Private Down, But Not Out

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Above an UNKNOWN PLANET...

“How’s it looking back there, Noble?” Elias' voice crackled through the comms. He was trying to keep the ship steady, give her a clear shot on the interceptors that were tailing them. He still couldn’t believe they were in this mess. By all accounts, this region should have been clear. Light patrols and survey ships were all the League had sent out this way, but they were ambushed by an unknown force. The escorts put up a good fight, but were easily outgunned. Edo and Noble were among the last left alive.

A distant explosion rocked the starship, close enough to be felt but still be absorbed by their shields. Torpedoes? Elias took them through a narrow roll that sent the missile spiraling into the void.

“Damn! That was close,” Elias said as he stabilized the ship. “We’ve gotta get clear to make the jump. How many are on us?”

A visual count was the best they could get on the enemy. Their systems had been jammed since the beginning of the attack, and the ship’s computers were overloaded with false IFF data. He swooped the ship again, this time just narrowly missing the stream of blasterfire that rippled past them.

If they were going to jump, it had to be soon.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted Space

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"Do you really want to know?" Valery asked in return when he inquired about how many interceptors were on their tail. She was doing her best to at least keep them from getting a clear shot, and occasionally she blew one apart, but they were heavily outnumbered. Even with her experienced, Keshian eyes, and Jedi reflexes, it was difficult to keep up with everything at once. It would only be a matter of time until they were hit.

"Coming over our left side!" Valery then called out, as an interceptor made its strafing run over their ship. Some bolts struck their shields, but they still held. For now.

Valery immediately pivoted around in her turret, pushed out a soft breath, and pulled the trigger. The three bolts she fired aligned perfectly with its path, and the enemy vessel exploded.

"I can't keep up with it! There are too many of them!" she continued, but Valery would never give up. Until she drew her last breath, she'd stay in her turret and keep fighting. They weren't going to take her down so easily, not with everything she had on the line. Friends... family — she could not leave behind her kids now.

"Bring us around and through their center. I'll clear the path."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Above an UNKNOWN PLANET...

“I have a bad feeling about this!” Elias called over the comms. He knew there was little else that could be done. It was their only shot. They had to make it out of here and warn the League. He pulled the throttle, bringing the ship around and lining it up as best he could. Through the viewport, Elias could see the turret locking on.

It was the best angle he could give Valery on their pursuers.

“Alright, Noble! Make it count!”

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted Space

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

As the ship came about, they were heading straight for the formation of enemy fighters and interceptors. In almost any other situation, it would have been completely suicidal, but Valery had already fallen deeply into the Force. She could barely hear the other Jedi calling out, as she targeted the first enemy fighter, and blew it apart with a quick shot. Another followed far quicker than was naturally possible, and then another... and another.

She blew a path straight through their center, allowing the ship to fly through and hopefully get out a signal. But with how close they were to a planet, she knew that it was impossible to jump to hyperspace, and the remaining enemy craft were already turning around and opening fire.

Their own intensity had risen, now that so many fellow pilots were blown apart.

"Can't shake them all!" Valery called out, as their shields were starting to buckle under heavy fire.

They were in trouble.

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Above an UNKNOWN PLANET...

Elias watched grimly as the shield indicator steadily dropped, each bolt draining their power closer to critical levels. He kept his nerves in check, but a silent part of him had begun to consider that maybe they wouldn't be making it back to the League. He held the ship steady as he opened his navigator, eyes darting over the terminal, looking for somewhere - anywhere - to bring down the ship. A hyperspace jump was out of the question and taking them all on was suicidal. Elias sighed as he considered the nearby world.

“Hang tight, Noble. We’re going down-“ An unexpected torpedo barreled in from the rear, burning through the thin shielding and destroying one of the thrusters. Elias clutched the controls as he pulled the ship hard, almost nosediving it down toward the atmosphere. He had more control than he let on, hoping the interceptors would mistake his erratic piloting for a direct hit.

Whether they did or not, though, the starship was certainly done for. Plumes of fire followed the ship through the atmosphere like a grim escort, spreading black smoke and flames across the sky as they neared the jungle below. It took all of his strength not to faint under the intense pressure of plummeting. He guided the ship as best he could, directing it away from the hills and treetops, until inevitably the forest was scraping against the hull.

Moments later, the ship snagged, spinning it into a violent landing that tore through the jungle. Crashing against a massive tree was the last thing Elias saw, before his head was bashed into the console.

Then everything went black.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted Space

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"Elias...?" Valery asked when her eyes opened and the world around her burned. The last thing she could remember was the ship going down into the forest, and all she saw now was the same forest ablaze. The glass view of her turret had shattered on impact, and some of its shards had cut open her hands, arms, and chest. But she was alive and had luckily sustained no major injury to her head.

So with some effort and pain, she fought herself out of her seat and stumbled her way through the ship's hallways. Sparks ignited the air from exploded consoles, and metal floor or wall panels obstructed her path forward. Despite it, she managed to soon reach the cockpit and noticed that Elias wasn't moving.

A brief wave of panic struck the Jedi Master, but as her senses began to adjust, she could feel that he was alive.

"Elias? We have to get out of here..." she said, her voice strained from the loss of blood. "Come on, wake up." She began to gently shake his shoulder, hoping to get him to rise before anything caught fire or exploded inside the vessel. This wasn't her first time crashing, so she knew just how dangerous it could be even if you survived the initial impact.

"Do you need help?"

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

Pain.

The first thing Elias could sense was the pain. It was sharp, stabbing, somewhere in his lower abdomen. His eyes cracked open, stinging as they adjusted to the smoke that had filled the cabin of the ship. Sparks crackled from hanging wires, steam hissed from busted pipes, and somewhere in the distance, Elias though he heard Valery call out for him.

Despite the urgency, he couldn't move. He was so tired. Sleep... if he could just sleep...

"Elias? We have to get out of here..." she said, her voice strained from the loss of blood. "Come on, wake up."

Valery's hand on his skin snapped him out of it. Slowly, carefully, Elias turned to his friend. His forehead was badly cut, caked with blood and grime from where the ship's cockpit windows were dashed against the underbrush. His arms were crisscrossed with smaller wounds.

"I'm fine, I'm-" he winced, dropping his hand to his side. Elias' face turned a shade lighter as his fingers grazed the piece of thin piece of metal that poked from his flesh. He looked to Valery with a gut-wrenching expression of despair and determination.

"This- this has to come out," he said, gritting his teeth as he wrapped his fingers around the metal.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

He was not fine.

Valery's eyes dropped to the metal shrapnel that pierced his flesh and visibly cringed. She didn't want to make it look worse than it already seemed to be, but she just couldn't help it. There was so much blood, so much pain — he had definitely sustained far worse injuries than she had. Injuries that could kill him if they didn't act fast, but Valery was no healer. She could help him remove the shrapnel, but did they have anything to stop the bleeding?

"I'm pulling it out and..." She quickly sprinted over to a small first-aid cabinet, removed the med pack, and opened it to find bandages and anticeptin-D spray to clean the wounds. "Alright, on three. One...two-" Rather than waiting for three, Valery just pulled out the shrapnel, hoping that it wouldn't be quite as painful if it happened suddenly and unexpectedly. She then immediately applied pressure with a clean bandage and tried to patch him up as much as she could.

She was clearly no expert.

"Can you walk? I wish I could let you sit here longer but I fear that a fire or explosion will get us." She leaned in closer, offering her shoulder for support despite her own injuries. The Force was flowing through her now, pushing her beyond pain and discomfort, so she could help her friend make it out of here alive.

"Come on... we gotta go."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

He reached to stop her, but she was quick to get the shard out. Elias clutched Valery’s arm, groaning violently through the sudden surge of pain that shot through his entire body. Then, he felt an unwelcome coldness as his consciousness threatened to drift. It was the blood loss, or perhaps the blow to his head.

His eyes fluttered as Valery hoisted him to his feet.

"Can you walk?”

Elias nodded, pulling himself from her shoulder and steadying his legs.

“I’m with you,” he assured her, stepping closer behind as they moved for the exit. The impact did more damage than he thought. Entire wall panels were strewn across the hall, littering the floor with scrap and debris. Elias stepped carefully, following closely until they reached the landing ramp. He took one look at the control console and swore under his breath. It was a lucky break - or a cruel joke - that the ramp was levered open, just far enough to scramble over and out. He looked to Valery with grim amusement.

“After you, Noble,” he said with a pained smile. Elias knelt down, offering her his better leg as a boost.

He’d find himself a way out after. She had children, a husband, a Padawan. The grating sound of metal-scraping-metal rang out down the hall. They were running out of time.

“You gotta get outta here, Val,” Elias said, his voice calm and steady. “Up you go.”

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

Even though she had asked him if he could walk, Valery didn't seem to like it when he separated himself from the support she offered. He just didn't look all that steady, and a little bit of support wasn't that big of a problem for her — having to carry him out of the ship would have been a real struggle.

But together, they walked through the hallways, and while nothing was on fire or exploding yet, Valery felt a rising danger in the Force. This thing wasn't going to last forever, so they had to move fast.

Their only bit of luck was that the ramp had partially opened, but climbing outside was no easy task. With a boost from Elias, Valery climbed her way up, but that's when she realized what he was doing. He was giving her a way out, knowing that he couldn't get up the ramp himself. So rather than getting outside the ship, Valery suddenly turned and kept herself folded over the ramp, her legs dangling outside but her upper body still within the ship.

She extended a hand, and summoned the Force to gently tug at him, "I'm not leaving you behind!" she called out. "Take my hand and I'll help you!"

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

He took Valery’s hand, felt the Force flowing through her, and let it strengthen him. It wasn’t much, but it made the pain more tolerable as he hoisted himself up and over the ramp. His boots hit the ground, stumbling beneath his weight. Fresh blood seeped through the bandages and staining his tunic deep-red.

There wasn’t much time to worry about it, though. Another rumble emanated from the ship’s fractured hull, followed by ominous ripples in the Force. She was going to blow, soon. Elias looked to Valery.

“There’s- an emergency beacon, in the cargo hold-“ he said, breathing hard through his words. “It can push an SOS to the League- we can’t leave it behind-“

He stepped back toward the ripped paneling near the rear of the ship, clutching the wound as he pushed himself forward. It would’ve been better for Valery to grab the beacon, but if the ship exploded while she scavenged for it…

A husband, children, Padawans, he repeated to himself.

“I can grab it- just get clear-“

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

Again, she knew what he was doing.

Perhaps it would always be a struggle when two Jedi found themselves in a situation as dire as this, with both wanting to put the other above themselves. But Valery didn't like it one bit, and the look she gave him when he said he could grab the device didn't hide that whatsoever.

"Fine, but make it quick or get out of there. We're not dying over a beacon," Valery told him, her tone almost like a warning. Even without it, she knew they'd find a way out of here. It would be more difficult, sure, but there was no point in dying for a quicker route out of here.

So, despite her hesitancy, Valery backed away from the ship. She kept her eyes constantly on Elias, but her real focus was on the Force, and how it flowed around the ship. If she felt the danger of it about to explode, she'd be ready to help her friend out of trouble.

They were both making it out of there.

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

“We’re not dying over a beacon.”

“We’re not going to live long without it,” he said, stumbling over the splintered trees and debris that littered the crash.

Valery was no fool. She knew he was more than willing to sacrifice his life to see her through this, but what else could she expect? Elias was a haunted man, that was no secret, but Valery Noble had much more to live for than he did - even if he had exorcised the ghosts of his past. She was a wife, a mother, a teacher. So many lives depended on her.

It took him longer to make it through the wreckage than it did to pilfer the cargo hold. A few short minutes went by, and soon Elias was drudging back through the cinders with the beacon in hand. He raised the dented device for Valery to see, flashing her a triumphant grin. He’d nearly reached her position, away from the smoking fuselage, when a low rumble began to shake the vessel.

Not a moment later, the ship’s thruster exploded.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

Valery was pacing back and forth a little, clearly still not happy with his decision to keep exposing himself to danger whilst keeping her away. With his injuries, she knew she'd have gotten there a bit quicker to retrieve the beacon, and every second counted. They both knew that very well. But he still put her above himself because of how dire the circumstances were, and that was just difficult to accept.

So when she finally did see him again, waving the object in his hand, she let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah yeah, just come back already. You're making me-" Valery stopped as a sudden surge of danger echoed through the Force. It hit the Jedi Master like a tidal wave, leaving her scrambled for just a split-second before she was able to react.

The ship's thruster violently exploded, sending a fireball and shrapnel through the air but Valery wasn't going to allow it all to hit her friend. With an outstretched arm, she projected a barrier of Force energy outwards in an attempt to shield him. It was engulfed by flames less than a second later, and in the heat of the moment, Valery couldn't tell if she had successfully, protected him.

"Elias!" She called out, hoping to hear something in return.

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

He knew it was coming, knew the ship was going to blow. He could feel it. But even then, he was sure he'd cleared it to avoid the blast.

For a split moment, he felt the rush of heat on his back, just before a sudden coolness overwhelmed him. When he dared to unclench his eyes, he found that he was alive still, clutching the beacon, surrounded by some kind of Force energy field. A nervous chuckle escaped his hungry lungs. Valery saved him from the explosion. Elias shook his head, speaking within the bubble of safety as if the Force were right there inside with him.

"You just love keeping me indebted to that woman," he mused. It was only a few moments before the flames subsided, burning hot on the durasteel carcass of their ship behind him. He could hear Valery's voice from somewhere beyond the smoke.

"I'm here!" he called out, before dropping to his knees. He was getting weaker. They needed to find a place to lay low and recover; Even if Elias had the strength to maintain a burst of Force Valor, he doubted it would stave off the pain. He brushed his tired fingers of the beacon, cradling it like a newborn babe. He was convinced the device was their lifeline. It was worth the risk to save it from the ship.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"I'm here!"

It was only when she heard his voice, that her senses cut through the confusion and worry to confirm it — he had survived the blast, and luckily hadn't gotten more injured either. He was already in pretty terrible shape, but at least he seemed stable enough. She couldn't allow anything more to harm him.

"You know I hate it when you do stuff like that, right?" Valery grumbled, albeit with a smirk, when she made her way over and crouched down beside him to offer some support. The ship was still not a safe place to be, so Valery took the device from him, offered a shoulder, and forced him up to his feet if she had to.

Once they were safe, she'd allow him to rest.

"Do you know how to get that thing to work? I'm not... exactly good with technology." At all — in fact, her daughter was likely going to be better with datapads and other simple pieces of tech soon enough. Not that she'd go into great detail about it, for fear of more teasing from friends or family.

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

"You know you love me," he said with a boyish grin. It was replaced with a wince when Valery rose him onto her shoulder. The pain was only getting worse, and adrenaline would only numb his injuries for so long. He hoped they would come upon a cave or a dense grove, somewhere sheltered for him to rest.

He limped alongside her, this time accepting her helping hand as they put more distance between them and the wreckage. Elias wondered if the interlopers would make landfall in search of them or make the assumption they died in the crash. His tired eyes looked to Valery as they moved.

"Do you know how to get that thing to work? I'm not... exactly good with technology."

"Admittedly," he said remorsefully, "I'm not as skilled as your boy is with devices like this... but I think I can manage to get a signal out, so long as there's no interference." A jolt of paranoia shot through him as he considered again the possibility of being hunted by their attackers.

"Or signal jammers," he added gravely.

With luck, though, they wouldn't have too much trouble sending an SOS. The Force had proven many times already it was on their side today. Elias alone had survived two close calls already, not mentioning any turmoil Valery faced before he came to.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"Yeah, well. If you pull a stunt like that again, I'm still leaving you behind," Valery grumbled a little, but the smirk on her face easily betrayed that she was amused, and just joking around. Still, she really hoped that they didn't have to go into exploding ships again just to find a way out of here. The beacon was their best shot for now, but if it didn't work, she knew that her husband would eventually be able to find her.

She just really hoped their attackers wouldn't find them first.

"Alright, just make sure to transmit on a secured channel. It won't help break through interference or jammers, but it'll at least prevent those pirates from picking up on the signal." The last thing she wanted was for this beacon to be the reason they'd get discovered by them.

After a little while of walking, Valery carefully set Elias down by a tree, so he could get some rest, and she could assess the situation. From their injuries to the pirates and their need for escape. "How are you holding up? Anything I need to take a closer look at?" she asked him, her fiery eyes searching for any particularly nasty injuries.

"We have the beacon, and it won't matter if we activate it now or in an hour. We need to make sure we can even survive the wait, and get the rest we need as well."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Stranded in the jungles of an UNKNOWN PLANET...

Elias laughed weakly, trying not to move his abdomen more than he had to. He needed to get a better look at the wound in his side, but he’d have to slip off his tattered tank top first. With hands as steady as he could make them, Elias slipped his thumbs under the bottom and began to lift his shirt. He grimaced at the pain, but held out a hand to stop Valery from helping. Not out of stoicism this time, though.

“It hurts less if I do it,” he grumbled, pulling the rest of the shirt off and tossing it to the side.

His darkened skin was moist with sweat, smudged with dirt and blood. The shrapnel had gone through and through, puncturing his torso in a single clean thrust. Thank the stars for that much, at least. Larger men had been taken out by much less. Jagged edges, rust, and a multitude of other factors made flying debris extremely dangerous. Elias was lucky. Or blessed, perhaps. The Force was definitely to thank for his surviving at every turn. It, and Valery.

“It’s- not as bad as I thought,” he said, gesturing to the wound. Now that he’d stopped moving so much, the blood seemed to have stopped. It was the pain now that troubled him. That, coupled with the heaviness of sleep that crashed over him in waves.

"How are you holding up? Anything I need to take a closer look at?"

“I think I just need to rest, Noble,” he supplied, sleep thickening in his voice. He didn’t look weak enough to slip away if he faded out, but he undeniably looked like hell. Whether he slept was up to Valery.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Uncharted World

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

Valery was about to help him when she watched him slowly raise the shirt but stopped when he held up a hand. Whether it was for privacy reasons or it hurting too much didn't matter — she just dipped her head and waited for him to do it. Once it was off, she studied the injuries and reached the same conclusion. It didn't look great at all, but there was no metal stuck in his body, and no open wounds that would have him bleeding out in minutes.

In his current state, he'd survive and recover, as long as he got enough rest, food, and water.

"It's- not as bad as I thought,"

"You do look like hell, but it could have been worse," she said with a faint smirk, and now that she knew he was alright, Valery took off her vambraces and looked at her arms. Her torso had been spared from any serious injuries, but her arms were cut up a little because of the glass that exploded into the cockpit.

"Yeah, a good idea if you get some rest. I'll stay awake to guard, and so I can take a better look at my own injuries." She was definitely not taking her clothes off with him awake. But soon enough, he was asleep and Valery found a different tree nearby to sit down herself, and watch over their little 'camp' until the next morning.

...

"Time to get up," Valery said, her voice raised to wake him up if he hadn't already been quietly awake. "Pretty sure the pirates think we're dead, but they might still come back to check if there's anything to scavenge now that the ship isn't a time bomb anymore." With a grunt, Valery pushed herself up to her feet and looked around.

"We should try to find some water first, then food. I'm sure there's a river somewhere around here."