Private Stuck Together

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

Time away from the war.

After countless battles at the frontlines, and the recent large-scale invasion against Empress Teta, Valery desperately needed some time away from all the fighting. She was typically viewed as one of the most prominent warriors among the Jedi, but even those needed time for their bodies and minds to recover from all the intensity war brought along with it. But Valery was also not the type to sit still at home all day.

So rather than locking herself up, she had taken a shuttle to go on a different kind of adventure — one of exploration.

Deep in Wild Space, rumors existed about the remains of an ancient Temple with powerful and mysterious Force artifacts. The kinds Jedi and Sith alike were interested in studying for various purposes. While this wasn't exactly a focus Valery had, there had been a brief time in the past when she joined the Lorekeepers to help them with these artifact recovery missions. So she still had the experience, the drive was there and after some personal research, she was on her way there.

...

"Hmm... this is strange. My scanners aren't getting through the atmosphere," Valery muttered to the small astromech droid she had taken along to help her with navigation and ship maintenance. The large forest world was right ahead of her but most of the surface was blocked by a storm within the atmosphere. It wasn't violent in nature, but it certainly caused enough interference to mess with her shuttle's sensors.

"Oh well, we'll just have to get close then."

Without any further delays, Valery accelerated and brought the ship down into the atmosphere, which outside of a little turbulence, went smoothly enough. But after about a minute of flight down towards the surface, displays around her began to flicker, and the sound of hampering engines caused the ship to vibrate heavily. Knowing the routines to fix engines issues by heart, Valery tried everything she could think of, but nothing helped, and the ship began to fall from the sky.

"Strap in, this is going to get rough!" she exclaimed as the forest below was approaching quickly through the window. But with its fall from the atmosphere, the ship did eventually clear from the storm, and the engines powered back up as a result. It was too late, however, and all it did was slow her approach just enough to avoid a crash that was guaranteed to kill her. Instead, she pulled the nose up with the little bit of thrust she had and hit the ground with the belly of the shuttle.

That's when it all went black.

....

"R8, you there...?" Valery muttered after a few groans of pain. The ship around her had fallen apart completely, allowing her to smell the fresh air of the forest around her. Her arms and legs were hurting, her tunic was torn in several places and she was bleeding from the side of her left arm. But at least she was alive.

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

It wasn't Alvarex's specialty, admittedly. Hunting down relics, that was for someone like his sister Cordelia or one of Invicta's girls. Alvarex was much more of the punch and make-it-dead kinda guy. Still, he had a mission and he would fulfill it. He opted only to take a handful of new recruits who wanted to prove their loyalty to his father. The place - the planet wasn't on any known astrogation charts, no, it was one of those hidden away - swept into the backdrop of the galaxy while the mundane of the Empire and the Alliance continued their cycle of hate and destruction no different than their last incarnations.​

The initiates wore their prayers, liturgies on their bodies. Scrolls with the promise of eternal life, that some backwater cult fed them. Rex just wanted them to focus, while he meditated on the Force. Ship rushed through the void, and cut it with ease. Its pointed bow made for such a thing, the ship carefully banked heading down toward the planet. Rex could feel the ship's engines as they hummed, the way the durasteel deck plating seemed to thrum with motion as it pierced the atmosphere.​

​

That was when it all went to shit.​

​

Klaxons wailed, and the crew scrambled to get the ship out of its nosedive. Cutting across the tree line, the ship tossed the gargantuan man backward. Moments later everything went black. Rex woke up to the feeling of something sticky on his head. Blood, as fate would have it, some of it was his - the rest? Belonged to the poor bastard beside him. Rex shoved the corpse off his person and did his best to get back to his feet but his head was spinning. He lashed out in anger with an intense roar of the Force, animalistic - primal. His once clean uniform stained with soot, and blood, the smoldering wreck lay scattered around the area.​

​

Rex stumbled forward as he tried to regain his footing, blood spilled into his eyes - clouding his vision. Enraged with the pain from the crash, he grabbed part of the debris and tossed it with as much power as he could muster. Rex didn't care where it went, a hand to his head as he cradled it. The other outstretched, searching with the Force for his target - the blasted relic he had sent to collect. A moment of clarity seemed to lay claim to his person as he checked for the initiates.​

​

Dead.​

​

All except one, and even then - Rex could feel the man's pain and thus ended his misery, quickly. The Epicanthix removed his hand from his head and used both to feel around the decaying forest. Unbeknownst to him, the planet was a Brynadul wasteland. Whoever remained did so in a place that was just as cruel as Rex's father, Kaine Zambrano. It was only when he was able to open both eyes and rest his body against a tree that had been snapped in half by the ship's crash that he was able to sense her.​

​

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

With a loud groan of pain, Valery sat down a safe distance away from the crash site with her back resting against one of the countless trees that stood around her. It gave her a moment to catch her breath and allow her senses to focus again after taking such a beating. It also meant the pain was becoming more noticeable, but she mostly set it aside with some help from the Force, and just checked her body for anything serious.

Luckily, most of it were small cuts and bruises that would heal quickly if she practiced her Curato Salva.

But as her body and mind began to calm down and her senses were able to reach out beyond her immediate area, she also felt something that stirred up a lot of emotions inside. It was dark and chilling, yet strangely familiar in a way — it had the power of a Sith Lord, but for some reason, she felt like she knew the person who she sensed as well.

Which... made no sense to her at all.

"That's not good," Valery muttered to herself as she pushed herself up to her feet. Looking down at herself again, she just hoped the smaller injuries weren't going to hold her back, because she was certain he could sense her too. She hadn't been masking her presence at all, because she believed this to be so remote that she wouldn't encounter anybody.

But if a Sith or powerful Dark Sider was here, they had to be after the artifacts as well. She couldn't allow them to get their hands on it, so she picked up her weapon and began to move into Alvarex Zambrano's direction, not sure what to expect exactly, but the feeling that lingered in the Force made her a little uncomfortable.

Who is this person?

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

Alvarex had a duty to his father to retrieve this artifact, and no bleeding-heart Jedi was going to stop him. Summoning his strength he let loose another roar, this one was with intent as it rippled across the Force. It demanded the light sider stay back, or be forced to face the consequences. The Son of the God-King turned toward the wreckage and marched toward it. Alvarex ripped off part of the ship's outer hull and fashioned it into a makeshift shield. He moved about the downed ship grabbing a few other things, a map of where the relic was supposed to be, another step forward as he looked in the direction of the ruined temple.​

​

Throwing the shield into the dirt, Rex grabbed two more albeit smaller pieces of deck plating, and created an ax. With this, he chopped down the snapped trees and built a pyre. This took time, while he knew the light sider would have a headstart - Rex's honor demanded he pay tribute to the men who died for his father's loyalty. The giant collected their holotags and placed them around his neck, "your deaths are not in vain." He promised them, as he took each man to the pyre. Rex uttered a prayer in Epicant, using bark from the tree to form a rope he secured the ax to his left hip. Rex hoisted the shield from the dirt and set forward.​

​

She was near.​

Rex's upper lift curled into a snarl. Carrying onward toward the direction of the relic, supposedly, in a temple. He checked the map once or twice, as he trekked through the decayed forest, the wind kicked up dirt and dust dragging them across the wasteland. He kept his mind focused on his task, his deep bass voice uttering Epicant Hymnals. He shielded his face with his hand, reminding himself that as the soldier, the revenant that he was that this was but a small task, a favor for his father. A way to honor his mother - he was told the relic was something the alchemist could use.​

​

Yet his mind wondered how the ship could've been forced into such a landing. The way the men screamed, angered him greatly, such wasted lives - not - wasted. They died for their Father, their King, their God. If the bleeding-heart Jedi were trying to gain the advantage - she would have no such luck. The sound of the holotags as they clinked against one another gave something of a cadence to his song, his eyes looked ahead as the dust began to settle. Alvarex Zambrano was a patient man, knowing that the light sider was drawing closer - it was inevitable. The snarl was gone, replaced by a devilish smirk as anticipation set in.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

A powerful roar echoed through the Force, and Valery stopped almost instantly.

It wasn't the power or darkness behind it that made her stop and focus on it — the source of this roar was what caught her attention. That strange familiarity she could feel earlier was there again, and it was getting stronger now that the distance between them was decreasing. Yet, she somehow still knew she had never met this man before.

Hmm...

Valery looked up at the dying trees of this forest and made her jump up towards one of the branches. Back on New Cov, she had learned not just how to survive in a dangerous jungle, but how to thrive in it as well. Her skills as a Battlemaster allowed her to jump between trees without any problems, and as fast as she possibly could with some assistance from the Force, Valery chased after the man she felt.

But rather than going straight for him, she decided to move with a circular path, until she ended up between him and whatever he was heading for, which likely was the Temple, but she wasn't quite sure herself. Valery then dropped down from the trees in his path and got up to her feet to stand tall and strong, the way she always did.

"We finally meet," Valery said with confidence at first, but as she looked at the incredibly tall and well-built man, she felt something swirl inside of her. With Kahlil being an Epicanthix, she could recognize them instantly, and this presence he had... there was only one family he could belong to. It briefly caused the woman's fiery eyes to widen, as she looked him up and down.

"You are... " she shook her head, still feeling strange as she stared at him.

In an attempt to get herself to focus again, she reached for her double-bladed lightsaber and held the hilt of the weapon in her right hand. Her thumb moved for the ignition switch and within a split second, both violet blades ignited.

"This is where the path stops for you, Zambrano."

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

Rex almost didn't see her, it was the Force that told him someone was in front of him. The light sider was cheery, a little too much so for his liking. "Indeed," replied the giant with little emotion in his voice. An arched brow when she called him by surname. "Are you a sibling, or something?" Wondered Alvarex as he sidestepped the Jedi, "go home and feed orphans or teach Padawans how to quote your creed." Rex dismissed her even if the Force told him she was formidable. Rex had no desire to fight, his mind still focused on the crash and the death of the men. Their holotags hung around his neck.​

​

Like yoke to the beast of burden, so too did the Epicanthix feel the weight of their deaths. His armor shifted along his body as he pressed onward, Rex concealed his smile, the smirk - he knew Jedi hated to be ignored. If this one was a Zambrano she'd reply in kind, if not then she could go as she pleased. He would not be her end - at least, not unless she forced his hand. The armor's edges began to irritate his skin, so he simply removed it and while walking began to take it apart. Rex stopped only to fix the ax with the rivets from his armor using the Force to heat the metal and fuse them. Reinforcing the weapon.​

​

Leather bits were reused to wrap around the handle of the ax. This would provide a much better grip both for comfort and practical purposes. Any move the Jedi would make against him - she would find that he would dodge it. "Your efforts are wasted, but please - do go on. Or, maybe you'll prattle on about how your use of the Force is superior." Rex was more annoyed than anything, now wondering if his father meant for him to crash and if there was some hidden meaning or lesson that the soldier was meant to gain from this experience.​

​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

"Not a Zambrano, but I have a lot of history with them,"

She narrowed her eyes at him and when he dismissed her and tried to move on, she just stared at him for a moment — it was quite unlike Sith to avoid conflict with a Jedi like this. He also wasn't just trying to walk off with clear disinterest, but he began to strip out of his armor as well, which... was quite interesting to see.

Valery blinked and followed him with her eyes while he repurposed parts of his armor, that strange sense of unease only stronger than before. She wasn't quite sure why yet, but it certainly drew her focus to him.

"You're not getting your hand on those artifacts," Valery said calmly despite his attempt to irritate her with his comments and behavior. With an outstretched hand, she then flung a piece of a tree towards him, but he dodged it easily. It was impressive, and she knew he was going to be physically very strong due to his build, but she wasn't afraid.

She had encountered his father and handled many powerful Sith. He was no different.

"And I don't suggest turning your back on me," Valery's fiery eyes seemed to light up, and the trees in front of his path suddenly erupted in fire, blocking his way forward unless he wanted to go straight through the intense flames. The trees themselves mostly collapsed, all towards him to where dodging was difficult, but perhaps breaking through was easier now.

Most of all, she demanded his attention.

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

Alvarex sighed, "a history, huh?"​

​

He uttered something in Epicant that summoned the rains onto the trees, "no point in wasting what valuable resources are left on this world for your own purposes." The man scoffed, "typical Jedi." Always destroying what wasn't theirs to destroy. "Unfortunately for you, I must acquire those relics." Rex summoned the ashes toward him and then with a motion of his hand whisked them beneath the rains. "If I'm lucky there's a seed of life that you didn't snuff out." Mostly, he was upset that potential materials had been wasted.​

​

"I suggest - since you seem to be open to those - you turn around and go back home. Don't you have some Mawite face to smash, or maybe take out the damned Imperials." A pause as he looked over his shoulder, giving the woman a sidelong glance. "They're like roaches, they just never die." If this were another world, another time - he would have relished the fight. Right now? Right now she was just getting on his nerves, but he assumed she would expect him to retaliate. Still, it hadn't escaped Alvarex that the woman's eyes had lingered on his figure.​

​

"Or, here's a novel idea. You stop trying to murder me and actually come with me - if you're so desperate for the relics." Would he kill her? Maybe. But for the moment he was having far too much fun watching her react. A snap of his fingers and the rain stopped, water ran down his body. Alvarex turned toward the woman. "Did you hear something?" He tried to reach out with the Force but it felt like something was choking his abilities. He grabbed his ax from where it hung. The ground beneath his feet began to shift, "... Vulcanus' breath the hell is that..."​

​

He watched as a large shadow formed behind the Jedi. Rex's eyes traced the shadow and then upward, "shit."​

​

A creature with large arms, a huge torso, and a lot of teeth and eyes.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

"You're almost as annoying as your father,"

Valery remarked as he summoned rain to kill the fire, and went on about resources. These trees were all dead and served little purpose other than firewood, to begin with. It's the only reason she had lit them on fire, but even that wasn't quite enough to stop him. It didn't matter though, because she had his attention now, and he definitely had hers too.

"Come with you? You must be crazy to thi-"

A noise behind her interrupted the woman and drew her eyes away from him as the rain stopped and soaked his body. Was he being this extra on purpose? She wasn't sure but whatever appeared behind her felt even more strange than this Zambrano had. Somehow, she had trouble reaching out to it through the Force, but she knew it was trouble.

Turning around, she looked up at the massive creature, with its multitude of arms and sharp teeth. "Shit," she said almost at the same time as Alvarex, and before she could do anything else, the creature lashed out. One of its arms came down towards Valery, and she dodged it with a quick jump to the side, but another one of its arms followed up, forcing her to jump away again.

This time, she landed on one of the tree branches of a tree she hadn't lit on fire, but it was further away from the beast, allowing her some time. But rather than lashing out at her again, it struck the tree itself and snapped the branch that Valery was standing on. Normally, she would have easily evaded it or adjusted, but she was struggling far more to connect with the Force.

It was going to take time for her to adapt to that, but right now... she was falling down to the ground.

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

Rex drew his shield and charged toward one of the creature's arms, his ax managed to catch part of the creature's torso. It was in vain as he too was tossed backward, his body crashing against the trees. On the ground he landed with an audible thud, and as he looked up, he noticed the Jedi was falling. Rex cursed his honor as he ambled up the tree quicker than a man his size should have been capable of. Grabbing hold of a lingering piece of bark he swung toward her. Alvarex managed to catch her with one hand, it was then he realized he left his ax inside the creature's torso.

Sliding along one of the fallen trees, Rex clutched the Jedi close to him, his arms shielded her from the branches that threatened her person. Looking up at the creature he exhaled, hard. Delicately, he set the woman down and then let loose his Force Roar and charged headlong toward the creature. Cursing the damn thing in Epicant he leapt forward summoning lightning to his fists as he punched into the creature. He moved out of the way of a swinging arm, grabbing his ax before being tossed again. Rex looked around for his shield, he rushed to pluck it from the ground. The creature roared, and he roared back and charged again.

This time the creature grabbed Rex with two hands and began to squeeze. Rex in return focused his abilities on summoning water again, unfortunately, the Force wasn't near to him as it had been previously. With little choice, Rex bit down on the creature's hands and when released the Epicant's ax dug into the creature's arm. "I hate this planet, I hate everything on this planet - stupid cursed ruins, relics ah I hate it!" His hands were slipping, realizing the Force wasn't around him. Rex swung himself toward a nearby tree that somehow remained standing, "I gotta stupid feeling this thing is why we can't use the Force..."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

Falling from a tree shouldn't have been a problem.

The force was an ally that could soften the impact and help her get back into the fight again, but it did not respond to her need for assistance. So rather than making a proper landing, she was expected to hit the ground hard. Moments before impact, however, something else prevented her from a painful impact — the Zambrano had swung her way and caught her in mid-air to carry her away to safety.

"Wha- what do you think you're doing?" a mix of confusion, some anger perhaps, but she was definitely conflicted.

He set her back down and she just stood there for a moment, watching him engage the beast even though the Force wasn't truly on his side anymore either. It gave her the time to piece things together and collect herself after what had happened. "Zambranos..." she muttered and while he came back towards her, she ignited the blades of her weapon again.

"I gotta stupid feeling this thing is why we can't use the Force..."

"Really? What makes you think that?" she asked sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. Seems he was just an all-muscle, no brains brute. Not too surprising, but disappointing.

"You're the bigger target; distract it and I'll flank with my weapon." She wasn't sure if he'd listen to her ideas, but she stood ready to move. He had a shield and seemed really tough, so hopefully, he'd draw the creature's attention and allow her to move. Even without the Force fully on her side, she was fast and the plasma of her lightsabers was going to hurt.

Together, they could kill it.

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

"ReAlLy? wHaT mAkEs yOu tHiNk tHaT." Mocked Alvarex as he continued to get knocked on his arse. "Ah gee lady, here I thought I was just using it as a punching bag." Rex returned the woman's sarcasm with his own. "Also I heard that, and if you're going to be annoying you can at least use my actual name. Alvarex, or Rex, whatever suits you." It was there in that moment that the creature grabbed him again. Alvarex's axe dug into the creatures arms and cut down as he was tossed again. Rex's body hit a few trees this time, and one of them cut deeper than Rex would have liked.​

​

Rex slowly got up and hefted his ax over his shoulder and marched back toward the creature. He was reminded of when his uncle Prazutis threw him into the hole during his Blackblade training. The creature would be no different. Rex took the ax and charged once more, this time he managed to strike into a joint of the creature's massive foot. Again, and again, having been tossed around enough - he knew the Jedi was doing what she said, but he was losing his energy. He hefted his shield and struck deep into the creature's foot again.​

​

A massive roar and the creature retreated.​

​

Leaving the two there in the wasteland alone.

The wound from earlier was far more grievous than he thought.​

​

He tried to catch his breath and he straggled toward the Jedi, but fell under his own weight collapsing to the ground.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

Valery just rolled her eyes at the returned sarcasm and wondered why he was talking so much while the creature was still coming at them. It was only going to be a matter of time before-

"Rex, you might want to..." she couldn't finish her sentence because the beast had snatched him again, and even though he was cutting into it with his axe, the large man was flung against several trees like he was nothing. But Alvarex had to be at least 8ft tall, so this creature possessed incredible strength.

"Ouch..." she muttered as she began her flanking maneuver at the same time as Rex charged in again. He struck the beast's foot and she stabbed her plasma blade into its torso, causing it to screech from the intense pain. But even with this much damage, the large creature wasn't lethally injured yet, and it chose to retreat.

As much as Valery wanted to go after it, she decided to stay back and turned to look at Alvarex. If more creatures like this were out there, she feared that getting out of here alive would be quite difficult. So there was only one option... she needed to work together with him. "Are you alright?" she asked, but the answer came rather quickly, as he fell over from his injuries

Valery again froze for a moment, and looked at his body — killing him now would be easy, and could save her trouble later down the line. But there was a good chance she needed him as well, and perhaps he'd be another Zambrano she could help stay away from the darker path. Or she was just being foolish.

"Come on, big guy..." Valery groaned and with the Force returning in the absence of the beast, she used her own physical strength to lift the man up. She wasn't going to pick him up though — he was too big for that — so she pulled an arm over her shoulder and had him hang there. Not too far away, she had spotted a river, so she brought him there and set him down against a tree. "Why can't you Zambranos be a bit smaller..." she let out a sigh and ran a hand up through her hair while she turned away from him.

The woman then began to look for her medical kit, and finally crouched down beside him, "This is going to sting," she said despite him being unconscious. She hoped it'd remain that way, or this would get unpleasant quickly.

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

"You're pretty," he complimented, "my wife would like you."

Rex's speech wasn't well put together but he continued on, mostly so he could stay awake, jostled by being dragged across the ragged wasteland. "We're big folk," answered the man who was groggy at best. He heard the sounds of the river and began to relax, when she turned away from him. Rex took the opportunity to study her figure, he smirked the thought that crossed his mind was one that occupied him in a way he knew he shouldn't. Keeping control over his person, he watched her as she knelt beside him.

"Ah well, I've definitely had medi-"

On instinct, he roared, this time without the Force. Another Epicant cursed as he seethed, "that hurt - a lot." Managed Rex between ragged breaths, and as he looked at her the thought came back toward him. He looked at himself and sighed, "right, gonna go clean up." He got to his feet, albeit slowly and he wobbled when he walked but the man proudly walked into the river. Dispatching his armor and clothes he began to wash up in the river. Ridding himself of thoughts that consumed him in that moment. It would be better to focus on the relics, and once he was clean, he washed his clothes and armor.

"This should be a good place to camp," remarked Rex as he approached Valery. "I'll go and grab some firewood, and building materials. I think there were some fish and prawns in the river, so if you can... weave a trap and basket. Unless, y'know, the Jedi are little too spoiled for such nonsense." Half in jest, Rex then scratched the back of his head. "I uh, want to thank you for patching me up, although, I don't even have your name."

Rex smirked, boyish laughter emerged from his lips. "And well, you're too beautiful to simply be called Jedi."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

"I told you it would hurt," she said as she cleaned up the wound before she could start wrapping it up. The roar briefly made her stop and blink, but she was used to some poor reactions when helping people with injuries. "Just sit still and let me..." she finished wrapping him up and stepped away so he could get back up to his feet, "There, that's better."

"right, gonna go clean up."

Valery blinked and looked at him with some surprise — he was going to do what? Right now? She watched him step into the river but quickly turned her eyes away when he was getting out of his armor to start washing up. She hardly knew this Sith, but he was far too comfortable around Jedi he had fought less than an hour ago. But then again, she wasn't going to kill him while he was butt naked.

This also gave her some time to scout the area and clear this place of branches, rocks, and other things on the ground that made setting up camp difficult. It was a good distraction. By the time she was finished, he returned and she nodded, "We'll set something up here and tomorrow, we need to look into killing that thing. If your body even allows you to fight right now," she said, glancing at the bandages she put on him.

"I learned how to survive when I was young, I can handle myself," she said in response to him, clearly a little feisty about the subject. Valery then moved around to find branches but stopped when he thank her and asked for her name.

"Right..." she looked at him and didn't really want to accept his thank you. But it sounded sincere, and that messed with her even more — she was used to Sith wanting to kill her on sight, and perhaps that was just easier. This felt weird. "Valery and the only reason you're breathing is because we both die if we don't work together," she said with slightly narrowed eyes.

"I'll get us some food."

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

"Indeed we do," he concurred, as he walked away to gather materials for the night. Whether or not his body allowed him to fight wasn't the choice his body was going to get. Eventually he returned back to camp with what they needed to start a good fire, he then took the time to build them a shelter from the materials he had gathered. Trips to and from the river resulted in his making rudimentary pottery that would work to hold water and whatever else he needed - or they needed.

Rex sensed her apprehension, "listen. I don't sit here and quote Sith code all day. I work for my father sure, but at the end of the day, I enjoy going home to my wife and kids. Same as any other sane person in this galaxy." Sitting cross-legged he finished up a small trap, "here, should be able to gather prawn with this." A smirk followed as he watched her and then he shook his head. She was definitely touchy on the whole survival thing. "Yeah?"

"Good."

"At least some of you Jedi can survive."

Valery.

"A pretty name," he noted and then continued about his work. Creating small tools and other things to be used, "I'll uh take first watch by the way." It was said in a way that carried authority. "Is that really the only reason I'm breathing? Is it though?" That devilish smile on his features as he looked her way, boyish looks with blue eyes that mirrored even the clearest of waters on Manaan. "Oh and here it's because I thought you liked me." A chuckle followed as he tended to the fire.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

"You enjoy going back to your family, but you work for someone who has caused a lot of people to lose theirs," she said as she watched him finish up the trap, her dislike for his father and their whole Sith legacy clearly audible in her tone. But even before he'd react, she sighed and turned away for a moment — she knew arguing like this was pointless, and wouldn't change anything about their situation. She had to just accept it and move on.

"At least some of you Jedi can survive."

She wanted to argue it again but decided against it and just took the trap so she could set it up, "Yeah, I'll be fine." She was about ready to head off to get their dinner ready, but he made another comment that drew her attention back, "Sure, the first watch is yours." Valery didn't think much of it at first...until another comment followed.

"Is that really the only reason I'm breathing? Is it though?"

Valery looked at his smirk and blinked, "Like you? Don't get any weird ideas," she grumbled a little before she quickly turned around and headed off with the trap. Some time alone to focus on survival was going to be good — it kept her distracted and made sure she wasn't going to lose her focus because of him. Then, after setting up the trap and moving around the camp site a few times, she eventually returned with some fish and other smaller animals.

"Don't know if this will be enough for you, but it's better than nothing," she said, knowing he likely ate a ton. She technically did too for her size, but she'd be fine for a while if they at least had clean water. "Can you get a fire going? We'll cook this up and then get some rest."

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

"I never have weird ideas," commented Alvarex offhandedly, "and... yes, fire is starting to come alive."

It wasn't lost on him - the words she said, about his father's path. "Nothing in this galaxy is fair, Valery. You, above all else, should know this." His tone shifted as the fire crackled in the dark, the light illuminating an otherwise bleak part of the wasteland. "We're on a world that had been laid to waste by the Brynadul at best, and at worst the victim of wars long past." There was something sobering about his tone. He relented, "my loyalty to my father is more - loyalty to my mother. The once Grand Alchemist of all Panatha, a woman who would as soon as murder her rivals as she would invite them to tea."

Rex laughed at the thought but there was a hollowness to his laughter. "War never changes, but hell - hell consumes everyone."

"And... this should be fine, why don't you take the majority. I've been taught to survive on far less by my uncle." Taught was a strong word, Rex was starved as a teenager - a way to train him, make him into a stronger soldier - ready to do what was necessary to survive and further his family's name. Rex could point out the countless crusades by Jedi past - but the point was moot. "I can smell him on you, you know." Rex stated after several moments of silence. "My brother."

"Granted, my sense of smell isn't as strong as Sarlow's, although perhaps it's a good thing."

Sarlow likely would've had his way with her by now even if the Wolf Prince claimed to have changed his ways. Alvarex knew better, Sarlow sowed seeds wherever he could - the one thing all Zambrano men excelled in. Alvarex rose to his feet, he smiled - she was a lot more like most Zambranos than she knew. "Stay here, I'm going to collect a few things to make a comfortable bed."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Unknown Planet | Wild Space
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Alvarex Zambrano

Valery sat down by the campfire he started and turned her fiery gaze into the flames while she listened to him. As chaotic as fire was in nature, its warmth had a calming effect on her, and it helped her set aside any negative feelings that lingered because of him. So after a moment, she looked back up and let out a deep breath of air.

"I think it's best I just agree to disagree on most of this," she said, but without the hostile tone, she had up until now.

"And... this should be fine, why don't you take the majority. I've been taught to survive on far less by my uncle."

Valery rolled her eyes at him, "No, I won't — I don't care if you can survive on less; you're injured." Her 'don't even argue with me' attitude was back for a moment, as she prepped the first part of their meal, which she then offered to him. The next round was for her, but she made sure he was taking the majority of the food. Whether he liked it or not.

The woman then began to eat but as she took a bite from the fish she had prepared, he made a comment that nearly got her to choke on her food.

"I can smell him on you, you know."

"My brother."

The hell is that supposed to mean?! she thought, as she looked at him with surprise and somewhat reddened cheeks.

"Are Zambranos wolves as well?" she asked, clearly trying to adjust a little still, "But yes, he's my husband. That's how I knew you were a Zambrano from the start."

Valery took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose — why did he have to be like this? A Sith brute who just wanted to fight and kill her would have been so much easier to deal with.

"Stay here, I'm going to collect a few things to make a comfortable bed."

She looked up at him and blinked, "For just one night? Alright, I suppose..." she shook her head lightly and finished up her food, "Just watch your back out there. That... thing could still be out there."

 

[Alvarex Zambrano]

"Not all of us," quipped Alvarex as he disappeared into the wasteland.

It didn't take long for him to find brush, leaves, and softer materials to make a bed with, of which he took to lining out once he got back to camp. "Sure, it's for one night, but no one likes to actually sleep on the ground. Unless you're into that sort of thing, I guess." Rex knelt beside her as he crafted the make-shift bed. He took the food he was offered, working around the prawn shells with softness - and precision. "Do I really look like him? I can't tell if he's one of my full brothers or one of my father's bastards but uh well, I learned to stop counting siblings a long time ago."

Especially when he knew several of the mothers were more than likely to uh join in the fun with one another. "Still. Nothing like going out to the park with you, your siblings, and their moms." He sighed, "there, how's that?"

Rex offered the pillow stuffed with leaves straw, crafted from bark. "Not the greatest thing in the galaxy, admittedly."

"Also... I saw blood trails, looked like it belong to that thing - you said you wanted to hunt it down."

The elevator reached the top floor, "I'm not that injured, I can still give it a go."

Rex got up again this time to check around the campsite, the holotags clinked against one another as he assembled a few rocks into the shape of a bed. He was definitely being reminded of living in the trenches his uncle devised for all Blackblades. "You're taking the majority of breakfast, Princess." Teased the Epicant as he looked over his shoulder. "If you ever decide to, you know, take that title."

It was hers by marriage.

Valery Noble​