Private The next steps

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

"The chicken is looking goooood,"

Valery smiled and looked over at Iris, who she had invited to the Bastion so they could catch up and do some cooking together. Mostly, Valery just wanted to know where she was at in her training, and figure out together where to take things next. Iris had proven to be quite a talented healer, and that part of her training was likely going to continue for much longer. But Valery was no healer or doctor, so it wasn't something she could offer much help with. Her 'job' was to prepare Iris for being a Jedi, which she felt had been going quite well.

"So, how have things been going with your training?" she asked after a moment. "Anything you're struggling with? I plan to take you out into the field more again for experience, but you can always let me know if you need advice or training in something specific." She beamed the younger woman a smile and watched the meal again. It was coming along nicely and soon, they'd be able to enjoy it.

"Just... I can't help much with all that healer training you're doing now. But I don't want you to feel like you're on your own." In truth, Valery felt that Iris had been on her own a little too much, and she wanted that to change. The young Padawan had a special place in Valery's heart, and she cared a lot about her training and progression as both a Jedi and a person.

 

[Iris Arani]

Ah, it'd been too long since Iris last cooked with Valery. She'd learned a lot on her own. About cooking, about being a Jedi. Grown, really. Not taller though. Didn't seem like Iris was going to get any bigger than she was. In a tank top though it was at least clear she'd built up some muscle. She'd never be like Valery, strong without the Force. But she was on her way to a lean mean fighting machine.

Well hopefully not machine.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I've learned a lot at the school. Mostly about medicine. But for the Force, I haven't been doing a whole lot of training asides from what I end up doing in the field. Or my drills I run in the morning." She frowned for a moment, watching the chicken in front of her. Mulling over her thoughts.

"I don't plan on being just a healer or a doctor, though. A lot of people die on the front lines, where they could be saved if there was someone there who could heal them. So it's not like I don't need your training, you know?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

"I don't plan on being just a healer or a doctor, though. A lot of people die on the front lines, where they could be saved if there was someone there who could heal them. So it's not like I don't need your training, you know?"

Valery nodded her head, "To some extent, a Jedi should be able to help in a wide variety of things, especially now that there aren't so many of us out there anymore. So while I think it's fantastic that you're learning about medicine and healing, I think it will benefit you to also continue training in other things," she said with a smile.

"Working on self-defense, for example, can be useful to protect your patients at the frontlines." For a moment, Valery paused and looked away from what they were cooking to focus on Iris, "I expect the war to shift into a new era soon. I'm going to be leading incursions and campaigns to help push the Maw out of the core, and I think it would be good for you to join me for some of it."

"We were a great team at Adrathorpe, and I think we need to keep that going strong whenever the time is right. What do you say?" she asked, but this time without a smile — it was a more serious request, but one that she truly believed would benefit them both.

 

[Iris Arani]

"I'd like that, a lot. I miss being able to help you. And alone I just feel.. Kinda useless. On Teta I could only run from Carnifex while he butchered the soldiers around me." She frowned a little, turning her gaze away. Down. There was nothing worse than feeling helpless. Especially when she should've been anything but. She was stronger now. Better skilled. More aware. Yet she couldn't do a thing against a Sith Lord.

"I need to get stronger."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

Without wasting a second, Valery stepped over to Iris and placed a hand on her shoulder, right as the younger woman's gaze fell to the floor, "You've never been useless, Iris," Valery said with her usual comforting tone, "I wasn't there with you on Teta, but I know you, and you always do everything you can to help other people."

"As long as that doesn't change, you're never useless." She offered a warm smile and withdrew her hand, "That said, there is also always room for growth. I consider true Jedi to be eternal students, so we keep looking for ways to improve. Getting stronger and more confident in a fight comes with experience too, so that's how I plan to work on it with you."

"You'll be by my side again more."

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris stayed quiet for a moment, but nodded shortly after. Valery was right. While Iris hadn't been able to stand up against the Sith Lord, she was able to heal people. Saved a couple soldiers. A cadet, even. "I'd like that. All of that." The Padawan smiled, looking up to her Master again.

"Thank you."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

"Thank you."

That paired with the smile from her Padawan made it impossible not to smile in return. She wanted Iris not only to progress as a Jedi, but also to feel confident about her path forward. Some more time close to her Master was maybe just what she needed, especially after everything they had gone through together, and everything that had happened recently.

"It's my pleasure, I care a lot about-" She paused as a voice rather loudly approached them.

"Mommyyy, I can't find eddie!" Vera walked into the kitchen area with teary eyes and a big pouty face. "Have you looked under your pillows, sweetie?" Valery asked but it was met with some quick shakes of the girl's head. "He's not there!" she moved closer to her mother's legs, but stopped when she realized that there was someone else.

"Don't be shy, you've met Iris before. She painted your room here on the Bastion, too. You really like all the colors, hm?" she chuckled and it seemed to help Vera open up to the stranger in her home. "You have pretty eyes," Vera began as she moved closer. "Do you know where eddie is?"

Valery watched and just chuckled at the question about her teddy bear.

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris blinked.

For a moment she just stood there, looking uncertainly towards the child. Vera. She'd grown, so much. But the colors around her had too. So bright. Too bright, perhaps? She turned her gaze to Valery, letting the unspoken worry about it be seen by her Master. Just for a moment, though. The colors dimmed as Vera hid behind her mother, and Iris smiled. Crouched down.

"You have pretty eyes, too. Must be because we're Keshain, huh?" She cracked a smile before looking around. Humming in thought.

"I'm not sure where he might be. Do you want to look for him together?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

Seeing Iris' gaze turn to her, Valery just nodded — she knew that Iris could see the way the Force flowed around Vera, and there was some reason for concern. But the little girl's brightness in the Force also was very heart-warming, and only dimmed because she was upset over her teddy bear and hiding behind her mother.

"Mhm, mommy has them too!" she chirped before she finally stepped away from Valery's legs and smiled back at Iris, who offered to help find her teddy bear. Vera didn't answer, and looked up at her mom for one instead, "Go ahead, you can show her your drawings then, too." With the encouragement from Valery, Vera quickly turned around and began to move, "This way!" she exclaimed, as she began to guide Iris to her room.

The second they got there, it would be quite clear why she had lost her bear — it was a bit of a mess from playing. But what really stood out were all the drawings on the floor. Some were made for fun, but others were tied to visions, and their colors likely meant something to the Padawan, "Do you see him?"

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris was all laughter at this point. Following along after Vera to help solve the case of the missing teddybear. Grant it once they were in the room and the reason became clear, Iris's laughter burst out slightly louder. Briefly. Only briefly. She nodded, looking around carefully through the mess. Going even further to search through the colors. She'd learned a couple things about how to feel things not necessarily part of the force, like inanimate objects.

Sure enough, the right color, and she was able to pull the teddy out from where it'd been lost. Inside the blankets on her bed.

"Ah, here he is!"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

"You found him!" she called out with both surprise and happiness. Her little dyad eyes widened, and with a big grin she ran up to Iris to get her teddy back. It was a simple little stuffed animal, but it was obvious through the colors that echoed out into the Force that it made Vera very happy to have him back. "Thank you!"

She hugged the bear tightly against her chest and just stood there for a moment with relief and joy all over her expression. But when it settled down, her eyes shifted to her drawings, "Mommy said you like painting," the little girl continued as she reached for a drawing she made just recently. "Hmm..." she muttered and her expression turned into a frown.

"I don't like this one."

She almost seemed surprised that her own drawing existed — it showed her parents, Vera herself but another figure as well. He stood in dark clothing, and she had drawn something that resembled a silver mask. "He's scary..."

 

[Iris Arani]

"Of course." Iris smiled as bright as can be, watching Vera as she started to go around the room. She nodded. Yeah, Iris loved to paint. It was her favorite thing in the whole world. Though the frown brought her attention. She frowned in return, glancing it over. A man in a silver mask? The Padawan looked it over before looking back to Vera. ".. Have you shown your mother this?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Appearance: Link
Necklace: Link
Tag: Iris Arani

"No..." she muttered at the question, but it was even more than that — Vera didn't seem to even remember making the art in the first place, let alone showing it to her parents. But the more she looked at it, the more upset she became, and the little girl was starting to shake a little while the Force grew chaotic around her.

Iris, much like Valery and Kahlil had experienced, would feel the Force tugging on her mind, drawing her into seeing images of the terrible things the future held for the Noble family, and in particular, for little Vera. The masked man, the forest on fire, and perhaps even other images — if not stopped, all would invade the Padawan's mind to make her aware of a growing threat in the shadows of the future.

"Iris?" Vera asked while she sniffed and looked at the young Jedi, unaware that she was forcing her own visions into the woman's mind.

 

[Iris Arani]

Rather than fight off the images or shut them out, Iris accepted them. Let the vision play out in her mind as she watched the chaos in the colors around them. But in turn, she reached out for Vera's mind. To help the burden, to help keep her calm. Brave. Something was wrong, or would be wrong soon enough. The largest surprise though, Vera sharing a vision with another.

As Vera spoke out she reached over, gently pulling the little girl into a hug before lifting her up.

"We should talk to your mother, Vera."

Valery Noble