Private There's a Pun Here Somewhere

[Corazona von Ascania]

Butterflies threatened to burst right through her abdominal wall and carry her into the stratosphere.

A first had happened to her; Cora had been summoned by none other than Valery Noble, the Sword of the Jedi for a mission. It almosed seemed like fate--Master Noble, working with a Padawn of noble upbringing. Until now, Cora's interaction with other Jedi had been limited to group classes and training with other Padawans. She'd yet to receive any one-on-one instruction, and part of her had been anxious that her performance was lacking.

She paced to the hangar with nervous energy, anticipation nearly killing her when she'd realized that Master Noble was not there yet. Which made sense, because Cora had arrived nearly half an hour early to ensure that she was not late.

It would simply not do to make a Jedi Master wait, even if the walk from her dormitory took only minutes. Instead, the extra time would give Cora room to catastrophize.

Even though she'd been selected for a mission, many of the other Padawans had already found dedicated Masters. Instructors that would surely mold them into better, more competent Jedi. If she performed poorly as Jedi, that would not reflect well on Ukatis and consequently put their tentative membership with the Galactic Alliance into jeopardy. Her family's standing in the Ukatian aristocracy would plummet, and that would not do. Father would be so disappointed.

One of the mechanics glanced to the blonde girl, raising a brow as he watched her pace back and forth vigorously.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Looking down at the small clock integrated into her vambrace's computer, Valery noticed she'd be arriving a little early, as she always did before important missions or meetings. She hated to keep people waiting, no matter who they were or what it is they had planned to do. Today, she was bringing another Padawan with her on a mission — something she did regularly for those without Masters so they could still gain experience in the field alongside a more experienced Jedi.

It was no replacement for having a Master, but she hoped it was still useful and appreciated.

When she finally arrived at the Temple's hangar, though, she realized that Corazona von Ascania was already there. Valery quickly looked down at the time again to make sure she hadn't misread it somehow, but that was not the case. The Padawan had simply arrived before her, and that was something she very much appreciated.

After a dip of her head in greeting to the mechanics and people working around her, she made her way over and paused to offer the young Padawan a respectful bow of her head, "Padawan von Ascania?" she asked with a calm tone of voice, "I hope I haven't kept you waiting for too long, but it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Do you have everything ready for the trip today? We'll be taking my personal shuttle."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

So deeply had she been in her own head that Cora did not notice the Jedi Master's approach. Despite the fact that Valery Noble was the picture of calm, she'd still manage to startle the distracted Padawan at the sound of her name.

"Ah!" Cora halted in her pacing, jumping to attention immediately. "Yes, that is me!" This was the first time Cora had seen Valery face to face, and for a moment she simply stood, slack jawed and somewhat starstruck.

The Jedi Master before exuded strength and authority without being oppressive—yet also managed to appear friendly and approachable. And she was pretty. How in Ashla did she do it?

Cora took a moment to swallow thickly, realizing that she was likely appearing foolish. "Oh no, I've not been waiting long at all! I simply arrived early to ensure that I would not be the one keeping you waiting, and holding up this mission entirely!" After a measured breath, Cora managed to recover from her flustered state and cleared her throat before initiating a bow.

"It is an honor to meet you, Master Noble. Thank you for selecting me for this mission."

Rising slowly, she patted the messenger bag slung around her person with both hands. It has been packed since last night, and checked several time since. "I believe so. Where will we be venturing to today, Master Noble?”

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"Yes, that is me!"

Valery's lips tugged up into a smile from Cora's excitement, which paired with the very friendly demeanor, reminded her of her younger self. Of her Padawan days prior to the scar that still covered her left eye and much of that side of her face. "It's always a good thing to be early. I certainly appreciate it," Valery said before she dipped her head in return to the young woman and began to guide her towards the shuttle.

"It's my pleasure. These days, it can be difficult for all of our Padawans to pair up with Masters immediately, but it's important you still get experience and that you can learn from others." She turned her fiery eyes to Cora for a moment, "So try to learn as much as you can. You can ask me anything you want to know and working together should hopefully be an interesting experience you can learn a thing or two from as well."

Valery paused as they reached the ship — a custom-made light freighter she had gotten together with her boyfriend not too long ago. It was quite fast, had enough space to live in for longer journeys, and packed quite a punch as well.

"We're going to a planet called Hast, which is close to the borders of the Ashlan Crusade. An old structure was recently discovered there, and its design ties it to the old Sith Empire. It's likely trouble, so we'll be going to investigate." She gave Cora a moment to absorb everything before she asked, "Are you ready? Or any questions before we depart?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's attention was fully on Valery, listening to the Jedi Master with rapt attention. From what she'd gathered in talking to other Padawans, missions generally took the form of investigations. Pirates, slavers, ancient relics—and this time, Sith temples. Cora had never interacted with the Dark Side face to face, and part of her was naively eager to. For curiosity's sake, at least.

"I understand. Thank you, Master Noble. I will do my best to learn as much as possible from this exercise." Raising the slight bow of her head, Cora hesitated in thought for a moment.

"Do we yet know if this facility is abandoned? Or do we anticipate to encounter any…remnants?"

Her gaze shifted to the freighter, keen to board the vessel to their destination.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery's lip briefly twitched into a smile at the question, and as she began to guide the young woman into the ship, she'd answer it, "It should have been long-abandoned, but some activity was detected there recently. We're not sure what kind of activity yet, but that's why we're going to investigate."

The two then reached the cockpit, where Valery plopped down into the pilot seat and gestured for her to go for the co-pilot seat. She wouldn't have to assist with any of the flight mechanics, but it gave her a chance to see how certain things worked. If she wasn't already familiar with it, of course.

"Because it's an old Sith Temple, it's likely quite... corrupted. So before we arrive, I want to teach you how to shield your mind. Or is that something you've already learned?" She paused going through her pre-flight checks to look at Cora for a moment before she finally pulled them up to break through the atmosphere and get them ready for the jump to Hyperspace.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As Cora strapped herself into the co-pilot chair, her eyes never left Valery. Unknown activity at a Sith temple...the idea was both daunting and energizing.

"I've never learned to shield my mind." The blonde shook her head, fingers lacing together in a nervous fidget. Was that something she was supposed to have figured out prior to this mission? Perhaps not, if Master Noble was offering to teach her. With that knowledge, Cora allowed her shoulders to relax.

The control console lit up like a Life Day tree, and with a familiar cascade of beeps and hisses, they lifted into the atmosphere. "I would be honored to learn this technique from you, Master Noble. Is it difficult?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Valery shook her head, "The basics aren't difficult, but it's a skill you always have to keep developing further," she explained. "The Sith and their creations are notorious for their attempts at manipulating the minds of others. Especially powerful Sith or artifacts might be too difficult to block out at first, but it's important that you lay the foundation here."

She paused for a moment, realizing how that might come across. "Should we encounter something too dangerous on this mission, though, I'll be there to shield you." Her tone hopefully made it clear that was a promise she intended to keep. She had no problems taking Padawans on dangerous missions, as it showed them what the Galaxy was truly like, but she couldn't push it too far either.

Cora, as long as she stayed with Valery, would be protected.

"Now, the ability is called Thought Shield, and it's considered a Control ability. This means that it relies on you tapping into the Force as it flows through your body. It can be used to heighten your speed, strength, or reflexes, but you can also channel it to form a barrier around your mind. Doing just that isn't very hard, but maintaining it passively for hours during a mission certainly can be."

"Especially if someone is trying to break it," she added seriously. "Any questions about this?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's eyes rounded as Valery gave a cursory explanation of mental manipulation. "Even artifacts can do that?" Much of her knowledge regarding the Sith came from classroom instruction or from library texts. She'd yet to face one in the flesh, and the prospect of doing so today had become a little more daunting. To lose control of one's own mind was something unimaginable.

Fortunately, she was under the temporary wing of the Sword of the Jedi. Valery's assurance, though both her words and presence, was greatly appreciated.

"I've been able to produce physical barriers for a short time." Cora nodded along, gaze tilting down to her own palm where she curled and uncurled a fist. For a few moments, she tried recalling the sensation of projecting the Force from her body. "Under instruction, of course. I wasn't aware that the same concept could be applied to the mind. That's...incredible." Almost equally as impressive as the ability to invade one's mind.

The Force really was mysterious.

"Is being able to probe someone's mind strictly a Sith ability? Or can Jedi do this as well?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"They can, and if you're not careful, they can drive you completely insane," Valery said with a serious tone of voice. She had once fallen victim to mental manipulations herself when she was already too weakened to shield her mind, so she understood exactly what it was like. It was an experience she hoped Cora could avoid completely.

She then listened to Cora talking about projecting physical barriers and began to smile a little again, "Force Barrier is somewhat similar, so that should make it easier for you to learn this. The difference is that a physical barrier is something you create briefly to protect yourself in that very moment. A thought Shield has to be maintained while you're also focusing on other things." She still believed Cora would be able to do it, though.

The young woman felt like a very serious student, and this ability was crucial for her own safety, so she had every reason to be very focused on this.

"The Jedi are careful with affecting the minds of others," Valery said, "Telepathy is used only to communicate and pick up on stray thoughts, but Jedi should not dive so deep as to read minds or manipulate greatly. We don't go beyond a mind trick, and even that shouldn't be used too lightly."

Valery shifted in her seat a little and let out a soft sigh, "For now, I think a good exercise would be for you to raise a Thought Shield, and I'll try to only connect to your mind telepathically. Your task will be to keep me out, and I'll probe a little bit. If you're ready, give it a try. I won't reach out until you feel ready."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora nodded sternly. "I understand, Master Noble. A Jedi does not rifle through the minds of other's so callously." She'd certainly heard of mind tricks—subtle persuasion by implanting a suggestion into another sentiment's thought process—but this was beyond her grasp in skill.

Then came the exercise, to raise a barrier around her own thoughts. Cora steeled herself, eyes falling closed as she concentrated on connecting with the Force. It was different than creating a physical barrier; at first she attempted to push the Force outwards and it dissipated. Frowning, she shifted her concentration on pulling the Force towards her, inward through ethereal threads.

And she just…held it. Unsure of whether or not she was successfully raising a Thought Shield.

There was one simple way to find out, and fortunately it was within the safety of a training session.

"I am…ready." Her voice was a little strained, having to divide her concentration between manipulating the Force and communicating.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Cora's understanding of what she explained about the Force and mind brought a brief smile to Valery's lips. Too often had she seen Jedi use the Force in ways they never should, and it wasn't always their fault either. There simply weren't as many experienced Jedi out there anymore, able to guide and offer advice about the Force and proper use of it. So to have a young student understand an aspect of it was a step in the right direction.

Cora then began her first attempts at using the ability, and Valery could feel the initial struggle. The way the Force swirled around her but dissipated to leave her still unprotected. Valery didn't say anything, however, and watched as Cora approached the problem differently. Slowly but surely, she could feel something change about the young woman.

"Keep your body relaxed and stay calm," Valery said once Cora signaled to be ready. Her own mind now reached out, probing the edges of Cora's mind to find a fortress she could not get around, which meant she had to get through. Gently, she began to apply pressure, hoping to find or force cracks in the mental barriers that were raised against her. Should she be able to find her way in, Valery would immediately ease off, but she was confident that Cora would succeed in this exercise.

"Remember how this feels and what it takes to shield yourself. You must always be aware of when others are trying to manipulate you or damage your mind," she said, her voice calm so it wouldn't break Cora's focus.

"How did that feel?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora concentrated on her breathing. Focused on the sensation of the air gliding down her nose, filling her lungs, expanding her chest. The tension in her shoulders dropped once she became conscious of it. The blonde was no master of meditation by any stretch, but it helped her quiet her buzzing mind and focus on the task at hand. Especially when that task was connecting with the Force.

She could feel Valery probe at her defenses, circling around her mind to try and find any fragile walls, any exposed areas. When she found none, the Jedi Master prodded further, attempting to exploit any crack or crevice she could find.

To Cora, it felt wholly unique and unpleasant, as if there were another person living—or attempting to live—in her mind. In her being. It was like a dream; something that you couldn't control. Except that she could control this, to some extent.

Valery had found a fracture, a small gap she'd begun to burrow into. Cora stiffened with her eyes still closed, a gasp catching in her throat. Though there was no malice behind it, the unpleasant feeling had suddenly been multiplied tenfold. Honing in on the disparity in her defenses, Cora closed that opening as quickly as she could—only for Valery to swiftly move on, testing another area to exploit. Again, she found another cranny to exploit, and Cora rushed to fill that one in.

After Valery had withdrawn, Cora let out a breathy exhale and opened her eyes.

"That was...a tad more harrowing than I'd expected." She admitted, wiping a bead of sweat from her temple with the back of her hand. "The sensation of you trying to invade my mind was a feeling that I'll never forget." It had not been lost on Cora that if Master Noble really wanted to, she could have pushed her way past the Thought Shield and into the Padawan's mind.

Jedi Masters were truly something else.

"Understanding that feeling can only be helpful, I'd imagine. Now that I know what it feels like, I have a better chance of successfully defending against against someone with more nefarious intentions." Reasoning her way through this, she paused. "At least, I hope that is something I will not encounter."

Still, part of her hoped a little bit that something would try to assault her mind during this mission, if only to test her strengths and gain more practice in the field.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

When Cora's eyes opened after she had shown her resilience and determination to work hard to succeed, she was met with a bottle of water and a content smile from Valery, "Here, drink up and rest a little," Valery said before she addressed the actual exercise, "You held your own really well, but there's one last thing I want you to always remember — you're never invulnerable. Even when you're a very experienced Jedi Master one day and have had years of practice with this ability, circumstances can still lead to your defenses falling apart. Whether it's because of injuries, exhaustion, or whatever. You must take that into consideration."

Valery paused for a moment and turned her eyes to the stars, "There's an old Philosophy the Jedi once learned called the Conquers and Honors. The Conquers are aspects of our lives we should overcome as Jedi, while the Honors are things we value and follow. Conquering recklessness and conquering overconfidence are two that really apply to this ability. It's too easy to fall into the trap of believing that your mind can be an impenetrable fortress." She looked back at Cora and smiled faintly, "Remember how this felt, and never underestimate just how dangerous mind manipulations can be."

Finally, she looked at her instruments and smirked a little — they were approaching their destination, which meant they'd have to ready themselves for the actual mission. But before she went in, she turned to Cora one last time, "Before we begin the assignment, is there anything you want to ask or anything you're concerned about? Honor Honesty is one of the Honors I mentioned, and it can save your life with these types of tasks."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora accepted the bottle of water with a grateful smile. Settling back into the chair, she uncapped the container while listening to Valery's praise and caution. It would be critical to strike a balance between expectations the reality of her own ability—confidence, but not arrogance. As the Jedi Master had put it, even the most skilled of combatants can be caught unawares due to circumstance, or simply poor luck.

Tilting her head back, Cora downed nearly the entire bottle of water in one go before pulling away with a satisfied gasp and wiping her lips with the back of her hand. She hadn't realized how thirsty she was. Perhaps it was simply an example, but Cora found herself smiling sheepishly at the mention of overconfidence and recklessness—two of her demons. Sometimes her natural zeal could lead to overstepped boundaries, and she had a relatively haughty, but well-meaning streak. At least her overconfidence had been somewhat tempered after her duel with Jand, witnessing his superior ability first hand.

"I understand, Master Noble." Cora nodded firmly. "As you said, it's hard to know exactly what we will encounter on Hast. I'll do my best to be mindful about my limits."

At the mention of honesty, the blonde hesitated. How to phrase that she was eager to throw herself into the fray when they'd just finished talking about reckless behavior?

"If I am being honest, I'm looking forward to testing this new ability. I was hoping that we might encounter some...reasonably strong opponents." She paused, and her next words were lighter, with less pomp. "Is it...bad to think that way?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

NJO Temple | Hangar

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

"Good, then I'm sure everything is going to be just fine." This didn't mean she'd become complacent, but it was a lot easier to complete an assignment when she didn't have to constantly worry about her mission partner. Cora, while young and full of energy that could cause trouble, seemed very much like the type who would work together with her. A partner she could count on if something were to go wrong.

"There's nothing bad about being eager, as long as it doesn't change into what I mentioned earlier. I used to be very excited and energetic about Lightsaber training and certain abilities I learned too, but it never caused me trouble. At least, not until I became arrogant and far too overconfident." She tapped against her left cheekbone to gesture at the scar that ran down that side of her face. "I had to learn the hard way."

Her eyes then shifted back to the ship's instruments, as an alert was given that they were approaching their destination. With Cora still piloting, Valery looked back at her and smiled, "Take us out of hyperspace and follow the path I plotted. It's the one most likely to keep us from being detected, but that does mean it's low to the ground."

Cora would need a steady hand, but Valery was confident in her piloting skills. "We'll be landing close to a hill, so the terrain is a little tricky but follow your instruments and trust your senses."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora sobered when Valery motioned to the scar running the vertical length of her face. It was a feature she hadn't noticed before—most veteran Jedi had marks from battle somewhere. Even most Padawans didn't make it out of their first few battles unscathed.

The thought unnerved her, wondering if someday, she too would bear the weight of the galaxy on her face or back. Was it vain of her to be worried about that? Father would be most unhappy if she were to return home damaged, in his own words. That would reduce her marriageability.

Valery's guidance allowed her to refocus on the task at hand. "Right." Once they were out of hyperspace, Cora swallowed and steeled herself. Her hands gripped the controls firmly, and she pushed the yoke forward, following the dashed lines of Valery's charted course. The ship responded, descending though the atmosphere of Hast. The clouds didn't let up, which made steering all the more difficult.

Cora sucked in a breath, pressing onward, eyes darting back and forth between the screen and the view in front of her. Navigating the thick atmosphere was tricky for her, but she did as Valery said and concentrated on using the resources available. Eventually, they pulled smoothly up to the appointed hill, before shifting into an abrupt landing. The drop hadn't been anything dangerous, but it was abrupt enough to jostle the pair in their seats.

"Oof-" Cora groaned, rubbing the spot on her chest where the seat belt straps had criss-crossed. "My apologies, Master Noble. I will pay for any repairs if necessary."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

Even with their path down through the atmosphere and clouds making their approach difficult, Valery made no move to step in and assist. But she didn't look worried at all either — she wanted to show Cora that she was confident in her piloting skills and with the intense focus she noticed from the young woman, she had no reason to fear that anything would go wrong. Soon enough, they punctured through the clouds and continued through the terrain.

Everything seemed to go smoothly, but when it was time to touch down, which Valery knew was often the tricky part for less experienced pilots, they made a rougher drop. Valery was pushed forward into her seat, the belts pressing hard into her neck and chest for just a moment, but they were fine.

"I doubt it sustained any damage from that, but we have repair crews at the Temple for a reason," Valery said with a hopefully reassuring smile while her hand instinctively moved up to rub her neck and chest as well. She then extended the arm and briefly squeezed Cora's shoulder, "You did well. Let's get moving and keep up that thought shield."

With that, the two Jedi were on the move, which meant crossing the hill and some grassy terrain. Trees provided some cover, but not much of it was needed, as their eyes soon settled on the structure between two hills. Large stone pillars, likely decades old, still stood on each side of the dark entrance, and both would be able to feel something sinister inside through the Force. Upon feeling it, Valery frowned and let out a soft sigh.

"Try to focus your senses. The Dark Side can cloud them easily, and keep you from feeling who might be waiting for you up ahead," she instructed. Valery had already felt several presences inside, but she wanted to guide Cora and help her gain the experience naturally.

"If you feel someone or something, try to understand more about them. The more you know before going in, the better prepared you will be."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Valery's squeeze at her shoulder brought a measure of relief to Cora, who exhaled heavily with a sheepish smile. "If that is the case, I will have to visit the mechanics for some lessons." One could never acquire too many skills, after all.

Venturing through the spotty cover of trees and sloping kills, the pair came upon their destination; a grand archaic structure vibrating with negative energy. Cora wrinkled her nose, finding the feeling unpleasant, then felt a prick of relief as she realized that it was a good thing that she was uncomfortable here. She'd heard whispers of Jedi being tantalized by the Dark, after all.

Inhaling deeply, Cora steeled herself before they headed past the temple threshold. It was work to keep her senses in the Force extended, but she could do so confidently with the knowledge that a Jedi Master was present. After several minutes of pacing down the main hall, her brow creased.

"I don't think that we are alone, Master Noble." She informed softly, unaware that the elder Jedi had already detected the existence of something sinister. In her inexperience, Cora could not deduce just what it was, or if there were more than one.

Suddenly, it moved. Something rushed towards them, surging from the heart of the temple with such an intense fervor that Cora stumbled back. Soon, the Dark presence was joined by the thundering of rapid, heavy footsteps.

A great, muscled beast with reddened skin and a flurry of crimson-tipped spikes protruding from it's head and back rumbled down the hall towards them. Upon catching sight of new prey, the terentatek paused to let our a screeching roar, clawed hands clenching tightly.

Cora gasped and recoiled several paces back on instinct. For the moment, her noble airs dropped away and she gaped at Valery.

"What the hell is that?!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Corazona von Ascania

As they passed through the halls of the Dark Temple, Valery made sure her senses could pierce through the veil that the Dark Side created inside. She had instructed Cora to try the same and alert her to problems, but she of course still considered the possibility that she would be unable to warn them in time, just to be safe. But the beast that began to move from the heart of the structure towards them was of a kind that even the least experienced Padawan would have felt, either by its corrupted presence or the immense danger it projected into the Force.

"I sense it." Valery already drew the hilt of her weapon into her hand and took a step forward when the giant Terentatek revealed itself. Cora recoiled back a few steps, which Valery took as an opportunity to place herself a little more between the Padawan and the beast that roared at them so loudly that the sound echoed on repeat between the walls of stone. Valery had seen this creature several times before in the days of the Old Republic when they were more present and actively being hunted by the Jedi.

She knew how dangerous they were, so she naturally wanted to shield the younger woman.

"They're called Terentateks, and they are even more dangerous than they look," she warned Cora. Her fiery eyes never left the beast, however, which had slowed down so it could observe what it was up against. They fed on the blood of Force sensitives, and today a powerful Jedi Master and promising young Padawan had entered its lair. This was a feast, unlike anything it had seen in a long time.

It made the already aggressive Sithspawn even more dangerous.

"Their tusks are highly venomous and their hide is nearly immune to the Force. Keep this in mind," she stressed very seriously while she stared down the goliath that was often referred to as a Jedi killer. She had no desire to let it honor its name, though, and suddenly blasted forward to draw its attention to just her alone. A quick hit-and-run followed where she struck against its leg with her violet blade, but it did little damage and annoyed it even further.

Enough to get it to turn around to go after Valery.