Private A long time coming...

[Julius Sedaire]

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Coruscant. Hell, it had been a while since he had been in ANY real Jedi Temple besides the little wayward Guardian Academy he ran on Socorro. Let alone THE temple of temples, so to speak, in Galactic terms. But Valery Noble had called out to him, arranging a meeting with himself and her and her husband Kahlil Noble , and he wasn't one to pass up such an invite. Especially with the galactic scene being what it was, he was surprised someone hadn't called to him sooner honestly. Then again, he was a has-been, and until recently on mission with the Aing-Tii, a geriatric that wasn't capable of much. But now? Now he was clean-shaven and looked hardly a day over 30, and felt as young or younger. Time to get back out in the world for a spell.

Running a hand along a jaw mostly devoid of stubble, Julius checked his gear before stepping into the Temple proper. Trousers pressed and neat, armor polished to a bone-white sheen. Thankfully, his tattoos hand remained in place, the concentric swirls from the Aing-Tii and others mostly hidden or glimpsed in flashes and bits marked him as a veteran of dozens of wars and units, a soldier more than a statesman, though at need he could smooth talk and politic. Over the armor was thrown his longcoat, and at his hips hung the first and second lightsaber he carried, and strapped to his thigh was his pistol, which his artificial arm drummed Aing-Tii made digits across the butt of.

Moving from his belt to his Jed-Cred, his flesh and blood hand stroked the pendant for a minute, heavy with his Rebellion ring and his Kathol Outback signet. He would feel the same in the force, but the sand-blonde hair and blue-grey eyes and youthful grin might throw Valery at first. And he couldn't recall meeting this husband of hers. With a hand to adjust the beskar pauldron blazoned with his wife's sigil under the coat, he reached up with his white-and-silver prosthetic and knocked at the doors a Temple guard had guided him too, resisting the urge to dress him down over the challenge of Julius' appearance and being belonging to the name he gave.

Here went nothing...

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Julius Sedaire

"This should be an interesting meeting," Valery said as she stood within the halls of the Temple alongside her husband. "I met Julius years ago, and while I haven't heard much since, I believe he has been helping the Aing-Tii as well." An interesting fact, since the two Nobles had visited the mysterious Aing-Tii as well to learn from them, and later to help them when the Sith Order began hunting them down.

It would be interesting to get his perspective on all of that.

"But the real reason for contacting him was an interest in the escalating conflict with the Mandalorians. We could use all the Jedi we can find for it, especially those experienced so we don't rely on the young so much..." she smiled faintly at him, and reached for his hand to squeeze it.

"Let's see how it goes, hm?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It's good to know someone's been able to look after the Aing-Tii while we've been busy."

That was the disadvantage of their station. They couldn't always be everywhere, or be able to help everyone. That was what the Order was there for, but it didn't change the useless sensation that they weren't doing enough. He smiled a little though, squeezing her hand in turn.

"I hope it'll go well, regardless. It would be good to have more older Jedi to help protect the young."

Julius Sedaire | Valery Noble

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Hearing no immediate response, but also not being met with a salvo of blaster fire or a blaze of a lightsaber, Julius opened the door softly and stepped inside, rolling his shoulders a bit to release tension as he sketched a bow that was only just touched by a bit of humor-ladened mocking. He did hate the formality of the Temples, and even his own Order had issues with that back on Corellia.

"Valery, good to see you again. I'm glad you looked me up. And this must be your husband, Khalil. Read up on you on the trip over, young man. Quite accomplished, both together and separately. Like my wife and I were before her Crusades."

Sliding his coat off, he left it casually folded over what looked like some priceless urn or bit of decoration, and stood in his armor that, while polished and gleaming, bore a number of scars and knicks. He stood like a soldier almost, posture mimicking an at ease rest, hands clasped behind his back, a wry smile that gleamed in his eyes and twisted his lips playfully.

"Now, tell me about these Mandalorian woes..."

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
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Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Julius Sedaire

Valery nodded her head in agreement about the Aing-Tii and offered a gentle smile in return when he squeezed her hand. "I agree, so let's share what we can and figure out where he stands. His own connections to the Mandalorians might make all of it feel more...personal." She wasn't actually sure and didn't want to assume too much, but luckily she wouldn't have to.

The doors of the Temple opened and the older Jedi appeared in front of them, where he stopped to greet them with a bow. Valery dipped her upper body in response, and watches him remove his coat. The armor certainly stood out, and likely made it clear to Kahlil what she meant earlier.

His wife had been a Mandalorian.

"It has been a while, but it's good to see you too," Valery said with a soft smile before she looked between him and her husband. "The Mandalorians have been... causing some trouble. It startes as isolated raids on Rishi and Kashyyyk by only a handful of Mandalorians but now..." She sighed and looked at her husband.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Now it's a full on crusade."

Kahlil dipped his head in greetings, but the serious note of the conversation kept him from giving his usual smile.

"Rumors are not all of the Enclave is in agreement, but there's too many in favor of war for it to be ignored. Thousands of innocents have already been dragged into their conflicts, and now I believe they've decided to set their sights on the Alliance and the Jedi."

Julius Sedaire | Valery Noble

 

[Julius Sedaire]

He shook his head and sighed, a low and exasperated thing aimed at how nothing had changed in decades as he turned and paced, arms still behind him as he considered his words. The Aing-Tii made armor gleamed faintly from the light on whatever the material was, and finally he turned slowly to face the two, who he was finding himself liking despite his dislike of orthodoxy and Orders.

"Mandalorians rarely agree about anything beyond in twos and threes. Even within the same Clans there are often marked and numerous divisions. But the quickest way to get them to agree with each other is to give them a focal point. If your Order has reached out as a singular entity to rebuke or reproach them unilaterally, then war may be a foregone conclusion. The question is what do these more extremist elements want, and how reliable are the more measured among them? Drive a wedge between the various factions if you can using that dividing line. United they are dangerous. Separate them and they'll fall to infighting and the problem solves itself. And they are a mercenary culture. Perhaps there is a geld price they will take to just simmer down and act reasonably. And Force help you if they chose a Manda'lor, they'll almost guarantee a falling in and united front then..."

The general in him was on full display, recalling what he could about the Enclave, who were essentially his landlords for Socorro at one time. Even if they didn't know about his presence on the planet. Ceasing his pacing, he looked at the pair evenly, youthful face serious and eyes betraying a hollowness that came from more experience than his features suggested was possible.

"But what makes you think all out was is their aim, and that you are in their sights?"

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Julius Sedaire

"I'm not sure if they'll ever have another Mand'alor, but I worry that they are too united to be their own downfall too. I was on Rodia when they attacked and... there were so many of them." She frowned, knowing that it was still possible that enough were against this crusade, but something told her that wasn't the case. A dangerous tremor in the Force that had echoed across the stars ever since a few of them attacked Rishi.

No, this was going to get a lot worse.

"It's because of what they said on Rodia. A lot of the Mandalorians there blamed the Galaxy for what happened to them. Both the Sith and the Jedi," Valery said before she glanced at Kahlil.

"I fear the senate's response will also give them too much time to prepare. It makes us a more tempting target to be attacked now, rather than later." She was going to leave senate specifics to him, as he was at the debate, but she knew how he felt about it.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"They're at least preparing for war, but many seem to think there are alternatives. There aren't."

Not when a group of warriors had a fight they truly wanted. Kahlil held no disillusion that the majority of the coming Crusade was looking for a chance to fight against their ancient enemy. The Jedi had already proven themselves worthy with the destruction of the Maw.

War was coming.

"The Mandalorians are solidifying their space under their rule, but under the threat of death. We can't ignore that, and they know it."

Valery Noble | Julius Sedaire

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Nodding, the young Elder resumed pacing, stroking his chin as if it still had the beard he had worn for a decade or more in his old age. Habits, he was finding, were hard to break.

"Crusades often fall apart when a few key figures die or lose the will to fight or are humiliated in terms of personal standing in the eyes of the Clans. Is there a central figure we can demoralize through something like single combat? Or are we going to have to duke this out? I don't relish the latter."

Kahlil Noble | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Julius Sedaire

"They lack a singular leader, so I'm afraid it won't be so easy." Even without a Mand'alor, they've had their leaders but one of them died during the Second Great Hyperspace War. Stopping this crusade by targeting key figures just wasn't something that she believed would work.

"I do believe that their lack of unification can still work against them, though," Valery was quick to add, while she looked between the other two Jedi Masters. "It might not be something we can use to our advantage immediately, but what will happen if we do manage to succesfully stop their advance? Or if we just win certain clashes?"

"The more it feels like their crusade is failing, the stronger the resistance from within might become." The tough part was that it still meant having to escalate into war, but at this point, that just seemed inevitable.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's about as much as we can hope for, yeah. The more Clans that decide the Crusade is a truly doomed path, the less likely they'll stay unified." It was all they could do, anyway. Killing the key characters that lead this coming war would only lead to martyrs and renewed obsession.

"They think they're in the right, and that's enough to keep them moving forward. How do you tell them war is wrong when their culture is war?"

Valery Noble | Julius Sedaire

 

[Julius Sedaire]

"If they are thus united, then the only thing is to break their backs and make a show of it, so that they remember the lesson. They won't respect anything else, despite my distaste for it. I learned that on my first date with my wife, when she threw a table at me..."

The words were harsh. Cold. Clinical. And carried no tone of heat or typical anger, yet his posture carried an unmistakable shift of such, and he radiated it in waves. Loss, unbearable, and crashing on the other two in waves from him, mingled with pain and grief as well. He had lost his wife thanks to the damn fool Crusades of her Clan and people, and here they were doing the same mistakes again. He wouldn't see the hope that the Enclave could bring to people he considered family of sorts dashed because of warmongering.

"Show them they are not the only warriors the Galaxy has. The time for words of wisdom with them is over, if what you say is true. And in that case, you have me and all on Corellia who will listen to me, and the few students I am responsible for on Socorro. Just like hunting Ashin with Wyatt, but this is personal... Should have known I couldn't retire in peace."

Kahlil Noble | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Julius Sedaire

"She threw a table at you?" Valery blinked and looked at Kahlil, "Sounds like our dates, love," she teased with a smirk to brighten up the mood for at least a moment. As troublesome and unfortunate as it was that war would be returning to the Alliance, she still wanted to stay positive. The Alliance was stronger than it ever has been, and the Jedi were in a better place too. And unlike the last war, this one wouldn't come as a surprise.

There would be time to prepare.

"But you're right, and I don't intend to come across as weak. It's why we were very direct about bringing back the captured Padawan too. Any sign of weakness, and they'll..." she sighed and looked at Kahlil.

"Maybe we should bring Julius here with us on a mission? It might be good for us to learn of each other in the field. What do you think?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil chuckled just a little. And gave a confirming nod. There was no denying how much they tussled on their dates more often than not, either competing against each other or against each other. Always in good fun. His smile turned more serious though as Valery mentioned a mission. He frowned, pausing to think about it. Would now be a good time for such a thing?

"Depends on the nature of the mission. It could distract us from helping, or hasten the start of the war. There is already much to be done, and truthfully, I'm hoping more to have you," He looked to Julius, nodding as he was actually speaking to him.

"Help show the Order as a whole how best to fight against the Mandalorians. I've very little experience with it myself, and the more prepared we are with it the better."

Julius Sedaire | Valery Noble

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Nodding, Julius stroked a now absent beard reflexively before catching the habit and stopping. He looked Kahlil up and down, and smiled. The words came kindly, but no unfairly.

"No offense, but one in ten of you might be ready for an actual War with the Mando'ade. They don't fight like even the Sith or any other Force user. This culture has spent millennia honing their style to counter what and who we are specifically. Kindly patient Soresu won't do well, for instance. But I can start in the training rooms. Find the Knights and Padawans who show promise. You lot get together a group of Masters who might be liked minded and yet still willing to learn. We'll train your insufficiencies out two fold. By broad dissemination from the top ranks, and root nurturing of your raw talent. They have flaws, and it's mostly in their thinking and philosophy rather than technique. I can teach that easy enough, if those of you learning keep an open mind. And aren't above getting a little dirty and a few bruises. Orthodoxy won't serve the Galaxy in the coming days. Grit and determination will"

He swore he was going mad. Had he just offered to train Jedi Order masters and learners alike in how to fight? Did he really just offer that? As long as they didn't expect brown robes and tea ceremonies, he could deal.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I wouldn't be too quick in assuming only one in ten. Half, certainly, but the war against the Maw was not fought exclusively against the Sith and their monsters. They certainly will need all the help they can get, but they're not brown robe wearing tea ceremony hosts. .. Honestly some are a bit too prideful now that I think about it." Kahlil chuckled a little, though the smile he had was anything but happy.

There were too many who died. Too many who were irreversibly scarred both physically and mentally.

"I would appreciate your teachings, certainly. But the Jedi of the New Jedi Order aren't as soft as you seem to believe."

Valery Noble | Julius Sedaire

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Julius Sedaire

"I agree. The Maw also had its own Mandalorian group, and with Enclave fighting alongside us during the war, many were already introduced to their tactics and fighting styles," Valery said. She wasn't going to deny that not all Jedi were ready — a lot of the current Padawans hadn't even been around during the war — but she felt Julius was exaggerating quite a bit too. Those who had been around during the war were far more ready than most could imagine.

For a Jedi who hadn't been there to judge otherwise would be ignorance.

"That said, I have a lot of experience fighting Mandalorians back in my own time as well, and I spent weeks on Kestri training with the Mandalorians. Perhaps the two of us could provide lessons, and I know one other I'd like to invite for it too. A Mandalorian who turned away from the Enclave."

She had a feeling Minerva Fhirdiad would be more than happy to help Jedi learn about the Mandalorian way of fighting.

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Nodding, Julius rubbed the back of his neck as his words, and their replies sank in. A bit of chagrin roiled from him, and he shook his head as he realized those he was addressing weren't the slacktivist Jedi (as he had come to think of them). They had shown up, put in the work, and done the hard grit chores of being actual defenders. At a time when he himself had crumbled.

"Forgive the words.. Jedi who actually do things are a pleasant surprise, but a surprise none the less. Seven decades and change of life and this is a breath of fresh air to see. But I will gladly help teach what I know. The technical skills I don't doubt are there in your Order. But the philosophy of such will take even those skilled fighting the Maw by surprise, I feel. Besides, I know a few tricks might help even the odds where they are applicable."

Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That is why we appreciate your help." Kahlil nodded his head, smiling softly.

"But, it sounds like a plan of action. We should make plans to have such a lesson as soon as possible."

Valery Noble | Julius Sedaire