Private The Mark

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant | NJO Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

With quick steps, Valery made her way down from the upper floors of the Coruscant Temple, hoping to catch Jasper as he made his way back. She had received his message in the Council Chambers not long ago, and after having experienced what kind of terror marks from Carnifex could cause with her late husband, she knew it was crucial that she responded quickly. With Kahlil, the alchemical could have allowed his father to take control over him, which was a huge risk for any Jedi capable of accessing Temples such as this.

She wasn't sure what Jasper's mark was about yet, but she intended to find out, and rid him of it.

"Jasper?" Valery asked after passing through the hall and reaching the large open doors of the Temple. She looked around to try and find him and continued outside towards the shuttle pad, in case he was there. The Halls of Healing was already notified as well, just in case he needed special medical care, but she expected this to require more specialized knowledge.

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

Jasper had been on the shuttle pad for a few minutes now. He was in a bit of a daze after everything he had been through. The padawan was sure that Carnifex wasn’t in his mind, but after what he had seen it didn’t matter. The vision he had seen was burned into his mind and seared into his flesh. He hadn’t slept since it happened. Jasper didn’t want to. He feared that all that awaited him in slumber was the Galaxy in shambles. His eyes were bloodshot, sunken and dark bags hanging below them. His hair was untied and unkept, falling to his shoulders. Most notably, the padawan looked exhausted.

He was kind of relieved to see Master Noble step out in search of him. Jasper had so much to get off his chest, quite literally in this instance. The padawan didn’t know what he needed, but hopefully Valery would.

“I…” he began, but he lost the words to say. Jasper wanted to sleep. “I don’t know where to begin. I-I saw so much… He showed it to me…”

“The Sith grand plan.”

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant | NJO Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

When she first saw him, Valery wasn't sure if she was actually looking at the right Padawan — his presence was familiar to her, but he looked like he had been to hell and back. His eyes were reddened, he seemed and felt exhausted, and whatever it is that he saw because of Carnifex, she knew it was still haunting him.

"Heyy, it's alright," Valery assured him before she stepped beside him and wrapped an arm gently around his shoulders for just a moment to begin guiding him inside. Out on the landing pad was no place to discuss Sith plans and dark visions, and she figured he might want some food or rest as well.

"Let's go up to my quarters, and we'll talk about it." It wasn't surprising to her that Carnifex was planning something, as she dealt with one of his followers not too long ago. But learning more about them would certainly be useful.

Together, the two Jedi made their way up several levels, until they reached the rather small and humble quarters. There were seats, small cabinets, and a bed to sleep in, but not much more than that. "Have a seat and just relax first. Can I get you anything to drink or eat while we talk?" She already made her way over to the kitchen to start preparing what she needed, but her attention remained mostly on him.

"What happened exactly, and what did you see?"

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

Wordlessly, Jasper followed Master Noble as she lead him to her quarters. He was exhausted, and still struggling to process everything he had seen. The padawan sat down, almost seeming to sink into the seat. When Valery asked him if he wanted anything to eat, he shook his head. Jasper didn't think he could stomach anything right now.

"What happened exactly, and what did you see?"

"Carnifex latched a phantom to one of the inmates. He was tormenting Samara," Jasper explained. "We had an argument, Samara decided she wanted peace and passed out from dehydration. He... took his anger out on me. Preached garbage like purity. Th-then he... showed me the future he wants. They want."

Jasper's eyes gazed off at nothing in particular, but they would suggest that he was seeing it all again, almost as if it were the first time.

"A Galaxy torn asunder, all consumed by flame," he continued in a hollow tone. "There was no pain. No suffering. Nobody was left to experience such things. Everything we know... reduced to chaos. They... They want to destroy everything. They wanna cause the apocalypse."

The padawan sank further into his seat. It was not the burden that he had expected to be forced to carry. Carnifex had specifically told him to relay this information back to the order. In truth, he wanted it all to simply vanish, but that wasn't possible anymore. The damage was already done. All he could do was deliver the message.

"He wanted me to tell you," Jasper muttered, glancing down at the floor. "He... he wrote it in my skin."

Rather reluctantly, Jasper lifted up his shirt, revealing the Sith runes that had been inscribed into his chest. They were purple and bruised now, making the characters all the more clear.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

While he shook his head at the question about food, she did have some tea ready and set it on the table in case he wanted it. She then sat down and quietly listened to what he had to say. A plan of the Sith to make the Galaxy burn and everything established down completely — it wasn't unheard of, but she understood that he was planning something not related to the Maw and its path of destruction.

Another thread was out there, waiting and preparing to make its move.

"Do you have any idea where this plan of theirs might begin? Or where it comes from?" She doubted that Carnifex showed him such things, but perhaps images had revealed themselves intentionally. A slim chance, but a question she had to still ask.

"He wanted me to tell you," Jasper muttered, glancing down at the floor. "He... he wrote it in my skin."

Valery froze for a moment and frowned, as he lifted his shirt to show her. "He wanted you to tell me?" The idea he used Jasper as a messenger for her like this was almost infuriating, but she kept herself composed and leaned closer to take a look at the mark he had left behind.

"We'll have to get these removed," she finally said after a long moment of quietly looking at them. Her eyes shifted up to Jasper, and she leaned back again, "Has this mark specifically made you feel any different? Do you know if they're just meant as a message, or was the Dark Side used to put something on you?"

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

"Do you have any idea where this plan of theirs might begin? Or where it comes from?"

"I don't," he replied apologetically. "He... didn't say anything specific. I couldn't gather much specifics from what he said... and it was hard to focus with everything that happened."

He wanted so badly to have more to give, so that all that he had gone through could be worth something if at all. There was very little he could do now. Jasper only had as much as had been given, and that couldn't be changed. Master Noble seemed bothered by the scars, but kept her composure, which the padawan kept note of. She seemed to have a more personal tie to the Sith Lord, something far more complex than he had the details for. She asked him if the marks had any adverse side effects.

"I think it was just the message," Jasper answered. "A-as far as I can tell. I... When I go to get healed, I want to keep the scars."

They were a herald of the end times, a seeming threat directed towards the New Jedi Order that had been unwillingly placed upon him to bare. Realistically, he should leap at the opportunity to rid himself of them, but he was hesitant. Jasper had seen what it was that he was fighting for now. He wanted a reminder, something to keep him on his path.

"I-I don't want to forget what I saw," he explained. "If I ever lose my way... I want something to remind me of what I'm fighting for."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

"It's okay," Valery assured him, having picked up on the more apologetic tone. He would have wanted to be able to tell her everything, from exact plans to how to stop them, but she had a feeling that wouldn't be the case. This was just a warning from the Sith, a way to strike fear or doubt into the minds of the Jedi before plans began to actually unfold.

It didn't bother her in that sense, as she always expected them to be plotting, but it couldn't be ignored either.

"You can keep the scars, I know what's it like to want a reminder," Valery then said. The three stripes that covered the left part of her face had been with her for a very long time and still served that same purpose. They could have been healed, but she was never going to get rid of them.

"We'll only make sure nothing dark and insidious lingers within them. Even if you don't feel it now, there might still be something. It's just a safety precaution." Valery backed away and let him drop his shirt again. "I'm also glad you came so quickly, and if you see anything more, please contact me directly, okay?" As Sword, it was her job to keep track of the war, and enemies of both the Jedi and Alliance.

"Even if you just think it's a dream or nightmare, you can tell me anything."

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

Jasper was slightly relived to hear that Master Noble didn't hold his lack of information against him. He knew this was likely to be the case, but he couldn't always quell those doubts in the back of his mind, even after he had taken the time to be more comfortable with himself. He was a bit more taken aback by how she responded to his request to keep the scars.

"You can keep the scars, I know what's it like to want a reminder,"

"Th-thank you," he nodded, slightly surprised. "I never liked covering things up."

As Valery restated that they would at least make at least make sure nothing was lingering, she said that he could come to her it anything else came up of what Carnifex showed him, even if it was little more than nightmares. It was most certainly strange to have this much support. He began to wonder if this was what it was like to have a permanent master, or maybe even a parent.

"Right," Jasper nodded. "I... I'll keep that in mind."

Doubt began to creep into his mind again. Had this encounter set back his trials? Realistically, probably not, but he couldn't purge the idea from his mind.

"Master Noble," he began, "Th-this may seem out of the blue, but I... I want to know where I'm at in my trials."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

"I... I'll keep that in mind."

She just offered one last reassuring smile and placed a comforting hand on his knee, squeezing it gently before she leaned back again. But while this settled the situation regarding his mark from Carnifex and how it would be handled moving forward, there still seemed to be something lingering on his mind. Something that sparked doubt in him, but he pushed through and asked his question.

Valery tilted her head slightly in surprise but was quick to dip her head in acknowledgment, "You've grown a lot within the Jedi, and from what I've seen myself and heard from others, you act as one. The trials, however, are a very specific type of test. They challenge you to confront your fears, to confront yourself and overcome great obstacles using the skills you've developed and the things you've learned."

"Your Master is typically the best judge, but you can also reflect on what you've been through yourself. If you need guidance with it, I'm more than willing to help, but we'd have to talk a little more about what the Trials represent, and what you've been through."

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscanat, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

"Your Master is typically the best judge, but you can also reflect on what you've been through yourself. If you need guidance with it, I'm more than willing to help, but we'd have to talk a little more about what the Trials represent, and what you've been through."

"I'd... like that," Jasper stated. "I've never been quite sure where I was at. I don't exactly have a master to refer back to, and I feel like I've kept a lot to myself unintentionally. It's been... hectic as of late."

Perhaps that was why knighthood always felt so out of reach. Because he was only ever instructed through lectures and a good chunk of his training was independent these days, he really didn't have a figure to point him in the right direction. He was doing a lot of guesswork where others may not need to. If Jasper was going to see his trials through to the end, he reasoned that he would eventually need someone's guidance, but who was a question that he was incapable of answering. Not yet. A master seemed to be the crucial step that he was missing in all of this.

"Could you walk me through it?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

"It's difficult without a Master, I know," she said with a slight frown. It had been a bigger issue in the past but there were still too many students out there who needed the guidance of a Master but could not find one. "So until you have one, feel free to come to me or other experienced Jedi about this stuff. Knight Serys or other Council Members might be able to help too."

She then took a small breath and continued, "As for the trials, there are traditionally five of them. The Trials of Skill, Courage, Flesh, Spirit, and Insight," Valery began to explain. "The Trial of skill is about demonstrating things you've learned such as lightsaber training, but typically also involves facing off against a great adversary. Often one you can't defeat, such as a far more experienced Master or a powerful enemy. But it's about outlasting their assault and demonstrating your skill."

"Courage is about overcoming fear or apprehension or at least making sure they don't control you. It's usually tested in challenging environments such as battlefields, but it could also involve you pushing through something that has terrified you for a long time to still complete your mission."

"Flesh is often the most difficult, as it involves overcoming great pain or loss that strikes you to the core emotionally. Think about events such as losing your Master, a dear friend, or even losing a part of your own body."

"The Trial of Spirit is one about confronting yourself. It's about self-discovery and facing off against the darkness within you without submitting to it. In the days of old, we used to refer to it as facing the mirror — it's self-reflection taken to the extreme, and you must get through it."

"Lastly, Insight tests your knowledge but also your ability to think your way through problems. Solving difficult riddles, seeing through illusions or lies — anything that involves the mind, your knowledge, and critical thinking."

She finally paused and gave him a moment to let it all sink in. "Do you recognize parts of these trials in what you've gone through?"

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

"Let's see," Jasper began, frowning.

He had to really rack his brain for this, and he was admittedly rather tired. What trials had he completed? Jasper was sure he could think of something that fit each, but that would take some thinking.

"Trial of skill I believe I have," he reasoned. "Dueling is what I spent the most of my early training on, and I've fought some tough opponents lately..."

He still felt weird about it. Was this bragging? Jedi weren't typically meant to brag. Then again, he was simply trying to gauge where he was in the trials. It wasn't really bragging, and nobody but Master Noble would be here to listen to it.

"Courage is probably Empress Teta," he continued. "I came out of exile then and rejoined the Jedi. I-I was afraid of that for a while..."

The fear of failure had driven him into isolation. Jasper very much recognized this now. From where he was looking back, taking the step back into the order was the very thing that had set off his personal growth. Had he not been able to muster the courage to return, he may not be who he was today. For that reason, he saw no other candidate for the trial.

"Funny enough, I think flesh was the easiest," Jasper joked. "I... don't have very good luck when it comes to injury."

His mechanical arm spoke volumes to this. Jasper had lost limbs, broken legs, taken blaster bolts and all sorts of injury of the like. A part of that had been his reckless nature. Some of that was just the nature of war. Still, it was a box he could confidently check off.

"I... I'd like to think I've completed the Trial of Spirit," he said as he came to it. "I've come to terms with who I am... being a clone and all that. I was afraid that maybe I wasn't myself, or that people would think of me differently if they knew... but I'm okay with it now. So that leaves..."

The trial of insight. Historically, this was Jasper's biggest weakness. He was smart, and he could strategize well, but there was always an impulsiveness about him that he struggled to fight off, even after soul searching. It became very clear what his final trial would be, and that made his stomach turn. To become a knight, Jasper would need to think critically, and on a significant scale at that.

"I think I know what I need to do now."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

While he thought about the Knighthood trials and compared them to what he had been through, Valery listened quietly and tried her best to follow along with his way of thinking here. As many Jedi had in these difficult times of war, Jasper had gone through great challenges and was forced to overcome obstacles he perhaps didn't feel ready for at the time. But through it all, he grew as a Jedi, and as he went through the group of trials, she could only agree with his assessment.

"It seems there might be one left, but there is one last thing to consider," Valery said with a soft smile. "Experience."

"These days, with the war, it's not uncommon to find yourself in situations that can satisfy some of these trials, but you might still want to remain a Padawan despite passing through some of them. Especially if you sometimes feel a lack of confidence in decisions you have to make, or if situations really make you uncertain about what the right thing to do is."

"Some more time training under a Master can help prepare you in that way, and make your life as a Jedi Knight just a little easier. But similarly to the trials, you're a better judge of that than I am, so it's up to you to reflect on yourself and determine, preferably together with a Master, what more you should do."

She then leaned back into her chair a little and raised a hand up through her hair. "I hope this has given you a decent idea about it all, but feel free to ask me anything if you have more questions."

​

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Tags: Valery Noble ​

He agreed that he should at least spend some time studying under a master. Jasper recognized that experience was important Realistically, he still needed time and a guiding hand, if only for a year or so.

"I hope this has given you a decent idea about it all, but feel free to ask me anything if you have more questions."

"Th-thank you," he nodded. "Sorry, it wasn't my plan to put all this on you at once. My mind has just been... wandering lately. I think I need some rest. I haven't slept since everything happened..."

Was there anything else he had to say? Jasper was struggling to recall. He was exhausted, with memories swimming around in his head and blending together. Right, Samara. He needed to explain her state.

"I think Samara may be ready for healing," Jasper explained. "She denounced Carnifex and seemed to have an improvement in attitude, at least from what I saw briefly. Something may be able to be done now. We... should probably also make sure that no more phantoms are in the Asylum. The man who Carnifex was latch to was reduced to ash... The inmates and staff may not be safe."

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant Temple
Tag | Jasper Kai'el

"There's no need to apologize," Valery said while her eyes shifted to take another good look at him. She had noticed his exhaustion earlier already, and while he felt lighter after discussing all of this, she agreed that he really needed to get some rest. "I'm glad you opened up about all of this because it seems it has given you some direction."

She paused a moment, "But I do agree that getting some rest is a good idea. Take a few days if you need them to recover as well," Valery said with a soft smile before she posed a question that he gave quite an interesting answer. She had heard about Samara from Iris, but this was a development that couldn't be ignored.

"I'll contact some of the healers for a visit and if you could come along too, that would be helpful. As for the Asylum, we'll make sure they are notified about it. Thank you, Jasper — you've made a huge difference in all of this."

​