Private Maiden Voyage

[Valery Noble]

Fondor Shipyards

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

"I wish we didn't need to raise strong armies and develop new ships to fight in wars, but... quite a beauty, huh?" Valery shot her husband a grin, as their shuttle made its way up to the shipyards, where an entirely new Alliance Naval Vessel was waiting to receive them for its Maiden Voyage. It belonged to Admiral Zahara Myneto , who had agreed to meet with the two Jedi Masters so they could discuss the current state of the Alliance military, as well as potential new threats in the Galaxy. Valery was quite interested in hearing his views on the matter, and to gauge how ready the Alliance was for conflict.

The Sith Order, after all, was becoming a significant threat out there.

"So, I don't know much about the man we're meeting, but let's hope this goes alright. I don't know how he feels about Jedi, or the Sith or... anything." She smiled sheepishly and looked at Kahlil for a moment. This was important to both of them — they had allowed the Alliance and Jedi to rest after the war with the Maw, but now it was time to respond to a new threat before it was too late.

Before a new generation of Jedi had to grow up in a time of war all over again.

They just both knew they couldn't do it alone. The Jedi had no military authority, so all they could do was offer advice and work together with the GADF to protect the Alliance. Luckily, she liked to think that their efforts against the Maw had earned some respect. Hopefully, it would count for something today as well.

<Alliance Naval Vessel, Masters Noble here,> Valery commed to the ship. <Requesting permission to come aboard.>

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I suppose."

Ships weren't beautiful. Not like this, anyway. War ships, whose only purpose was violence, there was nothing of beauty to be seen. He let out a sigh as he pulled his gaze away to close his eyes and wait.

They needed to speak with this Admiral, all things considered. But the reality of war was a bitter pill to swallow.

"You think he'll be nicer than that captain?"

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto

 

[Zahara Myneto]

"She's as ready as she'll ever be" The voice of the Chief Engineer was gruff, more reminiscent of a spacer than a polished naval officer. From what he'd been told, the man was a holdover from days long since forgotten. An older gentlemen of Courscanti heritage, his position on this ship was due to a close relationship with Tristan Evore, the former Zweihander Grand Admiral whom had been contracted to build the ship - and its many sister vessels - that he currently commanded. Personal relationships aside, Zahara had to admire the man's work ethic, his intelligence and his folksy demeanor. He was a nice addition to the crew.

The Admiral spoke a few words of acknowledgement, intermixed with some light praise for the work of the engineering team and ended the comm link. Glancing around the bridge, he saw a staff hard at work, finalizing some last minute work on a command deck that seemed to be a mix of the Venator Class Command Tower and MC80 "Home One" C&C. A slightly homey feel but mixed subtly with the reality of war. A glance upward at him by his executive officer - another holdover, this one from Anaxes - signaled she had something important to inform him of. Without delay she stated, "Our guests have arrived and I have taken the liberty of directing their shuttle to the main docking bay"

Ah, yes. The Jedi Masters, the Nobles. The Sword of the Jedi and her husband, the Shield of the Jedi. Coming to my ship? Out of the ordinary yes, but they had been interested in discussing strategy and who was he to refer them to the desk jockey's back on Courscant? Sure, High Admiral Gascon and his contemporaries were excellent strategists but they hadn't been in the field for years. They wouldn't be able to give a first-hand impression to the Jedi Masters' either on the actual state of the GADF or the forces arrayed against them. With a curt nod to the second officer, a young Mon Calamari male, and a gesture to the his Number One, the Admiral was on his way to the main docking bay, first officer in tow.

He wasn't entirely sure what to expect. There were tales of epic missions carried out by both Noble's and while Jedi weren't soldiers, he found both of them to be excellent warriors, perhaps even excellent tacticians deep down. He didn't pretend to understand the dogma of the Jedi but he was quite fond of them, especially as opposed to their wayward adversary.

"My name is Admiral Myneto and this is my executive officer, Commander Genevieve" He greeted as they exited the shuttle. "Welcome aboard the Defiance"

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Fondor Shipyards

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

She could tell that he really wasn't fond of where the Galaxy was going — even a small joke about the ship, and there was just a bit of tension in his voice. So Valery did what they always did in these situations, and reached across the console to briefly squeeze his hand. Having to meed with an admiral to discuss the potential of war wasn't an exciting thing, but she at least felt relieved that they were being received already.

They had an actual chance to respond to the threat before it was far too late.

"I do think he'll be nicer than her. She was a bit-" she stopped and looked at her instruments when the AVS Defiance sent them permission to come aboard. She smiled a little, set the thrusters to indicated levels, and brought the shuttle slowly and safely inside the large Hangar. Once they settled down, she powered down the engines, lowered the ramp, and waited for her husband to join her, before making her way outside.

"Greetings, and it's a pleasure to meet you both," Valery said with a respectful bow of her head, "I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble. Thank you for receiving us today." She paused and gave Kahlil a chance to introduce himself as well, before they'd more than likely be guided elsewhere. A place to discuss what was on their minds.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

<Hopefully.>

Kahlil glanced her way with a slight smirk, knowing exactly what she was intending to say prior. He agreed, to say the least. Not that he would actually say anything. Instead he followed her lead once they were onboard, his gaze drifting around the various soldiers, techs, civilians, all of them who made this ship run. He only stopped looking around when the Admiral himself appeared, which brought a calm smile to his face.

"Master Kahlil Noble. Pleasure."

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto

 

[Zahara Myneto]

It wasn't too longer after greetings had been exchanged when Commander Genevieve requested permission to be excused to oversee the separation protocols on the bridge. As he was otherwise preoccupied with the ships guests, Zahara relented and she bowed her head ever so slightly towards the Jedi Masters one after the other.

"If you will follow me" He stated to the Jedi, motioning to the hangar bay's exit and walking them through the labyrinthine ship to the meeting room which they would be using. Along the way to the conference room, the Admiral made some comments about the ship he had the pleasure of showing them around. "War is never beautiful, but this ship was designed to confront and defeat threats before they could attack us. Extensive communications and sensor suites, specialized ion cannons with a traceable payload, even a Hyperspace Tracker"

He grimaced inward as he finished. For all intents and purposes, the systems the Defiance was equipped with were common place on Imperial Warships, and he supposed the Senate's eagerness to approve the Zero Corporation's design in full - without any of the alterations proposed by the Corps of Engineers - was simply a sign of the times. He seemed to sigh at the thought. Overt militarization, almost as equally dangerous as demilitarization.

It wasn't took long before he and the Noble reached the conference room, complete with a holographic projector, included if only to showcase the current deployments of the fleet, gaps in defenses, and all of the other information he expected them to have questions regarding.

​

"Please, take a seat"

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

ANV Defiance

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

Valery caught his smirk, and offered her husband a quick wink before she turned back to the Admiral, who excused the Commander so she could oversee their departure. Valery dipped her head one last time to the woman, but then followed after the Admiral, her eyes scanning the interior of the ship along the way. But it wasn't necessarily what she saw that piqued her interest the most — it's what she felt from Zahara.

Most officers would be extremely proud of a ship like this, but it didn't really seem to be the case as much with the Admiral. Either he had just seen it all, or he was as tired of war as many other people in the Alliance. A fact that made a meeting like this so much harder because none of them wanted war, but all of them knew it was likely unavoidable. The Sith would never back down, and leaving them be meant sitting by while countless worlds fall victim to them.

The Aing-Tii were just the beginning.

Once inside the meeting room, Valery sat down beside her husband and briefly looked around, before she turned her gaze back to the man. "We wanted to talk on behalf of the New Jedi Order about the current situation with the Sith Order. We've both encountered them already, and he has been seeing... visions." She looked at Kahlil, who had seen quite a lot more about his father ever since the Wellspring.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"They're activity is picking up, and they've been setting out to try and reactivate some facilities that were left inert from the One Sith days within the Core. It's very much a distraction from everything else they're trying to do, but it's important to handle them regardless. The Sith keep trying to worm their way into the Core, and this time they won't succeed." The visions themselves didn't matter, at least not to Kahlil. What mattered was what they meant.

Kahlil let out a brief sigh as he found a spot to sit, lounging briefly in it as his gaze shifted to the display. There was so much space to defend in the Alliance, and the news of internal threats wasn't likely to help with that.

At least they weren't all active yet.

"The Jedi and the Alliance fought well together against the Maw, but there has been tension as of late between the Order and the Senate. I'd like to avoid that tension with the Navy if possible."

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto

 

[Zahara Myneto]

The Admiral only frowned as details of the Noble's recent activities regarding the Sith were shared with him. He agreed with the Shield's assessment, it was no longer a matter of if the Sith were going to attack, but when. Without further intelligence on the matter, the GADF would have no choice but to act as if an attack were to come in a matter of months, if not weeks or days.

The Shield's mention of Sith activity in the Core spiked his interest, however. Old One Sith facilities left inert since the fall of the old Alliance had mostly been left untouched, to wither away slowly while the worlds they were located upon rebuilt. "The Church of the Dark Side also used old One Sith facilities to conduct meetings, launch gurellia attacks, bide their time" He stated matter of factly.

"If necessary, I can act as an intermediary between the Order and the SIA" Not an easy thing to accomplish, but necessary. If the Sith had taken control of the network utilized by the Church of the Dark Side, they had much bigger issues to worry about than service rivalries. "I don't like to presume, but I don't think all of this is a coincidence"

For most of the meeting, he himself had been standing at the opposite end of the holotable, but with a flick of the wrist he temporarily deactivated the map and quietly sat down. "The Navy has always had its issues with the Jedi, tracing back nearly a thousand years to the Clone Wars. I don't personally hold anything against the Jedi, but there are schools within our officer corps who hold steadfast to the stories of Jedi recklessness and inexperience"

"Those days are long gone. What is apparent is that now more than ever, we need to be working together to defeat the Sith and end these star wars, once and for all"

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

ANV Defiance

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

After listening to her husband, Valery turned to Zahara and dipped her head when he mentioned the SIA, "I used to work closely with the SIA, and know the Director quite well," she said, her eyes briefly shifting to Kahlil again. Like nobody else, he knew of her past as a Jedi Shadow, which at one point had meant that she was part of the SIA itself. It was only after the split of the Jedi and their positions within the Alliance, that she worked separately.

Something she wanted to keep that way.

"I also agree that none of what's happening can be considered a coincidence. Right now, they're not strong enough for all-out war, and they know it, but they are working on a structured plan to fight the Alliance." She sighed, frowned even, and turned her gaze back to Zahara. "The dynamic of the Clone Wars will never happen again. Jedi aren't going to be in command of the Navy or the Army, but we would like to offer our guidance and protection when desired. We have to work together."

Looking between the two, she seemed to have her fiery energy again, "Perhaps we should bring what we've encountered to the Senate. As Shield, I believe my husband should do that. But we'll need your support and coordinate with you to address immediate issues as well, Admiral."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil grumbled.

The SIA were the people who jettisoned Valery and Kahlil into space above Exegol and then ran. He had little love for a group of people like that, and he wasn't afraid of letting that be known. Worse still was the mention of him speaking to the Senate. There were a couple he liked, but politics.. He never liked them, not with his experience as a child anyway. But as the Shield he'd have to get over that.

What better time then now?

"I'll reach out, see who I can speak with. But yes, for now, we should handle what we're here for."

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto

 

[Zahara Myneto]

"No, I suppose they aren't" He managed to mutter as the Sword of the Jedi stated the Sith's lack of preparedness for a sustained offensive. Or defensive, for that matter if intelligence reports were to be trusted. Aside from the massive dreadnought they had employed over Exegol, there was no indication that the Sith were prepared for war. But the presence of the dreadnought confirmed they were at the very least preparing for something. The Admiral took comfort in the Jedi's next words, confirming to him that both the military establishment and Jedi Order had regrets when it came to working together all those centuries ago. Mistakes haunted both sides perhaps.

The Admiral was quick to notice how the Shield of the Jedi reacted when he mentioned the SIA. Discontent. Perfectly natural considering the shadowy intelligence agency regularly employed methods that he himself had objected to at many meetings. Truth be told, he would much prefer if the Senate established a new naval intelligence arm rather than consolidate and monopolize the sector. Alas, such aspirations had no basis in political reality and he chosen to play the cards he was dealt.

"I am more than happy to assist. I know firsthand how...difficult it can be with dealing with politicians" There were a number of politicians Zahara admired, though most of them were no longer in the Senate. "But back to the matter at hand" He wavered his hand over the holotable, reactivating the interactive display.

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

ANV Defiance

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

Valery didn't need to tap into their Dyad to know he heavily disliked the SIA. There was a time when it was different for Valery — back when she still worked for them as a Jedi Shadow — but after Exegol and other shady practices she had picked up on, she lost much of the trust she once had for the agency. A shame, really, because a united Alliance with all of its assets working together would make for the strongest defense against exterior threats.

The Sith would happily exploit a lack of trust. So no matter what, some bonds had to remain strong, and that's why they were here today.

"Alright, I think the most pressing matter is their activity around the Stygian Caldera - the location of several ancient Sith worlds. We've received reports of people trying to get away, but many don't make it out of the area." She frowned and looked between the two.

"It's never wise to make too many assumptions, but the intel we have suggests a fairly obvious problem there."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"The Sith obsess over their homeworlds and seats of power. It's through those they can emphasize and flex their power over those who serve them. And ensure those who might not want to have to. There is no rallying cry louder for them than the reclamation of Dromund Kaas and Korriban, among other worlds. If they truly are making a move, it means they're preparing for conquest."

And with the Imperial Remnants, Mandalorians, and Maw Remnants still around, there was no space for guess work.

"So, yes, we need to scout this out before it ends up on our doorstep. The people cannot suffer another Sith occupation of Coruscant."

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto

 

[Zahara Myneto]

The Admiral's neutral expression quickly turned into a frown as the two Jedi refocused their attention to the Stygeon Caldera. Korriban, Ziost, Dromound Kaas - these were worlds that had at one point played host to massive military formations, broken only through the combined might of the Alliance and New Imperial Order, along with other valuable allies. For a time, one of the ancient Sith worlds found themselves under the jurisdiction of Cedric Grayson's Kaiserreich, ruled by the Church of Ashla in the Kaiser's prolonged absence.

He absorbed what the two Jedi masters were saying quietly, training his gaze on the holographic map arrayed before him. "A scouting mission" he echoed the Shield of the Jedi.

"Yes" his voice came into focus as his gaze fell upon the holographic form of Kuat. Tiny blue dots and triangles represented the elemtns of the Third Sector Fleet which guarded the shipyard world. "When it comes to matters of intelligence and covert operations, the GADF is not entirely lacking" He began to explain. "Under normal circumstances, the SIA would deploy operatives to the caldera to gauge the threat posed by the Sith but..."

He didn't finish the thought. The Jedi evidently did not trust the SIA, and therefore had come to him for a reason. "I can arrange for the deployment of a covert operations team to scout the caldera, specifically Droumond Kaas and Korriban"

"I assume you will both want to join them?" He asked before coming to another realization. "Or perhaps, assemble the team yourselves?"

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

ANV Defiance

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

Valery looked between Kahlil and Zahara and dipped her head in agreement with them both. Throughout history, the Sith have proven that they valued their ancient worlds, and many times they returned in great force after hiding on them. It meant that the Alliance and Jedi couldn't wait, but moving without understanding what was really out there could put them at a disadvantage as well. They needed intel, and the SIA wasn't a reliable option anymore.

It hadn't been in quite some time.

"If we can have a scouting force around the Sith Caldera, and my husband and I are able to be on board those ships when we suspect something, then I believe we can get the answers we need. We've already tasked some Jedi to look into various strange sightings, so it's just a matter of time and dedication."

She turned to Kahlil now and smiled faintly. "We should definitely be out there to find them."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Then out there we'll be."

Kahlil nodded his agreement with Valery. Though, he did pause in thought. Build their own team? They could, perhaps, but he shook his head and gave the Admiral a smile.

"If there's a team to be made, I imagine it'd be better for us to build it together. We're allies in all of this, after all, right?"

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto

 

[Zahara Myneto]

"Very well" The Admiral expanded the holographic sigil of Kuat, "The Vanguard is currently undergoing a retrofit at the KDY Dockyards"

The Admiral paused as he brought up the schematics for the small warship. The Nox-class was an older type acquired during the early days of the Alliance from a relatively lucrative contract with Jaegar Solutions. Ironically enough, there were multiple elements aboard the Defiance that had found first life in a Jaegar institute, specifically weapons systems that had first been observed by the GADF in orbit of Exegol, being wielded by the massive super dreadnought the Sith used as a launching platform for their own nefarious schemes.

"After we're finished here, I'll send word to the dock master to prep the ship for deployment" Rank had its priveleges and pulling a warship out of drydock without raising an eye was certainly one of them. If this reconnaissance mission was going to go off without a hitch, the circle who knew about it had to stay small and he said as much to the two Jedi Masters. "For starters, the very existence of this mission is need to know. If we've learned anything after these last few decades of war, its that we simply cannot afford to take risks"

"There are few names that come to mind when it comes to a mission such as this but..." The idea was already forming in his head, though it wasn't entirely clear if it would bare fruit. For now, he was content to keep the idea to the back of his mind. "We'll keep it simple. Seven members, transit and extraction provided by the Vanguard, team members to be determined by us three. Sound good?"

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

ANV Defiance

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Zahara Myneto

Valery looked at Kahlil with a soft smile, but one that said quite a lot. She was actually very happy with how this meeting was going, and how willing the admiral was to work with them. He had even offered for them to set up the team, before Kahlil suggested that they'd make it a combined effort as well. All of this made her feel so much more confident that this situation would be handled correctly.

The Alliance and Jedi were at their strongest when they worked together, after all.

"I agree with all of this, although I believe we should focus on getting ships out there to patrol. The three of us can keep an eye out already that way, and if we need a team for more specific missions, we'll assemble it. I just don't want to wait on us having formed an entire team before we start scouting the area."

"We can't waste any time," Valery said before she glanced at her husband for his opinion.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"A small team is always ideal for these kinds of things. Grant it, I'm not much of an infiltrator. The Sword, however." He glanced to Valery, giving her a brief nod. Scouting now was indeed a good idea, but the formation of the team would likely be best with her in the lead. He could provide information, but it was vastly outdated.

"But, no, we can't waste any time. If there's a new war brewing, best we get our bearings as soon as possible."

Valery Noble | Zahara Myneto