Private Win in the End

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble


“Thank you.”

Her deep green eyes welled with gratitude. Kat could feel the love that radiated through the Force when Valery spoke of her husband. It was a warm and comforting feeling and somehow familiar, which was confusing to Kat. She pushed that thought aside for now, instead focusing on the revelation that Valery Noble had been in stasis too.

“You were in stasis as well? They told me in Theed to ask for you specifically when I got here. This must be why. I would love to know more.”

There would be time for that during their travel to Naboo of course. Kat agreed to meet in the hangar as requested and both women went about preparing for the trip.

An hour later Katarine was waiting in the hangar and marveling at the ships. Technology sure had come far in a thousand years. There were so many new models and they looked so fancy compared to what she was used to.

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[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

"I'll tell you more along the way," Valery promised with a smile, before they briefly parted ways to get ready. By the time she entered the Hangar, Valery had two large bags with underwater gear on her, as well as other tools and extra rebreathers just to be safe. She had no idea how much time they'd spend underwater, and while she could sustain her breath with the Force, she wanted to be prepared for anything.

"Alright, let's take the Bastion," Valery said while she guided the woman to the light-freighter. "It used to be my husband's ship. Now it's our ship." She snickered and walked inside to first put all the gear away. Once that was done, she guided Katarine into the spacious cockpit and settled down into the pilot seat.

Not a minute later, she had gone through all the flight checks, and the two women were on their way.

"So, I believe I promised to tell you more about myself, hm? Like I said, I've also gone through stasis, though from a very different time. I was born a few decades after the treaty of Coruscant, in the days of the Old Republic. It's a few hundred years after the Mandalorian wars," Valery explained, hoping that'd help Kat place it on the timeline a little.

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble



"It used to be my husband's ship. Now it's our ship."

As Valery said those words Katarine's thoughts flashed to a blond haired man sitting in a cockpit. Just as soon as the memory had appeared it left again and she frowned. For some reason she felt like she knew this man, but even in her memory she couldn't see his face.

She followed Valery up onto the ship and after a moment they were off into the stars. As Valery explained the time period Katarine nodded. She had of course studied this time in the Jedi texts during her training.

"Wow. So you spent a long time in stasis? What happened when you woke?"

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[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

"About four-thousand years, yes," Valery said with a slightly sheepish smile. "It was in a medical stasis pod. I had gotten injured during a battle, and an old friend of mine kept me alive via stasis because our position was being overrun, and getting me out of there would have been impossible. The facility was built within the mountains of Onderon, but later collapsed when the Sith attacked again. It took a long time before my pod was discovered."

Valery frowned for a brief moment, but brightened up rather quickly. Stasis had meant leaving everything and everybody she once knew behind. Now, years later, she couldn't help but feel that she was meant to be where she is now. Both as a Jedi, and as a woman with her own family.

"I was recovered by Jedi Knight Ala Quin , who helped me get out. I couldn't move my muscles, I was blind and I had no idea what was going on. She got me back up to my feet, and with some help from Coren Starchaser , I managed to leave Onderon to explore and figure things out for myself."

"That... was the hard part."

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Traveling
Objective: Get to Know Master Noble
Tags: Valery Noble

Katarine could relate to the blindness and the muscles not working. Her time in Theed had been similar. Hibernation sickness was no joke, but Master Noble was explaining that it was the easy part. The real hard part was figuring out what to do in a galaxy so new and strange.

Katarine couldn’t remember a lot of her past. Some events did stick out like Order 66. She had felt so many Jedi perish. Attachments were of course forbidden back then but it was still hard not to grieve friends. Had Valery been forced to do that too when she woke up and found everyone she loved was gone?

“I fear you are right and that my recovery in Theed is the easy part. The Order is so different now. Attachments… they were forbidden and now the Jedi openly embrace them. I suppose we learned from past mistakes.”

It had been forbidden attachments that started the war with the Empire in the first place.

“Where did you go once you were healed? How did you know the way forward?”

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[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

Valery nodded, "Not all Jedi embrace them, and we still should be careful with them. Attachments do provoke powerful emotions, and those can cause a lot of trouble. But... I can't help but feel that I've gained so much more strength through my family. They've given me a purpose beyond mindless service, and I feel like I can relate much better to the people of the Galaxy." To her, the old Jedi felt so distant from reality.

They lacked true empathy, not because of any malicious reasons, but because they just couldn't understand.

"After I was healed, I was... alone," Valery continued with a frown. "I traveled to Alderaan and managed to get a ship, which I used to go around to learn about this new future. Those few weeks were oddly calm, because I wasn't confronting what happened, and I wasn't learning anything that really made me understand what I had just gone through. Until I decided to go back to where my old Enclave had been, on New Cov."

A strange smile appeared this time — one that recognized how difficult it had been, but also one that acknowledged something rather amazing that happened.

"On New Cov, I met a young Jedi Knight who was struggling himself. He wanted to learn more about the Jedi, and so we decided to travel to my hidden Enclave together. That's where I confronted the past I left behind, among the ruins of my old Temple. I accepted what I had lost, and found someone to help me move forward and start something new."

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Space
Objective: Learn More About Master Noble
Tags: Valery Noble


Katarine understood what Valery meant by alone. Kat felt alone now. She was here surrounded by Jedi now since the galaxy had so many and yet she did not belong to them. Not yet anyway. She also couldn’t remember a lot from her past so it was hard to feel like she knew where to serve.

As Valery mentioned finding a young Jedi that needed help Kat received an image of a young woman’s face. She was blond and holding a training saber. She focused on the image and frowned. Was that her padawan? It must be so. Kat had once had at least one student. Maybe she had gone further in her role as a Jedi than she originally thought.

“I am glad you were able to face the past and move forward. Which knight helped you move forward?" She wondered if maybe the knight had been Valery's own husband.

"Your family also sounds lovely. I would love to meet them someday."

She thought about that for a second and what it would be like to be in a house full of people and then frowned. "Do Jedi still live at the Temple? Or do they have regular homes to keep their families in?"

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[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

"At the time, Jedi Knight Kahlil Zambrano," Valery said with a smile that kept widening, "What happened that day is a long story I won't bore you with, but we fell in love and we've been together since." With a few unwanted interruptions that forced them apart, but in the end, the two had always been able to find each other again with love that had never faded.

Valery cleared her throat to not get lost in those dreams again, and offered a smile, "I'd love for you to meet them. My two oldest have just become Padawans, so I'm sure they'd really like to meet you, and maybe learn from you. At your pace, of course." Vera especially could be a little much at times, but she was also very understanding.

She would make Katarine feel welcome.

"A mix," Valery then answered. "We all have our rooms at the Temple, because we sometimes spend days there. But Jedi are allowed to have their own homes, too. My husband and I live on a small Epicanthix settlement with the kids. Just as our happy little place with the little ones."

"For you, I'd say live where you feel comfortable. You can stay at the Temple as long as you'd like, and there will always be others around you. But if you feel like settling down somewhere, you're more than free to do so."

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble

Katarine’s hunch had been right about the knight that helped Valery. It was so endearing when Valery spoke of her husband and family. You could feel the love they all held for each other. Would Katarine ever find anything like that?

“I think it sounds like the Jedi Order has undergone some drastic changes but many of them seem to be for the better. I am hopeful I find my place there.”

Her lack of memories was still nagging at her but maybe the memory crystal would help with that. Kat had never used a memory crystal before, or at least not that she could remember anyway. She wondered how the crystal worked.

“Have you used a memory crystal before? I am wondering how I use it once I find it and how long it takes to read. It’s all a blank. I keep getting flashes from my past but…”

She fell silent and couldn’t help but feel frustrated at the lack of progress. Understanding her past seemed like the key to her moving forward somehow.

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[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

Valery chuckled, "I feel quite confident that you will. You seem very kind and understanding, and show a willingness to learn. I don't think there are any traits more important to a Jedi." She offered a sincere smile, and looked at Kat while the ship was drawing closer and closer to their destination.

It wouldn't be long before they'd arrive now.

"I can't say I've used one before. For all the trouble I had after stasis, I luckily managed to avoid amnesia. Maybe because my stasis was medically induced." She wasn't sure, but the pod was very focused on keeping her life signs stable, which simple carbon-freezing wouldn't do.

"I haven't had many interactions with them either. But... we'll figure it out," Valery said with determination after picking up on Katarine's frustration.

She wanted answers, and Valery wouldn't stop until she had them.

"We should be arriving any moment now."

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble

Valerie’s confidence was infectious. It made Katarine smile slightly and her frustration slid away. Even if they couldn’t find the crystal Kat had a chance to build a life here. From the sounds of it she had the chance to build a full life and not just one in service of a war machine. In a way Kat may have found the best time to be a Jedi. She just felt a pit of unease in her stomach that she couldn’t understand.

A short while latter and they had been cleared to land on Naboo. A speeder took them out to the Gungan Marshes where below sat the ruins of Black Marsh Prison.

Kat stayed at the watery depths. It was hard to believe just three years ago she had surfaced here and been rushed to a hospital in Theed.

“Well I guess it’s swimming time.”

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

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Outfit: Underwater Gear | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

After their arrival on Naboo, Valery had changed into her underwater gear, and approached the side of the lake together with Katarine. She was actually quite fond of being in the water, even if it limited movements somewhat, so this mission would hopefully be interesting. Most of all, though, Valery hoped they'd find the memory crystal and be able to work with it. Hopefully, it'd help freshen up Katarine's memories, and make it easier for her to move forward.

That was her priority, and until Kat felt good about where she was now, Valery would be there to help her.

"Let's do this." Valery placed a comforting hand on Kat's shoulder, then smiled and decided to jump in. That was probably the hardest part, so maybe it'd be easier if she watched Valery go in first. Once underwater, Valery took a moment to adjust herself, and waited for Katarine to join her.

It was time to explore.

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble

Kat took a deep breath and took the plunge. The water was like an icy blast hitting her body in tiny needles everywhere. Just as soon as it had started however it had ended and Kat was impressed to see that the under water gear helped keep them warm. Technology did advance in a century or so it seemed.

They began to swim through the darkness. Kat could remember that Black Marsh Prison was near a colony of local plant life towards the middle of the marsh area so she headed towards the center.

She could feel the creatures swimming around them, even if it was too dark to always see them. She sincerely hoped they wouldn’t get into a “there’s always a bigger fish” scenario down here.

As they kept swimming they started to notice ruins and debris from the netherworld incident. A lot of damage had been caused and even if the Gungan homes were protected underwater they had still suffered damage too.

Finally they began to see traces of the prison. They swam past a fallen cracked headless Gungan statue and headed towards what looked like a half crumbled building.

Kat started to swim towards it but stopped as something darted in front of her. She didn’t get a good look at it. It was fast and obviously built for water travel. She floated in the darkness for a moment and glanced at Valery, before starting forward again to explore the prison ruins.

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[Valery Noble]

Naboo

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Outfit: Underwater Gear | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

<It's strange swimming here, knowing what happened, hm?> Valery asked telepathically, so they wouldn't have to try talking underwater. Her eyes were meanwhile fixed on what was around them — the gungan homes that had been struck in the battle, but also other remains that had made it down into the depths.

Carcasses of monsters that shouldn't be in this Galaxy, but also remains of ships and combatants who shielded Naboo against them. Down in these waters, they would all be preserved for a very long time.

Soon enough, however, the two Jedi spotted the prison up ahead, and it looked about as scary as Valery had imagined it would. Every prison had its aura, but one built underwater and abandoned was at the top of the list of buildings she'd rather not be visiting. But, for the sake of helping Katarine, she would go into any dark chamber.

<Did you see that as well?> Valery asked when sudden movement sparked her Jedi senses. <We're not alone here.>

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble


Valery felt it too. Kat was starting to get a bad feeling about this mission. She did not want to endanger Master Noble's life just because of a memory crystal. Surely Kat could learn to live a blurry past and focus on her future. The Force vision though.... even now she could feel somehow that she needed to find that crystal. It was important. The Force was practically screaming that to her.

<Let's just hope it was curious and will leave us alone. >

Even as she thought the message she felt uneasy. If it was some netherworld monster they might be in trouble. Katarine had never dealt with a netherworld beast and based on the horrors everyone on Naboo described she wasn't eager to.

They swam forward and finally crossed the threshold of the prison. It was creepy down here, especially when Katarine saw what was unmistakably a body floating down the hall. Some areas were more closed off but others had been completely exposed to the elements. As she moved closer to the floor she realized that her movements kicked up the shale and other sediments of the marsh floor, clouding the water and making visibility even worse. At this rate it would take them eons to find the crystal.

She stopped swimming and let herself float idly in the water. With a deep breath through the breathing unit she closed her eyes and reached for the Force. Her senses expanded and she felt the calmness wash over her. She could see the tiny lights of dozens of small little creatures as they lit up the Force, all littering the watery floor. Down the hallway was a thicker light that seemed to be calling to her. She moved forward, swimming slowly and carefully, her eyes still closed. She opened them and scanned the room she was now in. It was the chamber where they once froze the prisoners. She could see the broken connectors for the carbon machine and the pit. The crystal was in here.

She made to swim further but something large and long suddenly shot up from the marsh floor, scattering the sediment everywhere. Visibility dropped and she felt a powerful tail knock her sideways. Whatever was down there with them had decided not to leave them alone.

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[Valery Noble]

Naboo

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Outfit: Underwater Gear | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

<Agreed but let's stick close together.> It'd hopefully pressure any potential threats from staying away, or risk having to fight against two targets at once. Predators tended to single prey out and either overwhelm them with their size or strength or overwhelm them with numbers.

Though, just on appearance alone, two women swimming underwater likely didn't look too threatening to whatever creatures could be out here. She had read about some rather nasty beasts living in Naboo's depths.

Soon enough, the two Jedi Masters reached their destination, and Valery started looking around. It was a grim place to be, with bodies floating and items left behind that suggested these people had been given little time to get away. This prison had turned into a tomb, and Valery had no desire to become a part of it. Tension lingered in the Force as they continued forward, with only a small pause as Katarine connected with the Force.

Valery's Keshian eyes could see things most were not able to, so even through the cloud of muddy water, she saw something rapidly moving. She saw its heat turned to light, but before she could warn Kat, the Jedi Master was struck by its tail, <Kat!> Valery yelled out, worried the Master might have gotten hurt.

A violet blade ignited in the water, and Valery began to swim. But with the creature moving around her, she knew she had to be fast.

<Are you okay? We should try to reach a room that isn't flooded!>

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Tags: Valery Noble


Kat was knocked sideways by the tail of whatever creature had swam by. She could feel a stinging pain in her side and saw some blood rise and swirl in the water. The creature must have spikes on it's tail and they had pierced her skin. The wound didn't seem to be too deep but she was worried the blood would attract other creatures.

<Are you okay? We should try to reach a room that isn't flooded!>

<I'm fine. The crystal is here... I can feel it.>

The issue was she could also sense the monster swimming around with them. Maybe once upon a time Kat would have been reckless enough to stay but she was not willing to put Valeries life in danger just for some memories. Her own human eyes could barely see through the murk that had been stirred and it was not worth either of their lives to stay down here. She did not want this place to be their final resting one.

<Okay let's get to safety.>

She pulled one of her lightsabers off her belt and ignited it. A bright white light filled the water around them and down through the depths, floating just next to an old Gungan spear, was a small crystal.

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[Valery Noble]

Naboo

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Outfit: Underwater Gear | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

She was bleeding.

The injury didn't seem too bad, purely because she seemed to hold her own quite well. But bleeding in the water could draw attention from the beast that stalked them, and perhaps other beasts in these waters as well. Rushing over, Valery placed her body between the other Jedi Master and the beast she felt circling around them.

She'd guard her, no matter what it was they were up against.

<Focus on the crystal. The beast has an advantage here, so we fight it if it approaches us. We don't go after it.> With the lightsaber ignited, they were offered more light, and Kat seemed to pinpoint the location of the crystal. Valery nodded in its direction, and allowed her to go first.

She was right behind Kat, mere moments before something fast approached them through the water.

<Incoming!> Valery yelled, uncertain about who was targeted this time.

 

[Katarine Ryiah]

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Location: Underwater
Objective: Get Crystal and Don't Get Eaten
Tags: Valery Noble


Katarine dived down towards where she felt the crystal. It was hard to see but she moved her white lightsaber over the water floor until something sparkled. She reached down and felt her fingers clasp around the crystal, just as she heard Valery.

<Incoming!>

Katarine turned her body just in time to see the head of a large beast coming towards her. It had a long snakelike body but a face that looked more dragonish. Kat had certainly never seen a beast like this before but she was no wildlife expert. As it darted towards her she reached her hand out and connected with the animals forehead. It tried to shake her off but she held tight and extended her senses towards its mind. Something flashed in her brain and she glanced down again, and thats when she saw that the crystal had been laying in a batch of eggs that were larger than her head. The monster wasn't trying to attack them, it was trying to protect its young.

<It's guarding the eggs. If we swim away it may not follow!>

Kat pointed upwards, indicating they should make a break for the surface and see if the beast would stay behind with it's nest.

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[Valery Noble]

Naboo

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Outfit: Underwater Gear | Wedding Ring
Tag: Katarine Ryiah

<Go, then!>

A mother protecting her young was about the most dangerous thing to encounter in the wild. Valery knew, because if anything or anybody threatened her own babies, she'd become the most terrifying thing in the Galaxy. Right now, though, it meant they had to get out of there, and Valery wasted no time.

Unsurprisingly, the beast wasn't immediately convinced that her young were safe, and pursued. Valery looked down to see its sharp teeth drawing closer, and pushed out with her left hand. A shockwave ripped through the water, until it struck the beast and sent it back down towards the floor.

It wouldn't harm the mother, but it'd hopefully keep her away.

<Should be clear now!>