Private Battle along the Border

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

Somewhere along the eastern Maw border near Volik...

"Stay in formation until we make contact," Valery called out over her X-wing's comms as she took point and began leading the group of fighters towards their target. For weeks now, she had been at the front, hitting Maw raiding parties looking to gather supplies by hitting nearby worlds or intercepting freighters and other convoys. Now, the SIA had finally been able to trace the enemy's path, and located a small space station along the border they used as a starting point for their raids. It's supposedly where supplies were dropped off, and where they were able to reload and refuel.

A crucial point in the chain that saw many worlds and ships devastated.

"Jand, stay with me when we split. We'll cover our bombers against their ships for the first wave, then break off to lead the boarding action." The station could easily be destroyed with the task force they had brought together for this attack, but too many valuable items were stored inside, many of which belonged to the Alliance or less developed planets that could barely go without. So their attempt would be first to secure it and only if it proved impossible, were they authorized to blow the station apart.

Several bomber formations soon appeared, and all of them moved towards the Maw cruisers protecting the station. Valery and her group of fighters were positioned to escort them because, on their scanners, the first wave of Maw interceptors was already coming. Faster ships with less firepower than their usual fighters, but they were no easy targets to destroy. "All ships, shift to attack configurations."

With that command, the battle began.

 

[Jand Talo]

The Maw station was a steadily growing facility seen through the cockpit viewport of Jand's vessel, a Jedi Interceptor. In formation, the nimble craft flew amongst a squadron of other starfighters, being led by Jedi Master Noble. There had been intel gathered about station, the data had revealed the importance of the need for reclamation, and the mission was set to begin at a moments notice - such as when the Maw station recognized the threat.

Master Noble's voice came through the comlink, as Jand checked sensors and watched the space ahead with a gray-eyed stare. Confirmations were sent to maintain flying positions, including the Nagai's own, before another message was received with further orders:

"Understood, Master Noble," Jand replied, as he toggled the screen for interfacing with his droid, R0-D2. "I will follow your lead."

On the screen, Jand began to activate several sub-systems and routines, which allowed the astromech a finer interface with the starfighter. Despite his aptitude for engineering, the young Nagai wasn't a fighter ace, and had programmed Deetoo with some protocols to assist with flight combat. It wasn't perfect, but it helped, and right now Jand planned to get through the dogfight as he could... and if that meant he used some technology to supplement, then so be it.

Across the squadron, Master Noble's warning was heard.

Deetoo warbled, as the droid engaged dogfighting programming, and the starfighter became more responsive in Jand's control. Through the cockpit, the Nagai watched the approaching Maw interceptors, and began calculating angles and maneuvers that might be needed, to avoid being caught in the initial engagement from multiple craft.

Jand toggled his weapon systems.

"Ready to engage. On your six, Master Noble."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

"Ready to engage. On your six, Master Noble."

A faint grin touched Valery's lips when all her pilots reported in to be standing by. She then flicked a switch to lock her X-wing's s-foils in attack position, booted up her tactical computer, and rolled her shoulders to ready herself for the battle. A swarm of enemy fighters was already moving to intercept both them and their squadron of bombers, but she was going to make sure they would be stopped.

"Moving in to engage," Valery said before she finally separated from the group, and other fighters began to spread so they didn't form a large and easy target for the enemy to hit. Her computer targeted one of the Maw fighters and with a quick barrage, she blew it apart before it could ever hope to return fire. She then pulled her ship into a tight maneuver to end up behind another and opened fire to try and get her second kill.

But as she did, another Maw fighter, the wingmen of the one Valery was after, tried to get behind the Jedi Master to cover his ally. Valery picked up on it and quickly opened comms.

"Got one on my six, Jand - get him," she said and with that request, she knew it would be taken care of. Her shields absorbed a few bolts that did manage to be fired, but her focus was on the fighter in front of her. With both the Force and her instruments guiding her, she opened fire once more and destroyed the enemy ship.

 

[Jand Talo]

The Maw fighters got within range, and the space between lit up.

Laser cannon bolts tore through the area, starfighters rolled, shields flashed, it was a tense dogfight opening. Throughout, Jand twisted and juked, as he kept his speed up and his fingers nimble, his goal to take shots at the enemy fighters that he could while keeping on the Jedi Master's flank. As Jand flew, he noted some small shifts to his controls as he held them, as Deetoo provided minute feedback and adjustments, to capitalize on positioning or aiming.

The results were immediately beneficial, as Jand blasted a passing Maw fighter, punching through the ship and causing it to tumble away ablaze.

Then Master Noble called a fighter on her six.

"Understood."

Jand peeled out and barrel rolled, before he slid in behind the flanking enemy. He pulled the triggers on his flight sticks, bombarding the unsuspecting Maw pilot from behind, with a hail of red cannon fire. The starfighter hull collapsed, as a fireball started and expanded, to explode the vessel into pieces of space debris.

"You are clear, Master Noble."

The benefit of being a wingman was that it was Jand's responsibility, primarily, to watch the Jedi Master's back. That meant her X-wing took the brunt of the engagements, and his Interceptor was in position for anyone that got by. That was a good thing, as Jand wasn't as skilled a pilot as the other, and he doubted his chances if he were to lead into the space skirmish. As such, Jand remained focused on covering Master Noble, keeping tight on her six, and firing as opportunity allowed...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

Within a few seconds after calling out the enemy on her six, Jand rolled behind the Maw fighter and blew it apart. Meanwhile, she had her original target covered and with both of them destroyed, it was time to move on to new targets. Her scanners worked hard and fast alongside her use of the Force, but it was ultimately her Keshian eyes that allowed her to easily see through the darkness of space, and track the heat signature of a group of Maw bombers.

They were heading straight for the Alliance carrier with a few escorts, and if allowed to continue, they were capable of dealing an immense amount of damage to the capital ships.

<C> "Jand, you're faster than I am in your interceptor. Can you pressure those bombers with our other interceptors?" she asked, knowing that it put him at the front, but she trusted him to be able to handle it. "I'll be right behind to cover you against their fighters, but we need to neutralize those bombers."

Whether he agreed or not, she brought her X-wing around and headed straight for the bomber formation. She'd be able to intercept it before they reached the Alliance fleet as well, but the sooner they got to them, the better. The interceptors were the ideal ships to handle the threat.

 

[Jand Talo]

The flying formation between the pair worked well, as their opposition were systematically destroyed in unison.

The Jedi Master's call was heard through the communicator, as Jand was asked to apply pressure to approaching bombers, alongside the Interceptor ranks. On the flight console, Jand's scanner panel beeped, as data was presented from the appearance of bombers in sensor range. It proved Master Noble's combat awareness, as she was onto the danger quicker than most. Still, there was hesitation, as Jand opened his mouth to reply.

<<"I--">>

It wasn't fear. Jand feared only one thing. It was uncertainty at his ability to perform to the standard Master Noble might expect, and Jand didn't want to let her down. But, in not trying, he suspected that would be a bigger letdown.

<<"I am on it, Master Noble. Joining with the Interceptor flight now.">>

Jand's starfighter launched forward, as the Nagai put the throttle to full. Inside the relative quiet of the cockpit, Jand spoke through the interior systems, and got Deetoo's attention:

"I will require assistance for this," Jand said simply, as his gray eyes focused on the distant - but closing - bombers, as he pulled in with the other Interceptors. "I do not doubt Master Noble's cover of my back, but I am apprehensive of my dogfighting. It may be time to activate stronger co-pilot protocols..."

The R0 astromech beeped an affirmative, as the starfighter systems began to flick and alter. Within moments, the droid housed in the front assembly had finer control, which brought some relief to Jand, as he could now focus on doing his best - but knowing Deetoo would account for miscalculations or pilot error.

Then the Interceptors were on the Maw bombers.

<<"Strafing them now,">> Jand said through the comm, as he turned into a barrel roll and started an inverted dive on the enemy formation. They had spread out, to avoid being caught in a neat line, which meant care had to be used to avoid crossfire on approach. <<"Firing.">>

Jand's white-emblazoned fighter shot red blaster cannon bolts, as he continued to rotate and juke through the on-coming return fire. The shields of the Jedi Interceptor flashed blue, as several bolts grazed over the craft, but Jand's instinct to angle out was overridden by Deetoo, who kept the controls fixed and began to shunt and shift with deft movements in Jand's hand - and as one of the bombers Jand had been firing at exploded, the small Interceptor roared though the explosive cloud and out the other side.

Deetoo beeped and warbled.

"Yes, I understand now," Jand said as he checked his scanners and rounded for a flanking position. "We would have taken more fire crossing the paths of more bombers... it was a good decision."

From above, Jand caught sight of Maw subnose fighters coming in hot, to cover the bombers. He activated the comm and spoke to friendly forces:

<<"Enemy fighter squadron coming in from Z-vector.">>

Trusting in Master Noble and the other starfighters, Jand focused on another bomber and began to speed toward the craft...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

Valery knew she had given him a difficult task.

While she wasn't exactly sure how capable he was in space combat just yet, his record hadn't shown that he had much experience. But this wasn't meant to be a test or opportunity to learn and grow — she sent him because it was necessary to protect their allies, and that's also why she believed he would succeed, despite any doubts he might have. So from the cockpit of her X-wing, Valery watched him race ahead with other interceptors to engage the enemy.

The risk they took luckily paid off, and with some clever maneuvering and cooperation between Jand and his droid, several bombers were swiftly taken out. But they hadn't made their approach without cover either. Enemy fighters responded almost immediately and blew apart a few interceptors who were caught off-guard. Soon enough, Jand became a target as well.

<<"Enemy fighter squadron coming in from Z-vector.">>​

<Copy that,> Valery chimed in almost immediately, as she caught up to the battle and fired a target-seeking cluster missile towards the incoming squadron of enemy fighters. When it was close enough, it spread into six smaller missiles and spread out to neutralize almost half of the squadron. Her cannons then lit up the black vacuum and Jand would have his cover.

<Take out the remaining bombers, then rendezvous to board the enemy lead vessel."

 

[Jand Talo]

There was relief when Master Noble confirmed the call about the approaching fighters.

For his part, Jand continued to move through the bomber formation, as he worked in tandem with the other Alliance interceptors. At one point, the Nagai was - literally - saved from a collision with a friendly starfighter, as Deetoo jerked the controls to one side and avoided a crossed flight path. Given Jand's inexperience in dogfighting, he accepted the droid's direct control, and put the circumstances to mind to try to avoid doing the same in the future.

<<"Understood, Master Noble,">> Jand replied to the Jedi Master. <<"The bomber numbers are now almost gone.">>

Despite the calm, Jand's mind was still on the near miss; no one wanted to have a crash with friendlies in a space battle, after all.

<<"Another bomber down,">> Reported one of the interceptor pilots. <<"Five remaining, let's space them quickly.">>

Jand's fighter did a wide loop as he prepared to come about for another approach. Ahead, the bombers were getting destroyed one by one, as the more experienced Alliance pilots went to task. Yet, it seemed the distance to bomber target had reached firing range, as one bomber fired a torpedo - the projectile flared blue and began to streak through the black of space, toward the carrier.

"Can we reach it?" Jand instinctively put throttle to full, as he changed course and angled for an intercept point. "Can we destroy the torpedo?"

Deetoo beeped and warbled, as he confirmed yes.

It would just be tricky.

"Very well," Jand muttered, as he watched the console light up with a proposed interception flight line, as the droid did calculations. "Going on that vector now."

The Jedi Interceptor lurched forward, Jand felt the inertial compensators push him into the pilot seat, and he trusted the droid to know what needed doing. From the right, the Nagai could see the blue projectile getting closer and closer, before Deetoo beeped loudly, and firing controls switched to ion cannons--

"Firing now!"

--and with fingers on the triggers, blue ion blasts tore through the space in front of the starfighter. Jand felt some jittering of the sticks, some adjustments, and then the torpedo passed through the hail of ion fire, as it began to crackle and sizzle. Deetoo warbled, and Jand turned left, sliding in behind the deadly explosive, and with a quick switch back to laser cannons the starfighter opened up fire with red bolts.

Ahead, the shorted out torpedo exploded.

Confirmation of the bomber squadron being destroyed also followed.

<<"Rejoining you now, Master Noble,">> Jand said through the comlink, as he gripped the flight sticks and felt sweat on his brow. His breathing was heavier. Before him, the Alliance carrier was safe. <<"Ready to rendezvous to board the enemy lead vessel on your lead.">>

Jand turned the Interceptor and burned throttle to regroup with the Jedi Master's X-Wing...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

Much of her focus was on the dogfight with the enemy fighters, but what the interceptors were doing didn't entirely escape her either. Her combat awareness and experience allowed her to keep an overarching perspective on the battle, and especially when comms went out about the status of the Maw bomber squadron, she knew they were going to succeed. Jand with his droid, as well as a squadron of experience interceptors had reduced their numbers to where they posed no threat.

But despite it, a torpedo was still fired off toward the Alliance fleet.

Valery gritted her teeth and spun around while her powerful cannons ripped apart the last of the Maw fighter escorts, but there was nothing she could do to stop the torpedo. She was too far away, and even if she managed to catch up to it with all power to her engines, she wouldn't have the weapon power to stop it. So in a last attempt to stop the torpedo, she opened her comms to try and reach the interceptors, only to halt that action when she watched Jand's ship accelerate after it.

She watched from the edge of her seat alongside the other pilots and held her breath when Jand opened fire. The single torpedo would never destroy the whole task force, but every life they could protect was worth all their effort. So when it exploded a safe distance away from its target, Valery grinned and remained quiet as some loud cheering drowned out the communications channels. The work, however, wasn't quite done yet. All pilots focused again, and Valery would take point to start heading for the lead vessel.

"We've got it disabled and troops have already engaged in their hangar bays. We're going to help them push through," Valery told Jand before she gave him the chance to catch up. Once formations were established again, she pushed forward and brought her X-wing down in the enemy hangar, which had largely been secured. Enemy soldiers were holding back the Alliance troops near the blast doors leading deeper into the ship, but with Jedi assistance, Valery felt confident they could push through. "Alright, let's cover the troops and lead at the front." Valery hopped out of the cockpit after touching down, drew her weapon, and moved towards the current front line.

 

[Jand Talo]

The cheers and words of encouragement made Jand smile.

Typically the Nagai wasn't too concerned with what others thought of him, it was easier to maintain his perspective on personal honor that way, though he couldn't deny that the support for the action had been pleasant. Of course, Jand knew that a single torpedo likely wouldn't have destroyed much, but it might have done something - perhaps hull or system damage - and was worth the effort. Not to mention it had been Jand exercising his will over his perception of his lacking piloting skills.

In some ways it had been an outcome two-fold.

Deetoo warbled a remark, which Jand scoffed at, before the Jedi Interceptor circled and flew to rejoin Master Noble. Along the way, communication came through, which told of the battle that had started in the Maw vessel, in the hangar bay. The Jedi would reinforce the position and join the Alliance troops that were leading the way at present.

<<"As you command, Master Noble,">> Jand replied, as he followed the X-Wing and landed nearby the Jedi Master, once the bay shields were passed through. Deetoo assisted with a smooth landing. "Stay with the ship, Deetoo."

The canopy opened, Jand unstrapped and jumped from his seat, to land on the ground with a soft thud of boots. Ahead, the Alliance were pushing forces toward blast doors that allowed access deeper into the interior of the ship. They were held in place by enemy soldiers. From across the way, Jand heard the plan, as the Jedi Master exited her own starfighter, and nodded.

Jand pulled his own lightsaber from his belt.

It might have been the first time Master Noble had seen it, at least up close, though the design principals of her own weapons were evident as the Nagai clearly took inspiration from their adventure on Pergitor. There had been some other technical additions, of course, but the emitter looked familiar.

"I am ready."

Jand activated the blue-blade, as it burst to life with a snap-hiss, before the Padawan reached down and adjusted the focusing lens to the Kunda configuration. And without another word needed, the Nagai began to run beside the Jedi Master, understanding what was required and how to get it done - Jand had never really needed much guidance when combat was concerned.

"Reinforcements have arrived," Jand called, as he reached the rear of the Alliance soldiers. The lean Padawan performed a leap through the air above the troopers' collective heads, to land at the front of their combat line. He started to deflect blaster bolts as he said. "Master Noble and I will get you inside that blast door - we move forward!"

Then, with well-practiced and honed defensive stances and positions, Jand began to deflect larger concentrations of blaster-fire. It was entirely likely the Maw soldiers had seen the lightsaber and concentrated some degree of fire toward the threats; but with the help of his natural speed and reflexes, the Nagai weaved and blocked and redirected with silent determination...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

The second Valery jumped out of her cockpit and drew the hilt of her double-bladed weapon into her hand, she was immensely focused on the battle ahead already. But even so, the design of his lightsaber didn't escape her, and briefly got her to smile. It faded in favor of a more neutral focus when they drew closer, though, and much like Jand, she jumped over the most forward line of Alliance troops, allowing her to use the wide span of her two blades to provide a lot of cover for those behind her.

The soldiers immediately made use of that and the protection Jand offered, and began to move up along with the Jedi. The Mawites, despite opening fire with everything they had, could not break through with the limited numbers they currently had defending this hangar. Their instincts forbade it, but they were forced to slowly fall back down the large hallways. There wasn't even time for them to close the blast doors either, as Valery made sure they'd push through before they got that opportunity.

"They're trying to regroup," Valery told Jand, who she knew already caught on to that as well.

But it still wasn't their first concern — within the hallway they entered, a set of turrets shifted down from the ceiling and began opening fire. Because of their angle from above, it was much harder to cover the soldiers behind them, and the bolts these turrets fired were far heavier than the ordinary blaster rifle or pistol.

"Spread out and find cover!" Valery commanded, and even though she held no military rank, the soldiers listened and halted their approach to prevent more of them from falling to enemy fire. "We need to take out those turrets, and fast."

 

[Jand Talo]

Progress was made, as the Jedi provided a blade barrier for the assaulting troops.

Jand focused on catching every bolt fired by the Mawites, even if the deflection or parry wasn't pretty. The goal for the Nagai was to stop every projectile from flying past him, as his body and lightsaber worked in perfect unison, the blade sparking and crackling with impacts. When Master Noble called about the Maw regrouping, Jand nodded, but otherwise remained on task. Given the narrow spacing in the corridor, the advantage would likely become theirs soon enough, as the Jedi could stand - essentially - shoulder to shoulder.

Until turrets descended from the ceiling bulkhead.

The Jedi Master called for spread and cover, as the much larger and more energized bolts began to fire from above. Jand gritted his teeth as he caught the first large turret bolt, as his blade thrummed loudly and let out a crack of discharge, before a literal cloud of sparks surrounded the Nagai for a split second. Jand recovered from being knocked back several feet, as the turrets continued to fire in slow, deadly rhythm.

"Yes, deflecting these bolts is not viable," Jand responded to Master Noble, as he considered options. "I will handle the left turret."

The ceiling emplacements were not the only danger, however. The Mawites also continued to fire blaster bolts down the corridor. Jand intercepted two lasers with his lightsaber, redirecting them back toward the leftmost turret, but the heavier plating remained unphased. That decided the Nagai's next course of action, as he lowered his guard momentarily; and then remained focused on the turret, as several blaster bolts impacted against Jand, sizzling and burning his robes.

The energy was absorbed.

Another bolt caught his arm, before it fizzled out.

"I am ready."

Through the use of Tutaminis, the reservoir of Force energy within Jand had reached a point he required, as he effectively supercharged his ability with telekinesis. The former was one of Jand's few natural abilities, one he seemed aptly suited to use, even if doing so could skirt the edge of dangerous - but, Master Vanagor's lessons had been effective. The Padawan reached out a hand and curled his fingers, as the turret down the corridor began to twitch and spark, before it was crushed and folded into itself; and a final pull of the Force and the metal remains were torn free and dropped to the ground.

"Turret destroyed," Jand called, as he brought his lightsaber back to deflect Mawite blaster bolts. He had scorch marks over his robes from the bolt impacts, but had been cautious in his use of Tutaminis, and avoided injury by knowing his limit. "I suggest we charge the position, Master Noble."

Jand was ready, if the word was given...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

While she caught a glimpse of what Jand was doing to destroy one of the turrets, Valery was mostly focused on the other one. She trusted that he'd handle his, so she sprinted out into the open and jumped straight for her target, which turned and opened fire at her. But rather than the bolts impacting the Jedi Master, Valery tapped into her old Shadow skills and phased through the plasma bolts.

By the time the turret was ready to fire again, she was already within striking distance and lashed out with her lightsaber, which had no problem cutting through the turret. With a bit of sputtering and some sparks, it died. Meanwhile, Jand had the other turret covered, thereby securing the hallway for the Alliance soldiers and Jedi to advance.

"Now that's a suggestion I like to hear," Valery told him with her fiery grin when they joined up again. With a quick nod, she gave him the signal to engage and charged forward, her speed augmented to overwhelm the Mawite defenders. They opened fire and tried to retreat and regroup, but there was no stopping the Jedi now — they could never apply enough pressure to hold them back.

"Keep moving! We've got them scattering!"

 

[Jand Talo]

Jand caught sight of the Jedi Master, as she rushed toward the turret, seeming to phase through the bolts.

The Padawan blinked, as he swatted at another Mawite blaster bolt, before he watched the display of skill. The result was a destroyed turret. It also brought to mind questions about what that had been, the Force skill, because Jand had felt the energy shift as Master Noble called on... whatever that was. Much like the other times the Jedi Master had been a closer mentor, Jand was perplexed and curious.

He wanted to know more; but the current fight wasn't the time, unfortunately.

"I am with you," Jand called as he sprinted down the corridor, to reach his ally ahead. The pair were reunited, as the Alliance soldiers charged in the Jedi's wake, and Jand saw the signal to engage. "We push forward."

Jand ran alongside Master Noble with his own physical enhancement, with a combination of his natural speed and some additional Force augmentation, though the Nagai's pace wasn't as quick as the other. It didn't matter too much, as before moments had passed, Jand was amid the Mawite troopers. He twisted the focusing lens, activating the dragite setting, and the blue blade hummed with increased power.

Without hesitation, Jand began to leap and slide and strike his way through the enemy, as he cut a swath of deadly slashes and thrusts.

"We almost have them routed," Jand called over the cacophony of lightsabers, blaster bolts, shouts and battle cries. "When we dispatch these ranks, where would you have us focus, Master Noble?"

Jand ducked, as his peripheral caught site of a Mawite firing at him, and reached out to Force push the trooper against the wall with a crunch...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

The Maw defensive lines had been broken.

At this point, they were no longer coordinated or making an effort to stop the Jedi and the Alliance soldiers. They were merely trying to survive and figure out what was even hitting them. But nothing they did made a difference — the Jedi were too fast and maintained pressure on them constantly. But right as they were about to break completely, Valery felt a tremor in the Force that answered Jand's question.

"We focus on the Sith," Valery said, having picked up on a pair of corrupted presences — a Sith Lord who was likely in command of the station, as well as his apprentice. They entered the hallway with crimson blades drawn and faces hidden beneath their hoods. Their armor was covered by black robes and all the Jedi could see were their corrupted, yellow eyes staring them down from afar The Maw soldiers scattered to try and get behind them, and slowly, the two Sith began their approach.

"We take them together," Valery said without any hesitation or doubt in her voice. She wasn't one to ever underestimate her opponents, and she'd take this fight seriously, but she was confident they could take them down.

Not wanting to give them the initiative, she exploded towards them with her weapon drawn ready to either guard herself or strike. This forced the Zabrak Sith lord to remove his robes and draw his blade, which she lashed out against in an attempt to draw out his guard. Valery also knew the Apprentice would be quick to respond, but she hoped her sudden attack gave Jand an opportunity to engage as well.

 

[Jand Talo]

Throughout the skirmish, Jand aimed to keep pace and position with the Jedi Master.

It was important to the Nagai to maintain a unified assault, to avoid flanking from the Mawites, and to support the other Jedi. Part of working with Master Noble, at least for Jand, was proving he wasn't only focused on one particular aspect of a battle; there was more to an engagement than killing the enemy, or pushing positions, there needed to be a general awareness that included forsaking opportunities in favor of a victorious outcome... and that included maintaining formation with a commanding superior.

Jand had witnessed a number of Padawans who lost focus of positional formation and structure, in favor of chasing down or engaging opponents. While it wasn't a big problem, per se, it did mean that some additional risk or uncertainty could start to creep into the confrontation; and over the many months, within the Jedi Order, Jand had sought to improve on support and awareness for his allies. There was no doubt Jand could fight one on one, and in his mind, there remained room to develop more encompassing battle experience across a variety of areas.

"We focus on the Sith."

The Padawan nodded, as he felt a similar tremor in the Force around the time Master Noble mentioned the presence of the Sith, what with his less precise awareness of the power they shared. Still, Jand saw it as good to have sensed the Sith, which was development for him. Ahead, the pair of opponents appeared, with crimson blades glowing and hoods that covered their features. The Mawites moved ever backward, though seemed intent on finding safety behind the Sith, which brought a dry scoff from the Nagai.

Master Noble gave the command, before she burst forward with speed.

"Yes, Master Noble."

Jand pushed off his back foot and sprinted in her wake, not as fast but quick enough to arrive moments after her. When Master Noble engaged the Zabrak, the likely master of the two given the stronger presence in the Force, Jand slipped around her and leaped up and over the nearby Apprentice. The other Sith - who had removed the robes also - was a younger looking human, perhaps several years Jand's senior, and taller and heavier. It didn't matter. The Nagai landed with dexterous grace, and watched as the Apprentice spun with a powerful two handed swing, turning full around to the Padawan at his back.

Jand caught the red blade with his blue blade, before he crouched and tilted his weapon. The change in angle kept the Apprentice's momentum, as his blade slid the length of Jand's own, but kept the defensive above the Nagai's head. With a twist of the body, Jand spun on one foot, as he swept the Apprentice's legs, which caused the human to trip and stumble to one side.

Without hesitation, Jand sprang forward and began to deliver a series of thrust strikes, as he pushed the momentary imbalance of his opponent...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Near Volik

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Jand Talo

Before the Apprentice could even think about targeting Valery, Jand had caught up and drawn his attention by jumping over the human. A clash followed that began to turn in the Nagai's favor, so Valery decided to keep her focus on the Zabrak for now. He was tall and strong, and clearly attempting to use that natural strength to his advantage with power-driven attacks. He wanted to apply pressure on Valery, and slowly break down her defenses.

But she wasn't going to play his game.

With the Force flowing through her body, she was much faster than the Sith and used this advantage to evade and reposition herself around him. She retaliated at each opportunity she saw, but her mind quickly shifted to a different approach. The two Sith were fighting as if they weren't together in the same room, treating this as individual duels they both had to win. But Valery saw no reason to play along and distanced herself from the Zabrak with a powerful jump back.

Believing he was forcing her on the defensive, the Zabrak followed as quickly as he could, thereby separating himself more from his apprentice. It was at this moment that Valery's hand extended, and rather than targeting the Sith Lord, she pulled back on the Apprentice's dominant leg, which off-balanced his entire stance and gave Jand the perfect opening to exploit. The Zabrak, however, did catch up to her, but she was fast enough and raised her double-bladed weapon to catch yet another strike. It was deflected aside, and their duel continued.

She hoped Jand was given a chance to defeat his opponent.