Private You Can't Have a Picnic in a Dangerous Jungle

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Seven days. That was how long he'd sequestered himself in the jungle of New Cov. It was also how many days remained until Kragan Garr was to make his big debut at his new compound on Lok.

But neither of those things were on Gatz's mind.

For the last week, time had been insignificant to his life. The galaxy at large was nothing to him, not here in the jungle, surrounded by only wildlife and his trusty droid. Gatz was not dwelling on things like Kragan Gar, bounty hunters, or the upcoming Mandalorian conflict with the Jedi. He was not thinking on how he was a smuggler out of his depth, or a terrible friend to someone he cared deeply about. Nor had he allowed himself to consider his fear of the dangerous flora and fauna around him.

To Gatz Derrevar, for the past seven days, there had only been the Force. Also food, because Valery would actually shove dinner down his throat if she found out he wasn't eating.

He spent his mornings in meditation, connecting himself to the life all around him. He spent his afternoons in the trees, jumping from branch to branch, failing at times, but always pushing himself back up. He spent his evenings in another bout of meditation, but these times were spent within himself, in reflection. And his nights were still spent restless, but he was trying to actually rest, and that was what really mattered in the end.

It was just after noon on the seventh day, and Gatz had disappeared into the trees around the ship, leaving R4-Z3 on his lonesome to look after things. So the droid did as he had for the last week: making small repairs with his cutting tool and welder, hoping his blonde friend wasn't about to snap a leg after he fell from another tree.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Gatz?" Valery asked while she approached the ship and looked around. Even though she had given him coordinates to the Temple, he had chosen to bring his ship down into a clearing within the jungle. It wasn't exactly the safest place to hide, but if you know what you're doing, it's the perfect place to be. No bounty hunter was going to be able to find you here, and even if they did, the journey into the jungle was almost a death sentence.

From lethal fauna and flora, New Cov had it all — to the extent that its inhabitants separated themselves completely from the jungle by living in domed cities.

She really hoped that he had been able to stay out of trouble this last week.

"Ah, there you are," Valery smiled as she spotted R4-Z3 around the ship. "Do you know where Gatz went? Or can you call him to head back here?" she asked, hoping to make it easier on herself. She could follow her senses and track him down through the jungle, but she worried that he'd mistake her for a bounty hunter coming after him.

Best to at least make sure he knew that she was there.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

R4 spun his dome to look at Valery, even as he continued to weld one of the landing struts.

<Even if he had his commlink on him, he wouldn't listen to me. He's ignored me ever since I locked the navicomputer so he couldn't give himself up to Kragan.> R4 tucked his spanner arm back into his body, and rolled through the mud to look at a dense patch of trees in the distance, <but give it a minute. He doesn't go far from the ship.>

True to form, Gatz hadn't gone far.

His boots thudded as they hit a limb, landing after another leap. Gatz ran down the length of the branch, before jumping for a tree beyond, soaring farther than the average human ought to be able to jump. He landed in the cleft of the trunk, and threw himself up the tree, balancing out on a high branch. Then he ran down that one, and made another leap for the next tree.

The Force swirled around him, not balled up into a tight grip, but enveloping him as it guided his feet to where they needed to go next. Gatz surrendered himself to it as he leapt from tree to tree, with a grace that most acrobats would have had trouble managing. But he knew his every leap two leaps before he took it. He knew every branch he would land on, before he ever saw them.

The currents of the Force pulled him with it, and Gatz trusted in its path.

At least, until his boot slipped on a branch. He fell forward, face first toward the ground. But Gatz tucked himself into a ball, hitting the ground in a roll that he managed to recover from, and was left sliding across the mud on his feet.

"Hah!" Joy and confidence were clear on his face, and radiated from him in the Force, "did you see that Arfour? I told you I wouldn't break my—"

Gatz turned toward his droid, and went silent. As soon as his eyes hit Valery, his expression deflated—smile falling away, eyes losing their luster—and Gatz looked away.

"Oh." His voice was quiet, unsure, and anxious, "hi."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"He has? I'm sorry, buddy," Valery reached down to pat the top of R4's head. She hoped that Gatz wasn't too angry with him — the little guy obviously cared a lot about Gatz and just wanted to help. Even now, he was still working hard to make sure Gatz's ship would remain functional. The jungle was not a very kind environment to ships, after all.

Especially on New Cov.

Valery then turned away when she felt a familiar presence approaching, though there was something different about it. A new kind of strength radiated outwards in the Force, and she almost didn't realize it really was Gatz for a moment. At least, until he appeared and landed down onto the ground into a roll. She tilted her head, chuckled but her smile faded a little when she noticed his reaction to her appearance. Perhaps he was still anxious because of what happened last time, but she didn't like seeing him feel that way. They've gone through far too much together for things to be like this.

"It's nice to see you too, Gatz," Valery joked before she walked over, and if he allowed it, pulled him into a hug. A hug she should have given him a week ago, but now that she has had some time to meditate and think, it felt easier again. More natural than it would have in the heat of the moment.

"Been training out here, hm?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz kept his gaze on the ground. The small peace he'd carved out for himself in the last seven days vanished in an instant, and he was left as conflicted as he was when Valery had walked out on him. Bitterness boiled with in him, and he couldn't even bring himself to acknowledge Valery's joke. Shame filled him just as equally, and he wasn't even aware that she had closed the distance.

Until she pulled him into a hug.

He was so stunned for a moment that he just let his arms hang limply. But then he wrapped them around her tightly, buried his face in her shoulder, and clung onto her like she was his only lifeline. And, considering how Klein had chased him off Naboo because of the danger his bounty was bringing, she really was his last lifeline.

"I'm sorry," was all he managed.

He didn't know how long he stayed like that. Probably annoyingly long, to be honest. But while he was there, Gatz let out a long breath, and the stress and hurt of the last time they got together just melted away. So focused as he had been on the Force for the last week, he hadn't realized that he'd still been holding a grudge against her for her refusal to comfort him. For the way she'd just walked off his ship.

When he finally pulled away from her embrace, Gatz felt... content. Not happy, he wasn't sure he would ever be capable of that. But he wasn't miserable, and that meant he was already a few steps up from the way he'd been a week ago.

"Uh... is that a problem?" Gatz was a little nervous, admitting to a member of the Jedi Council—even Valery—that he'd been training without the guidance of a proper master. "Because if it is, I'd prefer not to answer."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"It's okay," she said, opting to use simple words, but the tone of her voice made it clear that she was genuine. "I'm glad to see you again, Gatz." She let the hug linger for as long as felt right, and the passage of time didn't really matter. She hugged him tight, and only pulled back when he seemed ready to do so as well. Then her eyes met his gaze again, and she offered that same, friendly smile she always had.

Things had been difficult, but she wasn't going to give up on him. She just hoped that, no matter what came next, he wouldn't give up on himself either. Judging by what she had just seen, Valery felt confident that he wouldn't give up.

"Why would it be a problem?" she chuckled and shook her head. "No, I'm glad you've been keeping yourself busy with it. Working on your control over your Force connection is always a good thing, whether you have a Master or teacher, or not." A lot of Padawans at the Temple didn't even have a Master, purely because there often weren't enough Knights or Masters to take them on for training.

But that never meant the training would stop.

"What all have you been working on? I saw the jump and landing, and that looked good."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"I don't know why I thought it would be a problem." Gatz didn't have a real answer to Valery's question, "I guess I'm just constantly afraid of a Shadow sticking a lightsaber in my back. I didn't exactly leave the Order on good terms."

He couldn't even say the word "Shadow" without that old fear beating in his heart. Knowing that Valery, his closest friend, had once been a Shadow only made him more conflicted on the matter. It wasn't that he thought she would hurt him—he knew she'd fight tooth and nail to redeem a potentially Dark Side him—but nightmares of that exact thing still haunted him.

Nightmares of a lot of things still haunted him. But this wasn't the time to dwell on such things.

"A lot of meditating to try and strengthen my connection to the Force, using the jungle trees like an obstacle course to practice using it to strengthen my body, and more meditation to try and center myself," Gatz was ashamed to admit how little he'd managed, so he looked down again and rubbed the back of his neck, "that's all I really know how to do, aside from pull my blaster back to my hand. I was only ever a youngling, so my training was severely limited."

He hated how much he regretted leaving the Jedi Order. He was justified in leaving, dammit! The code blatantly broken, often by the Jedi Council no less. Shadows roaming, playing the part of assassins, when Jedi were meant to use the Force for knowledge and defense only. And yes, that had been fifteen years ago, and maybe things were different now that the Council was headed by different Jedi.

But he couldn't just forget. And so he could never make himself go back. Thus, his knowledge was woefully incomplete.

"Hell, your daughter is probably better trained at seven than I am at nearly twenty-five." He paused after saying that, realizing how true it was, and let out a heavy sigh as disappointment in himself hit.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Shadows don't just kill someone for leaving the order, you know," Valery said, perhaps a little defensively. She had been a Shadow for a long time, and even though she had given up on that path, she didn't want the wrong image to exist. How would people look at her if they got the wrong idea about what they did? If they criticized the extreme stance against the Dark Side, she'd be fine with it, but the Shadows weren't pure evil either.

Then Gatz went on to explain what he had been doing out here, and Valery smiled. Though she did tilt her head curiously a little at the last part of his sentence, "Limited? I think you've been focusing on very important things here, and back then. I know amazing Jedi who never even learned to levitate a rock, and even on the Council right now, we have a Jedi whose connection to the Force isn't all that strong." She smiled encouragingly and then glanced around a little.

One thing not to forget is that he trained out here. In one of the Galaxy's most dangerous jungles.

"My daughter? Well, she has a particular gift for visions but she's very... chaotic. She has that from me," Valery said with a chuckle. "But hey, it's never too late to learn. These days, we have a lot of Jedi who start their training above the age of 18."

She then watched him again and smirked, "So if you want to learn more than what you've already learned to do, I can always offer lessons."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"I know," Gatz said quietly, "but I watched one kill a—”

Gatz breathed out a long sigh. It did nothing to help with the terror that was quickly seizing him. The panic was already well on its way to winning control over him, just like it always was when the topic of Jedi Shadows was brought up. And the worst part was that he was the one who'd said anything about them. He'd already had a rough few weeks, why was he triggering himself now?

"Nevermind." Gatz quickly dismissed the topic.

As she always did, Valery tried to reassure him. And she did. It put him at ease to know that there were plenty of late bloomers, Padawans who started late, and even Jedi with barely a modicum of talent. It assuaged his pride a bit—but only a bit. Gatz wasn't interested in being mediocre. He wasn't interested in just being "good enough." He supposed that was why he often compared himself to others, and why he felt so ashamed in his own lack of ability.

That made Valery's offer so intriguing to him: the chance to learn from the best, how ever little she was willing to impart. And yet, there were a myriad of reasons as to why he should say no; why he wanted to say no.

"I'm a little old to be a Padawan," Gatz said sounding almost disappointed as he sat down on a fallen log, "and I can't return to the Order when I don't believe in it. To say nothing of the fact that men like me probably shouldn't be trained."

A galaxy where criminals were trained in the ways of the Force was not a galaxy he wanted to live in. Ever.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery dipped her head and decided to move on from the topic as well — Shadows clearly made him uncomfortable and even sparked fear, so it was best not to think about it now. They had far more important things to focus on, which included his training, but also the upcoming missions. Taking down Kragan wasn't that far away anymore, and she had a feeling Gatz was going to be ready for it too.

Out here, he hadn't been attacked and even managed to build up more strength, both physically and mentally.

"You don't need to be a Padawan or Jedi to receive training," Valery said after he brought that up. "Force-sensitivity can allow us to do the impossible, but it has its risks too. You saw what happened when I snapped back on Sovereign station..." she paused and frowned for a moment. "Uncontrolled use or unintentional use of the Force can have disastrous outcomes."

"So learning how to safely use it is never a bad thing, and I could teach you a few things that will be useful to defend yourself. I can explain how to really shield your mind, or how to project a Barrier to shield yourself. Or just how to augment your body to make yourself stronger and faster."

"Whatever you think might be useful for you."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"I know the risks, Valery," there was no bite, no argument in his tone, just a simple statement of fact, "there's a reason I never once reached out for the Force during my criminal career. But then I met you, and now I keep getting myself into situations where I have to dive back into it. It feels good to be properly connected to the Force again. But the more that I actually think about it, the idea of me having access to something so easily abused is terrifying."

The last week had been the best week of the last year, really. But with Valery's arrival came a heavy reminder of the existence of the galaxy, and the problems he was running from. Fear was taking root in his heart once again, as it always did, because fear was always the thing he felt the most in his life.

A Force user with that much fear should not be a Force user at all. Valery was right to warn him of uncontrolled use of the Force.

"Briana retaught me how to shield myself from others. As for anything else... Valery, I'm not sure that you should. I don't know that I trust myself with more knowledge than I have. The temptation to abuse it is always there for me."

There had been a few times where Gatz had considered more extreme methods to eliminating his temptation to reach out for the Force. He'd just never been brave enough to bring the topic up to Valery, because the Jedi held the Force as a sacred thing, an instinctive part of life. But, now, thinking about it, it might be worth broaching the topic.

"I've heard stories about the Jedi Council stripping dangerous Force-sensitives of their ability to use and feel the Force. Is that really possible? Is that something I could seek out?"

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"That temptation is there for all Force Users once they begin to understand their connection to the Force. I feel it too, especially when those I care about are threatened," Valery admitted, though not with shame in her voice. Being tempted to abuse the Force was a natural thing to happen, but Jedi training is what allowed her to resist those urges. She kept herself calm, controlled and did her best to do the right thing.

But even Valery struggled at times, and that is why she wanted for offer her help.

"Obviously I won't make you learn more, but I believe it could be useful. There are a lot of things you could learn that aren't possible to be abused, especially not to cause harm. But learning those things will impact your self-control, so you are less likely to make mistakes and hurt yourself or people around you on accident." But while Valery was nudging him about training, he asked a question that made her frown for a moment.

"It's possible and I have stripped people off the Force before, but always under extreme circumstances. It's not at all something to take lightly, and it's a painful process too. Asking that of someone is..." She sighed and took a deep breath.

"Why would you want to rid yourself of it? You just spent a week training again and I could tell you felt a lot better. Why not continue?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

There was relief in knowing that even a Jedi Master still felt the temptation to use the Force improperly. It didn't assuage him completely, but it was a start. It meant that he wasn't faulty; that he wasn't already unworthy of his connection to the Force. He still didn't quite feel comfortable taking any further steps to exploring his sensitivity, not when so much of his past was proof that a man like him shouldn't have that kind of power.

It was clear to Gatz that Valery wasn't any more comfortable with stripping his connection to the Force than he was with having it. With her unease at him even asking, Gatz immediately resolved not to push the issue and ask that of her. He'd already asked so much from her.

"Sorry. I'm just spitballing, really. I don't—it's not that I don't want my connection to the Force. I just don't know if I should be allowed it. I'm still not a good man, Valery. Not yet."

Still, if Valery thought there was merit to him continuing down this path, then maybe he really ought to consider it. She knew what he'd been. She knew the things he'd done. And despite that, she always had faith in him. Even when she was furious with him.

Even when he had none.

"Let's say I do want to continue. Where do I start? Where do I stop? I can't receive full training. I'm already a half-baked pilot, and an average gunslinger. I don't need another discipline where I'm only "good enough." I can't be who I want to be if I'm always relying on incomplete skills."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"I understand, but as frustrating as it might be to some people, it's not really about deserving it or not. I think it's more important that if you were born Force sensitive, that you carry that responsibility and make the most out of it. That doesn't mean you have to be a Jedi or dedicate your life to some cause, but at the very least it means that you learn to control it." The worst things happened when the Force was tapped into unintentionally, especially in emotional moments.

Valery had nearly torn apart Sovereign station, but she knew of other scenarios that did end in disaster too.

"As for where you start, it's always at the basics. But it seems you've already learned much of that, so it becomes more about exploring your connection yourself. Some Force Users have an affinity for their senses, while others are highly in tune with nature around them. My daughter started seeing visions when she was three years old, while my eldest son can only use the Force to augment himself."

She smiled softly and drew in a small breath, "Point is, we're all different and perhaps it is time that you look into your own strengths and weaknesses. You have a thing for piloting, so maybe you can learn to navigate through treacherous hyperspace routes with Instinctive Astrogation, or perhaps you can connect with the Force to understand or disable machinery and other pieces of technology."

"The Force is complex, with many applications," Valery said, and it would be clear enough to him that she found this fact to be exciting. There was always more to learn and something new to understand about the Force. Even now, as perhaps the most well-known Jedi Master in the Galaxy, she found herself learning more regularly.

"But if it's all too overwhelming at the start, it never hurts to learn more ways to protect yourself and the people you want to protect. That's what you said you wanted to do, right?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz sighed.

It was clear to him that the idea of learning more about the Force was something that Valery found exciting. But of course it was, she was a downright prodigy. She could do basically anything he could think of, many things he couldn't, and the only area he knew she lacked expertise in was healing.

He didn't have her natural talent. And yes, it eas stupid to compare himself to her, but what other Jedi was he supposed to use as a benchmark? The other Jedi he knew? Her Padawans. So comparing himself to them wouldn't be much better.

"I'm tired of being just a pilot. And I'm tired of being average. I want to protect people. I want to do something that matters. I want to make a difference. I've just never been good enough."

Gatz wasn't sure that someone like him could ever do something like that. But what else did he have to do? Even if they stopped Kragan, and he miraculously made it out alive, what was he going to do next? He couldn't go back to being a freighter pilot, and he certainly couldn't go back to being a smuggler. Those careers just weren't fulfilling to him anymore.

"But I'm not sure I have an affinity for anything, other than failing and getting my ass kicked. I was always told the Force was strong with me, but I was never particularly talented at anything."

Gatz rubbed the bridge of his nose. Dammit, the last week had been so nice. Why did he have to go back to thinking about these things?

"I just don't want this to be another thing I'm passable at, but not good enough to actually do anything that matters with it."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Well, it's important to also keep in mind why I'm good at what I do. Sure, I had 'talent' and my connection to the Force is strong, but I also spent my entire life practicing and studying. I was a little child when I was given up to the Order, and ever since that day, I've been honing my skills. It's not natural, it's mostly just hard work." Valery smiled, hoping to convey that he could achieve a lot if he put in the work for it too.

Judging by the training she had seen coming here, he was already on his way.

"I do realize that you've not been focusing on it for a while, and that you might have other things in life you want to spend your time on. But if you narrow it down a little, and really put effort into a few things that resonate with you, I don't see why you can't become really good at those things. At that point, nobody but yourself can hold you back from becoming great at what you're trying to do."

Sure, the challenges he'd set for himself would have to be realistic, but she was certain he could be.

"So if protecting people is what'd make you happy, then why not focus on skills that allow you to do that?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

He would never be on Valery's level. He would never be good enough for that. He'd already given up too much time—fifteen years—to ever come close to her. Gatz knew that he needed to get that through his thick skull before he decided to do this. To expect anything else was folly, and it would only ensure that he'd fall short of the mark.

"After Kragan is dealt with, and assuming I actually survive, I'll have nothing left. I guess that means plenty of time to devote to... whatever it is you're proposing."

That was a depressing thought, but it was largely the truth. In a sick and twisted way, his grudge match with Kragan was all he had left in the galaxy. That and his ship. He had no career, no desire to become a freight hauler or a smuggler again. He just wanted to someday be able to call himself a good man. When he was old and wizened, he wanted to be able to look back on his life with pride, not shame.

It seemed, then, that the path forward was clear. It terrified him, and he didn't think he was good enough. Hard work didn't work out for everyone, and Valery most certainly had talent he simply lacked. He'd probably have to work three times as hard to get half as far, and even that was being generous. So what was the point in even trying—

No.

He wasn't going to do this again. Just like last week, he was discouraged by the size of the problem, while she was breaking it down into small steps in order to solve it. And just like last week, he was beginning to ignore her guidance.

Not this time.

"Valery," Gatz sucked in a breath, looked her in the eye, and ignored the oncoming fear and anxiety, "I want to learn the ways of the Force. I want to learn to protect people the way you do, and to be able to give them the same reassurance you've always given me. Will you teach me, please?"

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"What I'm really proposing is that you dedicate your time to something that will make you feel satisfied." Which, in this case, to her seemed to be training more with the Force. It'd allow him to use the skills he developed to help people, and that's the one thing he had never gone back and forth on. He wanted to feel useful and help other people without needing to rely on anybody but himself. Of course, every Jedi or trained Force user would sometimes still need help, but she had a feeling that if he'd solve a problem on his own for once, it'd really make him feel better.

Especially after everything with Kragan, and needing to rely on Valery for even just survival at times. To Valery, it had seemed natural to offer that help, but she finally understood how taxing it must be on his mind.

"Valery,"

She tilted her head curiously and offered her usual smile, but it brightened significantly when he asked the question. She was thrilled to teach him more about the Force, and especially to help him carve his own path. There was too much for any person to learn in 10 lifetimes, so they'd have to figure out what he'd be most interested in.

It'd be exciting.

"Of course, I'd be more than happy to teach you. It might be a little rough at the start, as we figure out what works and what doesn't work, but I'll do my best to teach you as much as you'd like to learn. If there's something I can't teach you, I can help you find a teacher who can as well." There were skills, such as healing and anything related to technology, that she was terrible at herself.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Satisfied.

When was the last time he'd felt that way? He knew the answer immediately: when they'd saved those children back on Sovereign Station. That felt like a lifetime ago now, but in truth it had only been a little over three months ago. Ever since then, his life had been a cluster of tragedy, pain, and uncertainty. But that warm feeling he'd felt in his chest, after those children had been returned to their proper homes... that had been satisfaction and pride in himself.

Because he'd done something good for once.

He wanted that again. For himself, and someday, to be able to inspire it in others the way Valery had inspired it in him. For so long he'd played the part of the dashing rogue, thinking only of himself. Even this last year he'd stuck to that role: he'd just transitioned from a rogue who did bad, to a rogue who tried (and often failed) to do good. But he was the same man with the same problems.

He'd spent the last year trying to do better. Gatz had mostly succeeded in that. Now it was time to take the next step: to become something more.

"Thank you," he breathed out a sigh of relief, as some small part of him had actually feared her rejection, silly though that was.

He didn't know what he was good at. Gatz had never particularly been talented at any discipline within the purview of the Force. He'd merely felt it stronger than the average youngling, though his connection was sure to be weakened, even after the last week. He knew so little too: only the barest hints of memory of what he'd learned as a youngling, and what little Briana had taught him about shielding his mind.

"I'm not... sure if I trust anyone to teach me other than you." Gatz frowned, mulling that over, "well, I'd trust Briana. But I don't need specialized teachers—not yet. What I really need is to start from the ground up. I can reinforce my body enough to make significant leaps. I can manage telekinesis on light objects. Briana retrained me in shielding my mind, but I definitely need work on that. Precognition comes naturally to me, and I could probably demonstrate a really sloppy Shii-Cho, but that's all I really remember."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

New Cov

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Oh you met Briana Sal-Soren ?" Valery chuckled and smiled brightly. "Well, I can definitely recommend her training if I'm not around, or even if it's just for practice. She was once my Padawan and, well, I trust her more than most people. She has saved my life once, and been there for me during very difficult times. But she's also just a fantastic Jedi who really embodies what we should be like."

Valery then blinked after she realized she was rambling about her former student a little, but she couldn't help it. She felt extremely proud about all of her Padawans, and she was the type who could talk about them for hours.

The same way she could talk about her kids for an annoyingly long time.

"But that should be a good start. I can help with Telekinesis, precognition and teach you some lightsaber dueling if you're interested in pursuing that. Alternatively, I can teach you how to combine your connection to the Force with using your blaster. Kahlil taught me how to shoot that way, and it can give you quite an edge."

"Especially when you combine it with precognition as well."