Private A New Hope, A New Student

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: | Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

The midday sun cast warm, golden light over the towering spires of the Jedi Temple, its glow reflecting off the polished stone steps where Valery stood, waiting. A soft breeze whispered through the courtyard, rustling the fabric of her robes as she turned her gaze toward the landing platform in the distance. Another arrival. Another new beginning.

A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

No matter how many times she did this, it never got old. Welcoming a new student — someone stepping onto this path for the first time, filled with uncertainty, hope, and a thousand questions — was one of the greatest privileges of being a Jedi. Every arrival carried its own story, its own weight, its own potential. And today?

Today, it was Ahduna Wod .

Valery had read the reports, of course. She knew a little of the young woman's background, her abilities, the life she had lived before choosing to walk through these doors. But reading about someone and meeting them in person were two very different things. And as she stood there, arms loosely crossed, waiting for the ship to descend, she couldn't help but wonder—

What would Ahduna see when she stepped foot into this new life? Would she find comfort in the halls of the Jedi? Would she embrace the training, the structure, the teachings? Or would the path ahead feel as uncertain as the stars beyond?

No matter the answer, Valery knew one thing for certain—

She wasn't going to let her walk this path alone.

Ahduna Wod ​

 

[Ahduna Wod]

As the small freighter begins to pull into the Coruscant Temples airspace, Ahduna would swear up and down that they aren't at all nervous. Even if they were, they reason to themself, it would be understandable to experience. Understandable and expected. Even though this was rather more a 'home coming' than a new destination, the relocation still required the padawan to pack up the little they owned to head somewhere they haven't seen in years.

The anxiety they definitely weren't feeling couldn't be mistaken for dread, though. The underlying excitement felt like static under their skin, but with that anticipation came the not-nervousness. A stone in their gut that felt jostled with every rumble of the ship, and Ahduna's attention is torn between the heaviness and the slightly overstimulating rumbles their montrals pick up from the vehicle. Ships were always too loud for the togruta, echoingly loud to the point of feeling it in their skull. Necessary evils, but evil nonetheless.

Shaking off the thought at the familiar swooping of a landing, Ahduna slings on their bag and waits for the gangway to drop. With the hissing of the unlocking mechanisms comes a rush of air, a smell that has the teen flitching. It's a bit heavier than what they were used to, the smell of a heavily populated city and all that comes with it, but it wasn't as bad as they expected it to be. The gangway clinks against the platform, prompting a deep, steadying breath, before Ahduna steps off.

It's bright enough that the reflections off the soft stone of the temple almost distracts them from the figure standing at its steps. They squint, trying to place the face from a distance, but their years away have made them unfamiliar with people on sight. After they give a quiet 'thank you' to the pilot and begin to make their way closer, confusion morphs to an alarm they quickly attempt to shove away into the force and out of their own head, because one doesn't need to be familiar to recognize Valery Noble. Kark. Chit.

Ahduna will admit, that not-nervousness has erupted into something a bit closer to Nervous. Just a little.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: | Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery watched as the freighter descended, the hum of its engines blending into the constant noise of Coruscant's skyline. As the landing struts hissed against the platform, she caught sight of movement — Ahduna, stepping onto the gangway, their posture steady, but something in their presence shifting.

Nerves.

It wasn't unusual. A new home, a new path, the weight of uncertainty pressing against expectation — it was a lot for anyone. And now, stepping off that ship, they were walking right toward her. She could feel the moment of recognition. The way their steps faltered, the way the realization settled in.

The corner of her lips twitched upward, amused but warm. She let them have that moment, let them process, before she finally moved to meet them halfway.

"Welcome to the Temple," Valery said, her voice steady, carrying the kind of warmth meant to put people at ease. Up close, her fiery gaze softened, taking in the young Togruta with quiet interest. She had read about them, but meeting someone in the Force — feeling them — was always different.

She clasped her hands loosely behind her back and tilted her head slightly. "I hope the journey wasn't too rough?" There was an easy humor in her tone, but a genuine question behind it. The first steps into a new life were never easy, and she wanted to make sure they weren't walking into it alone.

Ahduna Wod ​

 

[Ahduna Wod]

Nerves, Ahduna finally admits to themself, many nerves. Too many probably. This is fine.

They don't let up very much as they're met, even less when they are spoken too. Ahduna has grown used to speaking through uncomfortable situations though- but the grace in which they do is never the best, something they are very much aware of.

"I am glad to be here, Grandmaster," Their bow is stiff, but the overall tension in their shoulders lessens at the soft amusement the woman seems to hold. That was all it took for their natural prickles to slip into the conversation, just a bit. "And it was loud. As usual. It's a bit hard to meditate when you feel the same cable rattling in the walls the whole trip." Despite the slight bite of the words, they feel rather bright and unbothered, warm at the thoughtful question.

All things considered, they wouldn't even think of that as too insolent to say either. They're never the best judge though.

As they speak, Ahduna studies the Grandmaster with curiosity, holding back an instinctual prod with the force that definitely would be pushing limits best left untested. They've grown out of doing such things without thought, though the temptation is still there.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: | Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery's smirk deepened just slightly at Ahduna's response, the sharp edges of their words not lost on her. Not quite insolent — just honest, with a bit of a bite. She could work with that.

"Ship engines aren't exactly known for their peaceful hums," she mused, the warmth in her voice making it clear she wasn't offended in the slightest. If anything, their frankness amused her. "Next time, I'll see if I can arrange for something a little less rattly. No guarantees, though."

With that, she turned smoothly, motioning for them to follow as she began leading them into the Temple's halls. The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted — the hum of Coruscant's endless traffic dulled, replaced by something quieter, more stable. There was a certain weight to the air here, not heavy, but grounding. The kind of stillness that only a place deeply rooted in the Force could carry.

As they walked, Valery clasped her hands loosely behind her back, casting a glance toward them. "I suppose I should introduce myself properly," she said, her voice lighter now. "Master Valery Noble. And you?" A knowing glint flickered in her fiery gaze — she already knew, of course. But hearing them say it mattered. It was their first step into this place, into this path.

And Valery wanted them to take it on their own terms.

Ahduna Wod ​