Private The Point Where We Break

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

There were about a hundred different conversations that Gatz needed have with Valery. Kragan's hunters getting more aggressive. Uncle Klein had been murdered. There was a rapidly strengthening bond that had inexplicably developed between himself and Briana Sal-Soren . He wanted to continue his training. He needed to address his issues and trauma with Jedi Shadows, and she was the only Shadow he knew. And there was the theoretical potential of him returning to the Order...

The list went on.

That was why, despite having come to strongly dislike the planet, Gatz had returned to New Cov. He'd arrived before the sun had risen, something that had been unintentional, and had only happened because he'd been in a rush. But, for all his faults, even he wasn't rude enough to wake Valery in the wee hours of the morning. So he'd parked his ship at the temple, took a nap, and rose after the sun had begun to cast pink and orange hues into the sky.

After a quick shower, and a light breakfast of eggs and toast, Gatz figured it was late enough to bother Valery, but probably early enough that she hadn't really started her day. That was polite enough for Gatz's tastes, so he set himself to the task of getting ready for the day.

When he walked off The Red Night it was without his trademark jacket, and with an empty holster. The super-predator that had nearly killed him had destroyed his last jacket and his only blaster. He was defenseless and lacking the ability to make a fashion statement. Both of those things were probably also on the list of stuff he needed to talk to Valery about.

With a sigh, Gatz made his way to the habitation section of the Jedi Temple. It was a near empty place, and there wasn't exactly a directory to tell him which room Valery occupied, but he could feel her presence in the Force. It took him a minute to figure out how to actually track her, something he'd never attempted to use the Force for, but even his bumbling attempt was enough to find the right room.

He stopped in front of the door that he presumed was correct, and knocked.

"Val, it's Gatz." Not that she needed him to say it, she'd probably felt his presence long before he felt hers, "I know it's early, but are you awake in there?"

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

There was no response.

Trained or not, any Force-sensitive able to tap into their senses would be able to sense Valery. Her presence was strong, unique and typically warm out here on New Cov. But there wasn't even the slightest of sounds when he called out to her. No voice, no gentle noise of her moving around, and there wasn't even the sound of breathing if he paid enough attention to hear it. The knock on the door had opened it just slightly, allowing some light to shine through the crack.

It wasn't enough to look into the room, but it was enough to allow him to step inside if he decided to.

Valery, meanwhile, was out on the overlook — an area only accessible if one walked through the entirety of the caves that were at the far back of the Temple, with an entrance underneath the waterfalls. She was sitting on the edge of the cliffs, drawn into her mind with only partial focus on the Force Scattering she had used to project her presence into her room. Ever since her duel with Shai, Jedi had tried to approach her to talk about it.

All of them had unknowingly run into an empty room, and received no response.

She didn't really want to talk to them. She had already talked to her husband, to Amani and perhaps her own children had picked up on her mumbling at night. It still wasn't quite enough — she felt empty and the weight of this war was already starting to bring her down, and it had only just started.

She had to find a way through.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

Gatz heard no response. In fact, he heard nothing, save for the sound of his knuckle rapping on the door. It shifted slightly, not enough to really open, but enough to make him raise his brow. If Valery was actually in this room, it'd be rude of him to just open the door, but... Curiosity got the better of him, and Gatz pushed it open.

His reward? An empty room, but one that was definitely hers.

Confused, Gatz reached out into the Force again. This time however, Valery felt as though she was as far away from him as she could possibly be, and still be in the temple. Why? How? Was this some sort of test, or was she avoiding him? She had to know that he was here, as attuned as her senses were to the Force. So what was the point of all this.

With an annoyed huff, Gatz turned on his heel, and marched in the direction he felt Valery's presence coming from this time. At first, he was just walking through the rest of the Temple, and that was fine. Then he hit the caves, and annoyance turned to aggravation. But he continued his trek anyhow, because what point was there in turning back?

After a period of cave spelunking in a cave he was woefully unfamiliar with, Gatz finally came to stand next to Valery on the edge of a cliff, with a fresh cut on his cheek, and a bruise blooming on his temple, courtesy of slipping on wet rocks.

His frustration bloomed from him in the Force.

"You wanna tell me why you gave me the run around, Valery?"

His tone was clipped, restraining the anger he felt. He was upset, but he didn't want to blow up on Valery. She had to have a good reason for making him wander through caves, and hurt himself, to find her. Now if her reasons weren't good, then maybe he wouldn't be so nice about it. But... this was Valery. He owed her the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"You're bleeding," Valery said almost at the same time that he spoke up. His question made her open her eyes, and had her turn to look at him over her shoulder. He was clearly trying to hide or suppress it, but she could feel that he was frustrated, perhaps even angered with her. But while that would normally bother her, she seemed a little distant. There was so much on her mind, that she was shutting just about everything and everybody out.

Even good friends, like Gatz.

"I've been giving everybody the run around, not just you," she clarified before turning her gaze back into the green valley below her. As dangerous as New Cov was, seeing it always brought her peace of mind. "I've had a lot to think about, and I didn't feel like being bothered." It wasn't meant to be personal or harsh, but she did realize how cold it sounded. It was unlike her to avoid connection with other people, but these were different circumstances.

This time, it was about her.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

"Oh wow, thanks, I didn't notice." He said flatly. Of course he was bleeding!

The cold way she spoke to him, as if he was nothing, turned his anger into fury. It burned him up from the inside, immolating his blood, and there was nothing he could do to contain it. He'd saved her life. He'd saved her husband's life. Every time he joined her on a mission, he got hurt. He risked his neck for her time and time again, and this was how she was going to talk to him? Like he was some pest?

That made him finally think, a brief moment of clarity in his rage. Valery would never speak to him like this. At least, not out of the blue. Something... something was very wrong with her. He sucked in an aggravated breath, and let it out in a long sigh. His fury cooled, leaving behind just the frustration, but he could restrain that.

"I'm sorry I bother you, in-between saving your life, saving your husband's life, and almost getting killed on every mission you bring me on." Gatz sat down next to her, looking out into New Cov's jungle, which did nothing to soothe his irritation. "Next time, leave a note on your door. It's a lot more effective than making me run around the Temple, and fall flat on my face in some caves."

Gatz suddenly didn't feel like having any conversations with Valery anymore. The only thing he felt like doing was standing back up, and leaving her to deal with whatever the hell was making her act so cold. But that... that would be like what she did to him on Hoth. How she'd just left him, when he'd needed her comfort the most.

He wouldn't do the same, even if he was angry with her. So he sucked in another breath, and let out another sigh.

"I'm already here, so... you want some hot chocolate? I think I still have some, back on the ship."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery remained quiet and pulled her knees up against her chest while she listened and stared off into the distance. Her gaze slowly dropped, and it seemed as if his words were going right through her. They didn't, but she wasn't really sure what hurt more at the moment — the clash within her about what happened during her battle with Shai, or the fact that she was getting chewed out for how she chose to handle it.

She understood why, but she felt a note or message wouldn't have really helped. Too many people felt like they owed her, or felt like they needed to help and be there for her when she struggled. It was appreciated, and she loved them for it. But right now? She just wanted time to think alone.

"I'm already here, so... you want some hot chocolate? I think I still have some, back on the ship."

Valery blinked and his voice registered properly again. She tightened her grips around her knees, and clenched her jaw when she felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I think I'm good, thank you," she said, her voice quiet and threatening to break up with each spoken word.

"I just... think I need a bit of time alone."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

Valery curled inwards on herself, her voice sounding on the verge of breaking, and all of Gatz's irritation and anger vanished in an instant.

Something was very, very wrong. He'd seen Valery upset before. Annoyed and angry were the ways he'd most often seen her express it. He'd seen her cry a spattering of tears, exactly once, upon seeing the cruelty behind Kragan's slaving empire. But even those had been angry tears, evident by the way she had nearly cracked Sovereign Station in half.

Gatz had never seen her be so sullen. Sullen was his thing.

What... what was he supposed to do for Valery, when she was like this? Gatz, well, he wasn't exactly a comforting presence, was he? He was a down-on-his-luck former smuggler, rough around the edges, with no real experience with placating someone. Usually, he was the one being comforted. But even so, he had to try. Even if it seemed like Valery didn't particularly want him to.

"It seems like you've had time alone, Val," his voice was soft now—softer than he remembered ever letting it be—lacking the aggravation from before, "and it doesn't look like it's helping."

He didn't like seeing Valery like this. It was like being punched in the gut, repeatedly, and he felt ashamed for ever thinking of being angry with her. So what if she'd made him trek through the cave? So what if his face was still bleeding? Getting hurt was basically all he did these days. He was used to that kind of pain.

He wasn't sure if Valery was used to this kind of pain, whatever it was.

Gatz scooted closer to her, and offered a smile, "...I have marshmallows, if that'll convince you."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

The sudden softness of Gatz's voice caught her by surprise, and she eased up on her own knees to turn and look at him a little. It was getting hard to keep her emotions buried within, so tears were already flowing freely down her cheeks. Even more so when she internally accepted what he said, and agreed with it. This whole approach of isolation and trying to brute force herself through her problems had been her method of the past.

It had always backfired and just made things worse in the end, even if it offered her temporary comfort. One day, it was going to bite her in the ass if she didn't open up now, and it'd only hurt more.

"...I have marshmallows, if that'll convince you."

"I killed my sister," Valery said abruptly with a shake of her head. "Well, someone I considered a sister," she clarified. Gatz knew enough about her that he'd understand it was impossible for her to have biological siblings who were still alive. The only family she had was the one she had made for herself.

But some people were like family to her.

She sniffed, and reached up to wipe away some tears before continuing, "She was with the Enclave, their war leader, and we had a clash on Ryloth. I... killed her."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

Valery was crying. Valery was crying.

And Gatz wanted to murder someone. He didn't know who, not yet. But as soon as he found out who had made her like this, Gatz was going to stick a blaster in their face. Well... first he had to find another blaster, but then he'd find whoever was responsible for this, and they would hurt. And before he was done with them he'd—

"I killed my sister."

And murder went out the window.

Gatz didn't need the clarification that she wasn't talking about her biological sister. He didn't know exact how long she'd been frozen for, but he knew it had been for a very long time. But for Valery to use the word 'sister' must have meant that they were as close as blood.

This war—this stupid war that the Mandalorians had forced—had forced her to kill someone she considered family. Gatz had taken plenty of lives, and he was all too familiar with the guilt that accompanied that, but he'd never killed someone he was close to.

Killing her sister... that'd be like if Gatz killed her. He couldn't even fathom the idea of pointing a weapon at Valery, much less pulling the trigger.

"Valery I—" What did he even say to that? "I'm so sorry."

It struck Gatz that he had no idea how to help Valery with this. But he did know that a cliff overlooking a fatal drop was not the place to have this conversation. She needed to be somewhere comfy, not sitting down on hard rock. Not somewhere with... temptations.

"Come on Val," Gatz stood, and offered her a hand, voice still soft, "I don't think our surroundings are suited to something this heavy. Let's go find a more comfortable place to sit down, and we can talk as much or as little as you'd like."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Despite the pain and tears, Valery curled the corners of her lips up into a smile when he told her I'm sorry. She had talked to people who lost loved ones more than enough to know how difficult it was to find words. Nothing said would ever bring back those who were gone, so everything just felt inadequate at that point. A simple I'm sorry, as long as it came from the heart, perhaps was the best thing to hear for her right now.

It was a little source of comfort.

"Yeah... you're probably right." She looked back over into the valley and sighed. It made sense that Gatz didn't like her sitting at the edge of a cliff while she was feeling so depressed, but there wasn't really anything to worry. As long as she had her family and close friends around her, she wouldn't even think of jumping down.

Still, somewhere less out in the open was better for this.

Reaching up for his hand, Valery pulled herself to her feet and gestured for a small trail with her head, "We can get around the caves if we take that path. But... where do we go?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

He got a small smile out of her. That was a start, so he gave her a small smile in return.

Valery took his hand, and pulled herself up, gesturing at a way around the caves. That would have been nice to know, before he'd cut his face, but there was nothing to be done about that now. She asked him a question: where to go. But before he offered her an answer, Gatz wrapped her up in a tight hug. If she was anything like him—and she was, they wouldn't bicker as much as they did if they weren't two peas in a pod—then she was in need of one, but was too stubborn to seek it out.

Gatz let her decide when to pull away, but when she did, he kept one arm wrapped around her shoulders: half a way to offer comfort, and half a way to guide her down the path she'd graciously pointed out.

"We go somewhere you'll be comfortable. Somewhere we can sit down and talk—or not talk—where you'll feel secure. Wherever that is to you: your room, my ship, some lounge here at the temple—it doesn't matter. You can pick a place on the other side of the galaxy, and I'll take you there. Just... pick somewhere where we don't have to bruise our butts sitting on rocks."

He started leading her down the path, not actually knowing where it would take them, but trusting that it would eventually end near the Temple. Anything was better than slipping and cutting his face open again. Plus, maybe a small walk would help Valery unwind a little, and help relax her enough to open up to him.

And... Gatz had to admit, New Cov did look real pretty when the flora and fauna were at a distance.

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery was about ready to start walking back, when Gatz suddenly pulled her into a tight hug. Her entire body froze and remained stiff for a few seconds, but as soon as she realized what happened, she brought her arms around him too. She was still fighting hard to keep herself from crying even more, and while this hug could have perhaps opened her up to exposing those emotions, she instead used it for strength and comfort.

She didn't want to just cry all day — she needed to get things off her chest and talk.

"Thanks, Gatz," Valery said with a smile that showed her gratitude far more than any amount of words could. She pulled back, turned to the little path she had pointed out, and let out a soft sigh.

"Can... we go to Eshan?" she asked, knowing it was a very weird question, and Eshan was quite far away. "There's a place there I like going to when I really struggle with something. It's also the time of year that they have fun little stalls around town for the cold. Hot meals, fresh cocoa... it's nice."

The mountain path they took soon brought them back to the front of the Temple, close to the landing pad where Gatz's ship would be waiting for them.

"We can also go somewhere closer if that's a little easier, though."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

Gatz felt the stiffness in Valery as he hugged her. If she'd been anyone else, he'd have worried that he was making her uncomfortable. But he knew that stiffness all too well, felt it himself when someone hugged him: it was the shock of someone who was far too unfamiliar with being embraced. It worried him that someone with as much love in her life as Valery—and he knew Kahlil and the children were very physically affectionate with her—could have that kind of stunned response.

It spoke to just how wounded she was, after what had happened. Killing her sister... it must have made her feel like she didn't deserve the embrace. But guilt like that was meant for men like him, mired with selfishness, not for a wonderful woman who had dedicated her life to others.

He made sure to hug her just a little tighter.

"You're welcome."

They walked down the path together, quiet for the most part. He wouldn't push or prod Valery, at least, not until they were somewhere she felt comfortable. For now, he was content with knowing that she wasn't alone. That was a feeling he knew all too well; a feeling he struggled with every day of his life, to the point where he was drowning in solitude most days. Gatz didn't want that for Valery.

"Eshan?" Gatz asked, surprised, "not the place I expected you to pick, I admit. But, of course. I'll happily take you to Eshan."

The little path he'd led Valery down came to an end, right in front of the Temple. Close enough that Gatz could even see his ship on its landing pad.

"I'll get The Red Night warmed up, if you need to grab some things from your room first." Gatz said, then paused for moment before adding, "unless you'd rather have some company."

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"I have some... memories tied to Eshan," Valery tried to explain, but she preferred to actually show it, rather than try to explain it with words. The lake, the little town nearby — it held a special place in her heart and usually she'd visit it around Life Day with her husband. This time, perhaps she could find some comfort going there with a friend as well. But it was quite far out, so she wasn't going to push it too much.

Not that it seemed necessary — Gatz was more than willing.

"I'm only going to get changed and grab a coat, so we don't have to get stubborn over that this time." She smiled weakly, then disappeared for about half an hour. Getting changed didn't take that long, but she had also wiped away the tears, and made sure she wasn't looking like a complete mess anymore.

Just deeper down, the pain still lingered.

Eventually, dressed up for the colder climate, Valery appeared within the Red Night and looked around, "Alright, I'm ready to get going. Sorry for keeping you waiting," she said as she walked over to the cockpit to sit down. Once she was ready, she'd let the trip to get there to him.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

Valery's words about her memories tied to Eshan were cryptic at best, but Gatz couldn't care less. If she wanted to go to Eshan, then they'd go to Eshan. If she wanted to invade the heart of the Sith Order, then they'd invade the heart of the Sith Order. Whatever she needed. Whatever she wanted. He couldn't make her feel better about what had happened, that ability just wasn't in him.

But he could be there while she sorted it out for herself. It was the best he could do, but damn it all, he'd do it.

"Good. I didn't save Kahlil from freezing to death just for you to give it a try."

He'd tape a blanket around her, if he had to. Gatz refused to have a repeat of Erakhis, where Valery was too stubborn to dress warmly as his ship cooled off to the ambient temperature of deep space. That argument—and probably only that argument—Gatz would win. As for the rest of their heated debates, well...

Valery was far more stubborn than he was. And very used to getting her way.

When she rejoined him in the cockpit, he was playing pazaak with R4, cards strewn on the seat of the auxiliary chair behind the pilot's seat. Gatz growled as his damn droid won, again. Stupid astromech probably knew all the cards in Gatz's deck, and was counting them. Cheater.

"No reason to apologize, you're actually right on time," Gatz smiled, and spun around to face the console, "you just saved Arfour from getting spaced."

<Sore loser.>

"Cheater."

 

[Valery Noble]

Red Night

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Winter clothes were still an odd thing to her, but this specific coat actually looked nice, and reminded her of a fun trip to Eshan after Kahlil had returned. Well, fun except for the part when he had used his runes to blow snow up from underneath her, and into her dress. Either he had forgotten that she wasn't wearing pants with this look, or it was an intentional little trick.

She put her money on the latter.

"Not being mean to arfour, are we?" She chuckled and patted his little buddy on the head before walking over to a seat of her own. She plopped down, then spun in her chair to face him again.

"I'd like to go to the lake of tears. There is a small town close to it where we can eat and get hot drinks, but the lake is the most special thing there."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Valery Noble

"Little trash can deserves it. He's counting cards."

R4 shimmied happily, with a little beep, at Valery's attention. Damn droid did always like her more than Gatz, probably on account of him constantly being irritated with the failing astromech. Valery obviously didn't approve of the way he treated his droid sometimes, but she didn't understand. She wasn't around when R4 did things like plot a hyperspace course that nearly ran him headfirst into an asteroid.

Broken droid was going to kill him one of these days.

"We can go wherever you'd like, for as long as you need. Lake of Tears it is," Gatz smiled at her, "but you'll have to give me the coordinates. I've never actually been to Eshan before."

In fact, Gatz was pretty sure he'd never even met an Echani before. He knew of Echani; knew of Lily through Briana's scattered knowledge floating around in his mind. But actual experience with the people and their culture was something he lacked. On the bright side, that meant that he hadn't pissed them off with actions in relation to his prior employment.

There were quite a few worlds that Gatz couldn't return to, not without facing repercussions. He'd have braved them for Valery anyways, but he was secretly glad that she had chosen a planet he had no history with.

Gatz was in the middle of take-off, when something came to mind, "Val, have you eaten today?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Red Night

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery waggled her fingers in front of his droid, smiled and patted him on the head one last time before turning to help Gatz out. She knew the coordinates of the Lake off memory, purely because of what it meant to her. "Eshan is a pretty interesting planet, but this part of it almost feels... strange. They're a warrior culture, and this lake does have some connection to that, but the stories go that dreams made there can come true if they're made on a specific day. It's... not that day yet, but I'd still like to go."

There was a time when she had made a wish there, and she almost believed that it had actually helped make it come true. But she wasn't going to get into the details of that unless asked. It was a sob story, and there was more than enough for her to cry about already.

His first question wasn't about the Lake, luckily, but it did make her stomach growl.

"Oh uh, I ate this morning but it has been a little bit." She smiled awkwardly and rubbed the back of her neck. "We don't have to eat here, though. Why not use this trip and get something from the locals on Eshan?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons:
Tag: Valery Noble

A lake that people were supposed to wish upon, huh? That seemed too good to be true. But then, most legends were. With the way Valery mentioned it, and the small pause when she revealed that she knew the proper day to wish... well, Gatz got the feelings she had made a wish of her own. Maybe it came true. Maybe it didn't.

In the end it didn't matter. His luck was rotten. Any wish he made was bound to fail, even if the legends were true.

Gatz narrowed his eyes as Valery's stomach growled. If she wasn't eating in her grief, there would be problems. She didn't get to tear into him for starving himself, only for her to starve herself. But, it seemed like she was off the hook, having eaten breakfast. If she was telling him the truth. Gatz couldn't think of a single time she'd lied to him, though, so he accepted her answer.

"Alright, but the first thing we're doing when we get there is to find you some food."

---

They dropped from hyperspace above the Echani homeworld. Gatz brought The Red Night in for a landing at the coordinates Valery had provided, marveling at the winter wonderland. Naboo didn't snow like this in most places, being a near permanently temperate planet. So, seeing the blanket of white along the world was... well, it was beautiful.

Gatz was glad that Valery had given him a chance to see it.

"I need to grab a winter coat of my own," Gatz stood from his seat, "I'll meet you down at the ramp."

 

[Valery Noble]

Red Night

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"We should get food after the lake, or we'll have to keep walking back-and-forth," Valery said, somewhat stubbornly, but she also still technically hated the cold. So having to walk through thick layers of snow to go from town to lake and back several times didn't sound too appealing. Even if Eshan was beautiful.

Just... too cold.

Soon enough, the Red Night arrived and Valery was practically glued to the viewscreen. A familiar mountain range appeared as they broke through the clouds, and her eyes were quick to settle on the lake. "Can you feel it? The Lake is a Force Nexus, which is why people likely believe in the story a lot more." Something about her tone still made it sound like she believed in it too, and she wasn't the superstitious type at all.

This lake was just different to her.

"Alright, I'll see you in a moment," Valery said before she walked outside with her hands in her pockets. She buried her chin and nose a little into her coat, and stared at the lake up ahead. It felt like yesterday that she came here to make her wish.