Private Dark Echoes

[Kahlil Noble]

"It's not something you can die in, no. But it's also not something I can truly help you with." He would certainly be there to support Shan, but the crystal itself would only respond to one of them. He smiled a little, reaching down to pat Shan's shoulder. He was confident, and that was half the battle when it came to this sort of conflict.

"Everything you'll see in there will feel real. Just remember it's not, and that you have strength. And you'll be fine for certain."

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Valery Noble]

Aruza

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

Valery nodded and looked between the two. Kahlil's words of wisdom brought her some relief, and she was certain it'd help Shan get ready for this too. In the end, he was going to be alright, even if the process could be demanding. But both Nobles knew Shan, and he wasn't one to just give up on someone he wanted to help because things get difficult. He was ready for this, had proven himself many times, and Kahlil and Valery were there for him too.

They had this.

Soon enough, the shuttle was beginning its approach down to the Temple, and medical staff was already waiting outside. They'd take the Twi'lek Padawan over, and leave the three Jedi be for now.

"So one question, where would the best place be for it?"

 

[Shan Pavond]

"I understand Master Kahlil. As much as Jedi are stronger together, sometimes there are tasks that only one person can attempt." Shan nodded towards the pair of Jedi Masters, keeping a smile on his face. He was ready for this. Like Kahlil said, it wasn't going to be real. Shan just had to focus on that aspect of it. He couldn't let himself freak out at this. He had to focus on his own willpower. It was potentially going to be difficult but he had to have faith in himself alongside the Force. He could help the crystal and then work on helping Nyaeli.

"...Question. If it's going to be her, at the point that she corrupted the crystal, does that mean she won't be as knowledgeable or skilled as the one I fought?" It was potentially a useful question. It would help him to prepare for what he was going to have to face. If it was a less skilled and experienced version of Nyaeli...It might possibly be easier.

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"A place of peace. The less that tries to affect you, the better. The Thousand Gardens might be a good place to sit and mediate with the crystal." He couldn't think of anywhere better. Though he did pause to look at Shan. And shook his head.

"It won't be a copy of her. I wouldn't try to assume it will be easier just because she wasn't as strong then as she was when you faced her for real. It's an imprint of her cruelest version, all of her negativity, without any of the good you've seen within her. If anything, she'll be stronger."

Shan Pavond | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Aruza

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

"That's a good idea," Valery said with a nod. The Gardens were one of the most peaceful places to be in the entire Temple, so communing with the Force would be a lot easier. But even in the gardens, she knew this was going to be a challenging task to get through. Cleansing things of the Dark Side was never easy, and now it was a crystal. A living thing that had been corrupted and needed to be healed.

Valery herself hadn't ever done it.

"I'd also never allow one victory to make you believe you'll win again. If we had approached Kyrel Ren like that, he wouldn't have died at Exegol. Sith especially can draw a lot of strength from their desires for revenge." This wouldn't exactly be Nyaeli herself, so perhaps it would be very different.

But he'd have to expect the worst.

"Once you're ready, I suggest we head to the Gardens."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil reached out, gently patting Valery's shoulder. They'd solved quite the mystery, even saved the life of the poor Padawan who'd been left behind. But this time, here at the temple and in the Gardens, they wouldn't all be needed.

Especially since this was going to be mostly all up to Shan himself.

"We both don't need to watch over him, love. There's a lot still to do, especially paperwork." That he didn't want to do. He smiled kindly, but he was very clearly avoiding having to do it himself. "We'll see you when he succeeds, mm?"

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Okay. Don't let his guard down. That was good to know. It meant all of his assumptions would have been wrong heading into the purifying, so he was glad to have the answers for that. Who would have guessed that asking questions was actually a good thing to do? He just had to expect the worse, and be sure that just because he had beaten Nyaeli once, didn't mean he could do it again...Well, that was a bit of a major hit against his confidence, but he was sure he had this. Just had to have faith in himself. Though he raised an eyebrow at the mentioning of Paperwork, a small smile coming across the Padawan's face.

"Oh! I'd love to see how doing paperwork well...works later!" He kept a grin on his face. Considering he was more studious and academic than anything else, the idea of doing paperwork appealed to the Padawan. Though he wasn't going to be in a mad rush to learn it. After all, there were more important things to do at the moment.

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Jedi Temple

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

Wait, what?

Valery turned to Kahlil and glared at him, "I know what you're doing!" She pouted and briefly looked at Shan, who seemed to tease her as well. Or, at least, his comment sure made it feel like he was messing with her about having to handle the paperwork as well. She frowned a little and looked at her husband, "You know, I was excited to see how it works too." She sighed and ran a hand up through her hair.

"But you're right, and I'll handle all of it for our adventure today. Just... you owe me dinner tonight, alright?" And a lot more than that, but she wasn't talking about that with a Padawan here.

"Good luck you two." She smiled but she was definitely a little bummed out that she had to handle the paperwork while they'd be doing something fun.

Yeah, he was really going to have to make it up for this one.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil flashed a teasing grin before ushering Shan ahead and towards the Thousand Fountains. He'd pay for it later, of course, but it was a price he was more than willing to pay. "Of course, love! See you later!" Then they were gone. Kahlil let out a chuckle as they made their way through the halls, rubbing at the back of his neck. "YOu'll be handling this a lot by yourself. Are you sure you're prepared for what you're going to see?"

Shan Pavond | Valery Noble

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan blinked a little bit at Valery's reaction. He was being 100% serious when he said he'd have liked to do the paperwork, but it was clear that the sword of the Jedi didn't seem to believe the Padawan, which made him frown ever so slightly. He would never purposefully tease Valery like that!...Well, he might. But not right now! There was something that was more important in his mind...which was paperwork! Oh, and purifying the crystal. That was pretty important as well. "Have fun Master Valery!" Shan just waved the Jedi Master off, before turning his attention back over towards Kahlil, listening to his master's question.

"I'll have to see it sooner or later Master. I'm sure I'll be fine with it." Shan nodded. He wasn't entirely sure of himself but it wasn't like he had a choice. It was his responsibility to purify the crystal. He would have to face through the entire thing himself. "But thank you for your concern. I promise you I'll be fine. I believe in myself."

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Jedi Temple

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

Yeah...fun.

She watched them leave, narrowed her eyes at her husband one last time, and turned around to head up to the Council Chambers. The worst part was that today had been crazy with all sorts of strange twists and unexpected events. The only way to document that was through an entire timeline, so that's exactly what she started to work on.

Alone.

It was going to take a while.

Shan and Kahlil meanwhile made it to the Gardens and it turned out to be a good day for their little mission. There were almost no other Jedi to disrupt the process and everything felt extremely peaceful. The purification would likely still be a demanding thing to do, but at least they'd find some comfort in where they were.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I know. It won't stop my worry, but I know."

Shan had already proven as much just dealing with the couple that had captured that poor Padawan. He smiled just a little before looking around through the gardens. It was always peaceful here. Part of the reason why he'd wanted to make sure they went here, more than anywhere else. The feeling of life around them was a good place to at least keep themselves centered. "This is all your show now, Shan. Find where you feel the most comfortable."

Shan Pavond | Valery Noble

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan was grateful for the concern at least. Giving Kahlil a short nod as the Padawan wandered around the gardens, trying to figure out where he felt comfortable. Somewhere that would help him to stay focused and centered. This was going to be extremely stressful, no matter where he sat, but he was ready to go through this. Finding a spot near the water of the Meditation Garden, and sitting himself down next to it whilst focusing on his breathing. Inhaling and exhaling ever so slightly to a steady rhythm.

"I think I'm ready Master. I feel calm. I'm as comfortable as I'll ever be here."

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Jedi Temple

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

"I hate this so much..." Valery muttered to herself while she stared at her pile of paperwork. Well, not really just her pile. If she was going to handle things, she figured she might as well do a little more for her husband and handle the rest of his stuff too. Knowing how much he hated it, she knew this would make him smile.

She was totally the most awesome wife.

Meanwhile, Shan and Kahlil got themselves ready in the Gardens and felt the Force flowing around them. With the crystal in his hand, Shan would feel another pulse, however. It was like a beating heart but not his own — this crystal had belonged to another Jedi once, but Nyaeli's heart and soul corrupted it.

All that remained was to connect.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Then, breathe. Close your eyes. Focus on the crystal. It's much like a holocron I imagine. Try to connect, don't force it, and you'll find where you need to go within it."

This was about the extent of his involvement now. Kahlil smiled softly as he found his own spot to sit, watching Shan instead. Waiting patiently to see how he'd end up doing with this challenge. And as always, there to help if Shan ever needed it. There was nothing in this galaxy that would stop Kahlil from helping his Padawans when they needed it.

Valery Noble | Shan Pavond

 

[Shan Pavond]

Okay. Calm yourself. That was Shan's thoughts to himself as he closed his eyes and tried to reach out towards the crystal. He felt the pulse of the crystal as he tried to connect to it. He knew there was going to be a lot of pain and hatred contained inside of the crystal but he was going to do his best to try and purify it. To heal the crystal. Healing was what he was meant to excel at. Though he didn't attempt to force himself to connect to the crystal, carefully tapping away it to find an entrance. He had to remind himself that this wasn't going to be a real fight. He would be lying to himself, if he didn't say there was a part of him that was eager to go through this, whilst there was another part of him that was utterly terrified.

Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Jedi Temple

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

As Shan gently prodded at the crystal to find an opening, he'd feel a growing pull. His connection to Nyaeli made it far easier to bridge the gap between himself and the crystal, and it was drawing him in. But through his bond to his Master, Kahlil would find himself being carried along into the world that formed between Shan and the crystal.

Not as a participant, but as an observer.

"You have done well," Nyaeli said as she walked over to the Padawan sitting on his knees by the dead body of the Jedi Knight. The scene was familiar to Shan and Kahlil, who had been at this very place not even a day ago. But the burned village looked far more fresh, and the hole in the Knight's back was still burning.

The Padawan was in shock, and breathing heavily as he stared down at his own Master. Why had he done it? Why had those voices made him do it?

Nyaeli reached for the lightsaber, and stood up with a grin on her face.

"Such a weak mind."

 

[Shan Pavond]

Shan watched carefully, seeing what Nyaeli was doing. He had to make sure he wasn't drowning in the crystal. Just focusing on what he was here to do. Of course he wanted to help Nyaeli, but this wasn't the real Nyaeli. There wasn't much of a point of him trying to turn this version of her back to the light. He was going to need to face her himself, and do his best to try and treat the...infection, for lack of a better term inside of the crystal. He had to purify the crystal before he could even think about redeeming Nyaeli.

"I mean. He's not the only one with a weak mind."

He cleared his throat as he tried to gain the attention of the...Crystal Nyaeli? He wasn't sure what way to think of her in the crystal. He wasn't going to make the first strike either way, especially with her back to him. Even if this wasn't the real Nyaeli, it wasn't in his nature to strike anyone with their back turned to him, as Shan held his hand out to pull his lightsaber to his hand, keeping a rather...confident and cocky smile on his face. Now that also wasn't in his nature, but it was more of him trying to...aggravate the Sith. He just had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't real, no matter what happened.

"You're the one seeking revenge. Seeking the pain and suffering of others, to feel some form of satisfaction. Is that not also a weak mind?"

It was almost...amusing to Shan for him to say that. Considering he was nearly going on his own path of revenge to go after his mother...but this was opening his ways. Revenge was not the way. As much as it could bring his satisfaction, there was a likelihood that he would just head down a similar path to Nyaeli. And that was the opposite to what he wanted. The Padawan wanted to drag her away from that path.

"...Anyway. Fancy seeing you here."

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble