Private A Sister's Love, A Sister's Rage

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Coruscant. A city world of legend. Towering skyscrappers. Screens of rainbow lights and gleaming silver. A melting pot of many species and races, all brought together under the safety of Jedi protection and democratic progress.

"I hate cities."

Standing below the shadow of the Jedi temple, a blonde near-human scoffed as she looked down at the metallic platform she walked upon.

"Where's the plants!"

With a scowl, the young shaman continued walking down the bustling side street. A large pack slung over her shoulder, she haplessly looked around the hostile, durasteel jungle. She had thought Kestri felt alien and hostile...

Coruscant was an industrial hellscape.

Shaking her head, she paused. Alone and forsaken, she stood in silence as she looked around, hoping to spot a hotel... or something. She was aimless and lost, forlorn and outcast. She was a traitor to her own people, and she was suffering for it.

"Haar'chak..."

She turned and walked towards the benches beneath the Jedi temple. The voices, all screaming at her betrayel, echoed in her mind. They called her traitor. They called her dar'manda. But even being branded dar'manda was nothing compared to the words her younger sister had hurled at her. Such venom, such resentment, and... she completely understood it.

When had Elise become such a rotten, good for nothing elder sister?

She still did not know.

She sat down, tears clouding her vision. The Mandalorian hugged the pack's sling as she sunk into such a small shape.

"Haar'chak."

She lowered her head. She had always known that regardless of what choice she made, she would regret it. But it still stung. And she still believed she deserved every ounce of pain she was feeling. It would have been too easy, if Mevia indeed would have killed her. But she somehow spared the older sister she despised, and now she was left alone. Her father was dead, her mother was with the Enclave, her sister hated her, her aunt was dead, and her grandfather was the leader of the faction of vod she had raised her weapons against. She was alone. A cruelly cunning, deep cutting punishment her sister had given her.

"Haar'chak!"

She looked up to the Coruscant sky. It was so polluted by city lights, the stars were not visible in the slightest. It made the Novanian's heart sink. She had been told by the Shamans of Archais, and by the Novanian Ancients Themselves, that she was not alone. But oh, she had never been so alone in her life.

"Auntie Shai, you lucky chakaar." She laughed bitterly, "You took the easy way out. I don't deserve that much..."

Beneath the shadow of the strange Jedi Order, she cried in self pity.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

"Is everything okay?"

Valery's voice had almost appeared from thin air, but the former Jedi Shadow had always been a little quiet. She looked at the woman she had felt through the Force, and tilted her head curiously. There was something familiar about her, but she couldn't quite seem to place it for some reason. Had they met before? Or perhaps she just looked similar to someone she knew? Either way, that wasn't what stood out to her the most.

It was the kind of pain she felt inside of her.

The pain of loss was all too familiar to Valery, who had lost Padawans and even believed her husband to be dead for years. Nothing hurt more than that, and if she could help a stranger get through it a little, she would.

"Is there something I can do to help?"

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Sensing the ripple of a powerful Force Signature, Elise looked up to see... someone peculiar.

Her brown hair, signature purple and black clothes, and the lightsaber at her hip. She recognized it from the holoweb, newsfeeds, and even her late aunt speaking of her occasionally. Elise blinked her tears away with a face filled with awe. The red eyed mud-hybrid spoke in a tone that was slowed, dreamlike. "Valery Noble?..."

She blinked several times, processing this presence of a Jedi Legend just being plopped in front of her. And she sounded concerned for her, strangely. After all, she just asked if she was alright. Elise had heard mostly bad things about the Jedi growing up, from her mother. But their faults had far more to do with a pacifist and nosy culture; as opposed to being warmongers and terrorists like the Sith were. Jedi weren't bad, they just were decent people who were wrong. But the irony was... what did that matter now? Elise had not joined the Galactic Alliance, but she had fought to protect one of their own worlds now. Now, they were on the same side.

It made Elise crack a strangely amused smile, as if everything was one big, lousy joke.

Elise looked away, sniffling. Her mind whirled in contemplation. She blinked slowly as she gazed into the durasteel city beyond. In this technological dystopia, she frowned bitterly.

"I doubt a Jetii would understand."

But even as she said that, her shamatic upbringing was kicking in. What had brought Valery Noble here? The Jedi would say that The Force worked in mysterious ways, and that nothing was by accident. Elise knew that she was guided by the Force, but also by her Ancients of Archais. By chance, did they set this up?

She sighed; relenting and opening up some more.

"I am an aruetyc vod, a traitorous comrade. My dar'yaim, my family's home, is at war. And I felt the need to stop it. I always trained to be a cabur, a guardian, a protector. And to be a baar'ur, a healer."

Her eyes widened as she looked up, she motioned towards a vague, direction unseen. Perhaps a memory. "And yet, everything I have tried to be. Everything I have done. I only feel relentless shame. Ni ceta. I was forced to make a choice, and either path would end in regret. I chose, so here I stand."

There was so much more trapped behind her red eyes, glistening with emotion and chaos. But she kept it well contained, albeit not locked down. She was not about to tell her life story to some Jedi. Not yet. But she was able to give away enough detail to give her a clue. Maybe she could help her. Or maybe the Jedi were as bad as she kept hearing they were. Who knew? Who cared? Elise was too indifferent towards that Order, even if she needed someone to talk to.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Elise Ahana-Gwyneira

"I think I might understand it better than you think." Of all Jedi, there were few with bonds to the Mandalorians the way Valery had. Many had become friends, others had grown to respect her. Some were even like family, even if the strongest of those bonds had now been severed. In fact, she was quite certain that her reputation to the Mandalorian people had changed completely after Shai's death.

But she'd still understand.

"It takes a lot of strength to look at your family, and decide that what they're doing is wrong to you. Even worse, trying to actively stop them." Valery looked at Elise and noticed the guilt and shame in her eyes. But to the Jedi Master, she was a lot stronger than she was likely giving herself credit for.

"This war is forcing a lot of people to make choices they would rather not make, but it's important to stand up for who you are. I know there are no words that will ease the pain of losing people you considered family, but to me, there is a lot of strength in the decision you made for yourself."

"And there are a lot of people who will accept and help you for it."

 

[Elise Ahana-Gwyneira]

Yes, Elise had reason to turn her back on the Enclave. Good reason. But it made her heart heavy understanding what it forced her to do. Valery's words were sympathetic, with attempts to be assuring. The notion of strength was quite similar to what the Ancients told her. To be strong, because she was not alone. Elise huffed at that though; the feeling was fickle. She looked away, blinking as more tears fell.

"Back at home, I have my shamanic mentor's support. But they have taken no part in this war. It's... difficult, being called a traitor as you fire your weapons at another's buy'ce. Mandalorians have always been a divided people, but kark it all, I fought my little sister!"

Elise brought her hand up to her mouth, eyes widening as she looked back, "And how much of a terrible sister was I to her? I never realized how jealous she was of me, or that she thought I was better off than her. It's so much worse than just being branded dar'manda, because I remember the day my father brought her into the family..."

She closed her eyes and clenched her fist, hissing. "My family! My grandfather is the War Master of the Enclave, and even my auntie and mother couldn't get him to come to his senses! And now my aunt is dead, just like my father! And my mother is alone again, because her brat of an eldest child decided that reclaiming a couple former Enclave planets was a bad idea!"

She looked up to Valery, her expression clearly marking her as her mother's child in appearance. She looked just like Gwyneira Vizsla . "I suppose I'm strong, I guess! But not strong enough to take this! All I ever wanted to do was the right thing, but kark it all I must be in the wrong! I'm sure a Jetii wouldn't get it, maybe you do! Or maybe I'm just going insane, so casually talking to you about it. I don't know anymore. All I know is that my life is gone. Maybe Mev should actually deliver a killing blow next time, or maybe I deserve to live and suffer for what I've done in the name is saving lives..."

Valery Noble