Private Sing me a Song

[Raphael Gallustrade]

The war was raging, but Raphael, was not currently part of it as he'd been trying to overcome what had happened, and get used to his new hand, through phyiscal therapy. Now, however, he had been... more or less cleared by the therapy teams and so he was now working on getting back into normal work. It was something fairly light to get himself back into "Jedi work", aka back into fighting and the war. While that might not've been something that he should've been feeling, he didn't want to feel like a burden. That was why, when he'd heard about this, he'd jumped on it.

Unlike normal, though, they wanted someone to go with him just to make sure that he was safe. They wanted someone at least knight level to go with him. That just about immediately ended his excitement, as there were virtually no knights that could have gone with him. They were all still dealing with the war, dealing with the issues remaining on Coruscant, dealing with whatever else. Few people had the time to look into missing shipments of metals. This one, however, had seemed important. It was a shipment of songsteel, a metal he knew exhibited many properties of cortosis and phrik. In short, it was very light and very strong. In an age of lightsabers becoming so common. From the report it was a team of pirates. There were a lot of things that could've been made with something like that.

While it was probably on the lower list of priorities, Raphael felt that this warranted at least some attention... With a frown, he pulled up his datapad and sent a message on a larger holoboard:

"Sonsgteel shipment stolen. Need someone to come with. I can provide transport.
-- Raphael Gallustrade"

Then he settled back against his starship, and shrugs, relaxing. With any luck someone would actually take him up on it and they'd be able to stop the pirates.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery adjusted the flight stick of her X-wing, the familiar hum of the engines thrumming beneath her fingertips as she glanced down at the message on her console. Raphael's request for backup had caught her attention almost immediately — not just because of the stolen shipment of songsteel, but because it was Raphael asking. She knew he'd been through a lot recently, and if he was out here on this mission, it meant he was pushing himself to get back into action.

With a soft sigh, she keyed in her response, transmitting her location as she closed in on his starship's coordinates.

"Raphael, this is Valery. I'm approaching your location now. Just give me a few seconds, and we'll be able to head out together."

Her X-wing broke through the cloud cover, the dark outline of Raphael's starship becoming visible against the backdrop of space. The stars glittered in the distance as she skillfully maneuvered her fighter into position beside him. She took a deep breath, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline that always came with the promise of a mission — even a smaller one like this.

"Glad to see you're back on your feet," Valery's voice came through the comms with a hint of warmth. "You ready to handle this mission together?"

Raphael Gallustrade ​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

He'd gotten a message from Valery's ship, she was on her way, from how the message read. With an exhale, he continued his flight, though didn't move any further towards the planet that he'd been watching. He did his best to not take up Valery's time, though he did oftentimes miss getting to talk with her. It wasa small thing, but it was oftentimes on the smaller things that the galaxy hinged. Not that the galaxy hinged on him being able to talk with her. Sometime he should find his master, see how she was doing. It had been a while.

His ship's sensors blared immediately, as hers came onto the scanner, a few faint movements and he could immediately tell it was an X-wing, his Aurek II floating lazily. It felt odd that the grandmaster of the Jedi had arrived to help, though not much more odd than when she'd helped him the first time.

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back on my feet," came his response. "I feel like I've been doing nothing for a long time... What happened on Coruscant... in the Temple's undercroft. I dunno. I was just so... locked in myself for a while and tha kinda violates the code, I feel. The metal arm I have is just... a little, new, that's all. I also rebuilt my lightsaber, so I feel like getting back into the fight is important... But I also figured I might as well start with something a bit smaller..."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened quietly to Raphael's response, her gaze drifting out to the stars as his voice filled the cockpit. She could hear the weight of what he'd been through in every word, and it made her heart tighten with empathy. Coruscant had been a hard battle for everyone, but Raphael had faced personal trials that were just as difficult to overcome.

"I get it, Raphael," she replied softly, her voice warm and understanding. "The aftermath of a battle like that can leave you feeling… disconnected. It's not easy to get back into the rhythm of things, but that's what makes this step even more important."

She glanced at his ship through the cockpit glass, her smile faint but genuine. "Starting small is the right approach. It's not about the size of the mission — it's about getting back out there and feeling like yourself again."And she'd be there to help him if he needed it.

Valery paused, then added with a playful edge, "And I'm curious to see this new lightsaber of yours in action. You up for it?"

Her tone was light, but there was an unspoken promise of support — whatever he needed, she'd be there.

Raphael Gallustrade ​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

His fists tightened on the controls, as he spoke. It had been a hellish time, fighting as much as he possibly could against his former sith master, and then she'd taken his arm. He'd... He hated to say it, but he had learned from her, in that fight. How to use tutaminis in dangerous, life threatening situations, how to steel one's resolve for battle, no matter what. He wasn't quite certain what to make of those lessons, sitting in his cockpit now, but they were useful, in their own ways, he was certain.

He listened to her, as she said that she understood, and nodded in agreement, even though she couldn't see it. It left scars, scars that often refused to heal and he didn't want to be simply stuck like that. The only way to really escape his own head... was exactly what the grandmaster was saying. First small steps.

"Roger that." He nodded, taking a breath. "It's... Yeah. It's just hard. I was happy to hear that Gatz was promoted to a knight." He paused a moment, staring off into space. "I was glad to at least overcome some things... even losing some weight!" He laughed, a bit, at his own joke. Then he paused. "Well, with any luck, we won't need to use it, other than, perhaps, blocking blaster fire. If that's the case, it'll be great. I've been trying to not worry about what happened."

He paused for a moment. "V- Er, grandmaster... I just wanted to thank you for coming to get me, that day, saving me from Adeline... I'll be honest, if you hadn't, there's a strong possibility that I'd still be at her side... or dead..." He took a breath. "Been wanting to say that for a while, to be honest. Anyways... Uh, the group that took it, I've been keeping an eye on them, and they're, uh..." He coughed, embarrassed. "On the north east quadrant of the planet is where the base is... Do you have any thoughts on how to approach this?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's gaze remained focused, her voice carrying a warmth that contrasted with the serious conversation. "You've already made it through the hardest part, Raphael. You're moving forward, and that takes more strength than most realize." She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in before turning to their mission.

They could chat a lot more another time.

"North-east quadrant, then. We'll stay low, scout the perimeter, and assess their defenses before deciding on our move." Her tone sharpened slightly with focus, but then softened again, "And you don't need to thank me. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Her smile returned, even through the cockpit's quiet hum. "We'll tackle this mission together, just like everything else." With a touch of playfulness in her tone, she added, "Now let's see that new lightsaber of yours in action. I'm curious."

Raphael Gallustrade ​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

"You're not wrong..." he admitted, to himself. The hardest thing he'd found about this WAS moving forward. So often, over the last few weeks, he'd just wanted to never leave the Temple, again, maybe just take up a post as a librarian. But, the more he thought about it, the more that he realized such a thing was tantamount to giving up, to admitting that fear was stronger than he was. He refused such a potentiality. Fear would not rule him. And, as she said that he was doing the hardest part, he nodded, a big part of him agreeing with her.

"Roger that. Alright. Just follow my lead. I've been flying these canyons and cliffs for the last two rotations. We can head in low from the south of their base, where the defenses are weakest, and land. Then, we can scout out the base. I haven't taken a look yet, just to let you know, so it could be anything waiting there, for us." Raph tilted his head, for a moment, before chuckling, she asked about seeing his lightsaber in action.

"Alright, alright. Like I said, we get in a dangerous situation? I'll definitely do so. But, for now... Here we go." He pushed the control stick forwards, and the ship suddenly rocketed towards the ground, in interceptor mode. The ship was going very very fast, and he could feel it shaking as it entered orbit, outside heating up, as always. Thermovoltaic cells, absorbed that friction, powering the ship further.

He immediately dove into a nearby canyon, banking as he went, avoiding sensors and scanners, alike, hoping that Valery was behind him. "I'm looking forward to this, helping and everything."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery followed closely behind Raphael, her ship cutting through the canyon with expert precision. The way he maneuvered through the tight turns impressed her, a testament to his familiarity with the terrain. The thrill of the mission began to settle in, the hum of the ship and the rush of air blending with her heightened senses.

"Impressive flying," she called through the comms, her voice steady despite the intense pace. "Let's keep low and quiet for as long as we can. I'll cover the rear."

As they weaved through the canyon, Valery's focus sharpened, her mind already running through potential strategies for when they touched down. But there was something else as well — a flicker of pride seeing Raphael so determined and focused.

"We'll see what we're dealing with soon enough," she added, her tone slightly lighter, but always ready for what lay ahead. "Just be ready — if things go south, I've got your back, and I know you've got mine."

As they neared the target area, Valery could feel the familiar tingle of anticipation. This was the calm before the storm, and both Jedi were prepared to face whatever awaited them together.

Raphael Gallustrade ​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

There was an undeniable elation that crept up from his throat, as he banked and flew through the canyon. It reminded him of so long ago, when he and Val had first worked together, way back before he was a Jedi, there were a lot of fond memories, in those early days, before the war with the sith. Reminiscing was well and good, but he knew that he couldn't do it for long. He refocused on the mission, as the two of them flew. He heard her praise, and wanted to chuckle, but kept himself grounded and calm. Focus would be important here. He couldn't afford distractions, especially with how he was flying.

"Confirmed, Val. There's a clearing a few cliques east of their fortifications. We can land there, and scope out what their defenses are like and can plan accordingly." The canyon suddenly forked and Raphael banked to the left heading towards a forest and a clearing not far from where the canyon had opened to the forest.

"Up ahead." His ship's wings suddenly pulled forward, as he lowered his speed. "There we are... Lowering my speed, you should be able to see their position on your sensors." He began lowering his ship, as the wings folded up, again. "We should be alright here..."

He turned his ship off and opened the cockpit as he slowly got out of the ship and looked over the base. "...alright, Raph... You've got this. You train to hold onto control." He exhaled, nodding to his own words. "Yeah. You've got this, Raph. Val believes in you too. Whatever comes, we face it."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery maneuvered her ship down into the clearing with ease, watching as Raphael landed alongside her. After powering down, she stepped out, taking in the forested surroundings, the base just visible in the distance through the trees. The atmosphere was tense, but Raphael's determined look gave her confidence. She approached him quietly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her eyes conveying the calm certainty she wanted him to feel.

"Let's do this," she said softly, meeting his gaze.

They moved to the edge of the clearing, where she crouched beside him, her eyes scanning the pirate fortifications. The terrain, thick with trees and rocky outcroppings, provided cover, but she knew the pirates were likely well-armed and prepared. Even so, she could feel Raphael's resolve steadying beside her.

"Let's make our approach slow and stay out of sight," she continued in a low voice, her gaze intense. "We'll scout their defenses, plan, and take it one step at a time. I trust you."

With a small nod, she signaled for him to lead the way, fully prepared to face whatever lay ahead together.

Raphael Gallustrade ​

 

[Raphael Gallustrade]

Raphael readied himself, lightsaber sliding into his jacket and pistol in its holster, he watched as Val hopped out of her ship. Following suit, he glanced at the base not too far away. They'd have to go through the woods, and probably avoid a patrol or two. Though he knew where they were, he didn't know their strength or their armaments. He took a deep breath, and nodded, as he smiled to Valery.

"Of course. I'll be honest, I don't know what kind of armaments they have, just to let you know." He stretched, readying himself.

He moved quickly, each step determined and focused, as they headed towards a clearing on a bluff, overlooking their defenses. The walls were patrolled by a few with what looked like looted imperial rifles, though he couldn't be entirely certain, from where they were. Most likely there were others, inside, either celebrating or perhaps going over and dividing the most recent acquisitions from a raid.

He looked to Val, for a moment and nodded. "Right. They seem to be fairly well armed..." Counting quickly, he turned and nodded to Val. "There's an area down below.... that we can get a better look at what they've got set up..." Raphael nodded to her, and started heading down the bluff. "We're just gonna have to go a little bit at a time. One step after the next."

Valery Noble