Private Recalling the Siege

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Shuttle
Tag | Rakaan Horne

Caamas.

The home to an ancient Enclave Valery spent some time at during her younger years, but one she had never returned to. Much like the one on New Cov, powerful memories were attached to it, and after going through everything to adjust to the New Cov ruins, she decided against coming back here. Until now. With a desire to help Rakaan despite her own personal life taking a huge hit, she made the decision to travel back there.

"We're arriving shortly," Valery said as she glanced away from her instruments and looked at Rakaan.

The trip here had been fairly quiet thus far, and Valery wasn't quite sure what to say, if anything, about what happened. It had changed her, and he had been there to see all of it — her breaking down, her being vulnerable, and it definitely sparked some discomfort in the rather strong and proud woman. But with a focus on helping him, none of that really mattered in the end.

"It might be tricky to find the ruins, but I know the rough area where we need to be. I uh, don't know if you can see whispers of the past through the Force, but be careful with what you touch there. I'll explain more when we're there, but the history of this place is quite dark."

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

There was little left to be said.

It was a failure, their mission; catastrophic, a one word answer that combined the details of that mission into one - the Imperials maintained their rumoured to-be superweapon factories and the lives of elite soldiers found themselves forfeit beside that of a selfless Jedi Master. That Master Noble, the husband, felt that his own love for another outweighed his need for self-perseverance. Befitting of his own adopted surname. Rakaan dwelled on the loss in his own form of silent meditation for hours, guilt and regret combined in a foul concoction to warn the young Jedi Knight that the same fate will befall others if he cannot be strong enough to save them. To save himself. But that voice, as annoying as it often was, faded with the realisation that Valery Noble, the wife, is left with an unrivalled pain.

The loss of a lover; her husband; the father to her child. Left all alone in an impossibly vast Galaxy.

"I'll be careful," Rakaan mentioned with a soft smile, one that still spoke of concern with a sympathetic touch. Their shuttle cut through the atmosphere and bore down on their landing position, this time free of fire and unable to crash. Lest some form of miraculous intervention damn them all. "But how are you feeling, Master? Say the word and we can turn around, back to Coruscant."

Sometimes people needed distractions. Rakaan learned that on Kiffu, where the native Kiffar taught the Jedi of psychometry in order to better understand the fate of his missing, if not fallen friend. The reminder had been sharp, a shadowy veil flooded his mind with it but it was time to be strong. Strong for himself, and strong for others.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Shuttle | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

"I'll be careful,"

Valery dipped her head in acknowledgment and offered a faint smile, devoid of her usual charisma but it was still genuine. She knew he'd be alright, and that compared to their last adventure, this was going to be a vacation. There was no reason to worry about him at all, but perhaps it just distracted her from focusing on her own problems. Finding comfort in being able to support others had always been a method of coping for her.

"I'm..." How was she really doing? She frowned and gave it a moment of thought, "...managing. I've spent a lot of time alone or surrounded by close friends, but I finally feel it's time to move forward again. I want to do this," she said, confident in the decision, so asking her to turn back around now was definitely going to be met with great stubbornness, and a trip back worse than being stuck in the fields of battle.

She then gripped her controls tightly, and pushed the shuttle down through the atmosphere, bringing it low enough to see the vast jungles ahead of them. They were far away from the local population, and while the Temple here had once been built within a clearing, that had now long been replaced by trees, vines, and grass again.

"Before I ended up in stasis, the Jedi Shadows used to be very... secretive. No Jedi knew about them unless they were one or on the Council," she began to explain as the ship came down towards a clearing not quite at their destination, but close enough. "As part of the induction into the Shadows, we brought our candidates here, to the ruins of this Enclave to show them something they'd hopefully never forget, and always be able to remind themselves of when they were confronting the Dark Side, either in themselves or when up against its forces."

She looked at Rakaan, "A reminder of why we fight, and why we must keep ourselves balanced." He had seen her almost lose control completely not long ago and likely understood what could have happened. But in the end, she was able to resist, and she wanted him to always be able to do the same.

The ship touched down and Valery lowered the ramp. "Let your senses expand freely, and you might feel the pain, darkness, and despair even now, thousands of years later."

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

Caamas welcomed the Jedi with open arms. Rakaan felt the touch of the soft breeze that slid between the two, able to do little more than rustle the leaves that extended off of trees as much as it had shifted the hairs on their heads; it was a continued birdsong that came beside the near endless flow of water, both faint and free. He noted that this system was suffered a horrible incident, almost cataclysmic, and yet still it recovered. Life continues on, an unstoppable march forwards. Yet as Rakaan shut those blue orbs and chose to see into the Force itself, it was not the same.

His brow narrowed with the realisation. To see this vibrant world tainted with a cruel darkness, it forced somewhat of a frown to twist across his mouth. "I see it," Rakaan commented in the middle of his focus, "It's... there. Pain, but distant."

Rakaan shuffled forwards, across the old and ancient stone that their shuttle landed on. Intact, this time. It was as if a flash burned the scene of the wreck into his mind for all of a moment. It was with a curious lift of his brow and a similar tone to his voice that he spoke aloud. "Even now, are Jedi Shadows rare and secretive?"

He considered himself a soldier, that was the role of a Jedi Guardian in times such as these. Much to the dismay of Korvan, the once-Padawan needlessly mused. "Other than yourself, a former shadow, I cannot say I've met one. Let alone known about their own... customs, and traditions like this."

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

After departing from the shuttle, Valery looked at Rakaan for a moment and gave him the time to let his senses wander. The response came quickly, as he felt echoes of the past connecting with his mind, warning him of ancient conflict. "Unlike the New Cov Temple, which I found in ruins because of time and the Jedi almost entirely disappearing during the purge, this Temple was attacked."

Her eyes drifted to familiar stone up ahead, still degrading slowly as nature began to reclaim its lost territory. But there was more of the past that lingered than just the walls of this temple — memories, emotions, and even some items had survived the brutal attack. "This Temple focused on just training Jedi, so most of us caught in the attack were very young, and unable to defend themselves properly. They stood no chance, but the Sith didn't care."

"This is why we brought our Shadows here. To remember."

"Even now, are Jedi Shadows rare and secretive?"

Valery shook her head, "Not nearly as secretive as they once were. How they work and what they do is still kept behind closed doors, at least until after an assignment is completed, but there is no doubt about their existence anymore," she explained before she finally stopped and looked around at what used to be the entrance of the stone Temple. Parts of the arch still remained, but most support pillars and walls had long crumbled.

"Shadows often work alone in enemy territory, so they must be incredibly decisive. That's why we show them this. If they know what the Sith or other forces of the Dark Side are capable of, they'll do what they must to purge it, and with far less risk of losing themselves, else they risk becoming the monster that did... this."

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

The Jedi shuffled forwards with a curious caution left about. Master Noble made mention of a Jedi Shadow, of their role, of their duties, and what followed the fall of the enclave on Caamas. Yet, Rakaan felt as if there was more, as much as the young Jedi felt the sour taste to the air across the Force; like a rot, a poison, it remained and killed.

He set a hand over the crumbled stone arch and turned back to the Jedi Master.

"You make this seem as if it was far worse than any attack on a Jedi Enclave. What made it worse than the others?" He pried, curiously.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

"Not worse," Valery said with a shake of her head while she gently placed her hand down onto a crumbled stone pillar. "I don't believe tragedies like this can be compared to others that way." She pulled her hand back with a slight frown and turned her eyes towards Rakaan again.

"But there are differences. The Coruscant Temple has been sacked numerous times, yet when you walk through its halls, you don't feel those echoes of the past anymore. It wouldn't be a safe place to be otherwise. But at a Temple like this where nothing was purified or changed in a way to alter how it feels in the Force, you can get an overwhelming idea about what the Sith and Dark Side are truly like."

She paused a moment before adding something, knowing he had experience in different ways, "It also puts it in historical context. This happened thousands of years ago, and it's still happening. During the days of the Old Republic, the Sith returned three times to take revenge, each time with thousands of years between them coming back. That's how vengeful it makes them, how corruptive it is."

Valery began to walk deeper into the structure, taking him close to where they once had classrooms, meditation chambers, and even personal quarters. All left a distinct mark on the Force surrounding it.

"I know you don't have the hesitation to fight against the Sith, but I still believe there is something valuable to seeing and feeling it this way. The Dark Side is an insidious thing, and having these reminders about what it's like might one day help you keep the distance you need. During your darkest or most vulnerable days."

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

He failed not to force comparisons.

Between the masters, that is. From Tolderyn and Noble, even Goto. Each of them had their own methods, their own views, beliefs, approaches to life and the Force itself - even in terms of what it meant to be a Jedi, and all that should be found in the life the lot of them shared. Some more restrictive than others, with another intent to embrace all there is to life. It was not difficult for Rakaan to determine the merits to either of their lessons, but there was no doubt that his superiors in the Jedi Order trumped Rakaan whenever it concerned the mystics and vast philosophies to life.

In truth, the young Jedi was simple in that respect. He was a soldier thrust into another war, the sort without end and determined to shift back and forth until the sands of time may crawl over his dried and withered bones. Perhaps the Sith may defeated in full this time, Rakaan often mused that it could be him to see to it; skill and pride made allowed him to become confident, maybe overconfident even, in his own abilities. Despite his youth.

Yet, as Rakaan wandered the ruins of the destroyed Jedi Temple on Caamas and able to peer into each room once catered towards a specific use. From the dorms of initiates and younglings, to the cafeteria in which even the most powerful Jedi Masters may have eaten, or the training yards the Jedi used to forge themselves into warriors in order to combat the ever-present Sith threat. He could feel all that lingered, the dark cloud that loomed overhead, in constant defiance to leave. It's refusal let the hairs on the nape of his neck rise.

"I understand," the Jedi said but felt the need to question whether he truly did. "I sometimes wonder if we can ever be rid of it. Though Master Korvan tells me it's a natural aspect to the Force, and if not for the Sith then there would be another sect to fall into the Dark Side after them."

Like a loyal dog, Rakaan barked his name again.

"But I suppose that means we have to be careful with our emotions, then. If it is only natural, after all. Anyone could fall into it, then."

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

His words sparked old memories to return almost instantly. Of a conversation, she had with Aeris Lashiec only a few weeks after she returned to the Galactic scene. It had partially been about the way history seemed to repeat itself, after Valery had mentioned the old wars with the Sith, and how similar they felt to current wars. It made her wonder if there would ever be an end to it as well, but whether it would or not, she would always keep going.

"I agree with Master Toldreyn — we all have some darkness in ourselves, after all. We are supposed to recognize it, and the Trial of Spirit is all about confronting it. So in a way, it's only natural that some will not be able to resist. What philosophy they subscribe to then, doesn't really matter."

She let out a soft sigh and paused when they made their approach to what looked like a large circle of stone with fallen pillars around it. A long time ago, it had been the training arena, where Valery spent some of her time during her visits here. "But as long as there's light burning somewhere, we can keep it away, keep resisting it. There will be times of peace, and times when we fail to shield ourselves and those around us, but we should always keep resisting it."

Valery looked at Rakaan again and smiled faintly, "So yes, we always have to be careful with our own emotions. Nobody should ever deem themselves immune to the call of the Dark Side and acknowledging it will help you resist it. That way we have a better chance to prevent...." she looked around at all the destruction again. "This."

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

"I see," the young Jedi commented as all the details absorbed into his mind. From the visual to be found in a more literal sense, the tangible felt on the ends of his fingers, and those that flowed through the Force itself; in waves, in beacons, those that made mention of pain and sorrow, enough to force something of a frown to twist across the corner of his mouth and replace the neutral acceptance that had once taken shape.

He turned from the ruined scene that lay ahead and settled blue eyes back onto the Jedi Master, all with a moment of hesitation that followed. Too aware of his veiled fury, able to seep out and take control but only ever serve to his own benefit - Rakaan fostered a fear of it from the years of cautious tales, one that was bolstered with the exposure that flooded to him since his would-be service in the Empire. The Imperials, in all their brutality, unlocked a side to Rakaan he remained so uncertain of. The guidance of the Jedi, that was all that held him in place.

Part of him wondered what ought to become of him should that fade from his life.

It was still left unsaid, unmentioned. Both Master Noble and himself suffered from a lapse, a failure to resist. He felt it plastered across his expectant and silent stare that lingered. It stayed there, left there in the open.

He cut into the silence with what amounted to sledgehammer on fingers, "Do you feel you can better resist it now?"

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

"I do, but you've seen yourself that I can lose grip for a moment too, and maybe felt what could have happened if I wasn't able to resist it in the end," Valery said with a frown and a serious tone. She wasn't proud of what happened after Kahlil died, and she nearly lost herself to a point where everybody around her could have fallen victim to her raw power, unleashed without any restraint. Beneath the surface of self-control, experience, and training, Valery contained a powerful inferno. One she channeled with a Jedi's restraint to make her the NJO's Sword, but one she couldn't afford to ever lose control of.

"We all have things that can shake our resolve, and change us for the worse. But it's in those times especially, that a strong will is necessary, and that we don't let our pride from stopping us from getting outside help." She looked around one more time before she turned to Rakaan and seemed ready to leave behind this part of her past.

"These reminders once helped me, and maybe they can help you too. But whether they do or not, use that strength you have to always resist, even if you make mistakes along the way." She knew that while he was back with the Jedi now, deep within there was a turmoil not much different from her own, but just sparked by different life events.

If there was anything she could do to help him avoid the mistakes she made, she would.

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

His answer arrived as a nod, a series of them. Slow, soft, subtle. He continued to absorb the scene left around him, felt in the air and in the Force. It was a tense moment for the young Jedi, left to dwell on all that came to him as of late. In the months in the Empire with their secrets uncovered, left unsaid and uncertain as to who to tell at all, and all that followed afterwards; the tumultuous time in which a fire burned beneath him, threatened to scar him, reduce him to ash. Mistakes and all, she made mention of, always resist.

"I think I should stay a while," he commented with the return of his attention, "I can send a message to R4, he can arrive with my ship."

A faint smile found his lips, "You should return to Coruscant, Master."

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

"Are you sure?" Valery asked, clearly a little surprised at the suggestion. Bringing him here had been with the purpose of perhaps offering him a more broad perspective or more ways to reflect on what he felt inside, or could feel inside. But for him to stay and really take his time to absorb everything was not what she had expected.

A pleasant surprise, though.

"Alright, but you know how to reach me if something's up," she said with a gentle smile in return to his own. "I'll head back to Coruscant and I'll see you there when you get back?" She paused a moment and gave that some more thought before deciding to already bring it up. "There is something the Council might wish to talk to you about. Some things related to the Empire and your own experience there."

"Nothing to worry about, but I figured I'd give you a heads up." Another brief smile followed before she turned around and stepped away, only to stop and look over her shoulder one last time.

"Oh and Rakaan? I suggest heading into the caves when you can." She dipped her head and turned around to depart now, leaving him to wonder what the caves could be about, but she felt it was best he explored it on his own. They had a connection to the Force through some of its naturally formed crystals, but it's also where the evacuation happened on the third day of the siege. At the very end of the caves was an open stretch of land high up in the hills, and that's where transport shuttles managed to pick the survivors up.

It's where she gave a speech and did her best to bring hope into the hearts of her fellow Jedi, even though they had lost their home and many of their brothers and sisters.

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

"I understand, Master. Thank you." His intent to report to the Jedi Council upon his return to their fold remained paramount. The young Jedi held onto Imperial secrets left unknown by those outside of the Empire, even to those within it; certain pries into people and sources revealed information the likes of the Triumvirate and their political allies would much prefer to keep quiet on. In the meantime, however, Rakaan remained tight lipped on the matters.

He distanced himself from the Jedi Master with a wrist raised towards his mouth, the small device flashed an emerald hue while softer words were spoken and became more inaudible with each step. A series of beeps in the form of electronic chatter spewed forwards, only for Rakaan to say more and more. The survival pack strapped to his back held all the Jedi may need before the astromech could arrive with his own ship, only a starfighter but it was hardly scarce in supplies and armaments. A preference of Rakaan's.

In the days that followed, Rakaan clambered up the steepest of slopes beside a waterfall's stream - one foot after the other, he bounced on thin spires of jagged rocks to reach the tallest mountain in sight. Caamas was a dark and bitter place, yet lush and vibrant. Such was a thought that came to Rakaan as his hands gripped vines that flew from monstrously tall trees, lost in the thick of the jungle. It became mundane with time, in truth, the initial excitement of these acts almost felt second nature if not for the touch of darkness that flew from all that Master Noble warned him of. In the dead of night, a smouldering fire provided him warmth and comfort, to see little more than ash and embers come the next morning.

His road to the caves was far from that of a straight line. But some time away, time to himself, on a self-administered mission of sorts may have been all that the Jedi Knight needed.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

After Valery's departure, Rakaan was left alone with his own thoughts, the mostly beautiful world of Caamas, as well as the darkness that lingered from a battle a long time ago. The Siege of Caamas had been a surprise attack by Acina's Sith Empire, a retaliatory strike for the Enclave's highly effective participation in the war between light and dark that kept Sith forces from overwhelming the Republic's borders.

The result was a Temple destroyed and countless lives lost on both sides, from Imperial soldiers and Sith Lords, to wise Jedi Masters, to young Padawans who only just started their training at the Enclave. None were spared, and while their remains were long gone, echoes of their final moments would likely never fade from the Temple's ruins. But beyond the halls and Temple grounds where these great battles were fought, there was more than just despair Rakaan could feel.

During the attack, the Jedi's unity grew stronger.

All believed they were living their last moments together, but it stopped none from defending the Temple they had called home for years. From defending each other until the end. But during these heavy fights, leaders stepped up, and a daring rescue attempt had been set in motion to evacuate Jedi from a plateau high up in the mountains, at the very end of a winding set of caves and tunnels.

The Jedi were forced to fight for each inch of ground and were followed by enemy forces along the way as well, but with each step through these ancient caves, darkness would grow weaker, and the hope of the Light began to grow instead.

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

In the dimly lit caverns, threatened to have their darkness cast out by the faint cracks and beams of sun that shone into them, the young Jedi trawled for the mysteries in the Force left behind thousands of years before now. It was as if voices of then and there called out to him, their whispered tones cried out in a chorus beside the familiar thrum of a saber, only to find himself stood as still as stone once these hushed voices came beside smoke-filled visions with dull remnants of colour. His moment of shock subsided even as the narrowed vision and furrowed brows persisted, in search of the finer details that may utter the truth to Rakaan of all that transpired.

He was concious of the darkness that tainted the mysticism of the Force in these caves, the only true source of light to be found stemmed from his own ignited blade as he ventured further and deeper into the caverns. He scoured the masses in these visions for the one face that could be familiar, perhaps she may guide him from the depths of the darkness here and now.

But with a keen eye, Rakaan continued to watch. To see the story unfold in perfect and accurate detail, if not too twisted by the darkside to do so. To tell a lie instead.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

With Rakaan's mind reaching out into the Force to tap into memories of the past, the last chapter of the Siege of Caamas began to unfold before him...

"Valery! The Imperials have breached our defenses at the Falls. What do we do now?" A Zabrak in his late 30s or so called out with a tone that suggested he was a good friend. Valery, who was coordinating defenses from the top of a large rock looked his way with a frown but nodded. "Have a small group of Knights escort the Initiates and Padawans to the overlook! I'll take the rest and we keep them away."

All around the open cavern, Jedi of all ages were working together to move away some equipment and supplies. But now that the evacuation was approaching rapidly, they dropped everything and split into groups. The younger Jedi would be the first to be evacuated, so they were brought to the overlook — an open stretch of grass in the mountains only accessible by following the caves until their end. The remaining Knights and Masters rallied behind Valery, who set them up in various positions to funnel the enemy forces through the narrow tunnels.

The Jedi were heavily outnumbered but within these caves, it hardly mattered.

"When we fall back, do not linger in the cavern. Push back until the next tunnels, and keep funneling their forces!" She called out, before the two blades of her double-bladed weapon ignited, and she was the first to step forward. A group of Imperial soldiers in their signature black armor were coming in fast, led by a number of Sith whose crimson blades ignited the dark tunnels and carried their owner's hatred in them. And so, the clash between dark and light began within the caves.

...

"Master Noble?! The shuttles are coming down! It's time to go!"

Valery, whose blade was locked with that of a Sith Lord, grinned and pushed back against her enemy. A series of fast-paced strikes followed despite her physical exhaustion, and she managed to clip his leg, drawing out a yelp of pain she silenced as the rear blade came about and severed his head from his torso. "Fall back and cover each other!" she called out, and the Jedi listened. With the hope of survival and a new future burning within them, they coordinated, fought, and suffered together, and with heavy losses, many were able to make it out together.

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

He was left to be but a watchful observer. To bear witness to events thousands of years old, see the demise of Jedi and Sith alike now reduced to little more than faded and withered bones turned to ash and dust on the surface of Camaas. Even as booted feet shuffled across the shifted soil, there was no remnant of what occurred then; no bodies, no weapons, no marks. It was too old. Left to the faded histories consumed with time, and to be an imprint on the Force. His own innate talent and connection to visions ensured it fell to him, yet maybe that talent was as fickle as the wind and left no one other than himself to see it.

The young Jedi wandered between the battlefield in these broadened caves, to step between the smoke-made entities crafted with the Force. The colours of their blades all that showed in their dulled states. It was rather morbid, Rakaan found, to be so helpless to halt an inevitable death that came to be so many years before now. He traversed the caverns with coloured sabers his torch towards the exit, with the thrums of life in the Force to call out to the Jedi with each continued step. His own blue blade followed those of an identical colour, until the faintly familiar features of a Jedi unsheathed twin violet sabers.

It was with a content huff that Rakaan continued on, able to do little more than follow her. In an almost leisurely pace, he sauntered forwards, between, and behind. It was all of no consequence to him. But there was still all that darkness, the reach, the claws, the hold. It consumbed this place, even more so with each fallen Jedi. But each step out offered the opposite, a light in shining darkness.

Rakaan followed still, unable to be of assistance to a conflict that ended all too long ago. The gears in his mind turned.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Caamas
Tag | Rakaan Horne

"The Initiates and Padawans are out!"

The voice cut through the sound of fierce battle, snapping Valery's fiery gaze to one of the Knights who had been tasked with escorting out the younger Jedi. This meant the Vigilant, a Valor-class cruiser, and its supporting fleet had finally arrived to pressure the Imperial ships in orbit, and evacuate the Jedi before it was too late. Now all that remained was for her to get out the Knights and Masters as well.

The more lives that could be saved today, the stronger they would be tomorrow.

"Alright, time to move! Fall back to the overlook!" She called out, and together with a few Masters, she covered the escape of most of the others, who held position at the narrow tunnels leading to the overlook. Slowly but surely, Valery and the Masters who survived were able to fight their way back as well, where they were relieved by those who waited for them. This tactical retreat continued throughout the entirety of the tunnel system until finally, light from the overlook met them.

A fleet of shuttles, fighters, and bombers were above them, facilitating the escape while gunning down an armada of Imperial small-craft at the same time.

Over the course of an hour, sped up in Rakaan's mind, the Jedi were evacuated to the Vigilant. Valery, the Zabrak from before and a few others were the last few remaining behind, fighting with hope in the face of overwhelming darkness. But eventually, they too were evacuated.

​

 

[Rakaan Horne]

CORUSCANT - Valery Noble

​

In the end, it faded. On the wind, the smoke-filled visions drifted off into nothingness. From the Jedi to the Sith, to the Imperial soldiers that stood in as foes to the former and stalwart allies to the latter. Even the fleets overhead, reduced to no more than ashen whisps. The young Jedi was met with the warmth of the Camaasi sun and mounds of ancient, undisturbed soil with the blossomed flowers and dense forests that shrouded even the exit of the cavern. It was a secret alcove, hidden aside, only to be met with those in which the Force called to. Thousands of years old, and yet the scent of death and triumph remained.

The familiar electronic chirps of an astromech cut into what was at first static.

He smiled, sweetly. "It must've been a deadzone," Rakaan admitted with a look of realisation, "You can follow my signal to me now, R4."

Rakaan wandered forwards, closer to the cliffside with a chance to stare out across the landscape. It was filled with lush and vibrant life, even after it was once marred beyond repair - or so it was believed to be. It was with his hands settled across his waist that Rakaan could not help but muse on a similarly held belief towards himself and the trust shared between him and the rest of the Jedi. The initial refusal to return, to complete the mission, and all that dedicated care that seemed almost forced onto him.

He could fix it, in time. No matter what the issue was, but the need to do better in the future flooded back. It was important to do so, for Rakaan. Master Goto can make all the mentions of founded trust and favour in him, but no one needed to be convninced more so than himself.

His blue eyes rose to the skyline one the distant thrum neared, and the blue craft settled off of the cliff. It took but one precise leap for Rakaan to land on the outside hull and wander across to the cockpit itself. The astromech continued make his beeps and whistles, to which Rakaan smiled once more. "It's good to see you, too." He said as he sat in the seat and the viewport hatch closed down.

"Now let's get out of here."

The two faded into the stars.

​