Private Whispers of War

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Coruscant was a place Judah had not visited in some time. Much of his work in recent months had seen him running across the galaxy doing anything he could to hold the impending dark side threat from becoming a reality. Judah had also stayed away because the chaos and destruction reminded him too much of the circumstances surrounding how he had met his wife.

Katara had caught him trying to sneak around the temple which had been ransacked. Judah had been sent to investigate the source of the attack, whether it had been an inside job or not. The footage he had retrieved with her help had caught the moment of his Master’s death in the recording. She was the first person to see Judah vulnerable in the way he had been in that moment. They found comfort in each other, and Judah knew he could not live without the woman as a permanent part of his life.

She had been dead for some time now. Judah had learned to move on, but as experience had taught so many before him, he would never love anyone quite the same way he had loved her. There was only one he could say he was truly close with in a similar way, and that was his Jedi partner and best friend Cambria Zadira . Still, they had resolved by her choice they would remain friends. Her devotion to the old ways and the Jedi Code prevented her from forming the kind of attachment Judah hoped they would. He would never doubt her feelings, however.

They loved each other, and they both knew it even if they did not speak of it.

Time had also allowed him a friendship with the Sword of the Jedi, and Grandmaster, Valery Noble . While they were not as close as Judah seemed to be with others, they seemed to understand each other. Both of them had been trained as Jedi Shadows, and her unique experience with his ancestor by the same name and similar features had always been something they joked about.

She had mistaken him upon their first meeting. Fortunately, Valery had not kicked the more contemporary version of Judah Lesan out of the Jedi Order. That would have been both ironic and embarrassing.

He overlooked the temple gardens, finding peace and solace among them. The rebuilding effort had been underway for a time, and Judah finally emerged from his self assigned exile. Whether she already knew he was in the temple or not, Judah alerted Valery to his arrival. War was coming, and he knew they needed to prepare for it.

Judah was there to do his part.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"Remarkable how much progress they made rebuilding the Temple, hm?" Valery approached from behind and stood next to him, her eyes focused on the gardens as well. Much of the Temple had already been restored, with only some interior work and sculpting still needing to be finished. But it was only one building among thousands that had been damaged in the attack, and with far more worlds within the scopes of both the Sith and the Alliance, she knew this was only the beginning.

Caught between two dangerous foes, the Alliance was going to lose many more of its homes.

"Do you feel ready for what's coming?" Valery asked after a moment of silence. The escalating war was no surprise or shock to anybody and both the Jedi and the Alliance had been non-stop preparing.

Still, the closer they got to full-scale war, the more tense she felt.

Not just because it was yet another war, but also because of her visions of late. Visions seen by both her daughter and a dear friend, and each one had shown the exact same thing — her death. It wasn't clear if it was at all tied to the war, but her mind was quick to make the assumption.

She was not ready to leave her family without a Mother.

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah nodded in response to the question. The familiar presence of his friend was heavier than usual, and he wondered why that was. They would talk about it at some point, or they wouldn’t. Whatever they discussed was always at the willingness of the other to disclose. Judah never pried, and she did not look for what he was unwilling to bring to the surface. It was why their friendship worked. They knew they had secrets, but everyone was allowed their secrets.

He shook his head at the next question.

“Are we ever ready for war?”

There was a smirk that tugged at his lips as he turned to face the woman. Was Judah seriously considering following her into the conflict against the Sith? That was the question she was really asking. Yet, as usual, he answered the one she asked, not the one she implied. He was like that sometimes, dodging the heart of the issue because he did not want to face the answer he knew was right.

He pushed off the balcony railing, hearing his back crack and pop as he did. It brought a chuckle out of him as he stretched and smiled.

“See… I’m getting too old for this anyway.”

Judah winked, then frowned. Something hung between them, and while Judah normally did not pry, he felt like now was the time to break the rule. He settled back into a more comfortable stance as his arms crossed.

“Hey… you okay?”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

Valery rolled her eyes when she heard his back pop, "We both know that isn't true, but perhaps a little extra caution wouldn't hurt." She smiled and did her best to sound friendly, but the underlying message was don't die. It was always a risk with their work, especially for a Shadow, who often ventured deep behind enemy lines. But he was getting older, perhaps tired of all the wars he had already fought, and she was worried that he was content with the life he had already lived.

She wanted him to fight for what he had, and be there for all the Jedi who were about to enter their first conflict. They needed experienced Jedi like him and like her.

Then, Judah asked a question that kept her quiet long enough for him to already know the answer. Was she alright? Physically, she was in the best shape of her life and mentally, she was more than ready to lead the Jedi. But there was something chipping away at her — something she had only discussed with her husband thus far.

"I'm..." Valery sighed and shook her head, "I'm a bit worried. Vera and Alicio Organa have both seen visions of my death, and it has kept my mind occupied. Not because I'm unwilling to die for my cause, but because I don't want to bring that pain to my family. Vera and I both went through that loss once before and now..."

The family was much bigger, with even more little ones.

"I know, it's maybe a bit selfish, but I don't want to leave them without a Mother and this is the first time in my life when I feel it's a realistic threat."

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

They laughed together. It was part of how their friendship worked. The teasing often masked the more serious conversations, and once they had raised their spirits the conversations often turned heavy. She was correct, however, Judah was not too old for the fight which was coming ahead of them. They had not faced an enemy as powerful as the Sith Order in a long time however. They needed to be ready. These were not Sith that hid behind an imperial veil. They were openly cruel.

They kept telling each other not to die, but as much as Valery knew death came with war, Judah knew it was getting close. Time was a tyrant, and the day would come when it would have the final say. He was not destined to die at peace in his bed from old age. Judah Lesan would die the hero. There were too many sins to pay for. This Jedi Shadow did not deserve a peaceful death.

Valery spoke of her dream, her vision and that of others. He smirked and shook his head.

"You of all people know that farseeing shows possible outcomes not guaranteed futures. You're worry is misplaced, even if I understand it."

This was why the Jedi of old forbade attachment. They led to this, a choice between duty and relationship. Judah had always chosen duty at the expense of his family. Valery seemed to have found a balance, and Judah would be lying if he said he was not jealous of it.

He smiled, but it was not the full smile she knew him for. For the first time Judah was going to say the one thing they only hinted at out loud.

"Don't die."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber

"I know, but I've had dreams and visions myself, too," Valery said with a sigh, "I've been through it before, but never quite like this. Not with several others seeing the same on separate occasions." It was still just one possible outcome, she knew. The future was always in motion and there was no way to perfectly predict everything. But the fact she was dreaming, and that two Seers had seen it separately...

It made it feel far more intense.

"Don't die."

Valery blinked and snapped her gaze back to him, surprised at first, but her expression quickly softened into a smile, "I'll do my best, both for my family and the Jedi." She didn't like to think of her as vital in any way, but she'd be fooling herself if she didn't recognize the fact that a lot of Jedi did rely on her. Back in the day, there were countless Jedi Knights and Masters, but these days, there aren't nearly as many.

Every Jedi Master was extremely valued and important now.

"The same goes for you. When the next battle is over, I still expect to see you around."

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah nodded in understanding. When other seers saw the same thing, it was wise to take caution. Hopefully that was what Valery was doing. As a friend he would allow her to express her worry and concern, but then he would encourage her to let it go and proceed carefully. Naturally she would express some measure of duty. When Judah asked her not to die, however, he was not thinking of the Jedi or her family.

He was being selfish.

Romi died on Coruscant, and Judah was not willing to see another friend die in the conflict with the dark side. Judah would rather they wait for the Sith to attack them than run off to face them head on. He knew what everyone else would say, however. They could not afford to wait for the Sith to bring the power of their war machine to full throttle. Any who would say that were correct.

“I have had no visions this time. I don’t know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing,” he said with a chuckle as he started to walk toward the gardens.

It was the only green on the planet aside from the small patch of mountain which Coruscant’s city structures did cover up. Judah always felt more at home outside of the city. Trouble was easy to find in the urban megapolis. The foothills of Coronet Peak had always been calm and peaceful. It was home.

The gardens in the temple reminded him of happier days. They did not need to remain caught in the sad anticipation of war and the unknown.

“We will both make it, and when we do, bring the family to Corellia. My home in the foothills is large and I am sure your children would enjoy it.”