Private &nbsp; Snow Blind

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 22, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag:

Kahlil Noble

"I know you're right. It's just not always easy." Especially when his dreams were haunted by the people he'd hurt.

It was both a frightening and a reassuring prospect. Gatz had no doubts over what the Shield would do to someone who harmed his family. He certainly knew what Valery would do to someone like that. The fact that he was still alive, that Valery had spent so much time on him, and that they kept inviting him over for dinner or lunch despite how many times he backed out of it...

Maybe he should trust Valery and Kahlil to choose who to bring around their children, and who to keep away.

With that in mind, he followed Kahlil down to the boarding ramp. He chose to stay up at the top, and lean against the frame of the ship as Kahlil reunited with Valery. Watching them hug made the danger of freezing to death or getting shot down by Sith worth the risk. A small warmth bloomed in his chest, in knowing that he'd finally helped Valery with something.

But it stung too. Seeing them so happy and relieved to be back together again... it shouldn't have, but it reminded him that he had no one left in his life. His parents were dead. Klein was dead—something that he'd yet to tell anyone. He'd never had a long term relationship. He had no siblings.

He was... alone. Utterly. If he'd been in Kahlil's shoes, he wouldn't be coming home to anyone. Just an empty, cold ship. No one would have noticed his absence. And that left a chasm in his chest that ached so fiercely he was sure Briana could feel it through their bond.

You can't even be happy for your closest friend and her husband, his mind whispered to him, how selfish can you be, Derrevar?

Not wanting to ruin Valery's moment with Kahlil, Gatz turned to silently step back into the cargo bay.

Valery Noble · Oct 23, 2023

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Gatz Derrevar

Kahlil had barely made it down the ramp one step before she practically jumped him. Her arms tightened around his waist, and she rested her head against his chest while he held her all the same, "I was worried sick," Valery said, and without realizing it, she was tapping into the Force and augmenting her strength enough to lift Kahlil about two inches off the ground with her embrace. She didn't realize how strange that probably looked, for her to pick up her much larger husband. But as soon as she noticed what she was doing, she set him back down.

"You're so grounded now. No leaving the house until you recovered, and I'll handle all the chores and I'll cook dinner, and..." She stopped with a huge grin on her face. The happy kind now that he made it home. She wasn't actually going to try and lock him up inside, and just enjoyed being a bit silly. But she was going to do her best to take care of him.

Leaning back from the hug, she planted a quick but gentle kiss against his lips before she noticed Gatz trying to make an escape. Her arm reached out and she grabbed him by the jacket to yank him back, "Where are you going?" She smirked and pulled him into a hug to show her gratitude for bringing her husband home.

"Thank you so much for bringing him home, Gatz," she said before she pulled back to look him in the eyes with a smile. "Why don't you stay a bit longer and join us two and the family for dinner?" She glanced at Kahlil too, but doubted that he'd object to inviting Gatz over after what he had done for him.

Kahlil Noble · Oct 23, 2023

"I know, I'm sorry."

He laughed a little as he was the one lifted for once, but didn't make too much of a deal with it. Though him being grounded brought quite the chuckle. He wasn't going to argue about that for the moment, not with how worried he knew she was. Instead he just nodded. Looked up to give Gatz a smile in turn. "We're having pancakes. C'mon."

Gatz Derrevar |

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 23, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag:

Kahlil Noble

Gatz yelped as Valery snagged him by the collar of his jacket.

"Hey! What did I do—"

Gatz blinked, stunned as Valery pulled him into a hug, his arms just hanging limply as he tried to process what was happening. He shouldn't have been so confused. She'd hugged him before, but that was usually right after he'd hit rock bottom, and he was drowning in his own pain. So this hug was, well, completely unexpected. But he got over his shock, and hugged her back with a sigh.

And for a moment, that hollow void in his chest didn't hurt so much.

"You don't have to thank me. Not ever. Not after all you've done for me." Gatz looked between Kahlil and Valery, "I will always help when your family needs me."

How could he do any less, after all Valery had done for him? Even Kahlil, who knew of his less-than-legal past, had shown him nothing but kindness. The only people he'd ever met who'd had anything resembling faith in him, and they were both standing right here. No scorn, no look of disgust on their faces.

Just smiles. Acceptance.

So when Valery invited him over for dinner, for the umpteenth time, Gatz couldn't find it in himself to decline. Didn't even want to. Even if he had, it would have been hard to come up with a good reason to leave, considering he was already on the colony, so...

"Sure." He smiled, "pancakes sound great."

Valery Noble · Oct 23, 2023

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Gatz Derrevar

It was a good thing he decided not to argue.

Even though she wasn't actually lock him up inside, she'd still be hovering over him for a day or two. Just the way he had been with her after her crash and capture by Danton, but to a lesser extent. His injury wasn't too serious, especially not for someone built like a tank. She just... was the overly worried spouse.

She knew that, and she felt like it could be annoying. But it was simply who she was.

Following the hug with Gatz, Valery smiled at him and dipped her head, "I'm still going to thank you. It just really means a-" she paused as a familiar presence reached out to her. Or, well, a whole group of them really. Turning around, Valery spotted three little Nobles running with their arms wide towards their father.

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

"Daddy!"

Leave it to Nobles to escape when they've been told to wait for Dad at home. Of course, Vera and Aris were right behind them, not to rush after them and drag them back, but just to make sure they'd be okay.

"You'll love his pancakes, but first, time for you to properly meet the triplets," Valery told Gatz while she watched them charge at their father.

Kahlil Noble · Oct 24, 2023

Kahlil stepped forward, crouched down, and promptly lifted the trio up in his arms to hug them close with a smile. There was nothing like seeing all his kids come to greet him like this, especially after a bit of the frustration that crashing as he did could give. Ah well, though. No reason to stress anymore. He glanced to Vera and Aris, giving them a brief nod before looking towards Gatz with a smirk.

"Yes, come meet the triplets already."

Gatz Derrevar |

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 24, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag:

Kahlil Noble

Waddling footsteps and the shouts of excited children interrupted what Valery was saying to him, and Gatz knew that the rest of the family had joined the party. That left him feeling nervous, because despite what Kahlil had said to reassure him, Gatz still didn't know if being around their children was a good idea. What did a man like him—a selfish man, a cruel man, a bad man—have to offer them?

But there was no escape now. Valery would just grab him by his collar again.

The last time Gatz had seen the triplets, he didn't think they'd been walking. Or, at least, not all that well. That day was hard to remember accurately, considering how much blood he had left on Valery's guest bed. But here they were, charging Kahlil at full bore. Little Vera was behind them, but she was less little than he remembered. And next to her was... by the Force, that boy was the spitting image of his father. Gatz couldn't see even a hint of Valery in him.

So, that was Aris, clearly.

"Well, that's quite the homecoming party."

With trepidation still beating in his heart, Gatz approached the rest of the family, standing beside Kahlil and waiting for the man to finish being mauled by his little rugrats.

Valery Noble · Oct 24, 2023

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The triplets collectively squealed and laughed when they were picked up together and hugged. Their little arms reached around their dad as much as they could, and even after he set them back down, they kept hugging themselves around him. He hadn't been gone for very long, but they were very aware of their father missing. Mom was tense and worried, and he wasn't there to tuck them in at night.

But now he was back!

"Good to see you back, dad!" Vera called out with a smile. This time, she hadn't been too worried. Her visions had shown that Gatz was coming for him, so for perhaps the first time, she had been the one calming the family down. Even her Mother had found a lot of comfort in her visions this time, and it made her feel good about herself. She had helped the family.

"Hey cuties, come here and meet Gatz," Valery said. "He helped dad come home." Valery looked at Gatz and nodded, hoping it would nudge him to step forward.

"I'm Aeryn!" the technically oldest of the three called out. "I'm Adam!" the youngest son added. Only Aurra seemed a little more shy about introducing herself, and kept her voice quiet, "Hewwo, I'm Aurra," she said before quickly looking at her Mom to see if she did it alright, and for her comfort.

"You uh, need any more patching up?" Valery meanwhile asked after scooting closer to her husband. "I can tell you're alright, but just making sure." In fact, she was going to be taking care of him for at least a few days.

She then glanced at Aris and waited to see if he'd introduce himself too.

Kahlil Noble · Oct 24, 2023

"I don't, no. Nor will I be staying that long. There's Sith actively using that outpost, so it needs to be dealt with." As much as Valery seemed to want him to stay and relax, he wasn't going to. The outposts were a distraction, he knew that much. But they were still a threat, and they couldn't be left to their own devices. Did that mean he was leaving right away, though?

No. Not yet. Pancakes first.

"I'm going to go make some pancakes now, alright? Don't worry, I am alright."

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 24, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag:

Kahlil Noble

With Valery's permission, Gatz stepped forward and knelt down. The triplets had been too young to remember him, the last time he'd met them. And it was funny: he didn't remember being so nervous about being introduced to her family that day. He'd been concerned for their safety, but not anxious about a meet and greet.

Just be a normal, decent person, Gatz reminded himself, not a smuggler, or scoundrel, or all the other terrible things you've been.

"Hi, I'm Gatz," he smiled at the triplets, "I'm a friend of your mom's."

The three little toddlers were all adorable, but little Aurra was the most precious, timid and looking to her mother for approval. Something about that tugged at his heartstrings—a feeling he hadn't felt in a very long time. Not that Aeryn and Adam weren't precious in their own little ways. Aeryn in particular looked like a little version of her mom, even more so than Vera did.

Speaking of his favorite Noble, Gatz stood back up to look to their eldest daughter.

"Well, aren't you getting tall? Still rambunctious, I hope?"

Gatz was about to turn to Aris, to finally introduce himself to the one Noble kid he hadn't met, when Kahlil mentioned that he still planned to go back and take care of those Sith outposts. He understood the urgency of the matter, of course, but the man had just gotten home. Was he really going to leave after dinner? So soon?

Unless...

"Kahlil," Gatz set a hand on the man's shoulder, "you should rest. Spend some time with your family. After dinner, I'll call Briana, and we'll take care of those outposts on Vandor. I'm sure she'd be happy to help."

'Call' wasn't exactly the right word to use, but Gatz wasn't quite ready to talk about their newfound bond yet. He was certain, though, that she'd help if he asked it of her. Or even if he didn't.

Valery Noble · Oct 24, 2023

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"Don't tell me not to worry," Valery said with narrowed eyes. "You're not going there alone, not when you've just gotten a concussion. How do you think the kids will feel when you leave so soon after what happened?" She was getting a little angry now, but a deep breath calmed her back down and she watched Gatz place his hand on her husband's shoulder to try and talk him out of it with a counter-offer.

She did trust Briana and Gatz could handle it, though she knew her husband. He didn't like leaving loose ends when it came to the Sith and their positions.

It's why he always went after his old labs when he could.

"I'd be fine with Gatz and Briana handling it. Or, the three of us go together. But I'm not letting you go alone. I'll teleport across the freeking stars to hunt you down if you try it," she said, very stubbornly.

Kahlil Noble · Oct 24, 2023

Gatz and Briana? Kahlil raised a brow, glancing to the shorter man before looking towards Valery. Naturally she'd be all for keeping him home. He wasn't planning on going back alone, though. The first trip was just to see if the place was empty after all. He hadn't expected to see fully operational Sith fighters dispatched to go after him. But he also didn't expect Gatz to be the one to tell him to rest.

He chuckled, nodding his head.

"That could be fine. I'm sure there are other Jedi to help with the other facilities too, as needed."

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 24, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag:

Kahlil Noble

Man, Gatz really didn't want to get roped into a marital dispute. He'd seen Valery angry before, usually with him. And even if her fury was directed elsewhere, he really didn't feel like experiencing that today. Or ever again. Life was much simpler when The Sword of the Jedi was happy, for everyone around her.

And Gatz really hoped that The Shield agreed.

Thankfully, Kahlil accepted the compromise. Gatz might have hugged the man, if he'd known him long enough for hugging to be acceptable. Instead he clapped him on the shoulder once more, something akin to a gesture of acceptance. Or gratitude.

"Then it's settled. Pancakes, and then I'll get going." He looked down at the little ones, almost afraid he'd trample over them if he took a step, "I'll let Briana know, swing by Naboo or Coruscant and grab her, wherever she's at."

He knew where she was at. But they didn't know that he knew that, or why he would know that, and it would be weird if he just knew that out of the blue. So Gatz opted for a small falsehood. Later, when she wasn't worried about her husband, and trying to take care of her five children, Gatz would sit down and talk to Valery about what had been forged between him and Briana.

But not now. Right now, there was one more Noble to meet. Also pancakes.

"Hey Vera, why don't you introduce me to your brother? It'd be awfully rude of me to eat pancakes with someone I haven't introduced myself to, yet."

Valery Noble · Oct 25, 2023

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"Mhmm..." Valery hummed when Kahlil seemed to at least agree on the compromise. "You're not going on any missions alone for a few days. Until we're 100% sure that this concussion isn't anything serious." It wasn't just about keeping him at home. She just wanted to make sure that if he did go on a mission, and she'd let him with his role within the Jedi, that he was at least not taking unnecessary risks.

And, well, she loved finding reasons to join him too.

"But I agree, pancake time." She started directing the little ones towards the house, but stopped to look up at Gatz. He addressed Vera, and she smiled brightly at him.

"Of course!" she said before running up behind Aris to nudge him closer to Gatz, "This is Aris, my brother!" She grinned and looked at the rather calm sibling.

Kahlil Noble · Oct 25, 2023

Kahlil let out a defeated sigh. There was no reason to keep him a couple days, but he wasn't going to argue. Not with Valery. Instead he nodded, chuckled, and turned to head into the kitchen to at least get that going. Aris, on the other hand, offered a smile from where he stood beside Vera. "Hello, Gatz. I hear you help our family a lot. Thank you, for all you've done."

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 25, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag:

Kahlil Noble

Vera and Aris, Gatz decided, were about as different from each other as water was from fire. Vera was excitable, rambunctious, and outgoing. Aris seemed reserved, calm, and maybe a little timid. So, Vera reminded him of Valery, and Aris reminded him of Kahlil—minus the timidness. What a perfect little combination.

Gatz hoped Vera made sure to rope Aris into trouble, from time to time. Trouble built character.

"Hi Aris, it's good to finally meet you." Gatz smiled, "your mom is a lot better at helping me than I am at helping her, but... you're welcome."

But at least for today, if nothing else, Gatz had managed to do something Valery, instead of Valery doing something for him. And if that meant helping out Kahlil, and bringing his children their dad back... well, maybe Gatz could find it in himself to be proud of that. Just this once.

Gatz heard the sizzling of something in the kitchen, and assumed that Kahlil had started the pancakes. While he questioned the logic in letting a concussion victim cook for the family, Gatz figured that Valery would probably keep an eye on him. Plus... he wanted pancakes. So he'd ignore the fact that Kahlil should be resting, in this particular moment.

Valery Noble · Oct 25, 2023

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"Love you," Valery told Kahlil right before he headed out to make pancakes. She knew she could be a little much with how protective she was, but there were reasons for it. Reasons he understood better than anybody, and she figured that's why he wasn't even really trying to argue against her. Being home for a few days wouldn't be so bad, and it'd give her and the kids a lot of peace of mind. That ultimately mattered the most, she figured.

Turning back, Valery watched Aris and Gatz met for the first time, and let out a soft chuckle. "Well, Gatz has really made a difference today, so that counts for way more than what I did for him." He'd probably disagree, knowing him, but Valery meant it. She then ushered the kids inside and gestured for the table.

"Hey love?" Valery called out to Kahlil. "You know, I've been offering Gatz some training lately. Maybe we should have him help us with a mission sometime? I think he's eager to prove himself a little." At least, that's the feeling she had gotten from him. He wanted to feel useful out in the field.

Kahlil Noble · Oct 26, 2023

"You beat yourself up too much and doubt your self worth too often." Aris nodded once before looking to Valery with a smile. He absolutely trusted his mother's opinion of people above all else. But he didn't linger, instead bowing his head before following towards the kitchen. He wanted to help his father with the pancakes, and who wouldn't! "I don't see why not. More help is always a good thing, especially with everything going on. It'd be a great help, for certain."

Gatz Derrevar · Oct 26, 2023

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
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