Private The Summons

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

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Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard Lightsaber
Location: Jedi Council Chambers
Tag: Valery Noble


He had come in from an extended period undercover. He had reunited with his family. He had been pulled into the security details of the Royal House on Hapes. He had been on yet more undercover missions. He had even fallen in love. All of this in a whirlwind several months. But time had come for Brandyn to report to his master.

He and Master Noble had had very little one on one training time, prior to his undercover assignment, and had only been on mission together a couple of times after that. But the big question still hung over his time as a Padawan: What had he learned about this movement known as The New Way?

Brandyn had already arrived at the council chambers. It was his first time visiting. The place certainly felt important. He glanced about the room, trying to figure out who sat where. The indents in the cushion didn't provide much information without accurate measurements of all the council members posteriors. That was unlikely to happen. Unlikely, not impossible.

He shook himself out of the moment of immature levity, and straightened his back as he heard the door begin to hiss open.

"Master Noble. It is so good to see you again," he said, smile warm and sincere, "I trust you are keeping well."

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[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren

It had been a long time since she last saw him.

Valery felt quite guilty about it because it was her responsibility to make sure he'd be ready for knighthood. But with all the Padawans needing her guidance, the Order needing her leadership, and her personal life so chaotic, it was very difficult to manage it all the way she'd like. None of these were valid excuses to her, though, so she made her way up the elevator, knowing she may have to step it up.

When the doors finally slid open and she entered the room, Valery paused for a moment and looked over at Brandyn. He had changed, more than she thought he would have. Mature, and strong, but he still had that familiar aura in the Force that she knew she could always rely on.

"It has been too long," Valery finally said, as she walked over and offered her brightest smile. "You've changed quite a lot unless I just remember things wrong," she chuckled and looked him up and down once more before her fiery gaze connected with his own eyes.

"How have you been?"

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

"Far too long, Master," he said with a courteous bow.

Brandyn would be forever grateful to Valery. She had taken him under wing when he was an angry young runaway, and had guided him through his first treacherous months as a Padawan. She had kindly rebuked him when needed, but most of all she had filled his heart with self-belief. She had earned his devotion with that.

Had he changed a lot? Possibly his father's secret hoard of Force relics found? Confessed his love to a woman he had only just seen again after 4 years apart? Become security for the Queen of Hapes? Sounded like an average Brandyn sort of month!

He did have a slight beard now though. Maybe that is what she meant?

"I have been rather busy, and well...for the most part," he said, "how are you holding up? How is your family?"

| Valery Noble |
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[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren

Valery returned his bow with one of her own and maintained her smile while they talked. It almost felt like yesterday that she found both him and Briana discussing their training on Ossus, only for them to find out they both were going to be trained by her. Now they were both on the verge of Knighthood, and she wondered how time had passed so quickly.

"I figured you were, and I'm glad to see that you're doing well." She dipped her head again but her expression grew noticeably tenser at the mention of her family. She didn't know if he had heard about what happened and everything that changed, so just to be certain, she had to bring that topic up again.

"Well, times have been difficult. My husband was killed saving my life some time ago, so Vera and I have had it tough," she said with a brief frown. There was, however, light at the end of that darker tunnel, so she quickly brought a smile back to her face. "We're doing alright now, though."

She then turned and looked at her seat for just a moment, but decided to remain standing for now. It was just the two of them and even though they were going to discuss important matters, she wanted things to feel light between them. "I'm sure you have a lot to share about your investigation and time on Hapes? I'd love to hear more about it all."

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

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Tag: Valery Noble
Time: Pre-Gala


Brandyn felt his stomach constrict on mention of Valery's loss. He opened his mouth to speak, but could not for a moment as thoughts of his own father came to mind. He was in a state of indecision about how to proceed with the investigation, and loss was a very real possibility if he made the wrong decision. "Master. I...I am so sorry. I cannot imagine your struggles. And Vera too," Brandyn fought the inappropriate-to-fulfill desire to breach the unspoken border surrounding them and embrace his master.

He welcomed the distraction from the sad news, but suspected that Valery was surely lingering on the thought, even as he moved on to the subject at hand.

"The Queen has asked me to head up her personal security. I have accepted," he said feeling his chest tighten for the lack of consultation that he had had with his master, "I have been given permission to make regular trips from Hapes to continue my training and any aspects of the investigation into The New Way that might be necessary. I understand that this will...cut into...my training time. And I ask forgiveness for not consulting you first on this decision, it was all rather...sudden. The Queen is a great ally to the Jedi, and it is not historically the natural position of Hapes to smile upon our kind. I thought it wise to..."

He cut off the sentence thinking ahead and wondering if he had already said enough. The rest was unnecessary, and might divulge the slight sense of awkwardness that he felt with the familiarity of the Queen's approach towards him. It was flattering, and quite natural feeling, but he didn't see anyone else receive the same deference.

"The New Way. It seems to be a fractured organization at the moment. Some large swathes of it's adherents are truly only political in motivation. Their aims are still unhelpful to the galaxy as a whole, and would definitely place them on the side of opposition to the Order's status quo. But part of me wonders if their voices were simply allowed to be heard, and governments pay attention...that some of the fairly reasonable grievances be addressed...the wind may come out of their sails and the movement might dissipate naturally," he said, head tilting back and forth with each new thought, "it is the radicals that concern me. And they are a growing number. Most seem not to be radicalized from within the movement but coming into the movement from the outside. This hardened sub-group of The New Way seems to be led by an individual known only as Bartholomew. Whoever they are, they lead a band of extremists that I believe pose an imminent threat to the safety of citizens around the galaxy. I have tracked their movements from former Confederacy space, through Imperial space and on Coruscant itself. I believe an attack is imminent. But cannot ascertain the target. Or even the planet. There are many...many...angles of attack when the whole galaxy is your target."

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