Private Dark Echoes

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

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Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

After a rather eventful trip to New Cov, the Nobles had invited Shan to stay with them at the colony for a while. Just to take some time off from difficult missions, and to offer some training on a more peaceful planet. Kahlil was helping him get stronger physically, Valery was trying to find other useful abilities to cover with him and... the little ones demanded his attention for some play-time too. In a way, Padawans always became part of the family, and Shan was no exception to this. Valery and Kahlil cared a lot about him, and the kids were extremely fond of him too.

They all wanted him to feel at home.

"Shan, I'm going to make some hot cocoa for Aris. Do you want a cup too?" Valery asked while she sat on the couch, dressed not in her usual Jedi battle gear for once. A little while ago, she had gone shopping with the triplets, and the Epicanthix style outfit she had picked out had become a favorite. Whenever she wore it, she really felt like she could just relax.

But right before Valery could get up to make it for whoever wanted a cup, Vera appeared in the living room, holding several sheets of paper in her hands. She looked between Shan, her father and her mother, and held out a drawing that showed several wooden buildings on fire. It was a very child-like depiction, but Valery and Kahlil knew what it meant.

"I saw a vision with all of you."

 

[Shan Pavond]

The Nobles were one of the few distractions that helped to distract him from his current situation. It did feel wrong to him slightly, to feel at home with another family, when his own family was such a mess, but we take as much happiness as we can. He felt at home with the Kids, and everytime he was always happy to work with the children. More often than not, he had actually been trying to use them for his training, but it wasn't for anything too dangerous. It was more a case of him trying to lift them up or doing exercises with them on his back. Anything to add more to his training. He had been working more and more on his physical training, so that he'd be stronger. So that he could protect more people in the future.

"No! It's alright Master Valery. I'm not a fan of hot chocolate anyway. I'd be happy with some milk if that's alright though?"

Even if they were in private places, or well the Noble household, Shan still would refer to both Kahlil and Valery with their titles. It was just his way of being respectful. They had worked hard for their positions, so he wasn't going to just forget about it because they weren't in the temple. He brushed down his robes as he prepared to sit down, though gave Vera a small wave as she walked in, keeping a bright grin on his face...until he saw the drawings that Vera had made.

"Oh? You did?..."

Shan assumed it wasn't a good vision. Especially considering the burning buildings on the paper. Something was wrong there and he wasn't sure if he should be worried or excited for the vision. He stood himself straight back up, deciding it was pointless to try and sit down and insttead wanting to learn more about the vision

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Hot cocoa."

Aris's eyes practically sparkled as he watched Valery get up to make hot cocoa. He did, however, glance to Shan in utter bewilderment at his decision. No hot cocoa for him? .. Well, it meant more for him, so, that was fine. probably. Soon as he had his drink he sipped it quietly, still glancing between them all. Especially now that Vera had spoken up about a vision. He'd seen one himself. There was no telling what it could've been about.

Kahlil, similarly, just nodded as he watched Vera. Gave her a smile as always.

"What did you see, Vera?"

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

​

Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

After making some hot cocoa for her little prince, she patted Aris on the head and ruffled his hair. She loved to see him happy over something so... simple. But her focus shifted elsewhere as Vera entered the room, drawings in hand to show a vision she had seen. This wasn't the first time it happened, but she looked pretty serious and the drawing showed something troubling. The question remained if it was something from the past, or something that had yet to happen.

"Oh? You did?..."

Vera nodded to Shan, "Mhmm," she hummed before looking at her mom and dad. "I saw a small town, but the buildings were all on fire. The people were... attacking each other, but not because they wanted to," she tried to explain, after which she pulled out another drawing where people were indeed fighting each other.

But there was one figure who stood out — a woman colored blue, in dark robes.

"I... think I know where this might be," Valery said after a short moment of staring at the image. The frown on her face deepened a little, and she looked at Kahlil with a more worried expression.

 

[Shan Pavond]

A Blue person? There were potentially dozens of different species the woman could be, that Shan couldn't quite figure out off the top of his head. Frowning in thought at that as he was sure this wasn't a good thing. People attacking each other because they didn't want to. It was something that involved all three of them from what Vera had said, so Shan wanted to learn more about it as the Mirialan folded his arms along his front. There goes any enjoyment he was going to have with the Noble family from the looks of it...but that was fine.

"You...know where it is Master Valery? How? Is...the woman someone familiar to you?"

He turned his attention over towards Valery, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. Now that was an interesting fact if it was true. Who was this woman and why did Valery know her? To be fair, there was a lot about Valery that Shan didn't know. The same would go for Kahlil. But at the same time, there was also somethings about himself that neither of them knew so it was something that Shan wouldn't get upset over.

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil nodded a little, glancing to Valery for a moment. He'd heard of this, but he hadn't asked too many questions. And for the three of them to be there? It likely meant there was something there for Shan. That wasn't good.

"You think it's somewhere we should go, then?"

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

​

Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

"I don't recognize the woman, but I think this is on Aruza," Valery said with a soft sigh. There were other species with blue skin tones, but there was something about the depiction of them fighting each other that gave it away. "Many years ago, I hunted down a Knight of Ren who had acquired an artifact on Mustafar. I eventually shot him down over Aruza, and we fought." she began to explain, her eyes now drifting between Shan and Kahlil.

But even Vera was listening.

"I killed him but I was injured in the fight, and the locals there helped me recover. But sometime after I left, I received news that the village had been burned down to the ground, and that the locals had turned against each other." She paused for a moment, and turned to Vera again, who flipped pages and pulled out another drawing.

This time, it showed that same Aruzan woman, face-to-face with Shan. She had even tried to get the facial tattoos right, but the frowny face made it look a lot sillier than it really was.

"Shan knows her."

 

[Shan Pavond]

Aruza? It wasn't fully familiar to Shan. He knew some about it. Obviously that they were blue and some things about their mental abilities...Wait a second...Mental abilities...The cogs in Shan's head started to turn as he thought over things. The fact that Vera ended up saying that Shan knew who it was only confirmed things for him. It was the Sith from Elom. He still never actually managed to get her name now that he thought about it. But it didn't matter as he shook his head, glancing over towards Kahlil and Valery.

"We need to go. If...If the village burning down and the people turning against each other is anyway connected to that Sith I fought, I need to know. I need to help her."

Because that's what Shan did. He helped people, no matter what. And right now, his focus was on helping Nyaeli. Finding out more about her would be the exact thing he needed as the Mirialan hurried over towards his backpack for a moment. Rummaging around in it before pulling out what seemed to be a spare lightsaber, though it wasn't technically his. He had started to keep it on his person at all times, mostly worried that someone else in the Jedi Temple might end up taking it.

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Shan seemed quite determined. Kahlil frowned just a little, but he did nod his head. If this had to do with the Sith who's lightsaber he'd taken, he wouldn't deny him the chance to explore it further. So long as Kahlil was with him, anyway. And having Valery there would certainly make it safer.

"Let's get going, then."

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

​

Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

"Bring along the crystal you took from her," Valery said with a small dip of her head. "Anything you have with a connection to this Sith might be useful, and you were planning on purifying it too..." her voice trailed off, but she was hinting at doing it on Aruza. It seemed fitting to her, to heal the crystal where it had once been bled. But with that said, Valery stood up and looked over at Vera with a warm smile.

"Thank you for helping, little star. Sassshra will be here to babysit, and you and Aris watch the little ones too, okay?" she asked, her eyes shifting between her two oldest.

"Alright, you're flying us," she then told Kahlil with a smirk, before they headed over to the Bastion.

...
"For context," Valery began as they started their journey to the Aruzan homeworld. "This happened early on during the war with the Maw. I took down this Knight of Ren after I tried to find certain artifacts to purge on Mustafar, but I had no idea he was affiliated with the Maw. After the villagers helped me and I left... the Maw came to punish them."

She let out a sigh and turned to the other two.

"It's not going to be an easy place to walk around, for any of us. It's not just death there but... you'll see."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I already plan on bringing it with me." Shan was more...determined than he normally was. He was normally someone who wanted to help people, but this was different. Nyaeli was his responsibility, or at least that was how he was choosing to see this. He spared her. Any future damage she caused would be on his hands and he would have to accept that. In his eyes, purifying the crystal would be the first step in trying to purify Nyaeli herself. Kyber crystals were connected to the person who used them, at least that was his belief. They were living objects that bonded with those who used it. Whilst Nyaeli might have twisted and corrupted the kyber in her saber, it was still bonded to her in some way...and Shan needed to use that bond to his advantage.

The Mirialan hurried over towards Vera before he left however, grabbing the Noble child and lifting her up into the air in a tight hug before putting her back down onto the ground, giving a small smile in her direction. "Thank you Vera. This...This might help me a lot." The Padawan whispered to the girl. With all of the struggles Shan was having with his own life right now, being able to potentially help someone else who was in a far worse position was exactly what he needed, before turning his attention to Kahlil and Valery, getting ready to follow them.

--------

"...That might explain her anger. Why she felt so...cruel. And why she wanted to try and corrupt people's minds, as opposed to just causing them physical pain. It makes me...feel sorry for her. And for the people of this planet. To think that they did something good...but had something so evil come crashing down on their home...It breaks my heart."

It also went against everything Shan believed in. He believed good actions caused good rewards. But this was the opposite. Damn it. The more and more he encountered, the more and more confused Shan was getting in his own beliefs. He was so firm in them when he first arrived at the Jedi Temple, but more and more he could feel his belief wavering. His resolve weakening. Was he even making the right choice anymore?

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

So that was the full story. Kahlil nodded slowly as he glanced between the two before. This was closer to them than he probably realized, but that only meant him being here was that much more important. Someone to keep their focus forward, rather than in the past. He smiled, reaching down to pat Shan's shoulder.

"We got this, don't worry. Keep looking ahead, not back. That's how we can save the people we still can."

Shan Pavond | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

​

Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

It was only after the story, and because of Vera who had been happily hugged by Shan, that Valery realized how she had a connection with Shan in this tragedy on Aruza. Valery had indirectly caused what happened, albeit due to no real fault of her own, and Shan was now dealing with the aftermath of it by having to confront the fallen Aruzan. It made all of this a lot more personal than she had imagined, so it was a good thing Kahlil would be there to join them.

He'd be that neutral pillar of support to make sure they couldn't get lost in the past. Valery wasn't sure if she needed it, but she was certain it would help Shan to get through this.

"He's right, and we'll be there with you." Valery smiled and then turned back to the viewscreen, as they dropped from Hyperspace and approached the peaceful planet. Using what she remembered of her time here, it was luckily not too hard to guide Kahlil, whou could access the memories she exposed through their bond.

Soon enough, a burnt down village appeared, and echoes of extreme despair and pain already began to reach out to them, even before they had landed.

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I am focused on the future. I'm looking ahead. I'm imagining this place rebuilt in the future. With a smile on the...Aruzan's face." Shan nodded to himself. Referring to her as just Sith felt wrong as they arrived at the village and Shan tried to wrap his head around all of these emotions that were swirling around from it. He hadn't ever experienced this type of despair or pain before. It made even more sense now that Nyaeli had tried to break him. Why she hated him for not falling to her attacks. But that wasn't what was important. It helped him to understand her more, sure, but what was important was helping her. Focusing on the future and helping as many people as he could. He needed to protect her, alongside anyone she could potentially harm in the future.

But he couldn't protect people, could he? He couldn't protect his mother. She was gone, because he hadn't came to see her. It was his fault that she had been taken by the slavers. No. No. Shan couldn't think like that. It was because of the village. Of course. He was feeling negative emotions because of the despair in the village. That was it. The Mirialan focused on his breathing, trying to keep himself calm and relaxed. A few thoughts of how his fellow Padawan Ko had told him to open up to Kahlil popped into Shan's mind...but that could wait until later. The village was far more important than his own problems right now.

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil watched Shan with a worried eye before glancing towards Valery. Gave her a nod. They were going to have to keep an eye on him for sure. He seemed to be struggling with his thoughts, but.. Kahlil didn't want to pry. Not yet.

"Where are we going, exactly?"

Shan Pavond

 

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

​

Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

Valery glanced at Shan and took note of the conflict within him as well. She could tell he really wanted to help the Aruzan who caused this and well, she understood that feeling. When Kahlil had fallen to the dark side, she never gave up on him either and while her bond with him had already been strong at the time of his fall, she knew Shan well enough to understand where it came from. He always wanted to help whoever he could and he wouldn't even give up on a Sith if he felt there was the potential for good in them.

But he also knew it was no easy path, and there was doubt in him too. Valery acknowledged that with a nod meant for her husband and then started to walk into the village. The bodies of the villagers had long been removed, but their deaths were vivid in the Force.

Rage, confusion and chaos were everywhere, and it physically affected Valery, whose bonds to life were strong. Her breath was strained and she seemed s little tense, but she pushes through, knowing the others had to do the same. "Well, you'll have to guide him for the purification because...I can't." She chuckled and looked around.

"But maybe we first want to learn more about what happened here?" She asked, and it was in that moment she spotted ome body, robed and styled in a way that could only mean one thing.

It was the body of a Jedi.

 

[Shan Pavond]

What had happened to this place? Shan tried to keep his thoughts steady as he wandered alongside the two Jedi Masters. He had to keep himself grounded by something. He couldn't let the external chaos influence him as Shan focused on one of the few things he knew how to. Healing. How to help someone. Going over the steps of what he'd have to do if he found someone hurt in his mind to give himself something to focus on. It was just something that helped to keep his thoughts focused. The villages deaths was something that would have shaken him, if he wasn't trying to keep himself firm in his beliefs.

"I want to try and find more about her...before we try to purify the crystal. It might be useful for the actual act. But...I know I can do this. We can do this." Shan clenched his fists at that thought, though he glanced over towards Valery, giving her a half hearted smile. This wasn't the kind of environment or atmosphere where he felt like he should be actually smiling but he wanted to try and push through it. "Don't blame yourself for this Master Noble." She probably didn't need him to tell her this, but he was going to say it anyway. They were here to support him, so he was willing to try and support them.

Though his smile faded from his face as soon as he spotted the robed body, his eyes darting around for a second trying to make sure this wasn't some kind of trap. After all, this was a body that was still here, whereas the villagers weren't. Something was wrong about it, and whilst Shan would have originally ran over to the body straight away, he stayed on guard instead. He was no fool. At least not anymore.

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil's expression stilled as he saw the body of the Jedi. He moved, stepping beside them, crouched down to look them over. There weren't so many in the New Jedi for him not to recognize them on sight. To think that there was a Jedi here, dead, was more than alarming. Shan was already on alert, which was good. He could trust his Padawan to be ready. "It seems we're not alone in wanting to investigate here. We'll have to be careful."

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Valery Noble]

Epicanthix Colony

​

Outfit: Epicanthix Outfit | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble Shan Pavond

"We can spend as much time as we need to learn more," Valery assured him, knowing that he wanted to figure out more so he could help the fallen Aruzan. But after her assurances, Shan returned the favor and offered comforting words alongside a smile. Valery blinked, turned to him and chuckled. "Sometimes it's hard not to, but I know. Thank you, Shan," she said, and luckily, the people truly responsible were already dealt with.

The Brotherhood of the Maw is no more.

The group then spotted the body, and after Kahlil got closer to take a look, he'd notice that the body had likely been there for a while, judging by the decay. It wasn't nearly old enough for the Jedi to have died along with the villagers, but it hadn't been today or yesterday either.

"His lightsaber is missing too," Valery pointed out with a frown. "We could try to use Psychometry on things here to learn more? Or perhaps find other Aruzans who were involved in cleaning this place up."

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I...know how hard it is not to blame yourself for something that you feel is your own fault." Shan sighed to himself at that, raising his hand to fiddle with his sleeve at that thought. It was because he kept blaming himself for what had happened to his Mother. He knew, logically at least, that it wasn't his fault. But emotionally? He felt it was far from the truth. It was his fault, and he felt like that every single night. But he couldn't allow for that to distract him right now as he looked down at the body for a moment, an idea coming to his mind at that, as he reached down to his hip to grab Nyaeli's lightsaber.

"Is it possible...this is his lightsaber?" It wouldn't surprise Shan if it was. He knew Nyaeli had fought Jedi in the past. He wasn't the first one, whereas she had been the first Sith he had fought. And now that he thought about it, the first person he had nearly actually killed. It did mean it would be harder for him to try and redeem her. Less in her eyes, and more in the eyes of other people. Knowing that she had killed a Jedi, there would be people in the Order who would probably want to see her punished for that...and could he blame them? No. But he was not one of those people. "I doubt that the other Aruzans will want to help us...after what seems to have happened last time..."

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble