Private A New Dawn

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

Valery stood in front of the large windows within the Council chambers of the Jedi Temple. Her gaze was focused on the Coruscant skyline, but her mind was somewhere else entirely. The emptiness of the Temple following the evacuation of the young was a reminder of ongoing Galactic affairs, and she couldn't help but focus on it constantly. On how it felt so similar to the last great war, and what that war had done to the Galaxy.

It had all started on Onderon, when an unknown group had made its first move to prepare for a much more significant conflict. Then came the invasion of the core that revealed a new Empire, and now Jedha had been the target of an attack as well. Coruscant was likely next, and from there, the entire core would be threatened.

But there was still hope.

The Alliance was far from defeated, the Jedi were much better prepared than during the last war, and individual acts of bravery were already making a difference. One such case is why she stood in the Council Chambers, awaiting the arrival of Kyric . She hadn't met the young man before, but she had met his father once - his spirit, anyway.

His warning about Jedha had helped save lives, so she wished to express her gratitude and perhaps find ways to collaborate more, for the sake of the Alliance and the Galaxy beyond.

She turned away from the windows with a soft sigh. She felt someone coming up the turbolift.

Kyric ​

 

[Kyric]

While Valery stood before the Coruscant cityscape in deep contemplation, Kyric and BD-8 had an impromptu dance party in the turbolift. The idea of a meeting with the Grandmaster of the Jedi sounded adventurous on paper, like the beginning of some grand epic about friendship and justice. But in reality, it made the kiffar feel queasy. The hallowed halls of the New Jedi Order felt distant. Empty.

Kyric couldn't feel him anywhere.

So he danced.

He danced because he knew no one was watching. And no one could laugh, sneer, or tear him down for his childlike trepidations at meeting one of the most prominent Jedi in the galaxy. BD-8 scurried between his shoulders, chirping a horribly discordant slew of notes that technically constituted a song. Somewhere. Probably. They both lost themselves in that improvised moment of peace rather than face the terrible truth that awaited them at the top of the turbolift.

Their father was gone.

Ryv Karis was dead. And he wasn't coming back.

The turbolift opened on Kyric and the Big Chieftain continuing for another several seconds before the Wayseeker noticed the Jedi Master watching the two of them. He, of course, froze in place. BD-8 laughed mechanically and ran circles around the boy. That whole situation continued for a stretch of seven seconds exactly before Kyric straightened, smoothed out his jacket, and cleared his throat.

"Evenin', ma'am. Sorry to keep you waitin'."

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

Valery smiled when she watched the two dancing their way into the Council Chambers. The Temple had felt empty ever since the young were sent away. So even just a small shimmer of joy, hope, and energy in someone young was a welcomed change of pace. Perhaps embarrassing to him, but Valery hoped to bring some relief with her smile.

"You haven't," she began and stepped closer to greet him with a dip of her head. "I'm glad you were willing to meet me here. The Temple isn't quite what it used to be." It wasn't long ago that younglings and Padawans alike were running around or dancing in much the same manner as he did. Until the invasion, and that feeling of no longer being safe here began to settle into the minds of many. The decision to send the young away hadn't been an easy one, but it was necessary.

The future of the Order couldn't be exposed to such threats.

"Which is part of the reason why I brought you here. We received your warning about Jedha and I wanted to thank you for it. Whether you consider yourself a Jedi of this order or not, we all have the same purpose." This new Empire had to be stopped and taken down for good, just like the Brotherhood of the Maw.

"I was hoping we could talk more about the future of this conflict."

Kyric ​

 

[Kyric]

That went over better than I hoped. Kyric slipped his hands into his jacket pockets and stepped further into the room. The Grandmaster's positive candor made the prospect inviting enough. His head swiveled from left to right inquisitively, his gaze rolling over every inch of the space until he eventually found his way back to the Jedi Master's ember stare.

"Which is part of the reason why I brought you here. We received your warning about Jedha and I wanted to thank you for it. Whether you consider yourself a Jedi of this order or not, we all have the same purpose."

"I was hoping we could talk more about the future of this conflict."

"Uh..." Kyric raised his gloved right hand and scratched at his jaw. "Nothin' to it, ma'am. Like you said. We're Jedi. Just doin' my part." Her second statement was a little more concerning. Up until a few days ago, Kyric had been a nobody. He did everything he could to keep the promise he made to his father all those years ago. To be a different man. To walk a different path.

That path led him away from the Jedi Order, where he burned every bridge imaginable during his short career as a Marshal. A brutal shootout on the streets of the Suicide Slums left him aimless again.

You're here now, Kyr. No use wasting any time.

Kyric cleared his throat. "I don't mean to insult your judgment or anythin' when I say this, ma'am, but I'm nothin' special. Just another leaf on the wind. I was on Jedha 'cause that's where I was meant to be, Will o' the Force and all that. What makes you think I'm gonna be of any use to ye?"

Valery Noble ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"Perhaps, but showing some appreciation doesn't hurt, hm?" She chuckled and beamed her smile a moment longer. Until she noticed the shift in expression following her second statement. For a younger Jedi, likely still a student of some kind, it was perhaps a little unsettling, but Valery had said what she said with a reason. Every Jedi had a purpose, both in times of peace and war, and his warning on Jedha perhaps suggested his.

He just needed to realize that himself.

"I believe all Jedi have a purpose and a use, not specifically to me or the Council, but as you said — to the Force. We're currently preparing to defend Coruscant and it won't be long before we launch our counter-attack either. But we could always use more intel, and I've got a feeling that acquiring it is something you're pretty good at, no?" There was a chance that what he learned on Jedha had been luck or a coincidence, if one believed in such things.

Valery believed it was more than that, especially if he claimed to follow the will of the Force.

Kyric ​

 

[Kyric]

"I believe all Jedi have a purpose and a use, not specifically to me or the Council, but as you said — to the Force. We're currently preparing to defend Coruscant and it won't be long before we launch our counter-attack either. But we could always use more intel, and I've got a feeling that acquiring it is something you're pretty good at, no?"

"You know," Kyric sniffed once, his gaze fell away from Valery and he wandered over to the glass. Poised there, not unlike she had been moments before, the boy stared out over the same skyline his father had a thousand times over. He tried to imagine the choking weight of that mantle on Ryv and Valery alike, searching for it in the dull gray and neon lights of the distant city.

All Kyric could find was regret.

"I had hoped... a bit foolishly, maybe, that I would walk these halls and see him here." Kyric leaned back against one of the many chairs, his hands still hidden away in his pockets. "Not literally, of course, but he rebuilt this place. I hoped to hear stories about him that no one ever thought to share. But the galaxy has new heroes, I s'ppose."

He stood straight, his hardened gaze locked on the singular vermillion eye bequeathed to him by his father. "Sharin' intel is tough. Even if I had hard evidence you weren't a compromised asset in all this, I've no reason to think your inner circle is trustworthy. I'm handlin' the type of data that ends rebellions and fills graveyards, ma'am. If you want me to trust you, yer gonna have to do more than stand where my dad stood and butter me up. You've got an awfully pretty face, but my mama told me those are the most dangerous kind."

Valery Noble | Ripley Kühn ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsaber

"Unfortunately, I barely knew your father and wasn't told many stories myself," Valery began when he mentioned the former Sword of the Jedi. Technically, she hadn't met him at all — not during the time he was alive, anyway. She had only seen him once or twice, but that was a long time ago. "I woke from stasis and made my entry shortly after Coruscant was attacked by the Maw, and that was around the same time his focus shifted. He was barely there, if at all when the Maw carved its path through the core. He was there at Tython and made a sacrifice the Alliance shouldn't and won't ever forget, but the war continued for far longer than that." Panatha was destroyed, Metellos had been attacked, and then the Alliance's counter-offensive overwhelmed the Maw and drove them back.

"I found the Order practically without mature leadership because the person who was supposed to stand where I now stand wasn't around nearly enough until that one last battle. A lot of Jedi — not just myself — filled the gaps that were left behind and ended that war. It's not just a pretty face or some title. The Jedi of 'my circle' picked up the torch and we've had many years of peace as a result." Her fiery gaze narrowed just a little at the kid. She didn't blame him for what he said, nor did it upset or frustrate her in any capacity. He missed his father, and she would have felt just the same in his shoes.

But she wasn't going to stay quiet when fellow Jedi who had also made their sacrifices were discredited. His father was a Jedi who would go down in history, but there were many more who had earned respect and appreciation from the people.

"I understand if you don't trust easily, but you shared your intel about Jedha for a reason. No Jedi — not your father, not myself, or any of the Jedi around me — can hope to end a war like this alone. Good intel can bring us together to strike where it matters and make a difference. Who acquires the intel does not matter, but it's useless if we don't coordinate anything." Valery paused and picked up a small holo-projector she had kept on the armrest of her seat.

"We have our own intel too. Leads about enemy positions, plans, and movements. The future of the Galaxy will never rely on the intel of one person, but any piece of information can help make a difference."

Kyric ​

 

[Kyric]

Oh... she doesn't know. Kyric blinked.

Ignorance is not an excuse. Walk away from this ordeal and stop wasting our time. His reflection's lips moved in time with the words flashing through his mind. You cannot take this organization seriously if they are completely in the dark about the events leading up to Fossk's betrayal.

The kiffar considered the advice and shook his head. No. That's... well, it probably be hella funny to walk out of here, but my heart would shatter the moment something happened to someone cause of our pride.

Kyric turned back to Valery after a moment of silence and nodded. "I've always tried to move in step with the Will o' the Force. I'm figurin' I stepped out of line more times than I could ever know, but I've had the pleasure to see firsthand its effects on those most in need. I don't think you need my help, Noble. But I think your people do. And that's enough of a reason for me to look past my own crap and try to be the man my father wanted me to be."

The kiffar wore his heart on his sleeve. His intentions were neither to slander her or her kinfolk, but to acknowledge the truth behind her words. No war could be won by the individual. Millions would die, hell, maybe billions, before they saw the end of this thing, and Kyric knew he couldn't stand by and watch as the Order his father built fought on without him.

"I'm a Karis at the end of the day. Our legacy is shorter than the list of folks who bear the name, but my dad died with a smile on his face knowing he did right by the end. I want others to say the same for me when I go. No mournin', no shame, and definitely no cryin'. So," he strode purposefully across the room and stopped a foot apart from the Jedi Master, his hand outstretched like he was offering an old friend a handshake.

"Where do you need me, partner?"

Valery Noble ​