Private Trial by Fire

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

The hum of Coruscant's skyline barely reached the interior of the Jedi Temple, its ever-present thrum of speeders and city life muffled by thick walls and the weight of history. Inside one of the temple's briefing rooms, Valery stood near the central holotable, hands clasped lightly behind her back, her stance relaxed but commanding. The blue glow of the projected star map flickered across her face, illuminating the sharp angles of her expression, the quiet focus in her fiery gaze.

She had sent for Helen Lupercal not long ago.

A former pirate, a fighter who had once roamed the stars under a very different banner — yet now, she was here, walking the path of the Jedi. It wasn't an easy shift, nor was it one that many could make. But Helen had chosen it. And Valery? She had chosen to believe in her. That was why she was bringing her along. This mission wasn't just about duty. It was about seeing how far Helen had come.

As the door hissed open, Valery turned, her expression unreadable at first, but as her gaze met Helen's, something softened—just slightly. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips, barely there but unmistakable.

"There you are," Valery mused, tilting her head slightly. She gestured toward the holotable, where a faintly glowing image of a desert world spun in place—a planet with more than its fair share of trouble brewing.

"Let's talk about what we're walking into."

Helen Lupercal ​

 

[Helen Lupercal]

Helen's transition into Jedi life hadn't been the most smooth, but it wasn't particularly problematic either. With a brief issue concerning a law enforcement droid, and an escapade into CPD data centers to delete her criminal record from their databanks being the only real major event so far, and she'd been subtle enough with that particular event that none were the wiser, and only a few droids needed replacing. Noone died, as had been her and her crew's biggest rule since even before her recruitment, and it hadn't been discovered by the Jedi until several weeks later, when their own move to get her absolved resulted in an interesting issue, where they tried to have deleted stuff that didn't exist. Besides that she had been training and studying diligently, eager to learn as much as she could as quickly as she could.

Her efforts to suppress her old mannerisms were still bearing meagre fruit, if any. She walked with her usual saunter, and her cocky smirk refused to leave her face at any time. She still carried her Blaster on her hip right next to her lightsaber. The weapon had been a gift and a boon to her for a while, and she refused to part with it. She also forwent the robes that the jedi used, in favor of the same attire she'd worn when Valery had met her.

The door slid open with a hiss to admit the new jedi, who stepped in. "My deepest apologies for the wait Master." She said, her usual purr filling the air as she stepped in. Her old showmanship never left her speech, which was unlikely to change anytime soon. At least she'd managed to use proper titles pretty early on. She moved to stand beside the Grandmaster and look down at the holotable, "how might I be of service?"

Perhaps one of the reasons Valery had chosen to give her a chance was that she had never really been all that wicked to start out with. Her and her crew stole necessities more than anything else and only from those places that could truly afford to lose them. She had been a criminal of circumstance more than anything else, and she'd made sure to kill noone when it was avoidable, her and her crew alike. And that very much saved her life when Val finally caught her. Blessed are the merciful.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smirk lingered as Helen sauntered in, all confidence and charm, her voice carrying that ever-present edge. Some things never changed. But then again, Valery hadn't expected them to. Transitioning from pirate to Jedi wasn't something that happened overnight, and if Helen still carried pieces of her past self, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The important part was where she was now.

At Helen's smooth, almost playful apology, Valery let out a quiet chuckle, tilting her head slightly. But as Helen stepped up beside her, attention shifting to the holotable, Valery's expression turned more serious. With a small flick of her fingers, she zoomed in on the projected planet — The name Sleheyron appeared in crisp Aurebesh beside it, its reputation already well known to anyone familiar with Hutt space.

"We've got a Hutt running an operation out of Sleheyron," Valery began, her voice calm but edged with quiet steel. "Not just any operation, either — he's been moving spice into the Alliance, slipping it past border patrols and selling it in backwater districts where enforcement is spread thin."

She exhaled through her nose, her gaze narrowing slightly. "But it doesn't stop there. He's also been targeting struggling worlds — places already teetering on the edge, where people are desperate. Whole communities are getting hooked, and once they are?" Her fingers curled into a loose fist. "The Hutt's people move in to exploit them further."

The weight of it settled over the room, heavy and sharp.

"This isn't just about stopping spice from flooding the Core. It's about breaking a cycle before it spreads any further." Valery turned to Helen, her gaze steady. "We're going in to put a stop to it. His entire operation — his shipments, his enforcers, his hold on these people. It all ends."

She let that sit for a beat before adding, a smirk creeping back into her voice, "Think you're up for it?"

Helen Lupercal ​

 

[Helen Lupercal]

Helen looked this over... and her smirk left her. Listening to the briefing and knowing that sector of space... this immediately became personal. Many of her old crew had been victims of this exact kind of Hutt movement. She herself had lost her mother to this kind of thing when she'd gotten hooked on Spice and was exploited by the cartels. She'd sold an eight year old Helen to get her fix. Helen didn't entirely blame her, it wasn't all her fault. But she not only knew the kind of harm this would cause... she'd been on the receiving end of it.

Heck if this was their mission she might even be able to call her old crew in to help them out if they really needed it. They were still operating out there and they'd jump at the chance to do some good like this.

"Absolutely." Was her immediate response when she was asked if she was up for it. Her usual jovial attitude gone, replaced with something dangerously close to resentment. If she could make sure that what happened to her didn't happen to anyone else, she'd do it in a heartbeat. "When do we start?"

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery didn't miss the shift in Helen's demeanor. The smirk fading, the sudden sharpness in her eyes — this wasn't just another mission to her. It was personal. And Valery understood that kind of fire all too well. She gave a small nod, as if confirming something unspoken between them, before straightening her stance. "Good," she said simply, her voice carrying the weight of finality. "Then we start now."

With a flick of her wrist, she shut down the holotable, the glowing projection of Sleheyron fading into nothing. "I've got a shuttle prepped in the Temple hangar. Registry's clean — nothing that'll raise alarms at any spaceport in Hutt space." A smirk ghosted at the corner of her lips. "Not my first time slipping past a Hutt's radar."

She turned toward the door, but before stepping out, her fiery gaze flicked back to Helen, scanning her quickly. "Do you need time to get ready? Gear up, grab anything before we go?" She arched a brow. "Or are you set to move?"

The way Helen had responded — absolutely, no hesitation, no second-guessing — Valery had a feeling she was more than ready. But she still gave her the option.

Because once they got moving, there was no turning back.

Helen Lupercal ​

 

[Helen Lupercal]

"I'm all set Master Noble." She answered, "Thank you. But I'm ready to leave."

She had her lightsaber, she had her blaster. That was all she needed. She'd always been a minimalist. Not quite to the same degree as some of these Jedi that lived like monks, but she knew how to use very little to the most effect. And she knew that her weapons and whatever she found along the way would serve her plenty on this mission.

She turned to follow the Grandmaster out of the room and to the hangar to get aboard the ship and make their way over to the system. It would be a trip, plenty of time to talk before they arrived at their destination. And Helen wasn't a particularly dramatic person outside of her usual flair. Her grim expression softened rather quickly, her grin returning en route to the hangar. Her grim demeanor was liable to return once they were on the job, but she knew better than to dwell on things that didn't help her. It would do no good to sulk.

She fell into step beside and slightly behind the grandmaster, her arms folded under her bust as she walked.

"If I may ask Master. Why did you select me for this mission? Sure there are more reliable, more qualified Jedi fit for such a task as this?" She asked, genuinely curious as to why she had been selected. She was grateful that she'd been given the task, but had to wonder why.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

The quiet hum of the shuttle's engines filled the cabin as Valery moved through the small interior, her movements practiced, methodical. She checked the navicomputer, confirmed their trajectory, then leaned back slightly against the control panel, arms loosely crossed. The moment they left the Temple behind, the weight of the mission settled over them — not crushing, but present, steady, the kind of thing that sat in the back of your mind, waiting.

Helen's question broke the silence, and Valery turned her fiery gaze toward her, smirking slightly at the curiosity in her voice.

"Why did you select me for this mission?"

It was a fair question.

"You think there's some list I pull from?" Valery teased lightly, but there was something knowing in her tone. Something deeper beneath the humor. She exhaled through her nose, tilting her head slightly. "You're right about one thing — there are Jedi out there with more experience. More time in the field. More missions under their belts."

She let that sit for a moment before continuing, her expression softening.

"But tell me — how do you think they got that experience?"

"You can read all the books, study all the tactics, spar with training droids until you're the best damn duelist in the Temple. But none of it—none of it—will prepare you for the real thing like actually being out here." She arched a brow, watching Helen closely. "The only way to learn, to become experienced, to be qualified for missions like this… is by doing them."

A small pause.

"And I think you're ready for that." The weight of her words lingered between them, but there was no pressure, no overwhelming expectation. Just an opportunity. A chance to prove something — not just to Valery, but to herself.

Helen Lupercal ​

 

[Helen Lupercal]

"I see..." She said, not altogether convinced, but it was a decent reason nonetheless. Surely there would be a less crucial mission that she could be sent on to get this experience, right? Bringing down an entire Hutt operation, which had likely been entrenched for years at this point, was no walk in the park. It wasn't like going to a planet as diplomats to negotiate the lifting of a blockade. It wasn't like there was a small group of murderers that needed dealing with. This was the Hutt Cartel, not something to be underestimated. Most wouldn't even consider doing it with more experienced people unless they had a guarantee of success and anonymity. But she wouldn't argue with the Grandmaster, she'd been brought on this mission and she would do her best to not disappoint.

She wasn't inexperienced when it came to confrontation either, her life as a pirate had seen her trade blaster fire with plenty of opponents, including bounty hunters who had been out for her. While her skill with a lightsaber was still budding she was no slouch with it so far, and had improved greatly. And in case that didn't work, she still had her blaster with her.

"I will try not to disappoint you." She finally said, taking a seat to await arrival at their destination. Flexing her neck, Valery would hear a few satisfying sounding pops as Helen settled into a comfortable position.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched Helen carefully, noting the slight hesitance in her response, the way she processed the weight of this mission. It wasn't outright doubt — just calculation. Caution. A sign of someone who understood the risks they were about to take. Good. She didn't need blind confidence. She needed someone who would step forward despite the danger.

A small smirk tugged at her lips as she pushed off the control panel. "You won't," she said simply in response to Helen's promise not to disappoint her. There was no doubt in her tone, no warning. Just quiet certainty.

Then — outside the viewport, the swirl of hyperspace collapsed into a pinprick of light, stars snapping back into focus as the Sleheyron system came into view. The planet itself loomed ahead, its surface a mess of urban sprawl and industrial spires jutting out from a desert world scorched by its sun.

Valery's expression shifted, her smirk fading into something more serious as she took the controls. The ship dipped forward, descending toward the designated spaceport. The closer they got, the more the heat shimmered against the atmospheric entry, the burning orange glow casting streaks of light across the cockpit.

"Alright," Valery said, her voice calm but firm as she guided the ship through traffic lanes filled with freighters, Hutt transports, and vessels that didn't quite look legal. "Get ready." She didn't need to tell Helen twice. Sleheyron was no place for hesitation.

As she brought them down onto the landing pad, the dull thud of the landing gear deploying echoed through the ship. The exterior of the spaceport was exactly what she expected — rusted durasteel, thick smog curling above the nearby slums, and a crowd of travelers, traders, and criminals moving through the congested streets beyond.

Valery powered down the ship, then turned toward Helen, her fiery gaze locking onto the younger woman's with quiet intensity. "It's a bit of a walk to where we're going," she warned, reaching for her belt, adjusting her weapons. "And Sleheyron isn't exactly friendly to anyone who looks weak or easy to prey on."

Her smirk returned, small but sharp.

"Not that that's going to be an issue for us."

With that, she hit the ramp controls, and the heavy boarding ramp hissed open. The heat of the world rushed in immediately — dry, stifling, filled with the scent of oil, sweat, and dust.

It was time to move.

Helen Lupercal ​

 

[Helen Lupercal]

"You don't need to worry about me Master, I've been here once or twice. I know how to carry myself in places like this. Might even run into an old friend or two." She said with a grin, wondering how her old contacts were doing. She imagined they were doing fine. She'd made sure that her people could survive without her, at least for a little while. Her grin faded to something softer, remembering her old friends. She missed them, they were good people. Good company.

Helen followed Valery down the gangway of their vessel, hands stretching above her head to pop the muscles in her back as she exited the cool air of the ship to step out into the heat of the planet's scorching sun.

She'd been told that they were there to disrupt Hutt machinations, but she hadn't been given specifics. No particular objective for her to fulfill or how. So for now all she could really do was follow behind the Grandmaster and await instructions. She was content to wait for now, she didn't have all the information. Though she had to admit she was not accustomed to having no information on what she was doing. She was accustomed to be the one planning the mission, and filling in her subordinates on what was to be done.

Though she was sure Valery would fill her in soon enough. She was itching to get something done.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery smirked at Helen's confidence, her fiery gaze flicking over to the younger woman as they stepped out into the heat. "Oh? Old friends?" she mused, adjusting her belt as the dry wind caught her dark hair. "Let's hope they still remember you fondly."

The streets of Sleheyron were as chaotic as ever. Traders haggling in a dozen different languages, laborers hauling crates of scrap and weapons, enforcers in patched-together armor keeping a loose grip on the order. The deeper they moved, the thicker the scent of oil, sweat, and spice-laced cigarras became.

Valery kept her pace steady, purposeful. Eyes ahead, but senses wide open.

"Here's the deal," she finally said, her voice pitched just loud enough for Helen to hear over the city's noise. "We're not here to start a war — not yet, anyway. We're going to a distribution hub for this spice trading business and first gather some intel" She exhaled, her fingers flexing at her sides. "We don't just want to stop their production — we also need to find out who they're selling to or where exactly they're shipping to."

She glanced at Helen, her smirk deepening. "Once we got what we need, we'll decide if we take action or need some back-up."

Helen Lupercal ​

 

[Helen Lupercal]

Helen chuckled. "I guess that depends on who the old friends are. I imagine a couple of them feel betrayed at my leaving for the Jedi."

Helen was not the usual Jedi one would find. She didn't join the order because she believed in them, or that she followed their code. She was, in a sense, still disillusioned with the Jedi. Though she was well aware that they did a lot of good, their reach simply wasn't wide enough to protect everyone who needed protecting. She'd joined so she could become strong like them, then go out, separate from the order, and protect those people who were ordinarily beyond their reach. Namely her people, her old crew of renegades and rapscallions.

Most of them had been victims of circumstance, much like her. Most were just trying to eke out a living in a galaxy that cared nothing for them. Understanding that they were entirely on their own. And she hoped to help them. To keep them safe and bring them to a better place where they could prosper.

But that would come later, much later. First, she had to learn, she had to grow, and she had a lot of work to do before any of that was possible.

"That's not exactly easy." She commented thoughtfully. "The Hutts smuggle everything everywhere. Through all kinds of channels. I was approached by a number of people who wanted me to smuggle arms or drugs to various parts of the galaxy. It wasn't easy refusing them either. Hutts don't like taking no for an answer. I trust you have a plan to find all this out?"

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Valery Noble