Private Old Friends, New Roads

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

The message had been short, but sincere.

"Thurion, I've stepped away from the New Jedi Order. There is much to talk about. If you have the time, I'd like to see you."

Valery hadn't reached out to many since leaving Coruscant. Her life had changed in profound ways, and the path she now walked felt both heavier and more free at the same time. She no longer bore the title of Grandmaster, nor the responsibilities that had once come with it. But she still carried the fire of a Jedi and a leader in her heart, and now she followed it where it mattered most.

Midvinter was a world far removed from the war-torn corridors of the Core. It was quiet, beautiful, and full of memories that reached far into the past. For Valery, it also meant trust and friendship. Thurion had stood with her in the darkest of times. He had offered her wisdom, comfort, and at times, the blunt truth she needed to hear. That was why she had chosen to come here.

Because she needed him more than ever before.

The shuttle broke through the cloud line and descended over snow-covered forests and distant peaks. The horizon shimmered with icy light, and Valery leaned slightly toward the viewport, her breath fogging the glass as she took it in. A soft thrum of the landing gear lowering signaled their arrival. She reached for her cloak, stood from her seat, and steadied herself.

The ramp lowered, and the cold air of Midvinter met her like an old friend as she stepped off the shuttle.

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

M I D V I N T E R
CITY OF HEAVENHEIM
​

"Ma'am."

Valery Noble would find not the High King waiting for her, but his son and grandson. Thirdas saluted his former boss the same way he'd greet her every day for over a year of working as her Chief of Security, before then flashing a grin and embracing her.

"Wonderful to see you again, Valery," he welcomed her, though the casual use of her first name still felt odd to the professional soldier to whom rank was everything. "This young man," he turned to the lad by his side, "is my boy, Tulan." Pink like his mother, golden-haired like his father.

"H-hello," said Tulan, half-hiding behind daddy's leg. Thirdas shared a loving look with Valery. They'd made it. Against all odds, him and Nida had their family.

"Sorry my dad's not here to welcome you," he turned to the matter at hand and walked her through the streets of Heavenheim. "He's... not been himself, not since Coruscant. He returned a broken man, alone amongst a hundred dead. He's barely set foot outside since the funeral; stayed behind to watch the very last remains turn to ash long after everyone else had gone home, then shut himself in."

Thirdas felt the tug of his sleeve, prompting him to hoist Tulan up on his shoulder.

"I heard about Caltin," he continued. "Dad's lost enough brothers and sisters for one lifetime. I don't think his heart can take anymore."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes lit up the moment she spotted him. A smile curved at her lips, and without hesitation, she stepped in to pull Thirdas into a firm hug. It had been a long time, but he hadn't changed much. Still tall, still carrying the discipline of a soldier, but there was something lighter about him now. The family life looked good on him.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," she said as she stepped back, her tone warm. "It's good to see you, Thirdas." She gave him a wink, then turned her gaze down to the boy tucked close at his side. Her expression softened further, and she lowered herself slightly to meet his eyes.

"And you must be Tulan," she said, offering him a gentle smile. "It's really nice to meet you. I'm Valery." She didn't press him with questions or reach out to ruffle his hair like others might have. She simply smiled, letting him have that space if he wanted it. He reminded her a little of her own kids when they were smaller.

But that warmth in her eyes faded just slightly as Thirdas spoke again. Valery's brow furrowed, and her gaze drifted toward the distant rooftops of Heavenheim, as if she could already feel the weight pressing down on the man she had come to see.

"Thurion..." His name clung to her for a moment before she looked back at Thirdas. "Can I see him?" she asked, voice lower now. "I know he's hurting, but... maybe I can help. He's like family to me."

Her arms folded loosely in front of her chest, and she exhaled through her nose. "I didn't just come here to talk. I came because I need him. But maybe he needs someone too."

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

M I D V I N T E R
CITY OF HEAVENHEIM​

"Ma'am, if anyone can bring him out of his shell, it'd be the mother of his grandkids," he smiled. Force knows none living are as dear to that man like his steadily growing number of grandchildren, or just children in general. "Just... be gentle with him. I don't have to tell you he's been through a lot." The concern of a son for an aging father writ large.

"We've arrived. Good luck to you, Val."

Thirdas motioned towards the seaside house, no grander than any of its neighbors. His mother and father had built it as their private retreat, only for kinsmen from across the globe being drawn to their presence like moths to a flame. Heavenheim was born from this humble abode.

When Valery entered, at first glance the house would appear empty were it not for the faint choo-choo coming from the upper floor. Within his office she'd find Thurion sat on the floor, rugged and unkempt from neglectful grooming, surrounded by train tracks and a steam train driving circles around him.

He was too busy tinkering with one of the passenger cars, a pair of old-timey spectacles sat on the bridge of his nose. "One of the wheels been acting wobbly," he explained calmly, thinking it either Nina or Valae checking up on him again judging by the lighter footfalls.

"I'm not hungry. There, saved you the trouble."

Valery Noble ​