Private Silence at the Border

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

"Been a little while since we worked together, huh?" Valery asked as she turned on the auto-pilot after entering hyperspace and spun around in her chair to face her best friend. She could barely remember the last time, but now they had agreed to take on a rather exciting assignment together. A medical space station on the edge of GA space had gone dark, and nobody had any idea what had happened there. Because of the potential threats that could be out there, Valery took on the assignment but with it being a medical station, she had all the reasons she needed to bring along the Chief Healer.

Of course, their teamwork was another reason.

"Oh, and what do you think of the ship? Aldric and I recently bought it together..." she said with a soft blush on her cheeks. It was still a strange feeling to be together with someone again, but she loved every minute of it. Finally, she was also getting to a point where she wasn't so scared to lose him anymore — everything about the future seemed bright. Valery then stood up from her seat and stretched her legs a little,

"Can I get you anything, by the way? A drink or some food? We have a bit of time before we arrive at the station." Speaking of which, she hadn't told Amani much about the station yet, so if she had questions, she'd be able to answer those as well.

 

[Amani Serys]

"Yeah. Now that you mention it," Amani scoffed. Temple work was one thing, but she hadn't realized how rarely they operated on missions together until now, "It's been… has it really not been since the aftermath of Tython?" It seemed that way. At that point, Amani wasn't even technically a member of the NJO. Funny how much things had changed.

"It's a good ship. Not as good as mine, but," She smirked. As if she were any sort of expert on ships. Still, she was pretty sure her own was superior. Valery probably didn't get nearly as lucky when it came to shopping for a vessel, though, "It's good. Still fast enough to maneuver around, but spacious enough that you could live in it for a while." The latter perk was one Amani held in particular reverence. Having lived in a ship for years, comfort was a must.

The blush did not go unnoticed, either. That was all she needed to know things were going quite well for Valery and Aldric. If they were making purchases like this together, it was only a matter of time…

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Amani waved off the offer, standing up a moment after Valery. She meandered over to one of the viewports, staring idly at the vortex of hyperspace, "Any idea what we should be expecting at this station? I'm in the dark on a lot of details here."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

"It has been, yes..." Valery blinked, as she realized it as well. Most of their time spent together was just to get away from the war and their duties. Not that it bothered her at all, but they became such close friends because they had decided to work together, and she still felt they made a great team. So despite the circumstances, she was looking forward to their assignment.

At the topic of her ship, though, Valery raised an eyebrow, "Not as good, huh? You still flying that ancient thing around?" She shook her head dismissively and waved the idea of Amani's ship being better off. Even if it was, there was no way that she'd admit to it. Her new ship was comfortable, quite fast, and even had some guns for protection. Everything they needed and more.

"But yeah, that was the idea. We're not living together yet, but we do go on long assignments together. So this is the closest thing to actually being together." She wasn't quite sure when the right time would be for the next step, and somewhere she hoped that Aldric would make those moves. Not because she felt he had to, but just because it made her nervous and it seemed easier that way.

A little selfish, but probably understandable.

"As for the station, I'm not sure. We heard absolutely nothing from them, so we'll be the first to investigate. Could be as simple as communications problem, could also be trouble." While she didn't say it, she was betting on the latter. Valery then paused for a moment and let out a sigh. "Sooooo..." she began with a smirk. "How was the trip to Mirial?" She looked at Amani with a sparkle in her eyes that made it clear she wanted all the details.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani shot Valery a look of mock insult, "Ancient? Certainly not. I got a newer one a while back. Didn't even have to pay for it," She waggled her eyebrows pridefully. Her previous ship was quite old, but thus far her Corellian 1500 had proven to be a significant upgrade.

"Mhmm," Amani hummed knowingly, "Seems like things are still going strong between you two, then…"

As focus turned to the station itself, she was quick to pick up on Valery's own suspicions. Which, given that Amani had been brought along, were already easy enough to infer. They were first contact, so it was up to them to figure out just what exactly was wrong, "Right."

"Sooooo… How was the trip to Mirial?"

Amani blinked, then grinned, "It was really great. Just got to spend some time absorbing the culture, and Alicio seemed really into all of it." The thought of it made her feel all warm inside. She then pulled away her sleeve to show off a small, triangular tattoo on the inside of her wrist, "We each got one of these. It's a uh… mirialan declaration of love." A blush, "They're inverted, so when you line up your wrists or hold hands, they slide in together."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

The eyebrow waggling was met with a roll of Valery's eyes, "Really settling into the Mrs. Royalty role, huh?" she teased, knowing that Amani wasn't really the type to splurge too much. Her boyfriend would never have to worry about credits a day in his life, but it was unlikely that Amani was buying huge luxury ships and villas across the Galaxy.

If she did, she'd never hear the end of it from Valery.

"Things are going well... I think," she blinked then shook her head. No, they were definitely going well. "Our vacation was very nice, and..." she took a deep breath. "I-told-him-that-I-love-him, and he said it back!" she squealed happily, as it clearly meant a lot to her. She never really told Kahlil or anybody, but to hear it was an important little thing to her. It could make her entire day just hearing it once, as long as it was genuine.

Then her focus shifted back to her best friend, as she began to explain more about her trip. Valery listened intently and grinned along, "That sounds amazing and..." she leaned in close to take a better look at the tattoo, "Awwwe, that's so cute! I never really even thought about getting tattoos... not really for me, I suppose. But these are adorable!" She nodded to show her approval of this declaration of love~

"Living together going well too then, I assume? Not feeling like killing him, yet?" she smirked.

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani snorted, and shook her head, "This was before his excellency came along. I just got lucky," And provided the seller didn't use that favor to try and coerce her into anything troublesome, then she would continue to consider herself lucky.

"Things are going well... I think,"

Amani raised a brow skeptically. Not that she doubted it was going well, but that Valery seemed to be uncertain, at first. Then, came the eagerly awaited 'I love you', and Amani squeaked in celebration, "Yesss, girl! That's amazing." If that wasn't a sign things were going well, then nothing was. Those three words were a big step forward, and it had been similar for her and Alicio's relationship.

Amani showed off the tattoo, and squinted amusedly at Valery. She wouldn't have really expected her to be into tattoos, and frankly Amani probably wouldn't be either if it weren't ingrained in her culture. It was different from just getting a tattoo for the fun of it. "It has," She smiled, "We're very communicative with each other, so it's easy to sidestep those little pet peeves that pop up every now and then."

"What's next for you and Aldric?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

"Mhmmm," Valery said with the smuggest expression she could give, "Very lucky~" She chuckled and winked at her friend, making sure she understood it was just all fun messing around.

Shifting away from that topic, Valery's excitement grew only more when Amani squealed along to the revelation about their 'I love you' moment. She was still so happy that it happened, and that little moment of them standing together on the beach would always remain with her. "It really is!" she said with a very happy sigh. It was almost strange to think just how much three simple words could mean, but they really were that important to her.

And they were as important to him as well.

"I'm glad to hear you two are doing well too, though. Living together is a big thing, and it seems you two are without obstacles there." Not too surprising, given just how strong their relationship was. Valery could feel it whenever she went out with them both — they were a couple as perfect as she was with Aldric. But of course, there were still steps to take for them as well, and Valery was always curious "Any other plans you two are making?"

On the topic of Aldric again, Valery began to beam brightly, "Well... Vera ended up loving him! She even smiled when he kissed me around her. So that's a good sign and means we might be able to live together sooner than I thought. I just... don't know if I should bring it up? Or if I should wait until he feels ready too." She let out a soft sigh and ran a hand up through her hair. "I really want to go all the way with him..."

 

[Amani Serys]

"Don't jinx it," Amani said, waggling her finger. But really, that seemed unlikely. Alicio was perfect to her. There were few things that could really shake that faith, and as far as she was concerned, they were an impossibility, "We even talked about… hypothetical… kids…" She shrugged, blushing intensely. Not directly, per se, but the implication was quite clear to them both. Perhaps one day, that would be more than a hypothetical. "Now that he's gotten a taste for my culture, he wants me to see his. So we'll be heading to Alderaan for a ball very soon. I'm… pretty nervous about the dancing, but, I am excited to share in it with him."

The topic naturally shifted to Aldric again, and Amani listened eagerly, "That's awesome! Vera's a great kid, and Aldric's a great guy." It figures that girl would get a sense for that deep down. As for living together, Amani couldn't quite claim to be an expert, but she tried her hand at it anyway, "Well, does he have much going on at home? If not, he might be waiting to make sure that you're okay with the idea. I mean, you're dealing with a kid at home, so maybe he doesn't want to feel like he's making things more... complicated somehow?" Another shrug, "If you think he's all the way in, then you could at least entertain the idea and see how he reacts."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

"I don't think anything can jinx your relationship," Valery said with a genuine smile despite Amani's playful finger-waggling. They were seriously something special, and she found it important that it was recognized. "...especially if you two have talked about kids in the future." That was likely the biggest step in a relationship, and one she knew would work perfectly for them once they were ready. It was also a step Valery hoped to take again, and of course, with Aldric.

"That does sound like fun and don't be too worried. Just follow his lead, and focus on him. Nothing and nobody else matters when you're in a moment like that with him," Valery said with an encouraging dip of her head. "When I dance or get close to someone like that, I always just... enter my own little world with just him. You two have that loving energy for each other as well, so enjoy it and make the most out of it all." Not that she was worried about that not happening, but sometimes it was nice to have this kind of encouragement from a friend.

When the conversation shifted back to Aldric and how Vera responded to him, Valery chuckled, "She really is a great kid. She has been asking me about when he'll be coming with me again too." Which meant nothing really stood in the way of her getting even closer to him. It was just too important to her that Vera got the time she needed to adjust, and she did very quickly. Perhaps she really was longing for that father figure in her life again.

"No, he doesn't..." Valery then said as she listened to Amani's advice. "I feel really bad for having to leave him each time. I think he's just alone in his apartment or ship." She took a small breath and came to her final conclusion. "I'm going to ask him..." There was some nervousness in her voice as she looked back up at Amani. "We're going on a mission together, and I'll bring it up afterward if we get through okay." Living together was a big step, and one she now agreed was one she should be bringing up with him. Getting married or having kids were steps for the future she really wanted to share with him as well, and those would likely spark differently.

"And you let me know how the trip to Alderaan goes, alright?"

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani blushed and shrugged again, "...Me neither." It was special. Of that, she had no doubts. The mirialan laughed, "You know I saw the cover of this one holomag calling us an 'Alliance power couple'. I've never had the guts to actually read one of those stories, though." Tabloid journalists no doubt had a great many claims to make about public figures like Alicio, and by extension, Amani. Not all of them nice.

"I'll give it a shot. I really do want to try my best and make him happy. He's much more into dancing than I am," And if there was anybody in the galaxy that could make her change her tune, it was far and away Alicio Organa.

"That's great. She warmed up fast. Does he know yet? I bet it would make his day," Amani flashed her brows. It might even make him more open to the idea of moving in. Vera could use a positive father figure in her life, again. And from everything she had seen and heard, Aldric had the potential to be just that.

As Amani suspected, he was also running solo when not on missions. It might be a bit lonely, but it also means he'd be easily able to shift into that new setting of living together. Whereas if Valery wasn't ready, she had much more on her plate when it came to home life. It seemed she was committed to throwing the idea out there, which earned a reaffirming nod from Amani, "You'll be fine. I bet he's just waiting to jump at the opportunity. And I will. Naturally." She fluttered her eyelashes.

The ship lurched to a slow-down as it came out of hyperspace, placing a large space station in the dead center of the cockpit viewport. "This is it?" Amani leaned forward to get a look, and immediately shivered a bit, "I… don't like that." She said plainly. It looked derelict. Devoid of light or activity. A ghost ship, floating aimlessly in the yawning void of space.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

At the mention of tabloids, Valery began to chuckle and offered a small wave of her hand, "It is for the best you don't look at them. I once did after HNN interviewed me about the war and my personal life, and some comments were...interesting." Not that it really made her lose sleep at night, but the Galaxy was definitely full of weird types who felt safe being anonymous on the holonet.

"Mhmm, but there is no shame if you end up not liking the dancing too much. Not all your hobbies need to be the same. That said...a slow dance with a partner can be really romantic~" she winked, as she clearly spoke from experience. It was, after all, a dance that really sparked a lot between her and Aldric.

Shifting back to the topic of her home situation, Valery put her faith in what Amani told her, and dipped her head. "Vera did hug him but I haven't told him about her asking about him all the time. She keeps telling me about her visions and dreams, and it really makes me feel that the time is right, even though we haven't been together for a very long time yet." She let out a soft sigh and nodded again. "I'll bring it up with him."

Valery's eyes then turned to the viewport as they arrived at their destination and much like Amani, she looked quite worried. "Can you run a scan for life signs? Or power signatures - other ships could be docked and we also need to know if life support is still functional."

If it wasn't, there likely was no hope for those who were stationed out here.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani scoffed, "Oh, holonet comments I actively avoid." There were a lot of people in the galaxy. And those sites gave each and every one of them exposure. Some thoughts are best kept private, as it turns out.

"Yeah, I know. But he's really into it. I don't want to spoil his fun just cause I'm a little afraid of getting embarrassed," Especially after how willingly Alicio had delved into her culture. Amani shrugged, a soft smile creeping across her lips, "He got a tattoo for me. The least I can do is give it an honest try." Hardly a laborious effort, in the grand scheme of things. It was an excuse to stand close to him, too. Can't complain about that.

"Do it," She assured once more, "I'm sure he'll be excited to hear."

It wasn't long after that they came across the derelict station. Neither were all that enthusiastic about what they say. Amani nodded, and leaned forward to press the console and activate a scan. It brought up little of value, except, "There. It's faint. But there's some kind of auxiliary system still online… An SOS." She confirmed.

"Guess we shouldn't waste time, then."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

Valery nodded in agreement about the dancing, "For sure, and I think you'll end up enjoying it too. Slower dancing isn't hard to get into, and Alicio knows what he's doing." The Alderaanian Waltz, a large group dance, they had joined together during an older Coruscant gala had proven just that. There was no doubt in her mind that he'd make sure Amani would enjoy her evening dancing with him.

In response to the last comment about her upcoming suggestion to live together, she smiled. "I think he will, too. Maybe a little surprised because other than the ship, I haven't really talked about it... but I'm excited to live with him." To wake up in the loving arms of a partner again, to focus on Vera together, and spend even more time close to each other... nothing could quite compare to that.

For now, though, she pulled herself out of the daydreaming and focused on the mission again.

"You think it could have been some kind of accident?" she asked, as she didn't really detect anything that screamed battle damage. It could just mean the attackers boarded and only wreaked havoc inside, but she hoped that wasn't the case. "I just don't know what kind of accident could do this, all the way out here..." She let out a soft sigh and fired up the engines once more to get closer.

Soon enough, the two Jedi would come around the station, and notice a docked ship they hadn't picked up on at all on their sensors. It seemed extremely odd at first, but a more thorough scan revealed why — there was no power on board and no life-support at all. In fact, the design was very strange and unknown to their databases. It hardly looked like it was made to accommodate a crew with its lack of internal support systems.

"Doesn't look like a Maw ship to me." she turned to look at Amani, "Let's dock with the station, and investigate."

 

[Amani Serys]

It seemed Amani and Valery both had a lot of things to look forward to when they got back. She gave her friend a warm smile and nod, before their sensors warned them of the exit from hyperspace. What came after, was more disconcerting that she could have imagined. Even a pirate attack, though still undeniably tragic, would at least be recognizable. Nothing about this felt normal. It was unsettling.

"Maybe…?" Amani shrugged, her tone obviously lacking confidence in her answer. An incident of this level seemed almost impossible. And there was no obvious damage, yet the station might as well be dead weight.

They came around to dock soon after, and found another vessel having done the same. Or at least, that's what it seemed to be. "Doesn't look like any ship I've ever seen," She admitted, now only more suspicious. The design was alien, and unregistered by their sensors.

The silence of space felt deafening in the time it took for them to make contact. Accompanied only by the quiet whirs and groans of metal machinery, the whining of hydraulics, and at last, the opening of the airlock. Amani stepped out, holding a handheld meter, "There's still oxygen here. In this part of the station, anyway." She confirmed the readings, pulling down the breath mask she had taken, letting it hang around her neck. Whether that meant life support was on or not remained to be seen. But for now, there was still breathable air lingering around. Many of the lights in the docking bay were off, spare one large light near the far doors that continued to flicker ominously.

"...Where the hell is everyone?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

The happier thoughts from their conversation about their personal lives faded quickly after they docked with the station and were exposed to the rather eerie atmosphere within the space station. The only positive factor was that life support seemed operational still, which meant people could still be out here and alive.

She just wasn't sensing anybody yet, which made her feel incredibly nervous. During most attacks or accidents, at least some people always survived and found ways to hide or secure themselves.

"No idea where they are. I don't sense anybody but still...I feel this source of danger." She looked around, her Keshian eyes piercing through the darkness, but she still saw nothing that gave her hope for those who worked and lived here.

"That ship we saw, maybe it was a drone? Or piloted by droids or Force dead people." It was the only thing that could explain how they weren't sensing anything, but why would they attack this station? It couldn't have been the Maw either, so who was it?

A sudden but loud mechanical sound pulled Valery out of her thoughts and forced her gaze to a hallway up ahead. "Either that was a big blast door closing...or trouble."

 

[Amani Serys]

Neither of them had an answer for what was going on. Amani pursed her lips, and began a cautious walk forward, “Could be. But who, then? Why attack this place?” There were too many details still uncertain. Was this an independent act, or the vanguard of a larger force? What could compel them to instigate the Alliance? Perhaps they thought attacking a place on the border wouldn’t be worth the GA’s trouble.

A mechanical groan stopped any other train of thought, spurring the Jedi into action. Amani followed the sound to a heavy blast door, half-opened, machinery whining and malfunctioning as it repeatedly tried to close all the way, but failed. “I see some kind of terminal in there. Maybe it can tell us something?”

The mirialan grabbed at the edge, straining to open the broken door for a few moments, before she relented to shoving in the rest of the way with the Force. This made another loud noise, which in turn made Amani wince. “Hopefully no one heard that.”

She stepped forward, and stopped, seeing the vent grate lying on the ground, and the opening above them, “Using the ducts to move? Think it’s survivors, or…?” Or whatever was lurking in the shadows. This was starting to feel more like a horror flick than Amani was comfortable with.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Hyperspace

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Amani Serys

"I... don't know," Valery admitted. Usually, she always had at least a theory about what could be going on, or who could be behind certain problems. But nothing out here made any sense to her, so the Jedi Master had no idea what to expect either. She simply followed her senses or right now, she followed her gut instincts. It drew both Jedi towards the metallic groaning of a blast door trying to repeatedly close. It failed not because of electrical problems, but because it was so badly dented that it no longer fit within the frame.

What the hell could have done this?

"Yeah, let's check the terminal. Maybe we can find some logs or security footage," Valery said quietly while she watched Amani work to get through the door. The Mirialan succeeded, but not without making some noise. It echoed through the empty hallways, which got Valery to wince a little. "If they did, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," she joked. Valery then stepped inside the room and began to look around. Amani had found a duct, but Valery's eyes were drawn to something else. So much so, that she hardly heard the question.

"...uh, maybe yeah." She looked over her shoulder, "Heyy, come check this out," she then said and gestured at a droid on the floor. It had been shot at and was no longer able to move, but its appearance was very strange. "I don't recognize this model at all. An intruder? Or just someone's personal droid?" The latter didn't explain why it was shot, but she couldn't draw conclusions too quickly.

 

[Amani Serys]

Valery's distracted response made Amani turn her way, "What is it?" She walked over to see the droid lying in the corner. It was a strange model, now seemingly shut down from battle damage. The mirialan crouched down to check the details, "It's not like any I've ever seen. I'm not sure what reason this would have for being on a medical station, but-"

A red light flashed to life in the droid's photoreceptor, and it immediately lashed out, wrenching a metal hand around Amani's neck, cutting her off. She flailed against the machine's strength, while it stood up to lift her into the air. Even as it did, it lilted a bit to the side, unable to stay straight thanks to the damage it had taken. The hydraulics in its arm began to tighten, trying to choke the life out of the healer, or, failing that, snap her neck entirely.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

While Amani walked over to take a closer look at the seemingly destroyed droid, Valery was comparing its design to others she had seen in the past. "Its design reminds me of those old-" she paused as a red light flashed to life but what was by far the most concerning was what she felt through the Force - a sudden rush of danger, not for herself, but for Amani.

The droid's mechanical hand gripped around her friend's neck with so much force that it almost instantly cut off her air supply, but as it lifted the Mirialan off the ground, it quickly became clear that it had the strength to snap the woman's neck in half as well.

So without wasting even a second, Valery drew the hilt of her double-bladed weapon into her hand, ignited its violet plasma blades, and severed the arm with a quick sweep. It dropped Amani down to the floor and in response, swept its other arm around towards Valery's face. She quickly ducked low to evade it, however, and held up her left hand to telekinetically lift the droid off the ground. Her hand balled into a fist and with that motion, she directed the Force to crush their enemy completely under heavy pressure, leaving it actually destroyed on the ground when she allowed it to fall back down.

"Amani?! You okay??" She asked, clearly worried but she realized that she had very little time to help her dear friend - more mechanical sounds approached down the hallway, and so she sprinted over to bend the door shut with the Force. It trapped them inside for now, but it gave her the time to check on Amani.

Breaking it back open would be easy for her, if the droids didn't already somehow manage to do so before she could.

Amani Serys

 

[Amani Serys]

The droid's hold on her neck was only a few moments, but intensity of it seemed to drag on forever. The weight then went slack, and Amani felt herself hit the floor, coughing and retching for air. The arm dropped rigid beside her, while the droid itself was quickly dispatched by Valery. "I'm-" She coughed again, her voice quiet and weak, "I'm okay…" A bit of bruising was already showing up around her throat, which she rubbed tenderly with a wince, "Damn."

After a bit more time catching her breath, Amani stood up and groaned, processing the situation they were now in. "They're out in force now." She looked around, her gaze catching the grate once more, "You wanna get out of here?" If it were just more droids they could probably take them, but there was no telling how many there were, or how armed.

Valery Noble​