Private Confronting the Past

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil felt it to, but he didn't move from his spot, not until the attacks came. Then, and only then, did he spring up and pull his blaster out. Firing rapidly, randomly. Almost like he was in a panic. For good reason. The Sith had shown themselves. And the Sith tended to be easily fooled into thinking someone was helpless. They came forward, blades in hand, ready to kill the Jedi.

Then Kahlil pulled a different trigger.

The path blew up as more of those thermal charges ignited. Consuming the first wave, the Sith. He let out a sigh before leveling his blaster again. There were more. So much more. This was bad.

"We should retreat. Farther down. Force them to funnel in."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

All at once, an intense heat struck Valery's skin as the thermal detonators exploded together, killing the first wave of Imperials and Sith in the process. To feel so much life fade away instantly was always tough, and Valery just stood still for a moment as it all happened in front of her. But this is what war was really like.

"There are too many of them," Valery said, her voice cold again, devoid of the emotion and more fun tones it had only minutes earlier. She was looking out into the jungle as new figures appeared, and she locked eyes with the new wave of Sith.

"Kahlil, can you take the others and retreat back into the caves? Take the wounded and make sure they're as far back as possible?" she asked while she stepped forward with her blade drawn. A few other Jedi were with her as well, but she made it clear that they couldn't all retreat together.

"I'll hold them off for as long as I can."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil let out a sigh before stepping beside Valery Noble . Gun lifted, firing at a couple troopers that had charged forward before turning his gaze to the Jedi beside him. "Jedi are too eager to kill themselves to protect others. We can retreat together. Everyone. Come on." He wasn't going to let her stay back just to die. Especially since she was the only one that actually said she'd not arrest him.

"Or I drag you. Surely won't be flattering."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Well, now she was conflicted.

Part of her didn't like that he was ignoring her 'orders', but she also appreciated that he wasn't just going to run. As far as she knew, this wasn't even really his fight, but here he was, standing right beside her against a numerically superior enemy. It almost was enough to make a smile slip through the cracks of her serious demeanor.

"Fine, have it your way..." she muttered before she started to backtrack as well.

"Everybody, fall back!" another Jedi called out, and slowly the group began to retreat back into the caves. Some were killed during their attempts, but soon enough the majority of Jedi and soldiers were inside, waiting for the enemy to arrive through the more narrow entrance.

Imperial soldiers, under the command of more Sith, marched in and were met with incredible fire, and many of them fell quickly. But it would be obvious to everybody that they couldn't hold out forever, as one by one, the defenders began to fall as well.

"There is one other exit into the jungle, on the other side." Valery told the Zabrak master, "Have the wounded move back there and be ready to move. If we fall here... let's hope some can escape." She then turned to Kahlil, "You still with me at the front, or do you want to retreat with them into the jungle? Last chance to do so."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Like I said, no self sacrifices here." Kahlil flashed Valery Noble a grin. He stayed behind a nearby corner, peaking out to let loose some blasts towards soldiers he could get, only to duck back as more blaster fire was sent his way. "We'll survive. Probably. Should probably retreat to that lab though. Might be something inside that could help us. Especially if that is the Sith's goal."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Fine, he was determined it seemed. If he wanted to stay with the others, so be it. Valery was also starting to enjoy his company more and more, so she didn't mind.

"Alright, the two of us and a small group retreat to the lab, the rest hold down the alternative hallways. If you're overrun, get out and make sure wounded are readied to escape first." Valery looked around the survivors for a moment, offered them a final nod, and then gestured with her head for Kahlil to follow her.

"Come on, let's get moving!"

As quickly as she could, she stepped out of cover and raised her blade defensively, allowing Kahlil and any others to move without getting shot by the incoming Imperials. Only when they passed, she'd follow after them and stepped into the laboratory. For the most part, it almost seemed medical in nature — there were beds, medical tools, and the stasis pods were hooked up to large medical displays to monitor whoever was inside.

Right now though, they were all empty.

"Why would the Sith be so interested in a place like this?" Valery asked as she closed the large blast door and stood right in front of it, ready in case the enemy came to try and open it.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Real talk? Back ups." Kahlil stepped though the lab after Valery Noble , glancing to the machines. The notes, everything. Already he could think up a couple uses for a Sith here. The main one?

"Sith fear death. It's natural for the apprentice to kill the master, but the Master never wants to die. A struggle between training and teaching an apprentice to help them achieve their goals, all while watching out for the day they might be struck down. A lab like this? They could host new vessels for their soul if they were cut down. To survive and live on after death. That'd be my guess."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Back ups?

Valery frowned and quietly listened to him explain what this lab was likely being used for. It made the sound of incoming Sith and Imperials feel so much more distant — they were trying to blow their way through the two large blast doors, but the darkness of this lab shrouded everything for just a moment.

"You uh, you sure know a lot about Sith for a smuggler," Valery finally said, her eyes shifting to Kahlil and her voice quieter to make sure nobody was listening in. She then made her way over and stood in front of the doors as the first line of defense against the attackers who were going to break through soon enough.

"I'd ask more about it but I assume it's personal, and I have a feeling our time to talk might be somewhat limited."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"We can abridge it. Son of the Emperor, escaped to live a free life, so on and so forth." He lifted his blaster, casting Valery Noble a grin. "Don't worry, I hate Sith." Would that be comforting? Probably not. But if they were going to die here, he could at least give her the truth. Asides, maybe he could help keep them alive with a trick or two from his past. Actually.

"How long do you think you can hold this?"

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

The son of the Emperor? Valery blinked, slowly turned her head, and looked at him for a moment. After glancing him up and down once, she chuckled and met his grin with one of her own, "Can't say I was expecting that as an answer, but I'm not worried. Glad to have you on our side here,"

Hearing the rumbling from explosions and fighting grow louder, Valery looked back at the doors and she felt the imminent danger. They were going to breach through any moment now, and she had a feeling that this battle was going to be her last. It didn't scare her though — this was all part of being a Jedi.

"I can hold them back for a little while. You have an idea?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"So long as you overlook a bit of dark magic, yeah." Without his book, well. It was much harder to actually do anything. But.. He still remembered how to pull the Force, the chants, the runes needed. He holstered his blaster, pulling out a simple looking knife. It held no aura, but it was still obviously an alchemized weapon. A Sith Sword, of sorts. He didn't hesitate to slice his palm and start etching his blood on the floor.

"Just need a couple minutes.."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Dark Magic?

"Actually, I-" she paused, looked at him cutting himself, and blinked again. Why was this man bringing so many conflicting feelings up in here? But rather than going against it, she decided to just leave it be... perhaps it would allow some Jedi or soldiers to live today.

"Uh nevermind... do your thing." She said with a soft smile before she quickly added one last thing.

"Thank you, Kahlil."

Valery then took a deep breath and raised her lightsaber defensively. Her mind focused and all emotions, thoughts, and memories faded away in that instant. She was purely focused on the Force and allowed it to guide her as the enemy finally breached into the laboratory. Intense blaster fire followed, which she deflected in large amounts to provide her own soldiers with cover. But as the battle raged on, the first crimson blades ignited as well, and Valery was forced to jump into the chaos.

Kahlil was likely deeply focused on his magic, but Valery's fiery focus and pain echoed through the Force — Sith and Imperial soldiers fell at her blade, but she was losing the ability to keep it up quickly, forcing Kahlil to work fast if he wanted to succeed with his plans.

Then finally, after a few minutes of fighting, there was a single but massive explosion. Not one produced by conventional weapons, but one created by the Force itself — a repulse that destroyed anything and anybody around it. But with this wave of destruction that would hopefully buy Kahlil some time, the woman with fiery eyes hit the floor, covered in cuts, several blaster wounds, and without any energy left to move.

She was dying.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Alright." Kahlil finished his tracing, then lifted his hands. Lightning sparked between his fingers. Ow, was the first thought. It'd been too long and he could already feel his fingertips singe. Well, that'd be fine. Then he started to chant. High Sith no less, with practiced ease. Around him the bloody scrawling began to glow, levitate, pulse. They hovered around him, more and more rings slowly forming.

It took too long, in his opinion, to make the spell work. Too long as he saw Valery Noble fall. But none the less he finished it. And unleashed it. Dark fire spread quickly, consuming everything in it's path. The facility itself, really. He hoped the Jedi who remained left already. Then, sighed. Exhaustion hit hard as he half stumbled in a step. The threat was gone, for now. And ahead the path in crumbled. Crushed.

"There.." He chuckled before glancing to Valery. Watching her for a moment. Then nodded. Without a word he brought her to one of the capsules. They could heal her, probably. Keep her alive. He grimaced as he set her in. This was fine. He could keep it together. Kahlil reached out to press the button, only to watch his fingers turn to ash. Heh, figures. He shook his head and used what remained of his hand to hit the button.

"Not sure how long it's set for. So.. Sorry. But it'll heal you. .. Sleep well, Master Valery."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

With his finger pressing the button, lights activated on the panels around him, and the stasis pod began to control the woman's bio-signs, whilst bringing her down into a deep slumber. There, she would remain until the day she was recovered or whenever this piece of machinery would finally break down....

Back in the Present.

Slowly, Kahlil's eyes would open inside a dark and dusty room, right after the collapse of the ceiling and many of the surrounding walls. But this facility was built to last, and he had gotten through it all relatively well. The worst was likely the mild headache from having gone so deep into his wife's mind again.

The dyad allowing them to travel through memories took the bigger toll on Valery though, who was still passed out on top of the stasis pod she had stared into earlier. She was regaining consciousness but there was an underlying sadness to her. Not the kind to make her cry or overly emotional, but this whole place hadn't been good for her either.

Looking around, he'd also note that the woman he held earlier was gone — she likely woke up far quicker and went for an escape while she still had the chance.

"Kahlil...?" Valery asked, her voice a bit weak as her eyes opened and her body began to shift around a little on the pod.

"Are you okay?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil shot up the moment he was awake. The memory of the vision was fresh in his mind. His gaze immediately searched for Valery Noble . She was asleep, alive. Whole. He let out a breath of relief before glancing to his hand. All fingers still there. No turning to dust today. He half chuckled, at least until he heard the Master speak. "Yeah, I'm fine love. You okay?" He stood, walking over towards her, helping her to her feet.

This wasn't the first vision they'd shared of each others past.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

With some help from him, Valery was back up to her feet quickly and while she was completely fine physically, there was still that somber tone to her expression, "I'm alright but... I don't know how to feel about all this," she said before gesturing at the pod, which held the lifeless body of a Zabrak — it looked like they died only recently.

"I knew this Jedi... you've seen him too. And that woman earlier; she looked like an old friend, one of my closest ones from the past, but it isn't actually her. It's not a clone either but... I don't know." she sighed and stepped closer the way she usually did whenever she needed a hug or just some comforting.

"I want to go home."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil let out a sigh before reaching up. Pulling Valery Noble into a hug. Nodding. There was a lot that happened here, a lot that needed to get figured out. But not right now. There was no hurry right now. "Let's go home, then."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Onderon
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery rested the side of her face against him and just stood there for a while in his embrace. To confront the past, even after 4000 years had passed, was never an easy thing to do. And while someone who looked like an old friend was still out there somewhere, she at least had closure when it came to others from her past.

She could live with that.

"Thank you for coming with me, dear. I love you," she said before pulling back and looking up at him with her more usual aura again. It was time to go back home to Vera and move forward with their lives again.