Private A Lost Student

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

Valery stood within the halls of the Coruscant Temple — it wouldn't be long anymore before it was completely rebuilt, and she looked forward to seeing Jedi from across the Galaxy using it again. But unlike her usual visits, she wasn't here today to oversee construction efforts or help arrange things for the ceremony that would be held to celebrate it being opened again. She was here because a former Jedi, Rakaan Horne , had stolen the holocron of his former Master from the Temple not long ago. Valery had tried to stop him but ultimately failed when he attacked some of the guards and forced her to choose between them or pursuing him.

Deep down, though, she knew she let him go for other reasons as well. During their fight, she felt... something that gave her the hope that he wasn't quite lost yet. Whether it was just stubbornness preventing her from seeing the truth or an actual sign, she didn't know yet, but she intended to find out. The first step to do just that was to contact the one man within the Jedi he trusted more than anybody else — the Master whose holocron he had stolen.

So within the halls of the Temple, Valery waited for Korvan Toldreyn , who had agreed to meet her to talk about his former student and perhaps set up some kind of plan to deal with Rakaan. She was hopeful about it and genuinely looked forward to meeting him.

Korvan Toldreyn ​

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

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The Coruscant Jedi Temple | Valery Noble​

When one of the council made the rare request to meet with Korvan, he always took to it with a hint of trepidation. Among the ranks of the New Jedi Order, he knew he was considered somewhat of a 'traditionalist'. He had butted heads with the council on more than a few occasions for their approach to the Jedi teachings. More than once he could recall being labeled somewhat 'extreme' for his concerns regarding Jedi relationships - or attachments at all for that matter. Thus, any meeting with a member of the council was cause for some concern or caution.​

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At the same time, of course, a Jedi Master didn't really have the opportunity to deny such meetings, less he wished to take on a position of warden to some remarkably remote system. Perhaps in a few more years he would opt for such a thing, surely being an utter recluse wouldn't be so bad.​

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Then there was the actual topic of the meeting that had been called. Rakaan's fate after he had been seemingly abandoned by the order was hardly a secret at this point, and though he was his master, Korvan had often held his tongue about what had happened. Of course he was aware of what had happened recently as well, Korvan had been off-world at the time, but knowing that his former apprentice had returned and stolen away with his own holocron... Well, it was certainly a cause for concern.​

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Donned in his robes, Korvan made his way through the halls of the temple, eventually settling his gaze upon Valery where she awaited him. Approaching, he did his best to seem as cordial and friendly as one might, the thin line of his mouth curled up ever so slightly as he drew near. "Master Noble, I hope I have not kept you waiting for me too long."​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

Hearing the voice behind her, Valery turned around and greeted the man with a friendly smile, before her upper body dipped into a respectful bow. She understood that he likely wasn't looking forward to this meeting, not after everything that happened, but she hoped their mutual interest in the fate of a former student and Jedi would at least make their cooperation go smoothly.

"Not at all, Master Toldreyn, I'm glad you were willing to meet me, and it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, her tone matching the calm and friendly exterior she showed him. With an outstretched hand, she then gestured down the hall, "Would you like to get some tea or anything else while we talk?" She had no idea how long this was going to take, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to make themselves comfortable.

Either way, Valery began guiding him through the busy hall of the Temple, and somewhere a little quieter so they could talk about Rakaan, as well as their upcoming plans.

"I'm also sure you've heard the news, about the holocron... I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop him that day. He would have killed the Temple Guards otherwise, and I felt there was something behind his trip here," she said with a slight frown. "If he truly moved on from the Jedi, why would he come back for your Holocron? I felt there was something there, something that might hint at hesitation within him."

"But I don't know him quite as well as you do."

Korvan Toldreyn ​

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

​

The Coruscant Jedi Temple | Valery Noble​

Korvan shook his head gently, crossing his arms over his chest to cup his elbows as he began to fall into line alongside Valery. "Thank you, but I am quite alright." He declined the offer of tea as politely as he could manage, an evident tension of sorts to his words and mannerisms. He was wholly aware of what the topic of their conversation was like to be, and bringing up painful memories was never something that he greatly enjoyed. Rakaan was among the more painful memories that the Jedi Master had to bring up as well.

Thus as Valery began to speak of the recent theft of Korvan's own holocron, he dipped his head in a slow nod, making a deliberate effort to keep as much emotion or change from his expression as he could manage. He had asked himself why of all things, Rakaan might have returned to steal such a thing, but the answers that he had come up with were enough for him. "There is nothing for you to apologise for, Master Noble, it's as you say - the lives of others are more important than an old trinket of mine." He intoned softly, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. Yet, there was more to what Valery had to say, she had her suspicions of what was going on behind Rakaan's mind, behind his motivations.

Truthfully, Korvan wasn't sure how to feel about what she was saying.

"Rakaan was the best student I could have asked for, but he was always arrogant - he longed to be better than his peers, to prove himself as above others in skill." Korvan began to explain, lifting a hand to brush it over his bearded chin. "In particular, he was always driven to defeat me, and never managed to do so before..." He trailed off, he wanted to say 'was abandoned by the order', but perhaps it was not the best to say such a thing to one of the members of the council.

"I suspect that he stole my holocron, expecting it will offer some knowledge he can use to defeat me, if we cross paths again." Korvan conceded. He made no mention of the hesitation Valery suggested - he couldn't bring himself to. Rakaan's turn to the Empire had been devastating, in the eyes of the Jedi Master, even entertaining the thought that he might return would court nothing but pain.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

To some, declining the offer for tea wouldn't have been particularly interesting, but it somewhat worried Valery. She could feel the tension and while she didn't blame him for it, she hoped it wasn't going to become a problem in making progress. The subject they were going to talk about was undoubtedly difficult and uncomfortable, but it was very important to her and the Jedi as a whole. She trusted that the Jedi Master would do his best to help.

"An old trinket tied to someone who was very important to him," Valery added before she quietly listened to what he had to say about his former student. It reminded her much of her younger self, although he was a little more extreme, and she had lost all that arrogance and overconfidence near the tail end of her Padawanship, when her face was scarred for life because of her own mistakes. But it seemed that it had never left Rakaan.

"In particular, he was always driven to defeat me, and never managed to do so before..."​

She paused and let him finish what he had to say about Rakaan using the holocron to find a way to defeat his former Master, but she knew she had to come back to it, "You said he was never able to do so before... what?" Valery asked, not with an overly confrontational tone, but she clearly cared about the answer.

"I'll be honest with you, Master Toldreyn — I asked you to meet me here because I still have hope that it's not too late for Rakaan. But to have any chance at helping him, it's important I understand him better. So please..." she said with more pleading eyes, "If there's anything you know that can help, please tell me." Valery paused as they entered a quiet lounge area that currently wasn't being used, and turned to face him. She understood that this was painful, and she would have likely felt the same way if she were in his position.

But could a Master truly give up on his own student?

"I only want the best for him, for all Jedi, but I could really use your help. Not just with information, but perhaps to confront him as well." That was the other reason he was here — a second confrontation seemed inevitable with the conflict between the Empire and Alliance firing up, and having his former Master alongside her could perhaps spark something within him.

Korvan Toldreyn ​

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

​

The Coruscant Jedi Temple | Valery Noble​

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Valery's efforts to press him on what he had said momentarily gave pause to the Jedi Master. He didn't seem overly taken aback by it, ever was he a stoic and calm individual. While others in the order might have taken to the newer teachings, and allowed their inner thoughts to show openly - Korvan had never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve. His own insular nature had only redoubled in the aftermath of Rakaan's turn, and it seemed that silent stoicism was on full display today as he stood before the woman who had requested his presence. He paused for a while, considering the best way to answer her question and continue his line of thinking.​

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"Rakaan believed the Order, and specifically the Council - were losing faith and trust in him, that they wished to be rid of him. When he was lost on a mission and no aid came, I suspect it confirmed his beliefs."​

The Jedi Master was careful not to note his own thoughts on the matter. Leveling an open criticism of the council was not going to be particularly useful at the moment. In truth, it would be even less helpful considering the intentions Valery seemed to have with this meeting. She believed that Rakaan wasn't beyond saving, that he could be brought back into the fold.

Korvan wanted to believe her, of course he did. Yet there had been something shattering in Rakaan's fate. In his own failings as a teacher. Years ago, the Jedi Master had watched the same temple they stood in be torn apart, the city around them decimated by betrayal, by what could only be described as a fall of the Alliance they sought to help and protect. It had then been his greatest crisis of faith - and until Rakaan had left the order, he had believed it was the greatest trial he would face. Yet, learning that his impassioned Padawan had not only turned his back upon the Jedi, but upon him? It hurt far more.

"You must understand, Master Noble - I loved that boy. I loved him as much as any Jedi should." It was a carefully chosen phrase. Should. His own disapproval of the Order's more open teachings on such things as love and attachment were well known, and he understood at least in passing the perspective of the woman he spoke to on such a thing. "When Rakaan left the Order, it was a great struggle for myself - I was unable to help him, unable to teach him in a way that he could surpass the trials that led him to the Dark Side. I can only imagine that he sees me as a manifestation of all he believes the Order failed him in."

There was no part of Korvan that wished to give up on Rakaan. He wanted to throw himself into the opportunity Valery was giving him, to believe wholeheartedly that his former student could be saved. But he knew that if Rakaan could not - furthermore, if Korvan was placed in a position where he might harm, or even kill Rakaan?

It would break him.

There was hesitation in Korvan, yet another crisis of faith. "I fear I would only make the situation worse through such a confrontation, Master Noble."​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"I see," Valery said with a slightly saddened tone. She understood there was always criticism of leadership, and there should be. No matter how influential, powerful, or experienced someone was, they needed to be held accountable for their decisions and actions. The Council was no exception. But to hear that it ultimately contributed to a Jedi not only leaving the Order but turning against them as well... it was difficult. She hadn't been there to help when he needed it most, and the other members of the Council hadn't been either.

She also understood, however, that dwelling on past mistakes wasn't going to change anything. No matter how unlikely it seemed to anybody, she still believed Rakaan could be helped, and whether it was determination or stubbornness that kept her going, she wasn't going to give up on him.

"I know how difficult it must have been. I've lost students myself," Valery said with an understanding tone, and almost instantly, memories flashed into her mind again. The pain, the sadness but also the efforts that came after. Her attempts to push her life forward, accept what happened and keep going. She supposed it was more difficult for him, because his former Padawan was still out there, potentially harming people and carrying with him great anger. Valery had felt it during their clash, and as his old Master, Korvan definitely knew it was there too. "But I'm afraid that there might not be a choice, Master Toldreyn. Not if what you say is true, and he has been looking for ways to defeat you. If that's the case, he'll try to find you one way or another, whether you're ready or not."

She paused and took a deep breath, "Maybe this journey away from the Jedi was his greatest trial, and all that's left is for him to realize that nobody is to blame for what happened and that it's never too late to change. Whether he will in such a confrontation, I don't know, but if there's even the slightest chance that we can get through to him, isn't it a risk worth taking?" She asked, having intentionally chosen we when it came to the confrontation. If Korvan allowed it, she would be there with him to help Rakaan. "He's a Jedi, and I've made an oath to do what I can to protect them. I intend to honor my promises."

Korvan Toldreyn ​

 

[Korvan Toldreyn]

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The Coruscant Jedi Temple | Valery Noble​

Korvan could not help but find himself relentlessly frustrated at the words spoken by Valery. He may not have agreed with a great number of this council's perspectives, but there was little doubt that those who sat in its posts were not wise. Was Korvan stifled by his feelings of failure? His inability to accept how much more he could have done for Rakaan, his unwillingness to accept that he could not simply change the past by willing it to be so? Of course, he was.​

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Korvan had not taken a student since Rakaan - it was relatively well known that he had not taken a student before him, either. He had far from expressed any interest in the matter either. He tended to his duties, assisting with classes and tutelage here and there, but he had not taken anyone as direct as a Padawan, and any such questioning to the matter was often met with a polite but firm dismissal.​

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He was a failed teacher, why should he repeat the mistake?​

"I long with much of my being to believe you are right, Master Noble. I desperately want to believe that there is some part of that boy that lingers, some part of the Padawan I raised and trained. But the dark side is a twisted thing, it corrupts and turns those who fall to its whims beyond what they once were, and sometimes there is no coming back." ​

His words came softly, spoken with a gravity that did not come easily. They hurt to say. "But it is that which gives me the greatest concern - my own desperation, my own desires. I fear they will do no good."​

Another sigh left the Jedi Master, and he settled into silence for a few long moments, brushing his fingers along the length of his beard contemplatively. Eventually, his words came once more. "If you ask it of me, I will not say no to accompanying you - Master Noble." His answer came at last, plain and with great trepidation. But he had made his decision.​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant
Items: Necklace

"I know," Valery said with a frown of her own when he talked about the nature of the Dark Side. "There was a time when I believed there was never a coming back from falling. My old Enclave spared nobody who was corrupted by it, but I changed a lot since then, and..." she paused and ran a hand up through her hair, "Perhaps it has made me too hopeful about redemption paths, but I do very much understand the nature of the Dark Side." Having once been a Jedi Shadow, it had been her job to not only understand it but also know how to fight it in whatever form it had.

"Within Sith, as an example, you can feel they're submissive to its corruptive nature — they've accepted it, and crave more to satiate their lust for power. But in him, I felt so much tension and apprehension," she said, albeit with some hesitation. The last thing she wanted was to fill his heart with hope, only for it all to be turned against him when he inevitably clashed again with his former student.

Then there was a pause, and Valery just listened to his words, not wanting to push him too much. If she were in his position, she doubted that her responses would have been much different. Finally, though, he came with an answer that brought a smile to her lips.

"If you ask it of me, I will not say no to accompanying you - Master Noble."​

"I appreciate it, and while I'm not sure when, I do know that the next time the Empire strikes, he's going to be there. When that happens, I'll call on you and we'll confront him together. Hopefully, we can do something for him."

Korvan Toldreyn ​