Private There's a Pun Here Somewhere

[Corazona von Ascania]

"It's what?"

Cora balked. Even more dangerous than it looked? How was that even possible?

Valery had shifted between Cora and the beast while the two seemed to pause and size each other up. With the Jedi Master in front of her, Cora felt a measure of protection—the name Valery Noble was known far and wide across the galaxy, a bane to Sith and their ilk. She couldn't help but admire the sincere strength she projected simply from staring down an enemy.

Suddenly, she rushed the creature. Cora fumbled for her lightsaber, embarrassed that she had not reached for the weapon sooner. The Master's blade left barely a scratch against the terentatek's rough hide before she pulled away, but it had been enough to draw the beast's attention squarely onto the elder Jedi.

Cora's mind raced, unsure of how to approach this fight. She'd never encountered a foe with poisonous claws and skin that was nearly impenetrable to the Force, and from the looks of it, durable in its own right. But Valery had given her an opening, and Cora had to make a decision.

Rushing forward, she leaped at a stone outcropping parallel to the creature, then ricocheted onto the terentatek's spiny back. With her heart beating in her throat, she pressed the hilt of her unlit saber in between the spikes, and thumbed the ignition.

The blue blade sprung to life, searing partway into the beast's armor-like skin. A guttural cry rose from the terentatek's maw, and it's great arm swung back to try and remove the bothersome gnat from its shoulders.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

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

Valery's hit-and-run had been far too quick for the beast to track or respond to, and she knew that. Its strength, resilience, and size made it very dangerous, but the Terentatek was not fast. This allowed her to keep hitting it with the goal of slowly bringing it down as hit after hit left minor injuries behind. It wasn't a strategy she had discussed with Cora, as they weren't given much time to talk, but she had a feeling the Padawan would catch on to it all rather quickly.

Now with the beast coming after her, Valery spun on her feet to bring it back in front of her. But it was at that moment that she spotted Cora jumping on its back to drive her lightsaber through its skin. So focused on Valery, the Terentatek couldn't do anything to respond, so Cora's strike was one that caused it actual pain. So much so, that it fueled an intense anger it sought to turn against the young woman, as an arm came around to crush her.

"Cora!" Valery called out while an arm extended. She tapped into the Force and with all her might, she took hold of the creature's arm, stopping it from reaching Cora. But she could only keep it up for a short amount of time, as the beast's resilience to the Force made it very difficult to keep it controlled. It was going to break through and if it did while Cora was still on its back, she'd surely be in trouble.

"Get out of there!" she yelled, her eyes on fire as she froze up the beast's entire body for as long as she possibly could.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

A small swell of triumph burned in her chest when the terentatek let out a pained roar. Cora only caught the beast's spiny arm swinging for her as a blur in her periphery, and a gasp squeezed the air from her lungs.

She froze.

Eyes squeezed shut, Cora braced for the impact that didn't come.

"Get out of there!"

Cora's eyes flew open in time to see the terentatek's arm hovering just inches from her face, straining against an unseen force. She blinked. The Force. Another exhale, this one in relief.

Heeding Valery's words, the blonde quickly deactivated her saber and leaped from the creature's back just as the Jedi's hold broke—or was released—and rolled to the floor. She chanced a slash at the beast's leg as he unfroze, but it barely left a mark. Cora frowned and paced back, braced defensively.

"My apologies, Master Jedi!" She called out to Valery. Even in the heat of battle, manners must be maintained.

Now unfrozen, the momentum from the terentatek's swing as it tried to swat Cora continued, and the creature managed to whack it's own back instead. An arm spike dug into the wound Cora's saber had made, and the monster let out another angry, pained cry.

Cora's brow arched, still circling around the terentatek.

This was...not a smart creature. Noted.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

Every muscle in Valery's body was tense while she held the beast back from lashing out at Cora. But with every passing second, she also felt her control over the creature slipping away, and she feared that the Padawan would not get out in time. But it is that fear that ultimately sparked even more strength in her — she could not allow Cora to get hurt here. So when she finally couldn't hold it back anymore, she was relieved to see that she had not been injured and gotten away.

In fact, her jump away from the beast's back had been such a sudden surprise that it ended up hitting itself, and Valery watched it happen with a slight grin she couldn't hide.

"No need to apologize, you did well," Valery then assured Cora before she jumped aside to evade the beast swinging its claw down towards them both. The Terentatek was wild and angry, and lashing out with a deep fury that was even surprising for a Sithspawn. It made it very difficult to get close to it, so Valery came up with a new plan.

"I'm going to stun it briefly, can you follow up?" Valery asked and if she got confirmation that Cora was ready, Valery began to extend an arm to one of the large stone pillars. It almost instantly crumbled at the base, and with incredible speed, Valery then hurled it at the beast from behind. The impact was so immense that it nearly toppled the creature over. But while it remained standing, for now, it was weakened and an opening to strike had surely been created.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's gaze remained trained on the raging terentatek, fighting the instinct to turn towards Valery as she spoke.

"Understood, Master Noble!" She called back, clambering out of the way of another arm that lashed towards her blindly. The terentatek's fist had struck the wall beside her, sending a hail of rocky debris clattering to the floor.

While waiting for an opening, Cora wondered how Valery was going to use Force Stun on a creature with natural resistance. As the stone column crumpled from it's base and was heaved at the terentatek, she blinked.

Ah.

Tales of strength were one thing, but witnessing a woman telekinetically rip a log of ancient stone and launch it at a monster like a weightless baton was another thing entirely. Shivers trawled along Cora's spine at the sheer display of power, feeling the ripples in the Force created by Valery's assault. While the beast was not felled, it was reeling from the heavy strike.

Cora picked up on the hesitation and surged forward, delivering a sharp slash along the tendon at the back of one knee—a potential weak point, if there was one in the terentatek's thick hide. Dodging another angry fist, she rolled to the beast's opposite side and struck at the joint of it's other leg. Cora's brow furrowed, wondering if the damage she'd managed to inflict was enough.

A furious, agonized scream and the scent of burnt flesh was her answer. The blonde grimaced and covered her mouth, swallowing down a queasy feeling.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

After the impact of the massive boulder, Valery watched Cora not wasting even a second with her follow-up attack. Considering the dangerous Sithspawn they were up against, it was quite remarkable to see that she could set aside any fears or doubts and push herself to do what had to be done. She first exploited the opening to cut at the tendon behind the knee of one leg, before dodging and striking at the joint of the other.

The beast roared in pain and anger and tried to lash out again but the blows against its legs and the boulder hitting it slowed it down far too much, so it missed its mark. It had, however, raised its head to scream and Valery finally saw an opportunity to end the fight. With explosive speed, she launched herself up straight towards the creature's throat and thrust forward her lightsaber to puncture the softer skin and take away its ability to breathe.

But even with such a strike, she knew he wouldn't go down instantly and so she turned to Cora once more. "Cora, now!" she called out, hoping to get her help to end this threat once and for all.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

They attacked the beast like a pendulum—surging back and forth, one drawing its attention away while the other struck, then following up again while the terentatek was distracted by pain.

While Valery rushed the creature and perforated it's throat, Cora was trying not to retch up her breakfast. At least the great stone walls were no longer quaking from guttural roars, but now the beast clawed at its wounded throat with voiceless gasps and gurgles. For some reason, the damage both inspired and unnerved Cora.

The Jedi Master's urging shook Cora from her reprieve, injected with a renewed energy.

"Right!" She called out, sprinting around the creature's side and narrowly dodging another flailing arm as it struck the ground, leaving a worrying indent on the stone floor. Bringing her lightsaber around, she slashed a wide arc into the side of the terentatek's underbelly. The great beast seized before it was overtaken with a shudder. Before being felled, the Jedi Killer spat red froth into Cora's face. The mixture of saliva and blood coated the side of her hair and cheek.

With an uncontrollable tremble, it finally collapsed, still and silent on the floor. Not a moment later did Cora deactivate her lightsaber and find a corner to throw up in.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

With her blade still puncturing the beast's throat, Valery watched Cora move in to help bring the Terentatek down with a strike to its side, but she had no intention of sitting still and risking it falling on top of her. So with the same speed she had used to engage, she circled around to get on its back while she dragged her blade along through its throat. Blood poured out of both cuts the Jedi had finally managed to create through its thick hide, and Cora seemed to be the victim of some collateral damage.

Finally, the massive Sithspawn collapsed and no longer moved an inch, but Cora's new fight had already started — holding down her last meal.

"Heyy, you okay?" Valery asked after hopping off the beast's corpse to walk over. The smell was very sickening and the fact she was used to it horrified her a little, but she understood that wasn't the case for the young woman. "You did great, Cora. I'm almost 100% sure we won't encounter anything quite this dangerous anymore." Artifacts or even other Sithspawn could still be ahead of them, but none would likely be as threatening as the Jedi killer.

"If it's too much to keep going, though, please tell me now. This was already much more than I had anticipated, so there's no shame if you need to rest and recover a little."

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora froze, her legs locking in place for a moment. Reaching into a corner wasn't how she'd pictured her first mission with a Jedi Master, and a wave of embarrassment sent her stomach trembling again.

Fortunately, she'd managed to hold herself back this time. After wiping the monster ick from her face with her sleeve, Cora slowly rose and turned to Valery.

"You're too generous, Master Noble." She mumbled, limbs stiff with the anticipation of a reprimand. Even if Valery was understanding, the thought that she could be sent to the Agricorps (and simultaneously shame her family) lingered in her mind. "I apologize deeply for the…unseemly display." Cora nervously fingered the hilt of her lightsaber. "I assure you, this will not happen again."

It might happen again.

Even the brief amount of time that had passed allowed her to recover, to a degree. Cora closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, swelling her lungs with stale air and unpleasant scents. She held it.

Focus.

It was a long exhale through her nose, but when Cora's eyes fluttered open, her gaze was resolute.

"Thank you for your concern, Master Noble. I am ready to continue."

She offered a small, uneasy smile.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

For a long moment, Valery just looked at Cora and allowed her senses to reveal what was happening inside. Not to an extent that would break her privacy, but she could quite easily tell that she was nervous, perhaps because she was expecting a very different response from Valery. To help put her mind at ease somewhat, Valery met her uneasy smile with a much warmer one and placed her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"The first time I ever met one of these, I ran and hid until I was sure it was gone," she said with a chuckle. "Don't be too hard on yourself. This was so much easier because of your help," Valery assured her and it was no lie to make her feel better idea. She had held her own incredibly well and discovered weaknesses in the beast almost entirely on her own.

"Now, let's continue," she said before turning towards the structure to head inside.

Almost instantly, with every step they got closer to the entrance, they could feel a darkness creeping out towards them. It started faint, but that sinister presence was trying to find its way into their minds. Valery's mental barriers shrugged it off easily, and Cora's would as well for at least a while.

"I have a feeling that we're going to be dealing with something tied to Sith Alchemy, and its use to manipulate life," Valery explained, hoping to teach Cora something. "Sith who created beasts in the old days would often experiment with inanimate objects as well, either to create something that would aid them or even something to help them control what they created."

She turned her eyes to Cora, "I'll try to purge the item, but I'd like to show you how I do it. I'll be using something called Force Light - have you heard of it before?"

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Silence lapsed over the pair of Jedi as Cora gathered herself. Despite regaining her composure, the Padawan flinched when Valery's hand came to rest at her shoulder. Vestiges of embarrassment were still present on her face from becoming ill, and now her cheeks flushed a little deeper.

"Really? You did?" There was a measure of disbelief in Cora's voice as she tried to imagine the powerful, confident woman before her cowering from anything. Still, it helped to be reminded that Valery had been in her shoes before. Her lips pursed in an awkward, grateful smile. "I'm...glad that I was able to help, in any event. I would not like to encounter one of those...creatures ever again."

As they ventured further into the temple, Cora felt tendrils of a darker presence brush against her mind. It felt far different than Valery's ministrations; this was more malevolent. Her brow creased at the unpleasant sensation, but she was able to hold it off without much trouble.

"I have read about Force Light." She affirmed. Cora's arms crossed over her chest, and her chin tilted upwards in thought. "A pure manifestation of the Light side of the Force used to purge the Dark from objects and individuals." Her recitation was encyclopedic, pulled straight from the textbook. "I've never seen in performed. It seems very powerful, from what I understand."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

"We all start somewhere," Valery said with an encouraging nod. Her first encounter with a dangerous Sithspawn of this caliber had been when she was only a young Padawan herself, and it had been the scariest experience of her life back then. But from that scared little girl, she grew into the woman she is today, and Valery knew Cora could also experience such growth. That said, she very much agreed that it'd be great not to run into a Terentatek again.

On the topic of Force Light, Valery turned her eyes away from the dark structure to look at Cora, who seemed to have at least read about it, judging by her textbook knowledge of what it was. But reading about a concept, skill, or Force ability was very different from being able to truly understand it, let alone use it.

"It can be quite powerful, as long as it's not resisted, and it comes easier to some than others," Valery said. "I still believe it's easier to develop it if you start learning it when you're young, or at least that you've felt it. The older you get, the more war and experience affect what's deep within. The purity of the Light might become more difficult to draw on if you're in conflict with yourself." She paused and looked at Cora with an almost sheepish smile, "It's situational. But I'd like you to focus on me while I purge the artifact."

She then suddenly stopped walking and let out a soft sigh, "First, though, extend your senses and try to find it. But as a warning, opening yourself to the Force will also draw in what you've already been feeling. Be careful and try to pierce through the veil of the dark side without letting it inside."

While Cora focused, the corrupted artifact was quick to reach out, and it was relentless in its attempts to break through. Painful memories, traumatic experiences, or anything harmful deep within — it would try to access it all, expose it and turn it against the Jedi Padawan in an attempt to drive her insane.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As her stomach began to settle, Cora looked to Valery with a renewed interest as she expanded on her basic explanation of Force Light. While it seemed like a powerful ability, she hadn't expected the mention of war and personal conflict and how it could cloud one's ability to connect with and utilize the Light side of the Force.

War? Conflict? Is that an inevitability for me?

Her lips pulled back in a hesitant grimace. Unlike many of her fellow Padawans, Cora had yet to experience the wrath of the Dark. She was not scarred, marred, or branded on her flesh or in her mind from the cruelty of the Sith and others of their ilk.

When Valery bid that Cora attempt to see out the artifact, she acquiesced. Almost immediately after extending her senses outward, those dark tendrils that brushed against her mind became more aggressive, clambering over the Padawan's mental barrier, unrelenting in their search for a crack or crevice. Cora's teeth ground, but she persisted, taking careful steps in the direction where the sinister presence seemed to ebb from the most.

Valery's mental probing had been unpleasant, but this was downright nasty.

They made their way down a narrow staircase that opened to an expansive stone basement, damp with humidity and mildew.

Only one foot past the threshold, and Cora suddenly halted. Dark fingers had found a crack and pried their way into her mind. They trawled though her consciousness with aggressive purpose, pulling at memories she'd smothered down for the sake of her own sanity.

Hast was light years away from Ukatis, but she was back in her father's study. The imposing figure of Viscount Ascania had his back to her. He was a strongly built man with a severe demeanor, hampered by an injured leg during the overthrowing of the planet's previous monarchy. Still, this did not lesson his commanding presence, nor did it dull the swing of his arm as he reeled back his cane.

Cowering on the ground in front of him was a young boy, no more than five years old. Dark hair and tan skin like this mother, normally jovial with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Now, faced with his own father, he was trembling in fear.

"Father, please-"

Cora has only been about eight or nine in this memory, but presently she felt as if she were moving forward, throwing herself over her younger brother in a protective cradle. In the Sith temple, her fingers twitched, remembering how small he'd felt in her arms, recalling the tickle of his hair against her chin as he shook.

"Volkhardt got lost on his way back, he didn't- he didn't mean to stay in the forest for so long. I found him before dark, so all is-"

The cane came down across her back and she cried out sharply, reflexively tightening her hold on Volk's frightened form beneath her. The silence that followed was loud.

Another swing and Cora was left sobbing, holding onto her brother for dear life.

Viscount Ascania left the pair of wailing children on the floor of his study.

Present Cora was immobilized from the vivid recollection. The pain of being struck seemed to linger along her back, but it was the weeping that had unnerved her the most.

"I-I can't-" Jaw tightening, she gripped the sides of her head with either hand, gasping for breath. "You…you can't…not again!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

As they moved deeper into the ancient Sith structure, Valery kept her focus both on the artifact ahead, as well as on Cora. She had given the young woman instruction to follow her senses and guide them through, but she knew how difficult that could be when the Dark Side was actively probing. Still, Cora seemed to be holding up well even as they took a long staircase down into the basement, where the Dark Side was at its strongest.

Yet somehow, Valery began to feel as if the pressure on her mind lessened. It made no sense because they were getting closer to the source with every step they took, so it should have been at its peak right about now.

Which is when she realized what was happening.

With widened eyes, Valery turned to Cora, who had stopped moving and showed no sign that she registered anything that was happening around her. The Dark tendrils of the artifact had all shifted away from the Jedi Master and focused purely on the Padawan, whose mind wasn't quite as strong a fortress. "Cora!" Valery called out, but nothing happened, and the memory just kept on going.

She had no idea what Cora was reliving inside her own mind, but the twitching and fear she felt in the Force were intense, so she knew that she had to do something.

"You…you can't…not again!"

Something cracked in the almost motherly, protective part of Valery's heart, and with both hands placed on Cora's shoulders, she began to draw on the Force. The barrier she had been projecting around her own mind began to expand in an attempt to drive the darkness from Cora's mind, and at the same time, she gently began to shake the girl's body. "Cora, you must resist it. Listen to my voice and use it to guide you. Push it out." Her voice was serious, and calm and she hoped that by strengthening Cora's mental barriers, the young Padawan could be spared a lot more suffering.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Cora's vision wavered between her father's study and the damp temple basement. As awful as the memory had been, there was almost something intoxicating about the experience. She couldn't understand what it was, but knew that it was terrifying and unwelcome.

Valery's hands at her shoulders took a few moments to register. The Light was calling her back, and Cora drifted towards it, urged in by the Jedi Master's words.

When she came to, she gasped as if she'd just surfaced from an ocean. It had certainly felt like drowning, only in unpleasant memories rather than water. Cora wasn't certain what Valery had done to help her, but she knew that the Sword of the Jedi had thrown her some form of a lifeline. Cora's gaze shifted downward in shame, tears gathering on blonde tipped lashes that grazed her cheeks.

"I…" Her throat was suddenly parched, so she swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry, Master Noble. I was unable to resist…that."

It was as embarrassing of a situation as it was humbling. Her first brush with the Dark, and already she'd wavered. Perhaps this would not be as easy as the fresh-faced Padawan had anticipated.

"I saw…something I'd rather have forgotten. From long ago." Drawing in a breath that swelled her ribs and stomach, she finally looked back at Valery, eyes wide. "I didn't know that the Dark could do such a thing."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

"You have nothing to apologize for..." Valery tried to assure her when she looked down and watched as tears began to form in Cora's eyes. She immediately frowned because of it and felt a stinging pain in her chest. Valery had promised to keep Cora safe, and while she had managed to pull her out of these dark memories, the exposure had been long and painful enough to spark this reaction.

If anybody had to make an apology, she felt like it should be her.

Cora then went on to explain more about the memory, and rather than saying something, Valery stepped closer and pulled the young woman into a tight embrace. With her arms around Cora, she hoped to offer her some comfort. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to drive it out quicker, but it's alright. I'm going to keep shielding you, and we'll get through this one together, alright?" she asked with that motherly tone she had whenever the need to protect grew significantly.

Padawans had always been the closest thing to having children with her, and she wasn't going to allow anything to hurt them if she could help it.

"Can you keep going a little longer with my help? We're almost there, and I'll purge this artifact," she then asked, her tone calm and soft.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

As Valery moved towards her, Cora flinched, fists balled tightly at her sides. Her muscles had tensed in anticipation of being struck as punishment for her subpar performance.

Instead, she was pulled into an embrace, warm and strong. Startled to inaction, Cora remained rigidly still while she processed what was happening. Affection and words of affirmation had been dismally absent from her parents; they had cared for her in their own way, she reasoned. Until now, the Padawan didn't realize she could miss something she'd never experienced.

With the instinctive fear of retribution finally beginning to ebb away, Cora tentatively wrapped her arms around the Master Jedi. She leaned into the feeling of safety, teetering on the brink of sobbing into Valery's shoulder, allowing a few tears to dribble down her face. Cora breathed deep into her stomach, concentrating on the sensation of her chest and abdomen rising and falling.

Pulling her head back, she nodded while deftly wiping the stray tears from her cheeks. "O-okay." She squeaked, feeling pathetic, but somewhat reconciled to the thought. Clearing her throat, effort was put into steadying her voice. "I'm sorry, Master Noble. I should learn to hold my nerve better." Cora offered a small, awkward smile. "I'm ready to continue. I think that I will feel better once we've accomplished what we set out to do."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

When she initiated the hug, Valery could feel how tense Cora became, and there was even fear that spiked just a second prior to contact. But when the warm embrace had formed, all of that faded away rather quickly and the young Padawan even wrapped her arms around Valery to return the hug. Every signal she gave made it seem like she had rarely been hugged or properly cared for, and that was something Valery could just not accept.

"You've done great today already, Cora. We're almost done here," she assured her after pulling back a little. Valery then gently squeezed her shoulders, rubbed the sides of her arms, and made a gesture with her head down the hallway. Unlike before, she took lead to shield Cora not only through the Force but physically as well.

Soon after, they reached the chamber in the center of the structure, which contained a pedestal that held a pyramid-shaped object of some kind. It seemed to be a holocron, but Valery had no intention to spend time investigating it. "Alright, I'm going to purge it, and then we're getting out of here," Valery said and without wasting any more time, she raised her hand and drew from her innermost pool of Force energy to bypass any frustrations, stress, or emotions that lingered inside of her. The purity of her strength was channeled into her palm, and a withering blast of Light lashed out at the darkness of the holocron.

With each wave of Light, its corruption weakened, lessening the burden the two Jedi would feel on their minds, until nothing remained of the darkness that had tried to manipulate them.

When it was all over, Valery exhaled and ran a hand up through her hair, before she turned to Cora. Her hopes were that she could learn something from how that felt, but after everything that happened, she wouldn't blame the young woman if she just wanted to get out. "Do you like tea or hot chocolate maybe? I think we've earned a cup for on the way back," she offered with her comforting smile.

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

Even the gentle press of Valery's hand against her shoulders and arms felt weighty, in the sense of the platonic affirmation she'd rarely received. Cora could feel her muscles begin to unwind, buzzing pleasantly from the simple act of physical touch.

Inhaling deeply again, the Padawan managed to steady her frazzled mind and stem the flow of tears. I must look so silly, she thought while swiping a sleeve across her reddened face. Once she was ready, Cora nodded to Valery and they resumed their journey to the heart of the tomb. Valery's presence had extended over her, and Cora was thankful for the Jedi Master's protection.

Even with Master Noble's shield, Cora could still feel the Dark miasma that ebbed from the holocron. Instead of violently seizing her mind, the corrupted tendrils shifted from behind a sheet of glass where the exhausted Padawan was able to observe from a curious distance.

She watched with quiet awe as Valery drew the Light to her and purged the Dark presence with pulses of pure energy. Gradually, the sinister aura around them faded into nothingness. Cora had been standing there wait baited breath, only now able to let out a heavy exhale.

Wow.

"Th-that was...incredible." Cora marveled. She'd spent most of her time with other Padawans and the occasional Knight, yet none of them had manipulated the Force with such strength and ability.

"Tea?" She seemed to perk up a bit. "Oh yes, I do love tea." An eager nod sent blonde locks shifting back and forth. "I would very much enjoy a cup, Master Noble." A cup of hot leaf juice would certainly be welcome to soothe her nerves.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Hast

​

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

"Th-that was...incredible."

Valery first blinked at the reaction but quickly began to chuckle. The Force was an ally to her that she never used to be flashy or make her own life easier, but she couldn't deny that it could definitely look spectacular in some situations. Force Light was a manifestation of what it meant to be a Jedi and that purity was very much incredible.

"Not as incredible as a Padawan holding her own against a Terentatek, but I appreciate the compliment," Valery winked and began guiding Cora back out of the structure, so they could head back to Coruscant. The trip wouldn't be too long, but long enough for them to get some much-needed rest.

"Tea, hm? You might be the first Padawan to choose it over hot chocolate but... I'm more of a tea person as well." Life day was the only exception for personal reasons, and of course, Vera always chose hot cocoa if she had the chance as well.

Eventually, the two Jedi reached the ship and after setting the coordinates and drinking a hot cup of tea, Cora would be given the time to rest, meditate or just reflect on what happened throughout the mission. It was only after they returned to the Temple and landed, that Valery decided to open up a conversation about something she had spent the whole trip thinking about.

"Thank you again for joining me, Cora. You did really well and I believe you have it in you to be an amazing Jedi if you get the right guidance." She paused a moment and looked at the young woman, "How would you feel about becoming my Padawan? I will be knighting some of my current students soon, and I'd like to keep training students."

"I'd like to train you, Cora, if you want me to be your Master as well." It was, after all, a mutual agreement and not something Valery would ever force on any Padawan.