Private Shotgun Aftermath

[Jonyna Si]

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Jonyna just felt sore at this point. First sitting in a transport to a planet she'd never heard of before now, to fighting a mando head on, and finally getting back on that transport. She knew war was coming, but damn if battles didn't make her muscles ache. She sat practically sideways on the ship back, trying to get some semblance of ability to become horizontal. She desperately needed a catnap. Her eyes began to wander, looking around the ship. Needless to say, their objective had been a success. Lily was back with them, at least partly thanks to the cathar's efforts. Shai Maji had taken her truce, and thank Sylvar for that. If she hadn't, Jonyna hadn't been sure how she would've taken her down. Maybe try and rip off her beskar? Ugh. She needed to invest in some sort of material that would allow her to disable that armor.

Finally, her eyes caught Valery Noble in their gaze. Shai had mentioned she knew Val...

"Master Noble?" The Cathar inquired, hoping for a few answers. "Shai. That mando I fought. You know her, yeah?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

After returning to the shuttle and taking off with Lily back among the Jedi, Valery got herself seated and remained mostly quiet. She was frustrated about a lot of things — from Lily going out there to the Mandalorians and their war path — but she didn't want to bother the others with it. This was something she'd have to talk to her husband about, who understood her feelings better than anybody else every could.

But there were other things to talk about as well.

Valery caught Jonyna's gaze and the question that followed about Shai Maji brought a frown to her eyebrows, "I do know her. Years ago, she fell under the influence of the Maw, and we fought on Empress Teta until we both were caught in a bombing run. She found her way back to the Mandalorians eventually and right after I was named the Sword, I met up with her for training. I wanted to know how the Mandalorians fought, so she shoved me into their armor, and we spent weeks learning from each other."

There was almost a smile at her lips now.

"She became like a sister to me but now... I don't know. I hope this isn't it."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"By the sound of what she told me, she didn't exactly want to fight either." Jonyna reasoned. The mando she had fought wasn't exactly looking to kill Jonyna when they fought. "I dunno...maybe it means there's still some chance to reason with them. I'm not exactly excited to go around fighting the mandos again. I was hoping to put that old grudge behind me..."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

"She didn't want to fight. I know her and... she'd never want to." Valery sighed and briefly stared out of the viewscreen again. It felt like yesterday that they were beating the hell out of each other on Kestri to train and learn from each other. It was a scary thought that their next fight could actually be about life and death.

"I know that some Mandalorians are opposed to the Enclave's current direction, but I fear there aren't enough of them. Shai would be a good start, though. She's one of their most renowned warriors." But if authority had greatly shifted and to the wrong people, it didn't matter.

One person alone can't stop what's happening.

"I have a feeling that we'll be able to gain an advantage by finding the few who do oppose the Enclave, though. They will have crucial information to stop them. But... I don't know how willing they'll be to share it."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"...you think Shai would turn on her culture to help us?" Her curiosity shined through, tail flicking back and forth. Part of her wondered what other mandos were interested in changing sides. Or at the very least, lay down their arms. It was a strange situation for her. If the positions had been flipped, she would probably be one of the hardliners asking for violence. She always wished the jedi were more proactive in their defense against the evils of the galaxy. But the mandos? They weren't evil, at least...not like the Sith. Their culture pushed strength and power, but those things weren't inherently evil. Simply how you use them, and the motivations behind why.

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

"I... don't know," Valery admitted with a sigh. "Shai is not the type to turn her back on her own people, but if she really believes they're doing the wrong thing, maybe." It was definitely something Valery hoped for, as Shai siding with the Alliance would possibly inspire other Mandalorians who opposed the crusade to follow suit. She had been their leader and a symbol for the Mandalorians for decades now.

If anybody could change something internally within the Enclave, it would be her.

"I do know one Mandalorian who will oppose the Crusade though, and I plan to ask her to help teach our Jedi how to handle Mandalorians. I have a lot of experience with it, but many do not."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"You think that'll be enough?" Jonyna wondered aloud. "Beskar is unlike any metal I've come across. I'm not sure a couple of swords and a pair of fancy lightsabers will be enough to fight a war like that."

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery shrugged, "Thousands of years ago, the Jedi defeated the Mandalorians with just basic lightsabers. It requires a different approach, sure, but they can be defeated too. One advantage we have over other wars is that we're responding to them much faster, and giving them little time to really build up their strength."

She wasn't sure if it'd be enough to end the war fast, but it was their best shot.

"That said... I do expect a lot more casualties early on, I'm afraid," she admitted with a frown. "We have to get used to a very different threat than we faced during the Second Great Hyperspace War."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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The Cathar's thoughts drifted to poor Ko Vuto , who she really did hope she was preparing for the war to come. She hadn't been one to teach him much philosophy, but she doubted that would matter on the battlefield against a mando. Then again, it did give her an idea. "You think you'd be up to sit in on one of my training sessions with Ko? I wanna make sure he's prepared for all this. I...I can't let my first padawan die to some punks waggling their guns around like it makes them strong."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery actually smiled very brightly at the question she asked, "I'd love to sit in on one and help you however you'd like." She was never going to force this on any Jedi Knight because she trusted each one to judge their own abilities as a teacher, but she was always willing to assist. Valery had trained several Padawans to knighthood already, and they had typically turned into fantastic Jedi Knights.

She was confident about her abilities as a teacher.

"If there's anything specific you'd like me to watch for or help with, just let me know."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"Well, I was thinking with the coming mando war, Ko's gonna need to be able to defend himself against ranged attacks. So far I've taught him the art of dodging, but he'll need more than just his senses to protect against disruptors and slugthrowers. He's specializing in earthshaping, so...I figured that would be a good thing to help him develop. But I don't wanna just....shoot at him." The Cathar pouted, clearly struggling with the thought. "I put him in a room with 10 of those remote droids a few days ago. He held his own, and now he's on a regiment of training with those on the daily. Figured if he could get up to ten minutes without getting hit, he'd be good against your average blaster wielder. But mandos are gonna be throwing much more than just blasters at us..."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery nodded in understanding, "You've put him through some good exercises already, then. The Mandalorians do use heavier weapons sometimes — disruptors and especially particle weapons. They can be blocked by a lightsaber, but the latter essentially explodes on contact."

She paused and pursed her lips, "Perhaps he could use earthshaping to shield himself, but learning something along the lines of Force Barrier is extremely useful against Mandalorians. Anything that lets you keep incoming shots away from you will be beneficial. It's something I could teach him, or I could help run some other drills."

"I imagine you and him will often be together, so I could test you both at the same time too."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"....we could do that." Jonyna hesitated at the thought of Val going ham at her and her padawan. But hey, better training for the both of them, she guessed. "Yeah, sure. What exactly do you have in mind?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery snickered, "Don't act like I'm going to hurt you two - I just want to help." No matter who she was teaching, Valery would always match their level and push just a little beyond it. Get them out of their comfort zone and force them to adapt and grow their skills to keep up. This wasn't easy to do, but Valery had many years of experience.

And an army of Padawans she knighted.

"As for what I have in mind... maybe I could set up a drill to force you two to work together. I could even make it a simulation with Mandalorians to fight. The key is that you two learn to stand with each other and complement each other. This war is going to demand it that we work together."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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It wasn't a bad idea. If this skirmish had proven anything, it was that Jonyna was still out of her depth when it came to fighting in the modern age. Improvisation is great when you're in the heat of battle, but going into a battle, one should have a plan. That's what Zash and Giran always advocated.

"Alright. When do you think you'll be ready for that?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery chuckled, "I'm always ready, Knight Si. After we make it back to the Temple, contact your Padawan and we'll work out a time and place. I'd like to go somewhere with plenty of room, though. Maybe the New Cov Temple." She could bring them out into the jungle there too, and add another layer to the training with a dangerous environment.

It was often overlooked, but it could play a huge role in the war.

"Make sure you're ready soon."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"One of these days I need to give you a tour of Cathar." Jonyna chuckled. "The Jungle was my actual backyard. But Ko could definitely use the experience. Ya know, I've never really had the chance to ask. What exactly does he need to learn to reach the rank of Knight? I've just been teaching him general skills for survival so far, would be nice to help him reach that faster."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

"I'd love to see Cathar," Valery said with a soft smile. "I've been to many planets in my life, but I've never seen Cathar. Perhaps next time, we can go there together." Jonyna would be able to show her around and teach her more about her people. Valery had only ever really interacted with Cathar Jedi, and many of those had been brought to the Order as an infant. So they themselves were not experts on their own people either.

This would be a good chance to learn more.

"As for knighting Ko, traditionally a Jedi Padawan should pass the five knighthood trials. These are the Trials of Skill, Insight, Courage, Spirit, and Flesh. If you want to learn more about them, I can help or show you where to find more in the archives. But as his Master, you should prepare him to face these challenges."

"That means teaching him the ways of the Force, helping him explore and understand the Galaxy, but also himself. You have to make him a Jedi who could go out into the wider Galaxy on his own and cover the missions the Council requests of the Order."

 

[Jonyna Si]

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"I'd prefer a personal lesson if you have the time. My training under my mom was...sparse in the philosophy category. We didn't spend much time pondering how one trains a padawan when...well, there wasn't exactly padawans to train back then. Mom trained me to survive, to be a Knight for the age I was born into. Now I need to train Ko and Rayia to be one for this age..." She frowned. "Some guidance would be nice. We got...how long till we get back to Coruscant?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shuttle

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jonyna Si

Valery blinked, then smiled. "We have some time, and we can always get together again to discuss things more. Training Padawans is a complex topic because not every Master trains them the same way, and every student is different too. Being able to adapt and meet the needs of your specific Padawans is probably the best skill to develop. It takes time and experience," Valery explained with a smile.

"But I would always start with the basics. That they know how to protect their minds and body, and understand how a Jedi should act in the field. How have you been handling that thus far?"