Private Search for a new Home

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"It has a small town, a forest and it seems peaceful," Valery said as she stepped into the cockpit of the Bastion and looked at Kahlil. After Vera had done her best to explain what she had seen, Valery had looked for planets in the region where she was already planning to look for a good spot. There were several matches, so it was just a matter of making some visits and deciding on something together with the family.

Her first stop was plotted into the navigational computer, and they were going to arrive soon. "Oh, and how do I look?" she asked while she spun around to show off the new summer dress she had gotten. The weather where they were heading was really nice, so she figured some casual clothing was better, and she had even put on the necklace Kahlil had gifted her a few years ago.

"We can maybe land close to the town? There's no spaceport but there is enough open terrain to bring the Bastion down."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Peaceful. That's what Kahlil was hoping for. The new scars on his face burned here and there, memories of the battle still fresh in his head. And yet, he couldn't feel any more at ease. He smiled. Nodded to his wife. "You look great, Val. And yeah, that sounds fine." He took up the controls, guiding the Bastion towards a clearing close enough to town while avoiding causing an uproar.

Once landed, he stood. Offered a grin.

"Well, where first?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

It didn't really show much behind the happy smiles, bright summer dresses, and positivity she tried to bring with her, but the battle on Tython had also left a mark on Valery. Effects from Kyrel's mental assault against her lingered and had caused her to lose a lot of sleep. Nightmares plagued her at night, and during the day, she tried her best not to seem tired or distracted by images that flashed through her mind.

She needed the peace this little trip could bring, so she really did seem overly excited about it.

"I'm glad you like it," she said before she sat down in the co-pilot seat and watched him begin the approach for a landing, "Vera is buckled up, and ready to go. Had to help her pack her backpack," she chuckled at that mental image again. She then reached for a datapad with some information she had gathered about the planet and hummed to herself.

"Let's head to the town first, I'm sure we've drawn some attention so introducing ourselves might be a good idea. We'll walk along the forest on the way there," she said as she stood up and moved with him to the exit ramp, where Vera quickly joined them with a big smile. "I'm ready!" she exclaimed happily, making Valery chuckle again.

The family then stepped outside into a peaceful stretch of land, which was almost entirely surrounded by the forest, safe for a long path that led up to the town nearby. "Does it look like your dreams, sweetie?" Valery asked, but Vera didn't answer and seemed almost entranced, as she walked ahead of her parents a little. Valery reached for Kahlil's hand and interlaced fingers while she followed and looked around.

It was extremely quiet, with only the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and grass reaching their ears. Yet, something made it to where they wouldn't feel alone — there was life around them, but it was hard to tell what exactly it was. But it gave the two Jedi the feeling they were already being watched. "I really needed this, you know," Valery said, as she didn't really pick up on it in her current state. "I know we haven't talked about it much, but Tython is still on my mind a lot..." she looked up at her husband with a gentle frown.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Vera was in love. Kahlil smiled softly, watching their daughter run off. Though not too far. Kahlil wouldn't let her run off too far. He squeezed Valery's hand as she took his, smiling to her. Yeah, they hadn't talked much about Tython. And everything that happened was.. It wasn't okay. But that's what it meant to fight against the Sith. They'd have to face the darkest enemies in the galaxy if they wanted to fight for peace.

"I'm glad this'll help, love. Do you want to talk about it? Everything that happened was.. Well. It sucked. But we made it out."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"We did make it out but-" she frowned and watched Vera for a moment, who was making sure that she didn't run off too far. She was just curious and nothing really could draw her out of that excitement bubble right now. "I don't know, I still see those memories he forced into my mind. Sleeping isn't easy and sometimes I just feel... uneasy."

"Does that make sense?" she looked up at him with a gentle smile, but also a hope that he somehow had answers for her. "Then there's this whole thing with Vera and her visions too." She sighed.

"This is really what I needed, I think. Just family time and focusing on better things before the war pulls me to the front again." She already knew that with Tython behind them, she was going to be leading new incursions and assaults against the Maw. They were still deep inside the core, and they had to be removed. But one step at a time, and today was a family day, so she didn't want to focus on that too much.

"Are you holding up okay enough? The scars aren't terrible, and you walk fine."

Still unnoticed by Valery, that feeling of being watched was starting to grow — it was as if eyes were burning in the back of their necks, and now Vera seemed to notice something too. She suddenly stopped, and looked around as if she was trying to find someone in the forest that surrounded them.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"The memories of a man forced to be a monster. I feel for him, but it changes little on who we are. On who you are." He patted her shoulder gently, still smiling. The memories surely must be hard to deal with, but they weren't her. Weren't hers. So long as she could remember that, she'd be okay. Well, that's what he hoped. Facing his own memories of the boy who came before him had been their own problem for him.

"Mm. Things still hurt now and then, but honestly I'm starting to think that's coming from my age and less the injuries I get, heh."

Then he paused. Turned his gaze upwards towards the source of what might've been watching them. Eyes narrowed. "Vera, come here."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I know," she said with a somewhat somber smile, as his hand patted her shoulder, "It has just difficult and..." she let out a soft sigh and looked up at him, her smile a bit brighter, "Nevermind, I'll be fine." Kahlil was right about the memories, and she knew that remembering that would help her push through. But something deep down was not making that easy.

"Oh shush it." she chuckled now, clearly in a better mood already, "You're not old at all, and Force users age very slowly too. If anything, maybe you're the one who needs regular massages. I'd be happy to help," She smirked but seeing his gaze shift forward, Valery looked in that direction as well and focused on Vera.

"Vera, come here."

But Vera didn't move, and only turned around to look at her parents, "What's wrong, sweetie?" Valery asked as they were getting closer. Vera just stared at her mother for a moment, looked away and when she looked back, there was a slight frown.

"This isn't home."

Valery blinked and stopped moving before she turned her eyes to Kahlil. That feeling they weren't alone was still there and strong, but the words from her daughter drew her attention most. "We haven't even seen all of it yet," she said, mostly to her husband.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"She knows better than us." Kahlil didn't wait. He moved over, setting a hand on Vera's shoulder as he continued to look for the source that was watching them. "Is this like a different dream of yours?" The concern was obvious. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what it could be.

"Valery get the ship ready."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery stopped moving and looked over at Kahlil as he made his way over to Vera. Her eyes then shifted around, trying to trace the feeling that had been with them for a while now. But she couldn't see anything and-

"Valery get the ship ready."

She blinked and looked back at Kahlil, "Right... on it," she turned, and as quickly as she could in her dress, she began to run back towards the Bastion.

"I don't know..." Vera whined to her dad in response to his question. But when she saw Valery running off, she seemed to panic a little, "Where is mommy going? Daddy, I'm scared..." she frowned but then she seemed to spot something behind her father, within the forest behind some bushes and trees. Her eyes widened and she stood completely frozen.

"D-daddy..." is all she could say, as her eyes fell on a figure with a silver mask.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Vera's fear was all Kahlil needed to know to go full protective. He lifted her into his arms, turning to keep her away from the figure. His eyes focused on them, near glaring in the process. This wasn't what he expected. A person? He set a hand on a blaster he kept on his hip as he slowly started to make his way towards the Bastion. "I don't know who you are, but I suggest you leave."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Breathing heavy, Valery arrived at the Bastion's ramp but something was off — even here she felt like she was being watched. That she wasn't alone. It forced her to stop and slow down her approach, while she carefully looked around for the source. As it got closer and closer, she finally felt it.

"You shouldn't have come,"

Her eyes were drawn to a figure that appeared from behind the landing gear. He was dressed in dark robes with a mask and held a blaster pistol in his hand. Valery took a step back defensively, knowing she had no weapon on her at all to defend herself with. "Who are you?" she demanded to know but he said nothing, and kept moving closer.

Without a word said, he raised his pistol and pulled the trigger, causing the sound of the shot to echo through the forest.

...

The masked figure's gaze was briefly drawn away from Kahlil and Vera as a shot rang out from the direction of the Bastion. A single puff of air escaped as a chuckle, before he glanced back at Kahlil, "You shouldn't have come here, Jedi. Your kind is not welcome here." His threat echoed as a pulse from the Force, and together with the shot, Vera was getting overwhelmed and started crying.

But even with this masked figure revealed, Kahlil could feel more people — they were different from the man he was facing, but they were getting closer. None were Force-sensitive either, and their intentions did not feel as dark. Maybe help from the nearby town? Or more problems?

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"You shouldn't have come here, Jedi. Your kind is not wel-"

Kahlil didn't let the stranger finish his sentence. Between the gunshot and Vera's growing fear, he wasn't going to keep playing along with whoever this was. He raised a hand, tethering invisible cords to a fallen tree close by. Then swung it. And ran. He held no worry in his heart for Valery. The Jedi Master wasn't going to be taken down by a blaster shot, not when they could sense the people here. Instead, his worry, his focus, all of it was on Vera. With his daughter in his arms and the log thrown he ran in a dead sprint towards the group of people. The village that they'd seen.

It was the safest option for the two, until Valery could bring the Bastion around.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

With the tree swung at the masked figure and Kahlil taking off in a sprint, he was able to create a lot of distance really quickly. Shots were still heard in the distance as he moved, but he would always know if Valery was hurt, and she felt perfectly fine. Vera was worried though, and she kept crying because of all her fears. Despite it, he moved and soon enough reached the group of people moving through the forest.

They all seemed like ordinary citizens — a few young adults and even an elderly couple had come to figure out what was going on. But within the group, one of the men stepped forward and looked just past Kahlil for a moment, "Quick, come with us to our village. You'll be safe from them there," he tried to assure Kahlil without much further explanation. He turned around and gestured for the man to follow him, which the others seemed to try and motivate Kahlil into doing as well.

"It's not safe here," the elderly woman warned him.

More shots rang out, in quicker succession this time, and one of the younger women looked over towards where it came from, "Quick, before they find you."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Mistrust bubbled up at first. Kahlil narrowed his eyes on the villagers, protectively turning to keep Vera away from them. But as quick as he turned, he let out a sigh. Chastised himself internally for letting mistrust into his mind so quickly. Instead he nodded. "Alright." So long as nothing came across as odd, the only reason he felt mistrust was just him trying to protect his daughter. Letting emotion take over. There was nothing wrong with acting on emotion, he knew that much.

So long as he saw the whole picture first.

He turned a smile to Vera, squeezing her gently.

"Mama's fine, don't worry. She'll be with us shortly."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera sniffed a few times but with reassurances from her father, she seemed to at least calm down a little bit, "Okay..." she muttered with a nod of her head before she looked at the other people as well, who had been guiding the two through the forest and in the direction of the village. It was built right at the edge, along a river they used as a water source.

Small buildings began to appear soon and in the center of town, there was one larger building that was more beautifully decorated — likely a town hall or something along those lines. But all in all, everything looked rather simplistic and peaceful. There was no loud machinery, very few droids, and barely any traffic that disturbed the sounds of nature.

"Come on, let's get inside and we can help. Are there more of you out there? You mentioned her mother," one of the villagers said as he turned to Kahlil and gestured at Vera with a nod. He then took them inside a building and allowed them to take a seat at a large table. The man meanwhile moved to the kitchen and grabbed some glasses.

"Can I get you two anything to drink? I'm also sure you have a lot of questions, so ask away and I'll do my best to answer them."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Despite the trust he put in the strangers, Kahlil was still on edge. Protectively holding Vera close, staring out amongst the town to make sure there were no more of the masked men here to be some kind of threat. Thus far, safe. But even inside he didn't dare let his guard down. Valery would be the only reason he would while it was just him and Vera among strangers. After being attacked.

He nodded once, taking up the water first. Sipping it. Testing for poison. Old lessons of his time as a Sith surfaced. How to test for poison, how to notice hidden blades. All manner of things to keep Vera safe. Only when he was sure did he let her have some, holding her in his lap.

"Valery will be here shortly. She's a Battlemaster of the Jedi. I'm Master Kahlil Noble. Who are they, with the masks? And is your town in danger?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

The moment Kahlil took a sip from the water, he could tell it was poisoned. Not the kind that would kill, but it was enough to knock a Bantha out cold if he were to drink it without any kind of protective skills. Luckily, he knew exactly how to filter such things from his system, and it wouldn't affect him at all. But it sure raised the tension in the room.

"No, our town will be quite safe," the man said, having noticed that Kahlil decided against offering the water to Vera, who seemed to really want something to drink.

"...once we've handled you and the other," he said with a somewhat more sinister tone. "I'm afraid, Master Kahlil Noble, that Valery will not be joining us here. If you try anything, you may never see her again," he threatened but through the Force, Kahlil could feel that Valery was out there somewhere and that she wasn't hurt. Was the man bluffing or was something still wrong? It was hard to tell just by focusing on him — he knew how to control himself.

"I can, however, guarantee you and your wife's safety under one condition."

"Give us the child."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Close your eyes, Vera."

The moment he tasted poison, the conversation was over. It mattered little what it was these people wanted from him. Or what they expected from his wife. They were going to poison his daughter? The Jedi Master was no where to be seen. He set down the glass, letting his eyes close as Vera's own did. Then flattened the whole room around them. Everything. People, chairs, the very walls of the building they were in. The only thing excluded was around Vera and her father. The chair they were sitting on. The table in front of them.

Kahlil let out a breath as he stood. The dust settled as his silver eyes opened, glaring towards any that remained outside the building. Anyone who dared to come near.

"Move aside."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Bastion
Outfit: Dress
Necklace: Link
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Vera did what her father asked and brought her little hands over her eyes while she closed them. Kahlil closed his own and within an instant, the man was flat against the ground and the whole building had crumbled down. It left the father and daughter alone, exposed to the outside air, and they could hear people yelling.

But there were gunshots as well.

When Kahlil opened his eyes and spoke, he heard a loud bang from some kind of heavier rifle, and from around a corner, another man hit the floor and fell just in sight of Kahlil and Vera. Right behind this man was Valery, who looked down at the man's body with great intensity in her eyes. She was still wearing her cute dress, but she had a pistol strapped around each thigh, a rifle strapped to her back and she was holding a shotgun that looked a little too big for her. She rested it over her shoulder and looked at her family.

"Mommy!" Vera almost screamed, and that alone broke Valery's fiery gaze. The little girl was looking at her parents like they were the coolest, most badass people in the Galaxy, and she was clearly happy that all of them were back together. Valery just smiled at that and quickly stepped over, "Hey sweetie, glad you're okay," she said before looking up at Kahlil. "We still have a problem, there were too many of them around the Bastion, so I had to run and well, I picked up a few toys along the way. There are more of them waiting in the town as well."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Seemed the gun lessons were well taught.

Kahlil flashed Valery a brief grin. Couldn't help it. Despite how humble he tried to keep himself, he could take some pride in the fact he'd taught Valery how to shoot that well. He reached a hand out, pulling a blaster from her hip to his hand before glancing to Vera. She was.. Huh. He smiled confidentially. She was scared, but more amazed by her parents, then?

That worked fine. He didn't want her scared.

"I don't plan on killing anyone, so it'll be that much harder. Ready?" He flipped the switch on the borrowed blaster, letting the stun setting hum to life. Even with the smile on his lips, he eyes were deadly serious. They threatened Vera here. They were lucky to have their lives, even if it cost them their homes. He spun, letting out ring after ring of blue energy as people started to emerge. People armed dropped the moment they came in view.

Part of him was showing off. The other was more focused on just keeping them from firing towards him while he was protecting Vera. He strode calmly forward, letting the Force guide his movements as the blaster went off again and again. Ten, twenty, thirty. He kept track. Had to. Vera was watching.

Valery Noble