Private Song of Steel

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"This should be it."

Valery squinted through the viewscreen as the enormous asteroid belt finally came into view. A long time ago, deposits of Songsteel had been found inside this asteroid belt and Valery was hoping to find some for her new lightsaber. Perhaps Ran would want the same material for hers because Songsteel was famous for its lightsaber-resisting properties, making it an ideal material for the hilt. In addition to its durability, the material is also extremely lightweight, so a weapon of this steel would never tire the user after prolonged use.

These things combined made it extremely valuable and finding it on the market wasn't possible without paying absurd prices.

"We'll have to be careful though. Cularin is just outside Alliance borders and we've recently been dealing with those Mandalorian Neo-crusaders raiding planets just outside our territory." Even though Mandalorians had Beskar and didn't necessarily need Songsteel, there was still a chance to encounter them. Not all of their equipment could be made using the precious Mandalorian steel and they also targeted people for the challenge.

For the sake of conflict and the strength they gained from it.

"How do you suppose we could locate an asteroid with Songsteel? Does your ship have any fancy scanners?" Valery smirked.

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

"This should be it." Ran echoed Valery, but her tone was lower and her words were tinged with the slightest hint of confusion. She pushed the Onyx Runner forward into an arc around the asteroid belt's edge. The ship's scanners weren't picking up any readings reminiscent of Songsteel. Ran wondered if the belt had been mined clean. Or was it something else? Maybe the scanners were wrong, broken, or in need of recalibration. She didn't want to tell Valery any news prematurely, so she did the only thing she could and started the recalibration process. A few moments, a couple buttons, and a toggle switch is all it would take.

"More careful than navigating an asteroid belt?" Ran teased as hunks of broken rock and debris rolled by the viewport. Her sense of humor was becoming sharper. She was a far cry from the woman who was weak and freshly returned to the Core just a few months before. "But yes. Of course. I'll keep that in mind." She adjusted plainly and with a bit of embarrassment. The threat the neo-crusaders posed was no joking matter and without a lightsaber the expedition could prove a lot more dangerous than anticipated should they make contact with the faction.

"I've just recalibrated the sensors now," Ran replied and flipped a series of switches. "They're not fancy but they work." She assured Valery. "Or should work." She added. Unassuring.

Ran stared at the data the scanner had retrieved on a small viewscreen on the pilot's console. "I'm getting a large amount of electromagnetic interference. I can't get a scan of any metals, minerals, almost nothing. But why is that?" The Knight shared. Using the console and ship's computer she isolated the signal frequency in the interference and cross referenced against a portable astrogation archive. "Slivian Iron." Ran exclaimed. "An amazing amount. So much so that I cannot detect anything lesser."

"I'm sorry, Friend, but if you want Songsteel, It's not going to be easy." Ran smiled and pressed a button. The presence of an open wall hatch was revealed behind them as were two pressurized space suits. "Changing rooms that way." She teased again pointing to the back of the ship and grabbing a suit for herself.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Navigating asteroid belts is fun," Valery said with a smirk, though she supposed most people would disagree. She still remembered the look on the face of a dear friend when she took his ship through a field of asteroids. Even a single dent would have upset him, and she was going through it fast.

But she hadn't hit a thing!

While they joked around, Valery did notice that Ran was... pressing buttons, and things. Truthfully, she had no idea what the Mirialan was up to, being worse with tech than her teenage daughter, but it must be important. Ran looked focused, and after calibrating the sensors, she was finally getting some readings.

Sadly, nothing that would help them much.

"Well, sounds like we're doing this the hard way," Valery smirked at the woman and rose from her seat to head for the changing rooms. Once inside, she picked up a suit that seemed fitting enough and began to strip down. While she worked her way into the annoying suit, Valery looked over at Ran, blinked, and cleared her throat.

"How uh, do we know which asteroid to start with?"

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran sighed dramatically. "If the easy way has ever made a sound, It must be a whisper." Ran agreed. It seemed to her, the hard way was more often than not the only way. It was a fact of her life that she didn't mind. Ran liked adversity. She found it often led to adventure, and while a Jedi does not crave adventure, Ran certainly seemed to enjoy it.

So while Ran changed alongside Valery, she considered her question thoroughly. If she were alone, Ran would just follow her instincts. They'd never failed her before, so why doubt them? Other Jedi would meditate on the matter. Ran wondered what course of action Valery would take if she hadn't been present. As Ran squeezed her body into the tight, black undersuit she asked for assistance. "Would you zip me up? Thank you." She would understandably return the favor, if needed.

"We don't know." Ran admitted. "Logically, I would start with the largest asteroid, but my instincts tell me to check the data. I think the asteroid with the highest and safest levels of electromagnetic radiation is our best bet. I say this because despite its magnetic properties Slivian Iron is a byproduct metal and often forms alongside other metal formations." She said with more confidence as she continued. The Knight had done her research and had considered Slivian Iron for her new lightsaber. The prospect of Songsteel was proving even more tempting by the minute.

"But I leave the decision with you. What do you want to do, Valery?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Yeah, of course." Valery turned around, her own undersuit already on but unzipped at the back, and reached for the zipper. She kept her eyes up, not daring to let her eyes wander, and pulled the zipper up to help Ran out. She then turned her back to the Mirialan and asked for the same help in return. While they were getting changed into the space suits, Valery also listened to what Ran was trying to explain about finding the Songsteel ore.

But... it mostly went over her head.

There was something about electromagnetic something and a bit more about byproducts, but Valery was no expert at those things. She just nodded along, then finally turned back to Ran when her own suit was zipped up, "You sound like you know a lot more about this stuff than I do," she chuckled and cracked a grin.

"Let's follow those readings of yours. I'm sure the Force can guide us from there."

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

With her hand on Valery's back, Ran returned the favor promptly. Making sure not to linger, she zipped Valery's undersuit and continued on equipping and adjusting her larger, pressurized oversuit so they could continue on their journey.

"Agreed." Ran replied simply and humbly, not acknowledging Valery's observation. Ran only sounded like she knew what she was talking about. To her, everything she'd just spoken of was only a small scratch on the surface. She knew if given more time, she'd come to learn more about the belt.

Ran put the pressurized helmet on and with its signature hiss she knew the air barrier was sealed and tight. Once Valery gave her the ready signal, Ran led them to the airlock, opened it, and jumped from the Onyx Runner to their desired asteroid. She used the oversuit's pressure boosters to navigate the asteroid's low gravity just a bit more efficiently. "There is a crater over this ridge. There should be multiple entrances to the different iron deposits," Ran informed, pulling the information from her datapad which was tied into the ship's scanners. "Let's stick together for now. Until we're aware of any prospective danger." She said to Valery over the suit's built-in short range communicators.

"Why the search for Songsteel? Why a new lightsaber, Valery?" Ran asked as they marched over the ridge and into the crater. "I know why I am here. I'm unequipped." Ran said with no lightsaber in hand, unlike Valery who kept her double bladed lightsaber close.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"I hate how bulky these suits are," Valery commented after she put on the pressurized suit, "These are just as terrible as the ones I wore thousands of years ago. You'd think they would improve them." She was grumbling a little but soon accepted her fate. These suits were not ideal if they got into a fight or other serious trouble, but they'd be dead in seconds without them. Hopefully, the vacuum of space would be their only true obstacle.

But knowing her luck, they'd encounter something out there.

"Alright, I'm ready to go." She checked the gauges of her suit one last time, then double-checked the ones on Ran's suit as well. She gave the Mirialan a moment to check hers in turn, then finally followed her to the airlock. As annoying as the suits were, the weightless feeling of falling through space was worth that trouble.

It was a unique thrill that nothing could really replicate.

"Both of my lightsabers were lost during the Battle on Coruscant," Valery explained as they moved for the crater, "I've also decided to re-design some of my equipment, so it's not the worst and I still have my double-bladed lightsaber to defend myself until I build the new ones."

Valery paused and looked over at her friend, "Did you lose yours at Coruscant, too?"

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

"I'm sorry they were lost," Ran said, thinking back to Coruscant. It wasn't a fond memory for anyone. Ran was leading aid and relief teams until the very end. It was hard to see so many innocent faces go through the prospect of displacement, having their homes destroyed, and barely escaping with their lives. There were others who were happy to be gone from the core world. For as much as Coruscant is an example of splendid civilization in the core, it is also an example of all of the darkest parts of sentience. Ran dealt with many a scum and villain to care for the citizens of the lower levels during the invasion, and while she didn't lose her lightsaber in that operation, she did lose her desire to live on Coruscant at least for a while.

"I didn't lose my lightsaber on Coruscant. No." The mirialan answered. "I lost my lightsaber on Naalol. Outnumbered and exhausted. I was defeated. My lightsaber is in the hands of another." She explained. "I have a feeling I will be reunited with the lightsaber again, but until then I will forge a new one." Ran added somewhat wistfully as they came to a fork in their path.

"We should take the path to the right. The datapad is showing less magnetic interference but a similar amount of mass. I think if we are to find Songsteel, it'll be down there." Ran put her hand on Valery's shoulder as she explained. "Let's go." Ran continued on with a little more excitement in her voice. She moved as fast as the suit would let her and was excited by all the slivian iron around them. "How did you lose your lightsabers?" Ran continued their conversation. "Forgive me, Valery, but I just can't imagine someone taking them from you." Ran held Valery in high regard for all the help the grandmaster had given the guardian when she had first joined the order. Back then Valery was a battlemaster on the council and Ran was fresh on the run from the Sith Order of the time. Ran looked back on that time fondly. Things were very different then. The only thing that wasn't different was their ability to put themselves in danger.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery listened to Ran's words with a soft, understanding nod. Losing a lightsaber was never easy, especially when it symbolized so much more than just a weapon, "I'm sure you'll cross paths with your lightsabers again," Valery began with a soft smile, "Next time, you'll be ready, and they'll be yours again." Losing a battle was never easy, but a true Jedi learned from such encounters. It makes them stronger, and the mistakes that were made that day would be mistakes of the past.

As they moved forward, Valery's mind drifted back to Coruscant and the battle that led to her own loss, "They weren't taken from me," Valery began, her tone quieter, touched by a hint of pain. "I was fighting Kyrel Ren's son. Something about him... it stirred the presence of Kyrel that still lingers inside of me. I've carried it ever since our battle over Exegol, where I struck Kyrel down and he made his attempt to possess my body. That connection brought unexpected pain during our fight — pain that threw me off balance."

She paused, her gaze distant as she recalled the chaotic battle. "In the midst of that struggle, I couldn't hold onto my lightsabers and they were lost when I made part of the Temple collapse onto us both. It helped me escape a situation I hadn't expected, but my lightsabers were lost somewhere in the rubble."

Valery glanced at Ran, a small, determined smile forming on her lips. "But like you, I believe I'll forge new ones soon. Perhaps it's time for a change — something that reflects who I am now, after everything we've been through."

She then gestured toward the path they were taking, bringing the focus back to their mission. "Let's find that Songsteel. It seems we both have some work to do."

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

Sith Possession. Ran wasn't surprised to hear the Jedi's ancient enemies were even nastier in death than in life, and the connection Val shared with Kyrel Ren was another mystery of the force. Very strange. Very vile. Very scary. Ran thought at the prospect of the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order being a darksider's puppet. She was glad it was a plan that hadn't come to fruition.

She was much less glad about the lightsabers. They were lost but not forgotten, and Ran thought Valery's may yet turn up. The rebuilding efforts on Coruscant persisted and wouldn't finish for quite some time. Ran wondered what Jedi were still there among the reconstruction teams. Clearly not her and Valery. They were too busy following the force on the path to their new lightsabers. Ran agreed with Valery as they walked. Both women had been through a lot in different ways, but Ran didn't dwell on it.

"We do!" Ran agreed again. "First to find it should be rewarded." She proposed. "Name the prize." She requested of Valery as she closed her eyes and probed the hollow caverns of the asteroid with the force. Ran was hoping to get a leg up on the childish competition should her friend choose to take the bait.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

A competition?

Valery couldn't help but grin wide at the thought. She loved a good challenge, especially when there were stakes to it. Risks that needed to be taken for a reward. So, Valery's mind immediately began to wander to all the horrible things she could make Ran do if she were to win. Take over frustrating chores at the Temple? Handle boring paperwork for a while? Valery hummed in thought and quickly turned her gaze to the Mirialan.

"I accept the challenge," Valery began, "Let's say the loser owes the winner, and we determine a prize later? I'd love to be able to think of something... special. Wouldn't you agree?" It was dangerous not to already determine the prize, but that risk went both ways. Surely, Ran would be up for it, given all of this had been her proposal?

If she backed out now, Valery's teasing would be relentless.

"So, do we split up, then?" She asked as she looked around, "We're much quicker then, and it makes the challenge more fun."

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

"I agree." Ran answered with a sly smile on her face. "I agree that this is something you will come to regret when I win, Valery." She teased in her excitement. The risk. The possibilities. The thought of what Ran might claim as her prize seemed infinite. It was enough to distract her from her goal. All the funny and miserable things she could ask of Valery leapt out at her, when realistically she was too friendly and kind hearted to claim anything in the realm as her prize. Still she kept the illusion that this was a bet Valery wouldn't soon forget.

"We do split up, and not only do we split up, but… I get a head start!" She announced mischievously as she sped past Valery and sprinted down the dark cavern as fast as the bulky space suit let her. Ran looked back and flashed a giddy grin at Valery.

Ran's face wasn't ever as colorful and playful as it was in that moment, in large part due to the fact she never had moments like this. For a long time games, jokes, and silliness were as foreign concepts to Ran as a mother's love. It had only been in recent years, in her time as a Jedi that she'd seen these ideas and experiences. She learned of them watching the Masters, Knights, and Padawans interact, along with all the others she'd come in contact with. Then she experienced them with friends like Valery, or other found family, and her padawan Sazo Vass. It was Ran's experience, but those around her would see the ways in which these rare moments helped to heal their friend's inner child.

"Keep your comms ready, Valery, this won't take long!" Ran bragged as she vaulted into an adjacent cavern path and disappeared out of view.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery's fiery gaze followed Ran as she took off down the cavern, a mix of amusement and determination lighting up her expression. She couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head at her friend's mischievous antics. The sudden burst of energy from the usually more serious Mirialan only fueled Valery's own competitive nature.

"You're going to regret that head start, Ran," Valery called out through the comms, her tone playful but laced with challenge. She adjusted the fit of her bulky space suit, already plotting her next move. "Don't get too comfortable down there!"

With a quick glance around, Valery examined her options. The dark, winding caverns were unfamiliar and treacherous, but that only added to the thrill of the challenge. Her mind raced — Ran had disappeared into an adjacent path, but Valery wasn't one to follow directly. That would be too easy, too predictable.

Instead, she pivoted in the opposite direction, her violet blade igniting briefly to illuminate a narrow passage to her left. She darted inside, her pace quick but controlled, trusting her instincts and the Force to guide her. The thrill of the chase was on, and every step brought her closer to finding her own route to victory.

"Better keep your comms open too, Ran," Valery teased, her voice echoing down the narrow cavern. "I wouldn't want you getting lost before I win this bet." A grin stretched across her face as she pressed deeper into the unknown, fully embracing the fun of the challenge they had set in motion.

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

Valery’s voice became a distant crackle over the comms as the pair separated. Ran could still hear her, but her voice was marked by the low audio quality brought on by magnetic and electrical interference on the comms frequency. Ran believed it was an effect of the Slivian Iron. Depending on conditions the special iron could become magnetized. While they searched for the Songsteel, Ran became increasingly interested in the prospect of using Slivian Iron for her lightsaber hilt. Not for its ability to be used as a magnet, but its beautiful rose gold color.

“Should I get lost, you won’t have anyone to watch you gloat. I couldn’t let that happen to you, Friend.” Ran teased before she rounded the bend into a bright cavern.There were Solar powered lights, and mining equipment. The lights were on and the equipment was well maintained, if not pristine, but there wasn’t a single miner in sight. Ran wondered how long the equipment had been there, and where its operators were. “Val,” She called out to her friend over the comms. Ran’s tone was immediately changed. “I seem to have found an abandoned mining operation. This equipment looks relatively new, but I see no traces of life. This isn’t an uncommon find in an asteroid belt, but my instincts tell me something is off. I’ll investigate further and report back.” Ran continued.

Anything abandoned unsettled her, but a healthy fear was necessary in order to maintain awareness and act with caution. The shifting of rock resounded in the dark ahead of Ran. It was probably just a regular cave-in, but the small seed of paranoia could make a small sound take a gruesome shape. She tried to listen to the force, in an effort to calm herself but also understand her surroundings.

“Are you seeing anything on your end?” Ran asked quickly, to maintain a constant contact with Valery should something go awry.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery slowed her movements as Ran's voice crackled through the comms, a slight frown tugging at her lips. The interference made her feel more disconnected from her friend, and it heightened her awareness of their surroundings. Her eyes scanned the shimmering walls of the cavern, but unlike Ran, she found nothing out of the ordinary — no signs of recent activity or abandoned operations. It was quiet. Too quiet.

"I'm not seeing anything on my end," Valery replied, her voice low and cautious, as if speaking too loudly would disturb the delicate silence. "But if there's equipment still running over there, something is definitely wrong. Stay sharp, and don't take any unnecessary risks."

She reached out through the Force, trying to sense beyond the walls separating them, but it was difficult with the interference. There was an unsettling tension in the air, one that seemed to vibrate through the rocks and echo through the Force.

"Keep your eyes open, Ran. I'm making my way toward you — if anything feels off, don't hesitate to pull back. We can investigate it together." Valery's voice softened just a touch, a reassuring smile crossing her lips despite the unease growing within her. She tightened her grip on her lightsaber and began to move, her senses stretched out, listening for any sign of life or danger as she tried to close the distance between them.

Suddenly, the fun of their little competition had been replaced by a cautious and serious demeanor.

Ran Serys ​

 

[Ran Serys]

"Roger that. Will do." Ran confirmed over the comms, before closing in on one of the abandoned mining machines. It was barely used and its serial numbers were more than a decade old. Had this machine really been sitting inside the asteroid belt undisturbed for that long? It was a big asteroid belt and Ran knew that, meaning it was plausible.

Ran found the machine's keys docked in the off switch. She assumed whoever used it last thought they'd be coming back. She studied further. Both the machine and the surrounding area looked free of wanton chaos, damage, or signs of struggle. It was as if the machines were truly abandoned for no good reason, but mining equipment was expensive and abandoning expensive equipment is not something that any one man or company got in the habit of.

She circled back to the machine and, while she waited for Valery, powered it on. Machinery sputtered and then stabilized. The old girl still had some juice. Ran figured they might be able to use the last of it to accomplish their goals. So she sat and let it idle while she waited. Neither woman had gotten too far away from where their paths diverged. Valery would be upon Ran at any moment.

Ran thought the moment sooner as she saw the shadow of a humanoid form in her peripherals. But if Valery had doubled back, she would've joined Ran from the opposite direction. Instinctually Ran reached for her lightsaber to engage the foreign shadow, the very lightsaber she already lost on Naalol. She felt like a fool as the shadow scurried from her vision. Its shape appeared less humanoid as it disappeared down the cavern.

Ran blinked her eyes and reached out with the force. She still felt no signs of life. There was no evidence of the shadow save for the start it gave her. Things were becoming rather scary rather quickly, but Ran wasn't one to be conquered by fear.

"Valery. I saw… I'm not sure what I saw, but I fear we are not alone in this asteroid." Ran admitted over the comm. "We may need to expedite our mission, and I believe I may have just the thing." The machine could be heard running in the background, and probably out loud as Valery closed in.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cularin Asteroid Belt

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery slowed her pace as Ran's voice came through the comms, her brow furrowing at the mention of a shadow. The tension in her chest tightened, and she could feel the faint trace of something lingering in the cavern — something elusive, just beyond her reach in the Force, "I'm almost there, Ran," Valery responded softly, her tone steady but edged with concern.

The hum of machinery echoed through the cavern as she rounded the last bend and spotted the faint light of the powered machine. With a quick glance, she searched for any signs of disturbance but found only Ran standing beside the equipment. Valery's gaze flickered to the walls, her senses fully extended in search of any lifeforms. There was a heaviness in the air, a lingering presence that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"It's too quiet," Valery murmured, finally stepping up beside Ran. "If something's here… it doesn't want to be found." She cast her friend a quick, reassuring smile. "But we'll find it."

She turned her attention to the machine, brow arching curiously. "What do you have in mind?" Valery asked, the low hum of the equipment reverberating through her chest. "If this can help us speed things up, I'm all for it. The sooner we figure out what's going on here, the sooner we can get out and deal with whatever is lurking in these shadows."

Valery's expression hardened slightly as she glanced back into the darkness, lightsaber held loosely at her side. "I'll leave the machinery to you, though. I'm... not that great with tech like this."

Ran Serys ​