn't want to go through but dreaded she'd carry it for the rest of her life.

"...Is it not fear? The fear of our loved ones getting hurt? That's what's pushing me forward. The fear...that they'll get hurt. It might be love. I'm not sure...I just know I can't...let myself give into that fear..."

Yet as Valery asked that question, Reina frowned to herself, looking off to the side as she let the cogs in her brain whir and click. Trying to figure out how exactly to answer said question. Reina knew she had plenty of weaknesses. Far too many to name if she was being honest...

"I...I don't know. I'm like...a hatchling when I went against Serina. The first time...She had used some kind of Power to turn the Force in my veins into some kind of affliction. Then made me experience my worst nightmares...I only survived that experience because she let me go. She let me walk away...and I had failed in that moment. Because I walked away. I let Serina kill the part of herself that let me go..."

That was who Reina mourned for. The Serina that had spared her. Not the monster that existed now. The one she wanted to destroy. To crush. She knew she had to push those emotions back however.

"The second time...It was worse. She was far more cruel. I couldn't get past her armour. The Force didn't work. My Lightsaber didn't work. The only thing that did work...was me launching what remained me of old prosthesis into her chest. And even then, it didn't even draw blood...I only survived because Aadhir came to save me. I shouldn't be alive. I'm only here because of luck...and pity."

She sighed to herself at that, turning her attention back towards the floor. In Reina's eyes, she was basically already someone who was dead. Her life should have ended more times than she could count, and the only reason she was alive wasn't because of her own strength. No. It was because of pure and simple luck in her eyes.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery stayed quiet through all of it. She didn't interrupt and didn't rush to correct. She simply listened because Reina needed space to let it out, and she deserved someone who would hear every word. When Reina finally looked down again, Valery's voice came soft but steady.

"It doesn't have to be fear," she said gently. "It can be love. It can be hope. It can be a promise you make to yourself. That the people you care about won't have to face what you did. That they won't suffer if you can help it." She let the silence breathe between them, just for a moment.

"And maybe that promise is what carries you forward, not the fear of what could happen."

Her gaze softened again. "You've survived. Twice. Not because of pity, and not just because of luck. You fought, even when it hurt. Even when you thought you couldn't. That matters more than you know." Valery leaned in slightly, keeping her tone warm and sure. "What happened to you… what she did… that shouldn't happen to anyone. But it showed something important."

She nodded once, slowly.

"That we need to make sure it never happens again."

Her hand rested lightly on her knee now, as she continued.

"Let me help you train to protect yourself. Not just in a fight. But your mind, your body, and the Force that flows through you. All of it can be shielded. You don't need to live in fear of someone breaking in, turning your power against you, or stealing your strength."

Valery's expression was calm. Assured.

"You're not weak, Reina. You're not broken. But we can make you stronger."

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

It didn't have to be fear...That made sense at least if Reina tried to think about it. To focus on the more positive side of things instead of letting the fear and negativity to go through it all. Yet Reina couldn't find herself agreeing with Valery's statement that she wasn't alive because of luck and pity. Reina wasn't strong enough to protect herself. She had to be protected herself.

"I'd...appreciate being taught at how to defend myself. To make sure that Serina can't get access to me anymore. It's enough with her trying to use her powers to sneak into the cracks I have."

The cracks that Reina was trying to fix. Valery may have said that Reina wasn't broken, but she felt like she carried the marks of all of the injuries. Injuries that had softened up Reina's heart and made it easy for people to sneak in. She took in a deep breath, trying to stay calm through it all. She'd be fine. She had to believe that instead of focusing on the negativity.​

 

[Valery Noble]

"Then that's what I'll teach you," Valery said with a warm smile, hoping it would help lift some of the uneasy tension still inside of Reina. As troubling as it all was, she needed Reina to step into this with hope and determination. Only through perseverance, hard work, and believing in herself, she'd be able to make it through what Valery has in store for her.

"As you might know, I was once a Shadow," Valery continued, "Most of our missions were deep behind enemy lines, where we could only ever count on ourselves for survival. So, long before I was ever assigned a mission, I was taught every possible way of hiding my presence, but also shielding my mind and body in case I were to run into trouble."

Sith Lords aside, even their artifacts can control people at times.

"I'd like to cover some of those skills with you. Then all that remains is the combative skills you need to defend yourself and others. But... something tells me that's not an issue for you." Reina was a solid combatant — Valery had seen it when the two of them had fought together.

Now it was time to make sure she wouldn't lose control of herself in a fight ever again.

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

"I know...a bit about hiding my presence. Not fully through the Force...but I can use the wind to hide my scent somewhat. It's...something I've been working on myself, since Drystan taught me some techniques."

It was something that Reina wouldn't be able to use fully when trying to conceal her presence though the Force however. At least that's what Reina believed. If she was constantly using the Force to manipulate the air, then someone would be able to sense her presence. But that was fine. Having different abilities for different situations was something important.

Reina could also technically protect her body. And even if she couldn't, Reina was good at dealing with physical pain. It was her mind that she needed to work on protecting. At the very least, she was able to put her mind fully to this. It was what she was good at. She struggled to read off a datapad, or to learn from a lecture, but if it was something she could actively do? Reina was almost like a natural student for it.

"You're...right about the combative skills as well. I'm working. On trying to find other weapons to fight with. Other ways to fight. I want to try and learn Vaapad eventually...but for now, I'm working on Ataru and Djem So."​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery nodded, "Hiding your presence helps if you want to avoid conflict or catch someone by surprise. It's not quite the same as shielding yourself, though." She then shifted away a little, offering Reina a bit more space as the conversation shifted away from emotion to more practical things.

She had a feeling Reina would want to start her training sooner, rather than later.

"Learning Lightsaber Forms is always going to help you, but I want to prioritize turning your mind and body into an impenetrable fortress first. When you're sure that you'll always be in control of yourself, you'll be able to have your full focus on the skills you've learned. The lightsaber forms, the Force abilities, and any other combative styles or methods."

It all starts with control.

After a short pause, Valery smiled, "When would you like to get started with it?"

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

"Oh. I mentioned it, since you also brought up hiding your presence."

Reina nodded however at the idea of making herself into some kind of fortress. It went with Reina's entire idea of being some kind of shield. If she couldn't protect herself, who could she protect at the end of the day? It would make the most sense in her eyes as she gave a short nod, brushing herself down to try and make sure that she was at least going to be somewhat clean. If she was going to be learning anything, Reina wanted to at least look somewhat respectable.

"Well...I'm ready to start whenever. Master Issar doesn't have any plans for me I think, and Master Colette has been busy. So I don't have any specific training scheduled."

She still did her own little thing of learning what she could herself, but with having two Masters teaching her, Reina had found herself finally starting to have something of a schedule. Instead of just doing something whenever she was in the mood for it.​

 

[Valery Noble]

"Perfect," Valery said with a grin as she rose from her seat. "Why don't we have our first lesson already?" This was important to Reina, and she seemed eager to learn, so why wait and postpone until another day? Valery had the time and energy, and with a student who showed that she wanted to learn, this would be a lot of fun.

"We'll-"

She paused mid-sentence at the sound of baby Yvaine cooing. Turning to her crib, Valery chuckled and walked over, her steps soft not to startle the youngest Noble. With a gentle touch, she lifted Yvaine up into her arms, then rotated her body away to face Reina again. "If you don't mind, I'll bring Yvaine with me, so I can watch her." She wouldn't get in the way, and leaving a baby alone in this room wasn't something she could do.

As Valery walked over, Yvaine spotted Reina and made another squeal, before lifting her little arms. Chubby hands stretched out, fingers grabbing at the redhead.

"I think she'd like to be your training partner, huh?" Valery said with a motherly chuckle.

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

Reina couldn't help but jump up to her feet, clapping her hands together as her energy was starting to build. She was eager and ready to learn more than ever. Getting to do something practical was far more enjoyable to Reina than it was to have to read through some kind of Datapad. Yet her excitement halted for a moment at the sound of Yvaine's cooing...

And then Reina let out the softest little squeal. As much as she struggled with people and to be kind to strangers, she didn't seem to have any hesitation or struggle with dealing with children. If anything, they brought out the more innocent part of Reina as she hurried over towards Valery's side, as Reina waggled her fingers in Yvaine's direction, letting the toddler grab at them before gently pulling them away.

"Well. I couldn't ask for a better training partner if I'm being honest. She's so adorable. I better make sure she doesn't show me up."

And there was no way Reina was going to have Yvaine be left here alone. Sure, it wouldn't be for long, but Reina never wanted to cause any child to be left alone for any period of time.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery watched the interaction with a warm smile, her arms gently shifting to keep Yvaine secure while the little one reached out toward Reina's fingers. The energy Reina carried now was different from when she first arrived. Brighter, and full of the spark Valery had hoped to see.

She gave a small nod of approval and chuckled quietly at the playful comment. "She might surprise you. She already has most of us wrapped around her little fingers."

Yvaine gave another soft squeal at the attention, clearly enjoying the moment, and Valery turned slightly to glance at Reina.

"Would you like to bring her along?" she asked. "You can hold her while we walk to the training room. She's used to people, and I think she already likes you."

Valery offered Yvaine forward a little, just enough to let Reina decide. Her smile never faded. This was the kind of connection she wanted for Reina. Not just to the Force, but to the people around her.

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

"Well I refuse to be wrapped around anyone's finger! No matter how adorable they might be!"

With that being said, Reina almost immediately held her arms out to take Yvaine. There was no way Reina wasn't going to take the little one. Each time she had came to see Valery, Yvaine had always managed to bring out the more...innocent side of Reina. The side she never got to embrace because of how she was raised.

The redhead kept a gentle but firm grip on Yvaine, making sure that there was no chance the little one would be able to wriggle out or fall by accident. Even the little attempts of Yvaine trying to grab Reina's hair didn't seem to bother her as she prepared to follow Valery out to get ready for training. Nothing was going to bring Reina's down today now, it seemed. The main reason she still even wanted to be a Jedi was to focus on the future, to protect it from threats. To protect the future like Yvaine from getting hurt.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Valery laughed softly at Reina's initial protest, clearly not buying it for a second. The smile on her face only grew warmer as she watched the redhead take Yvaine with such natural care.

"I think she's winning you over already," Valery said with amusement in her voice, watching how easily Yvaine settled into Reina's arms. The baby gave a happy little kick and cooed, still making playful grabs for the bright strands of Reina's hair. "You never stood a chance~"

She stepped ahead toward the corridor, her pace unhurried so that Reina could walk comfortably with the little one in her arms. The Temple was quiet in this part of the day, with most students busy in other parts of the building.

"You're handling her well," Valery noted with a sideways glance. "Not everyone is so calm with a baby in their arms. She can be squirmy when she wants to be, but I think she knows she's in good hands." As they passed under an archway into the next hallway, Valery turned her eyes forward again, her voice still light.

"Training room is just ahead. Nothing too intense for today. We will take it at your pace." She glanced back with a small, encouraging smile. "Though you do have an audience now, so no pressure."

Reina Daival ​

 

[Reina Daival]

Location: Tython
Tags: Valery Noble

"Nope! I'm just pretending to let her think I'm wrapped around her finger...

Reina lied. Straight through her teeth as she gave an awkward smile at that. There was just always something about Yvaine that brought out the more caring side of Reina as she bounced the little one up and down as they walked towards the training room. Reina, the redheaded firecracker that always struggled to be kind to people and always wanted to answer with violence first...was just being as gentle as she could with Yvaine.

"I don't know why I'm so good with kids...I thought they'd be afraid of me. I mean, my face is all scarred up. I have a mechanical leg...but it's like they don't care about that. They aren't as judgemental as...older people are."

A small sigh escaped Reina's lips at that. It was strange in a way. How in the past she never cared what others thought, yet now she was sensitive to it all. Sensitive about how she looked. How she appeared to people.

None of that was important however as they made their way into the training room, and Reina prepared to hand Yvaine off back towards Valery, giving the grandmaster a small smile.

"I find I seem to do...better when someone's watching. I practice by myself too much anyway."​