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 ​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery stepped inside and for a moment, she just stood there, eyes following the little train looping its tracks around Thurion, before settling on the man himself.

The years had changed him. She could see it in his posture, in the weight he carried even in this peaceful place. But more than that, she saw the same warmth that had once carried her through the darkest of times. She saw the man who had been there when she needed him most.

Her brow lifted slightly when he spoke, and the corner of her mouth tugged into a faint smile.

"Good thing," she said, her voice soft but teasing. "Because I forgot to bring anything. The kids raided my bag before I left and ate all the snacks." She took a step closer, careful not to rush it, then another. When she reached him, Valery lowered herself a little behind him. Her arms gently slipped over his shoulders, crossing softly at his chest as she leaned in to rest her cheek against the side of his head.

"I'm not here to make you eat, Thurion," she murmured. "I'm just here for you."

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

M I D V I N T E R
CITY OF HEAVENHEIM​

The moment he heard the sound of her voice, Thurion quietly removed the spectacles and lowered the train cart to his lap and noticeably sat straighter. He'd not expected to hear from her so soon, much less see her in person. By the time she put her arms around him, his weary eyes had closed shut and he rested his head against her cheek. Were it not for the voice betraying her identity, she might as well have been Coci come to take him away.

"He's gone, Valery," he whispered. "Caltin's gone, and I watched it happen. I could have done something, I should've..."

His fingers wrapped around the train car tightly, and he had to put it down to keep himself from breaking it. Instead he reached for her arm, holding on to her so he would not drown in the void of despair.

"Remember when we got this for Life Day that one year," he reached over to switch off the toy train. "That was a good day." He wiped a fledgling tear from the corner of his wrinkled eye, then turned to her sporting a sad smile. Bones popped and floor boards creaked as he staggered to his feet, steadied by Valery's hand.

He held up the folded spectacles and playfully tapped her on the forehead with them.

"As if I wasn't feeling old enough, now I'm stuck with these." Courtesy of his adopted daughter Valae Heavenshield , the town doctor. Thurion shambled over to the desk and stuffed them inside a drawer, then turned and perched against the edge.

"There wasn't even time to say good-bye," he looked at her and shook his head, lips pursed. "I don't even remember our last conversation..."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery stayed close, her arms remaining around him for as long as he needed them. When he sat up straighter, she didn't let go. When he spoke those first broken words, she just held him a little tighter. "I know," she whispered, eyes closing against the sting of emotion in her own chest. She didn't need to ask for details. The pain in his voice said everything.

When he reached for her arm, she shifted just enough to rest her hand over his and squeezed. She felt his fingers shake, and she let the silence hang for a moment as he remembered. The toy, the Life Day memory. Valery nodded gently, a faint smile tugging at her lips when he tapped her with the glasses.

When he turned from the drawer, she stepped closer and leaned against the desk beside him. For a while, she said nothing. She just looked at him, then down at the floor, and finally, up again. "I miss him too," she said, her voice low. "I keep replaying things in my head, wondering if I could have said more the last time I saw him. But Thurion… this wasn't your fault. You didn't fail him."

She paused, swallowing back the weight building in her throat.

"Caltin was a Jedi through and through. And when the moment came, he made the choice he believed was right. He gave his life to save others. That doesn't make it hurt any less, but it's who he was. A true Jedi." She looked up at him again and reached for his hand.

"He knew what he was doing. He chose to make that sacrifice. And I think… if we carry on what he stood for, if we protect others the way he did, he's still with us. Not just in memory, but we'd be honoring his as well."

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

M I D V I N T E R
CITY OF HEAVENHEIM​

"I know. It doesn't it easier," said Thurion, staring down at the idle steam train just to focus on something.

"My biological mother passed away in childbirth. My older brother, who raised me, perished in a fire when I was five. My adoptive mother was murdered by Darth Carnifex when I was thirteen. My father died in battle in defense of me and my returned brother, who then sacrificed himself a second time for all of Midvinter. And Coci... My Coci..."

His voice broke, the lump in his throat gaining the upper hand. He drew in a sharp breath as the sting of tears returned.

"Worse still, Caltin was one of the few among the living who still remembered her, besides the children and few grandchildren she raised or helped raise. I don't want her memory to fade into obscurity, it's all I have left of her. With him gone... I've lost another piece of her, and with it a piece of my heart and my soul, never to be healed."

He grabbed hold of her hand, desperately.

"I'm tired, Val. Tired of seeing people I care about give their lives while I'm cursed to remain. Tired to outlive those infinitely more worthy than I; whose spirits shine brighter than mine ever did. Who could have gone on to even greater things were I to take their place. I'm still just that frightened orphan, lost in the dark. Those who lifted me up — those who were the light of life — are all gone."

Thurion turned to Valery, face trembling with sorrow.

"Please don't go," he pleaded with her. "Not you too..."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's hand tightened around his as she listened. She didn't interrupt when he spoke of loss after loss, each one cutting deeper than the last. She just stood with him, her fingers curling around his. When his voice cracked, when the pain rose again, she didn't look away or flinch. She just looked at him, her eyes steady and filled with the same grief she saw in his.

"You've carried more pain than most ever will," she said softly. "And still, you stood through it all. You loved, you guided, you protected. No matter what the galaxy took from you, you were still there for others." Her thumb brushed along the back of his hand. She leaned in a little closer, her voice lowering.

"I'm not going anywhere. Not in the way you fear." She paused, searching his expression.

"But I can't stay here either. I can't stop walking the path I'm on. If I did, if I stepped away and let the darkness take hold, what would all those sacrifices mean? What would Caltin's choice have been for? What would Coci's memory stand for if we gave up now and let this galaxy fall apart?"

She let the silence settle again for a breath, then continued.

"I don't fight for glory. I don't fight for politicians, not anymore. I fight because I want my children to grow up in a better galaxy than the one we were given. One where they don't have to bury friends and family the way we did." Her voice broke just slightly, but she held herself firm.

"So I will keep going. And I need you to keep holding on, too. Not just for Coci or for Caltin. But for those who are still here. For those who need you now." She looked up at him again, her eyes warmer this time.

Thurion Heavenshield ​

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

M I D V I N T E R
CITY OF HEAVENHEIM​

The words of Valery were to the elder as a warm blanket, yet also a slap across the cheek. Admonishment, not for a perceived failure but for an abandondment of his duty. Thurion felt the sting of shame, knowing she intended none; his was of a self-imposed nature, ever striving to uphold the ideals etched upon his soul. In his resurfaced grief, the Lion had forsaken his duty for altogether selfish reasons. Because, in his moment of loss, he felt wholly inadequate in spite of his decades-long tally of victories and deeds.

In becoming this self-loathing creature, he was actively dishonouring the memory of those he loved. Valery Noble included.

Thurion said nothing, but slid off the edge of the desk and down to his knees, looking up into those copper eyes of hers. He shook his head at her, knowing she would protest to such a blatant act of submission. He held her by the hand, nestled between two giant's paws yet handled with the utmost care.

"Allow me this small gesture of undying loyalty, as well as that of deepest love," he asked of her. "Grief is, ultimately, self-serving in nature. The dead do not wish it upon the living, and all it does is consume the mind and the soul. Though I am never to be made whole again, I bestow unto the living what remains; to my children, my grandchildren," he bowed his head, touching her hand with his forehead.

"To you, my daughter. My dearest friend. Mother of my grandchildren. In the name of those who cannot, I shall stand with you to whatever end. I draw my sword in their memory, and to your everlasting glory. Hail to thee, Valery of House Noble — Beloved by all."

He did not require details on what she had planned, or what lay ahead for them. All he needed was her, pointing the way.

The Lion sealed his oath with a kiss upon her ring, declaring himself for her cause now and until his eventual doom. She was his guiding star now, in the same manner Coci had served for so long. Every labour was a tribute to those he loved, be it the woman who raised him, his father, his older brother, or his wife. Being physically incapable of dedicating victories or feats in his own name, he needed someone to bestow said honours unto.

Valery was that someone now.

"I will carry you, as you have carried me. Your burdens are mine, and my strength is yours. And should this solemn vow prove my last..."

He rose then, giant yet tender, and caressed her cheek where the distinct trio of scars ended.

"...at least I'll have done something right with the time I have left."

Thurion smiled then, a true smile unburdened by sorrow, and embraced her whole-heartedly.

"Bless you, my child," he said. "I guess I could eat something."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's lips curved into a small, warm smile as he spoke. She never doubted his strength, even when he had. To hear him reclaim it and pledge himself so openly made something deep inside her ease for the first time since arriving.

"I have always believed in you," she told him softly. "Through every battle, every hardship, every moment of doubt. I knew you would find your way again, because that is who you are. You have always been the one to stand when it matters most." Her voice was steady, but there was a fondness in her eyes that softened the weight of her words.

When his arms came around her, she held him tightly in return, resting her cheek briefly against his shoulder. For a long moment, she simply stayed there, letting the silence say what words could not. Only when the embrace eased did she lean back slightly, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "And good. Because now I'm going to cook for you. And I am not letting you get away with skipping another meal."

She stepped back, but only far enough to give him space as they moved toward the kitchen. On the way, she glanced over at him. "Once we eat, we can talk a little more. I want to tell you about what I've been doing since I stepped down from the Council… and what I'm planning next. I think you like some of it." Her tone lightened as she started pulling a few things from the cupboards, but the glance she cast his way carried the same unshaken trust she had always held for him.

"And no reason we can't have a little fun too, hm?"

Thurion Heavenshield ​