Private Wingmen

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

After the events of the Caldera Crisis, the Alliance realized that the Sith threat was much closer to Alliance territory than anticipated. The Stygian Caldera, once the center of the Sith Empire, was being reclaimed by its former inhabitants, and various reports from the Tingel Arm suggested a growing Sith presence in this region of the Galaxy as well. As a result, several space stations along the edge of Alliance space were equipped and staffed to launch consistent scouting parties, meant to provide the Alliance with constant intelligence about the enemy's presence and movements.

But a more recent signal has demanded a more thorough investigation.

From the Alliance's famed Revenant Squadron, one pilot was requested to join up with a Jedi Master from the New Jedi Order to investigate, with the goal that continued teamwork would prepare the Alliance for the inevitable conflict with the Sith. Reima Vitalis became the chosen pilot from Revenant Squadron, and received an encrypted message from her superiors to meet on a space station near Champala, while Jedi Master Valery Noble received the same request. There, the two would be briefed on their mission in person.

...
After landing inside the hangar of the space station, Valery climbed out of her X-wing and removed her helmet to finally let her hair cascade down behind her back again. The trip had been long, and she was feeling a bit sore from sitting still for so long, but her excitement for this new assignment hadn't faded. Working together with other pilots always gave her quite the thrill, and she much preferred handling Sith over Mandalorians.

This was a welcomed change of pace.

With the helmet tucked between her arm and torso, Valery then left the Hangar behind and continued down the hallways of the space station. She was a bit early, so rather than heading for the meeting room, she decided to head over to the mess hall instead. Perhaps her flight partner for this mission would be there already too, but she wouldn't mind just relaxing on her own for a little bit either.

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Slender fingers itching for a cigarette, Reima Vitalis watched from an obscured location, wanting to get the lay of the land before diving in. Jedi made her nervous; part of her upbringing in the Cosmic Balance. She frowned a little, dark eyes narrowing as the pilot shook her hair out after her long flight. Reima's own hair was tucked into a neat bun that protruded from her flight cap. Reima glanced at her wristwatch; it was still early. She had arrived ahead of schedule to get an extra hour of sim time in.

She decided to follow until it became apparent where the woman was going, then she sped up and fell into place beside her. Reima supposed the Jedi had felt her coming.

"So you're her," Reima said flatly, glancing sidelong at Valery Noble . Not a question. Not not a question. Part observation, part invitation to respond. "The Jedi. Flight Officer Vitalis, Revenant Squadron, as requested." Reima clasped her hands behind her back, all Imperial efficiency. Damned if she was going to salute Noble, so she settled with a polite nod.

"Pretty piece of tech you've got back there," Reima said as they approached the mess. "Looks custom." Another not-question-not-not-question. Did Reima ever speak directly?

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

"So you're her."

Valery blinked and looked at the other woman from the corner of her eyes. She had felt her approach, but been drawn into her own thoughts enough for it to not fully register. After a short moment though, Valery recognized her from the file she was given about her partner for the day, and offered a polite smile while dipping her head in acknowledgement. "That's right. I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble, a pleasure to meet you," she said to introduce herself.

At a first glance, Reima was everything she expected from a pilot of Revenant Squadron. From her posture and stride, down to how well she had taken care of her uniform, hair and appearance as a whole. Valery's longer, messier hair and the zipped down jacket she had wrapped around her waist looked rather... unprofessional in comparison.

But hey, they weren't on mission duty yet.

"It's an old design but with a lot of upgrades," Valery said after briefly looking over her shoulder, before flashing the woman a brief grin. She was quite fond of her X-wing, no matter how ancient its original design was, and she wasn't afraid to admit it. "I don't think I saw it in your file, but what are you flying?"

"Might not hurt to know before we head out, among other things." For how serious this mission could be, it didn't help that they hardly knew anything about each other. Luckily, they'd have some time to at least get the most crucial things out of the way.

 

[Reima Vitalis]

"I can fly -- anything," Reima said.

This wasn't a boast so much as an observation of fact, as far as Reima Vitalis was concerned. She had cut her teeth on landspeeders and airspeeders, before moving on to speeder bikes and then human podracing. The podracers had been modified to allow adult-sized humans to operate them, but they were no less dangerous and no less fast and responsive than their unmodified brethren. She had won several major championships and invitationals on the shadowy, illicit underground podracing circuit before she got bored and sought additional challenge and thrills.

Starfighters weren't that different. Podracing was three-dimensional to a certain extent; starfighters were more three-dimension, but the principles remained similar. Reima had found it an easy transition, and she was reasonably good at it.

"Oh -- standard X-wing, generation-and-a-half back," Reima said, replicating Valery's gesture of glancing back at the hangar. Her fighter was tucked unobtrusively -- and a great deal less well-decorated -- further back in the hangar. "Surplus equipment, I believe, but quite functional." Her clipped Galidraani accent coming through a little stronger the more she spoke.

"Are you able to say what this is all about, with people milling around?" Reima asked. "I received orders to report here at such-and-such a time, but no one has said what it's all about." She paused at the entrance to the mess, gesturing for Valery to go ahead of her before following her in. She collected a tray and joined the line, watching her new mission partner with guarded curiosity. What do Jedi eat, anyway?

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

"Anything, hm?" Valery perked a brow but nodded approvingly a short moment later. Much like Reima, she had learned to pilot all types of vehicles — from speeder bikes, to starfighters and light freighters — but she had always preferred the more fast and nimble ships over others. There was just something about accelerating after an enemy fighter in her X-wing that no other ship could ever replicate for her.

Of course, she kept that lust for adrenaline to herself.

"I sure hope Revenant Squadron isn't using Surplus equipment," Valery commented, clearly a little surprised. But then again, leave it to the best pilots to accomplish the most difficult missions even with unimpressive equipment. "Either way, I look forward to seeing you in action in your X-wing." Even though this was classed as a scouting mission, there was a very good reason that the two of them had been selected for it.

The higher-ups were expecting trouble.

"From what I've heard, Sith activity in the Tingel Arm has increased ever since they reclaimed the Stygian Caldera. We've picked up on scouts, but also larger convoys passing through the region. Ranging from transport ships to combat vessels. My guess is that we're going to take a closer look," Valery explained while she stepped into the mess hall, picked up a tray and... assembled an almost worrying amount of food. Eggs, vegetables, fruits — anything you'd expect from a fairly strict breakfast.

"How did you actually end up with Revenant? Was it a hard process?" Valery asked after sitting down at a smaller table for two.

 

[Reima Vitalis]

There were moments when Reima Vitalis was the spitting image of her mother, despite her better intentions. That enigmatic smirk, though -- that was pure Fortan. "Not usually, no," said Revenant Twelve in response to Valery's question about surplus equipment. "I thought it was more prudent, on a mission of this nature. Besides, I've made some improvements and I'd hate to think of letting anyone else testing them. Don't worry, nothing that has mission-impact. I've tested them that far, anyway."

Reima moved along the line, slender hands quickly selecting a few rashers of bacon and a flaky pastry of some extraction before following Valery to the table, listening to her explanation. She nodded along, interrupting only to inquire as to whether the Jedi Master wanted a cup of coffee while Reima was going to fetch one for herself. When that was settled, she brought the appropriate amount of cups back to the table and took the seat opposite Valery.

Flight Officer Vitalis picked at her food more than she ate, though eventually she did consume it, bit by bit. "Revenant? Well, it wasn't hard, exactly," Reima observed. She lifted her coffee cup to her lips, took a silent sip. "I was in a regular squadron when I received orders to report for Revenant Squadron. There was a rather grueling -- I guess you could call it an audition -- before I was officially in, but it's like anything else. Put your head down and get on with it." Very Galidraani, stiff upper lip.

"But I'm curious about you," Reima said. She was holding her coffee stirrer between her index and middle fingers like a cigarette, as her elbow rested on the armrest of her chair. She occasionally flicked the end facing her, as if to shake loose ash from the other end. Her gaze was bordering on the skeptical, but curious. The Jedi hadn't Force-lightning'd her for her insolence yet so perhaps they weren't the threats to galactic security she had always been taught. "I've heard rumors, of course, but a woman in my position... well, let's say I'm well aware of how unreliable rumors can be."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

"No thank you, I'll just have some water," Valery said, which she knew would make her sound boring, but she wasn't going to change her habits. Which also meant shame was no factor at all, while she started eating away the absurd amount of food on her plate. She always liked to eat a lot before a mission — especially if she was expecting trouble — just to make sure she wouldn't ever lose her focus over an empty stomach.

When Reima returned, Valery looked up and watched her while she listened to her story about joining Revenant Squadron. For an Elite group of pilots, she sure made it sound easy to join up. Either it was a little arrogant, or perhaps just the confidence needed to be among the best. "I can admire perseverance, but I am surprised that it wasn't too difficult. The stories I've heard paint a very different picture about the requirements and training programs for the Squadron." Like any other military unit, it wasn't just about getting in.

A lot of work went into maintaining skills and staying up-to-date on new developments as well.

"About me?" Valery then asked with a raised eyebrow, although one that quickly dropped when she mentioned rumors. She wasn't aware of the specifics, but she clearly wasn't surprised that rumors existed about her or the Jedi as a whole. "Are there any specific rumors you'd like to hear my thoughts on?"

"I'd be happy to share them."

 

[Reima Vitalis]

"I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it's all a matter of perspective," Reima said quietly, almost to herself, in response to Valery's commentary about Revenant Squadron. "I think what I find hard is making the right decision. Once I've made it -- for instance, the decision to successfully complete the recruitment for Revenant Squadron -- the rest is about endurance. And with some exceptions, notable exceptions, the human body can withstand rather a lot. It's all a matter of duration and degree. The human body can even endure exposure to the vacuum of space, you know. No suit, nothing." She waved her hand almost as if she was waving away smoke, smoke that wasn't there. "Granted it can't be very long."

She paused a moment and made a bizarre motion with her hand, flipping her coffee stirrer and moving it down toward her dish, almost as if she was about to stub out a cigarette. Her eyes narrowed at the thing in her hand, this plastic nothing, and she smirked. "The process for joining Revenant was -- strenuous. The onboarding -- well, audition, I suppose -- is demanding, physically and emotionally. But I have the good fortune to have been forced to endure much, physically and emotionally, and so I was able to leverage the knowledge that I'm sure you already have. That the human body endures. The human mind, too."

Apparently bored of fiddling with her coffee stirrer, she stuck it back into her coffee. "Of course, the prerequisite is to be one of the best dozen starfighter pilots Alliance has to offer, and that -- well, that's hard." Reima offered a knowing smile. "But you didn't ask about that."

She tore a piece of the pastry off, took a bite, brushed a flake from her blue jumpsuit. Mother would have been appalled, if she'd ever cared to notice. She washed it down with a sip of coffee, dabbed her fingers on her napkin. "As for you -- well, I don't traffic in rumors and innuendo, Master Jedi, except to pass the time. Mostly I'm curious about your... people." She looked down at her pristine uniform, made the pretense of brushing more pretend crumbs away. "Jedi, I mean. My religion takes rather a dim view, so we -- my brother and I -- were not brought up with a thorough understanding of your talents and your orders."

She paused, lifted her head up briefly. It was not unusual for Reima to look timid, but this was clearly an insecure woman. Uncomfortable of her own lack of knowledge. Reima imagined it was difficult to see her as some kind of idiot bumpkin -- after all she was a socialite, worldly, a sophisticate -- but there were yawning chasms in her knowledge, and ignorance led to fear. That was the long and short of it: Reima Vitalis was afraid of the mild-mannered woman sitting opposite her.

When she spoke again, Reima's voice was small, and she hated herself for it. "What is it like? How does it -- how does it work?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

"It sounds like you appreciate hard work over talent," Valery commented as she listened more to the woman on the opposite side of the table. "Or at least, that talent can't be a substitute for it." A lot of people believed that pilots in Revenant Squadron or people in other elite units were perhaps destined to be where they were. But Valery had always felt that such a view neglected the dedication it required to actually make it, and stay a part of something that complex.

It is for that same reason that appearances or attitudes mattered very little to her. Reima seemed almost on edge a little, ever since the two of them had met, but Valery knew she could trust her when it mattered out there.

"I'm sure you've earned your place in the squadron, but I still look forward to seeing you in action soon." Valery's brief grin said it all — she loved the thrill of jumping into the cockpit of her X-wing to go on high-profile missions. Whether it was scouting or dogfighting, she was going to have an amazing time today.

But with the topic shift to Valery herself, Valery's expression turned more neutral again. Thoughtful even, as she noticed a change in Reima's demeanor. A lot of people didn't quite understand the Jedi, and only knew about the 'heroics' during the war. So why did she seem to feel this way for asking questions? Valery pushed the thought aside for now and offered a gentle smile when Reima asked what she really wanted to know.

"It's... commitment. Perhaps more so in the past than it is now, but being a Jedi is choosing to use the connection we have to selflessly help others. We train our whole lives, learn every day and push ourselves far beyond our comfort zone just to make a difference for people. It can be hard, it often goes unappreciated or even sparks hatred from people who sometimes don't understand us at all, but sometimes do have valid critique to offer."

"But the masses tend to listen to the loudest, and they don't make what we try to do very easy." She chuckled and waved her own hand a little. She wasn't here to just be defensive or dismissive about people's opinions, after all. "To me, it's very fulfilling to know that my actions help others live a better life, and I've learned to do this in a way where I don't completely sacrifice my own to make it work."

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Reima listened, her dark eyes enigmatic, eyebrows furrowing slightly here, lifting a little there. "That's quite a sales pitch," she said dryly at the conclusion of Valery's commentary. "Of course the 'we help people' is out in front, but you don't hear about the ones who snap or go mad and start slaughtering people. The ones that -- what's the phrase? -- go to the dark side. As if there's anything mystical or religious about evil -- "

Her clipped accent got more clipped until she broke off and her left hand jerked upward toward her right breast pocket. Where she normally kept her cigarettes when she was groundside. Damn these ships and their oxygen and their fuel lines.

"Forgive my skepticism," Reima finally said. "I try not to hold a grudge. Bygones, you know. But a lot of people die every day because there is some cosmic battle between good and evil, between Jedi and Sith. A lot of people have died. For something they have no stake in. For and by people who will never know their names, will never care. They're little people. Not gifted in this... wizardry." She lifted her cup, sipped at her coffee, then swirled the beige liquid around in the cup, watching the patterns cling to he stark white china. Nothing fancy, but quality stuff, she observed. "It's a warm blanket for us to wrap ourselves in that we're on the good side, but it's cold comfort to the widows and orphans."

This was personal to Reima; she considered herself one of the orphans. She'd never met her father, who'd been dead a year before she was born, because of these battles. Because the predecessor state to the one Reima now served couldn't leave well enough alone.

Her attention turned back to Val; for a moment she had looked very far away. "I don't question your motives, by any means," Reima assured Valery. "I just.... being a Jedi -- well, call it the Equilibrate in me, but -- it's not very sporting, is it?" A smirk, but a good-natured one.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

Valery's brows furrowed a little when Reima brought up those who fell to the Dark Side, but Valery made no comment. She was aware of the criticism against Jedi and it never really bothered her — a lot of it was justified. The Jedi, just like any other group, was not perfect and a lot of mistakes have been made in the past. Mistakes she'd never deny or try to justify in any way. All she could do was work hard to be better.

"There was a time when the Jedi were very... distanced from the people they swore to protect. They exclusively lived in the Temple, formed no connections to anything and they did very little that could make them more relatable, or help them relate to what people were going through in these wars. But a lot of that has changed, at least a bit. When the Maw attacked Empress Teta, I was there, at home with my 2 year old daughter, and had to put her on a shuttle to get her out, while I stayed behind to fight." Her frown deepened as images of her crying child flashed through her mind again.

"I understand that it's hard for people to always look at us positively, or even believe we understand their struggles, when these conflicts appear over something they might not understand. But whether or not the Jedi are around, the Sith or other darker forces will always come back to oppress. We visibly put ourselves in the way of that, so we're also put under a microscope, and we do make mistakes that people pick up on."

"It's because we're also people, and we also suffer in those same wars." Like she did, that day on Empress Teta, and during many other battles. "It doesn't justify our mistakes, and terrible things have happened, but we do try to work on them. Just the way other people do in their own lives."

"So no, it's not always very sporting to be a Jedi, but that's not why I became one. That fear I saw in my daughter's eyes that day... I fight to prevent that from happening to as many people as I can."

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Reima listened intently to the Jedi Master's story.

If Valery was looking for Reima's heartstrings to pull, she would be disappointed. Helping people was all fine and good, but that's not why she was part of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force or why she was part of Revenant Squadron. For her, it was the thrill. She could have flown for anyone, it was true, but just because she was more or less ambivalent as to affirmatively helping, she didn't want to hurt people, either.

"I know, I know," Reima finally said, holding up her hands as if in surrender, palms out. "I'm aware that for all their faults the Jedi do not consider themselves malicious actors and from what I know -- historically -- they're usually correct about that assertion. And certainly, as far as I'm aware, the New Jedi Order of today isn't the same Jedi Order of yesteryear."

For instance, they hadn't joined forces with deranged dark side cultists. Not yet.

"I suppose it's not the mistakes I take issue with," Reima went on conversationally. "So much as that the consequences can be so much more catastrophic when you have the kind of -- what do you call it? Talent? Power? Gift?" She waved away the distinction; it wasn't important for the purposes of the conversation. " -- when you've got the Force, the results can be deadly. And who do you report to? Not the Senate, surely, a bigger bunch of ineffectual people has never been congregated. Not the Chancellor."

She shrugged. "I suppose it's all academic. I have no complaints about you or your people. It's a matter of principle, I suppose, of... being clear-eyed about what could happen."

Dark eyes looked over at Val through dark, long lashes. "Anyway -- you have a daughter. What's that like? Have you got a photo?" Reima was digging through her pocket for a small wallet, from which she produced a clearly well-loved photo. She turned it over to face her to show a teal and white old-model BB-10 unit. "I have none but this is my... responsibility. The closest thing I have to a son -- may ever have. His name is Bartoo. He belonged to my uncle -- well, cousin, really -- before he died." She put the photo down on the table. "Well, go on."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

Valery smiled a bit sheepishly and raised a hand to rub the back of her neck after seeing Reima raise her hands in surrender. "Sorry, that probably sounded a bit too defensive, but I understand what you mean," Valery said after having listened to Reima's concerns about the Jedi, but really Force sensitives as a whole. "Jedi training is supposed to help us resist the temptations of abusing the Force, and falling to the Dark Side."

She paused for a moment and sighed, "But sometimes we fail, and the consequences can be severe. We all know the story of Darth Vader," she said before almost snorting at the mention of the Senate. "We used to directly answer to them and Jedi were very integrated within the Alliance hierarchy. But there was a split around the time the Maw invaded Coruscant and... I think it's for the best."

"Jedi shouldn't be senators, politicians, or military commanders."

But with that said, the conversation shifted to something a lot more pleasant, and Valery couldn't really suppress that proud grin she had whenever her kids came up, "I technically have three daughters and two sons, and of course I have pictures." While she removed her necklace to show them, she already leaned in closer and looked at the one Reima showed her. "Droids can definitely feel like kids sometimes when they get needy, but yours looks cute. Mine is actually on the picture with my oldest here." Valery held out her necklace in the palm of her hand, and the image of Vera with BB-610 was projected for them both to see.

"Raising kids is hard, and a huge responsibility, but seeing them smile like that makes it worth the trouble. Though... I could do without the diaper changes. I try to pass those off to my husband as much as I can," she said with a grin.

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Reima made the appropriate faces and noises when presented with the image of a small child. In truth the child did seem adorable, if somewhat precocious. She suspected that if through some cruel trick of fate and pharmacological malfeasance she ever had her own children, she would view them rather differently, but she was able to see the appeal, at least.

This Jedi was something different from what she expected. A mother. A wife. Not at all the arrogant warrior monk that had populated the stories her religion had fed her about the Jedi. She found herself softening to the idea -- not an admirer of Jedi generally, but Valery Noble was not all that she had been taught to fear and suspect.

"A sound strategy," Reima concurred with Valery's comment about diaper changes. "Better still, Nanny. I don't know that I could ever see my husband the same way after seeing him up to his elbows in -- well, whatever it is." As it turned out, for all her thrill-seeking and mold-breaking , there were still some boundaries that the young aristocrat preferred not to cross. She offered a weak smile, picked up another piece of her pastry before thinking better of it and dropping it on her plate again, fingers rubbing the flakes away from each other efficiently.

Something niggled at the back of her mind; not a lie, perhaps, but the mistaken belief that a thought or feeling was universal. Reima had never felt like a responsibility to her parents. She wondered idly what that must be like as she finished her coffee. Setting the cup down, she nodded toward the image projected by the necklace. "What about the rest? Five children, oh my days." Reima mimed wiping sweat from her brow. "Sounds like hard work."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

"We do have others watching the kids frequently, so we've got that strategy perfected," Valery said with a chuckle. "Though I wish we wouldn't have to ask for one as often as we do." She always tried to be at home with the kids as much as possible, but with her and Kahlil both being busy Jedi, they sometimes had no other choice but to call in some help. From close friends to nanny droids, they've done it all.

"At least it'll be easier when they're a bit older."

Valery then turned back to her food for a moment, and finished up the last of her scrambled eggs before a question from Reina drew her gaze back up to the woman. The rest, hm? Valery smiled and opened up one more image, showing her fast asleep while the triplets were lined up next to her. Kahlil Noble had taken the picture not long ago, and it was one of his favorites to carry with him when he had to leave for Jedi duty.

"These are the triplets - Aurra, Adam and Aeryn," Valery said as she named them from left to right. "Then lastly we have..." she shifted to the final image of their oldest son, who looked almost like a copy of Kahlil. Just many years younger. "This is Aris." She had that loving motherly look for a moment, as she stared at the images. "It's quite a challenge to raise all these kids. Sometimes even harder than going on missions, and there are so many sleepless nights, especially early on. But it's also very rewarding if having kids is something you've wanted. Seeing them happy is just... the best feeling in the Galaxy." She looked up at Reima and offered a more gentle smile this time. As much as she loved adrenaline, flying around and chasing speed, this was the softer side she wouldn't ever try to hide.

"I spend most of my off-duty time with them, but now I'm curious about how you spend yours?"

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Reima leaned forward to examine the pictures that were being displayed.

What an adorable family, part of her said. The other part of her rolled its eyes. Neither part was external.

If Reima took the time and spent the effort to be introspective, she would recognize the eye-roller as tinged with jealousy. Valery Noble was proof that one could have it all if she had the skill for it. A position of authority, a happy marriage, a large family, and the skills to fly an X-wing under hazardous conditions. Part of Reima longed for a partnership, for someone who loved her for more than a little while, for more than the way her figure filled a flightsuit. For a family of her own, for a legacy to build.

But introspection was difficult for Reima Vitalis; she had tried it before and found it uncomfortable and unappealing.

So she smothered that part of her with a pillow inside her mind, and deployed a delighted grin.

"Beautiful," Reima said honestly. "Just beautiful."

She shrugged at Valery's question. "I... I have a research project." Fingers snatched up her coffee stirrer again, began flipping it along her fingers. This was Reima Vitalis rattled. Balance, but what I wouldn't give for a cigarette. "Looking for someone. My brother, George, went missing... oh, a decade ago now, give or take," she said, averting her gaze to study a nondescript spot over Val's left shoulder. "Otherwise -- racing. Sometimes I get a wild idea that I should find a Mr. Right, but he's even more illusive than George."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

Valery was far too absorbed in the pictures she was showing to really pick up on Reima's initial response to them. It didn't matter that she had seen them countless times before. Her family always kept her going, and it was largely for and because of them that she'd climbing into the cockpit of her X-wing again. It was cheesy, she knew, but seeing them happy gave her a reason to fight and push herself forward.

It was a source of strength she had lacked for much of her life.

"They're the most beautiful in the Galaxy to me but..." she smiled and chuckled, "I'm definitely a little biased."

It was then that Valery asked about Reima to shift the conversation away from herself a little, and she noticed quite a bit of a shift. The way she played with the stirrer, the distant look in her eyes when she gazed over Valery's shoulder at nothing in particular. It made Valery listen just a little intently to the woman across the table. "I'm sorry about your brother. Have you been looking into it yourself? Or have you gotten help from others to try and find him?" Or what happened to him, but she wasn't going to voice that out loud.

"As for Mr. right, just keep yourself out there and be open-minded. Cliché, I know, but it's the truth. I met my husband completely at random in a library, before he helped me find my old Temple just because he wanted to learn more about the Jedi."

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Reima found herself feeling a little suspicious. She was not one to naturally open up to people, but this Jedi Master was easy to talk to. Had the woman bewitched her, somehow, with the Force? Loosened her tongue? But nothing she had said was a secret, really, and she was sure a Jedi Master of all people could obtain the details of her identity easily enough if she didn't recognize the name.

Still, her eyes narrowed a little at the inquiry. It was easy to forget that not everyone's worldview was governed by the whims of political fortunes on Galidraan. She cleared her throat, tapped the stir stick on the table. "It's... complicated. He went missing from Galidraan, where -- by virtue of his parentage and the timing of it all -- it is unlikely the authorities would be interested in assisting. Rather the opposite, if I had to guess. And now, with some new tinpot Empire or another cropping up there, it's not likely to improve." Surely the New Imperial jackals that had seized Galidraan in the wake of the Sith Imperial collapse would have razed Herevan if given the chance; it was one of the reasons she had sold up when she had the chance.

Reima twisted the stir stick around her fingers again, favoring Valery with a wan smile. "Anyway -- that's neither here nor there. I know others who have freed themselves from the Netherworld; I think it is possible for George. But I won't stop looking for a way to find him, when I can."

She chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip before pushing back from the table, chair teetering on its back two legs. "How fortuitous for you," Reima observed dryly. "I can't say I spend much time in libraries. Perhaps that's where I'm going wrong. What's he like?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Edge of Alliance Space

​

Outfit: Flightsuit
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers
Tag: Reima Vitalis

"That's admirable, and I hope that one way or another, he'll find his way back," Valery said, now suddenly with an almost pained smile. She knew what it was like to lose someone important, but now she wondered if she should have been as persistent as Reima to try and look for him. For years, she had believed that Kahlil was dead, and only after her daughter had seen a vision of him alive but stuck in the Wellspring of Life, did she make a move to free him. To bring him back into her life.

With a gentle shake of her head, she snapped herself out of those thoughts. He was back and that's all that really mattered.

"I'm not sure if my approach was really the right one either. He was my first partner, and I was already 30 when I met him," she said with a chuckle before she pushed herself back into her chair, and raised one elbow up onto the backrest. "But I can't complain. I had just gotten out of stasis and met him on New Cov, where my old Enclave was. Going there, I knew that everything and everybody I once knew would be long gone, but seeing it with my own eyes was very difficult. He helped me through it and we grew close because of it."

"Ever since, he has always been very supportive and encouraging about who I am. My life has often been very chaotic and full of inner turmoil, but he has been a pillar of support and gave me a lot of purpose I was lacking in life." She blinked, looked up at Reima again and blushed a little. She could rant about her family for hours on end if she didn't watch herself, but she wasn't going to bore her to death with that.

So, change in topic.

"I uh, did you want anything else before we head up to the briefing room?"

 

[Reima Vitalis]

Reima blinked once, then several times in rapid succession, fingers itching when she realized she'd dropped the stirring stick. "Hm," she said, non-commital. Truth be told she had rather enjoyed this moment of human connection with the Jedi Master. She had learned that they weren't as scary as people made them out to be if you were well-behaved. She had even proved sympathetic, if it was possible for someone such as Valery Noble to be sympathetic, and if it was possible for someone such as Reima Vitalis to inspire sympathy.

It was equal parts touching and embarrassing. And with the Jedi Master's change of topic on a dime, Reima realized she had been blabbering. Even were it appropriate to gab to a Jedi Master like that, she hadn't been paying attention to the time. She cast a glance at her chronometer, frowned. They were still on target. Well.

She snatched up the stirring stick and jammed it into the cup like the cup had insulted her. "Meet you there," she said briskly. "Going to hit the head."

True, but not true. She collected her dishes, took them to the bussing area, then saw herself out of the mess, heading for her barracks. Her locker in the 'fresher held a little packet of cigarettes, and she could almost taste them. A few moments later, she was leaning against the bank of lockers, curls of silvery smoke rising into the air above her as she exhaled. Balance, that's good, she thought luxuriantly. Almost makes up for making a fool of yourself to a total stranger, she chided herself.

Some part of her had hoped that the Jedi reputation for being problem solvers might play in her favor. Perhaps they knew how to get to the Netherworld and back and could point her in the right direction, she had thought. "Idiot," she told her reflection in the mirror across the bathroom.

"Whassat?" called another pilot from the other side of the frosted plasteel wall where she was showering.

"Nothing, Travis," Reima spat. Was there nowhere to find peace on this Balance-forsaken outpost? She finished her cigarette in record time, then dabbed her wrist and pulsepoints with a touch of the obscenely expensive perfume in the locker, then brushed her teeth and locked everything back up. She was on time as she strode purposefully into the briefing room, her flightsuit immaculate, helmet tucked under her arm. She found Val, nodded a greeting, and set the helmet on the seat next to Val before sitting in the next one over.

Valery Noble​