Private The Shield

[DeadpoolMLP]

Jonyna couldn't help but blink at that revelation. A sith turned jedi? She didn't realize it could go the other way...

"That's a heck of a story, I'm sure..."

She'd always considered herself much less of a traditional jedi. Between her spats with Giran about what being a jedi meant, she'd always been self assured that her way was right. But in the back of her mind, she always felt like one day, someone with much more experience would correct her. Show her the true way. Now she was living that. Not that she felt that would change her views much. To her, the Force was no being of light or dark. It was never that simple. To call a tiger evil because it had fangs was silly to her. Evil is what you do, not who you are...

As they approached the shining blueish white orb, Jonyna took a chance to sit and hum to herself, though to Kahlil Noble it sounded more like a strange growl. A song her mother had taught her when she was young, a song about her former master. The paragon of her people. Sylvar's Ballad, the story of a true jedi of Cathar. She considered what Sylvar would've told her in this situation. A jedi of old, older than even Valery Noble . To find one's center, a task not many could achieve. The point between Rage and Serenity...

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble DeadpoolMLP

<Understood. We'll be landing shortly.>

His voice brought a smile to her lips as well, while she watched the familiar Bastion make its way down to the surface. Outside the Temple, it was extremely cold, but Valery was never really dressed for it. The Force helped her retain her body heat instead, so unless she wanted to spend days on end in this kind of environment, she'd just focus on that. It allowed her to stay in her preferred clothes, rather than pack up in too many layers.

Soon after, the Bastion finally settled on the surface, and once the engines were shut off, Valery walked over and waited for the ramp to lower, so she could greet her husband and the Jedi Knight he was bringing along.

"Welcome to Ilum, you two," Valery said with a bow of her head and a kind smile. "It has been a while since the last crystal gathering here. But everything is ready for it."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I suppose."

For him, it was just his life. Nothing special, nothing crazy. Well no, he knew better than that, but he didn't want to overshadow anyone's lives. What he went through, what his life was, it wasn't a story he wanted to hold over others.

His smile brightened as they stepped down the ramp and Valery stepped into view.

"There's no time like the present, that's for sure. Shall we?"

Valery Noble | DeadpoolMLP

 

[DeadpoolMLP]

Jonyna couldn't help but give a lopsided smirk. "We shall." She looked down the ramp to Valery Noble , giving a slight bow. "I take it you're going to lead the way? I've never had the pleasure of coming here."

While she kept her usual snarky demeanor, Jonyna couldn't help but feel slightly overwhelmed by her own sense of joy. This was the real deal. She was getting a kyber crystal, the jedi way.

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble DeadpoolMLP

Valery caught her husband's bright smile when their eyes locked, and she was quick to offer that same affection through a smile in return. Just briefly, before she focused on the Jedi Knight who was about to go through her first Crystal trial here. Valery could still remember her own, and how exciting yet daunting it was at the time. Jonyna was probably a lot more mature than most of the young Jedi who would go inside, but it only made sense that she was still just as excited.

"That's right," Valery then replied.

"I'll bring you to the entrance of the caves, and maybe Master Noble and I can both explain a little more about the trial, and what it could be like. It's different for all Jedi, but it follows a similar theme." With that said, Valery turned around and guided the two Jedi through the Temple hall, and into a chamber in the back.

What stood out the most, was the large wall of ice that blocked the entry into the caves. Beyond it, the Force felt strong, and each Jedi could feel it calling out to them. Valery then raised her hand, and by manipulating a mechanism in the room, light from the sun was directed through a crystal to shine on the wall, causing it to melt.

"Do you plan to go inside as well?" Valery then asked her husband. "Or do you want to leave this to her entirely?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"This is her challenge, not mine." He turned his gaze from Valery to Jonyna, offering a brief smile.

"Which means it's yours to face alone. What you'll find in there you already have the tools to overcome. Trust in yourself, your instincts, and you'll find what you're looking for."

DeadpoolMLP | Valery Noble

 

[DeadpoolMLP]

Jonyna looked back to the two, then to the melting ice wall, taking a deep breath. Steel yourself Warrior of Cathar, you were born to do this. Your mother was a jedi, your father was a hunter. You can do this...

She took a step forward, walking toward the caves...

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble DeadpoolMLP

"Alright, you'll be staying here with me, then," Valery told her husband with an innocent smile. One that briefly shifted into more of a grin, before she turned to Jonyna and dipped her head. This was her journey to complete, and as long as she stayed true to the Jedi she was, Valery felt confident that everything was going to work out just fine.

"Glad you messaged me about this. I always like helping with gatherings," Valery then said once Jonyna disappeared into the caves to start her very first gathering.

"How do you feel about it?"

Meanwhile, inside the caves, Jonyna would soon already walk by the first crystals, some small, others large. But nothing really separated one from another. Not until she began to feel a guiding hand - a pull from the Force itself drawing her deeper into the cave system.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Don't think it's a vacation."

He teased in response to Valery before glancing towards Jonyna and giving her a nod. What happened next, she'd be able to handle it. That much he beleived.

"I think she'll do fine. My own was rather.. Unique, I suppose."

Valery Noble | Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

The dark of the cave wasn't too much of a problem for the Cathar. Her inherent night vision kicked in as soon as the dark started to darken, only to be blinded slightly as the darkness gave way to the shine of the crystals around her.

She stood in awe for a moment at the sight of it all. Walls and walls of the things, and yet...

She felt the call of the crystals. She could only follow now, putting faith in the force, as she had many a time before...

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Jonyna Si

Valery pouted playfully at his tease, "Hey, I didn't even say anything. I also don't like cold planets that much for vacations..." She chuckled, her eyes turning to the cave for a moment as Jonyna disappeared inside, before she eyed him again with a smirk. "Always fun when you make surprise visits though."

With the topic shifting to the crystal trial, Valery glanced down at the lightsaber hanging from his belt, and dipped her head. "Everything about your lightsaber is very unique." The crystals, but also the material used to craft the hilt was quite special. "I got my first crystal in these exact caves. But when I lost my lightsaber on New Cov the night I was scarred, my Master brought me to Hurikane to acquire a new crystal. It was challenging because Padawans in our Enclave were only really supposed to get crystals here on Ilum." She chuckled and looked up at him with a loving smile.

"Glad we can guide others with this now, hm?"

Meanwhile, Jonyna entered the caves, only to be met by vibrant reflections of light from the crystals. They covered the ceiling and each wall around her, but only one reached out to her. A crystal deeper into the caves that called with a gentle whisper.

But it wasn't the only voice she heard.

Whispers that were carried along the currents of the gentle breeze that still flowed through the cave reached her ears, and were soon followed by the sound of blaster fire and screams.

Was someone in trouble?

"I wonder what she'll encounter in there. She's from a difficult time."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Whatever she encounters, I wonder if she's ready to face it. Perhaps it's a bit too soon for her to come here, perhaps her time having to learn how to survive in a Galaxy where Jedi were practically non existent will make this impossible."

He hummed for a moment before finding a place to sit in the chamber, a faint smile as ever on his face.

"Or perhaps she's uniquely more prepared than any other Jedi would be. We'll see soon, no?"

Valery Noble | Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

Screams and Blaster Fire meant only one thing. Trouble. Her honed instincts kicked in. The Tiger of the Streets ran towards the trouble without much of a second thought. She was the hero, always and forever. What danger was there in a cave on Ilum? She didn't know. But her gut told her to help, and she rarely questioned her gut.


Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Jonyna Si

"The truth will probably be somewhere in the middle," Valery said with a chuckle, as she walked over to sit down in a chair beside him. Not the best idea, given how cold the seats were, but they'd otherwise be standing around for quite a while. "How did you get your very first crystal as a Jedi?" Valery then asked.

"The one you had before the current crystals?" Had he purified his old Sith crystal? Or maybe he had gone through a trial just like the one Jonyna was about to take for it. Either way, she figured it'd be an interesting question to pass the time while the real challenge was happening elsewhere.

She loved learning more about him, even after all this time.

Meanwhile, in the cave, the sound of screams and blaster fire drew closer to Jonyna with every step, and soon, she'd be able to hear the defiant humming of lightsabers as well. People were yelling words she wouldn't really be able to pick out, but the panic in the voices was clear enough to her.

Then she heard a woman's voice - one that stood out above all others.

It sounded familiar, like one that could only belong to family.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"My first crystal period was the one I entrusted with Silas. I found it within an abandoned temple with the Jedi who was supposed to be my master at the time. It called to me, and I answered. .. There's unfortunately not much to it, storywise. The whole thing was pretty uneventful." There wasn't even much of a trial so much as he found it by chance. He plopped down beside her, stretching his legs as he leaned back on his hands.

"What of you?"

Valery Noble | Jonyna Si

 

[Jonyna Si]

It sounded familiar, like one that could only belong to family.

Jonyna was taken aback by that feeling.

Between the sound of a lightsaber, and the voice...

She had to taken a moment to stop. Her mind finally overtook her gut. She pulled out her saber Lucy, closing her eyes and feeling it's crystal through the force. She figured, if it really was her mom...they'd feel the same...

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Jonyna Si

"It's interesting to me, though," Valery said with a warm smile for her husband. "After what you've gone through as a kid, it must have been very different to bond with a crystal. I can't imagine that the way Sith create or connect with crystals is anything like it, after all." She paused and thought about it for a moment before he asked about her trial. She chuckled, began to smile sheepishly, and almost considered just lying to him about it to avoid being teased.

But he'd know.

"I uh, went through my trial here on Ilum, and met a Force Spirit who asked me about my path, my strengths, weaknesses, and a few other things. It was a test of my stubbornness and my arrogance - I had to be honest with myself. Can you believe that?" Valery asked with a playful smirk. "My first crystal was blue, reflecting my strength I always believed... but then New Cov happened."

...

"Why are you here, Jonyna?" the voice asked, right as her eyes closed. A warmth managed to reach her, even inside the cold caves and despite the sound of blaster fire fading away into the background.

"Don't you know where this path will take you?"

Another scream echoed through the cave, louder this time.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's.. True."

Kahlil frowned. Deeply. Talking about his time as a Sith was.. Still not something he was that open about. Especially these kinds of subjects.

"Oh, you, stubborn or arrogant? No, couldn't be you." He just flashed a teasing smirk before nodding slowly. He remembered. "It was a difficult time, but you made your way through it."

Valery Noble

 

[DeadpoolMLP]

“I know that my path leads me there.” Jonyna spoke with a certainty in her voice. “And I know my heart tells me that I need to. The galaxy needs heroes. Cathar needs heroes. You told me that when I left to become a Jedi. It took me a while, but…I made it. Now…”

She opened her eyes, rushing forward. Wherever there was trouble, Jedi bound toward. And she was one of them now, without a doubt. No more hiding on the outskirts of Imp space, poking the bear in a vain attempt to strike back. No more avoiding the Rebellion out of fear of being hunted. No more desperate searching for answers on what the Jedi were supposed to be.

From now on, she was a Jedi Knight. Unashamed and unafraid. The Roar of Cathar echoed in her mind, Sylvar’s voice carrying in her heart.

Whatever that scream was, she was going to find it.

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Ilum Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Jonyna Si

Valery leaned in closer to squeeze his hand when she noticed the frown, and smiled warmly at him. Talking about his Sith past wasn't something he liked doing, even with his own wife - the person he trusted the most, and the one he was deeply bonded to through the Force. Valery would always respect thwt and changed topics with a jab at her own past.

One he used to tease her with a grin on his face. "I did make it through, with some help," she said, referring to the way they had looked into and played a part in each other's pasts. Valery then looked back at the cave and chuckled. "You think we'll ever have to go in there for a trial ourselves again?"

...

After hearing the voice and answering it, Jonyna moved towards the source of screams, but the longer she ran, the more all of it faded into the background. Nobody else but her would be inside these caves, but the Force had confronted her with a difficult part of the Jedi's past.

A test to gauge whether or not she was truly here to be a Jedi, or something else of a time long gone.

So as she entered the next chamber, she finally saw something - a shimmer among the crystals that called out to her.

Was she truly a Jedi Knight?