Private Festering

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

Let the memories die; allow them to rot with the coarse, harsh blows of the breeze. Send them to retreat into the endless corners of the mind, with those other memories since abandoned and never allow them to resurface. Tales of an old life, one left behind on his own volition, with friends and fellows turned on as a result of all that shame the then Jedi had mustered within himself - the same shame that continued, furthered with each moment ever since the first hint of the betrayal Rakaan had sentenced them to. But in the end, it was easier said than done.

He let it live, a husk of what it once was.

Rakaan mused on the notion as a series of careful, silent footsteps carried him across the cracked marble and stone of the old temple ruins in the hours before dawn and yet after dusk. He ran the tips of his fingers across a dust coated and splintered though familiar lengthy wooden table, a soft sombre smile cracked his stoic visage. It was once whole, he thought, with the haunting sounds of a child's laughter and idle chatter in a place so devoid of it all. A deafening silence, louder than any shriek a child could burst into once discovered by the old archivist.

His intimate knowledge of the temple's layout, burned into his brain, allowed for an easy evasion of those that guarded the restricted and inaccessible areas of the temple. An area of the archive one of them, with faint blue lights separate from the rows of data entries stacked upon one another. The former was no more than a graveyard of knowledge, a testament to the destructive power of the Sith and their allies, both past and present. The once-Jedi stood across from the wall, shrouded in the cloak draped over his form, with an arm outstretched, his bare hand bathed in the moonlight that peered through. It twisted, rotated and his palm faced skywards as the would-be wall slid into the rest of it like a door with a momentary grinding noise.

He disappeared behind the doorframe.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

For the last twenty minutes or so, Valery had been standing outside alone, looking up at the starlit sky above Coruscant. Even with the endless rows of vehicles overhead, and the sound they produced, she could easily find her peace under the moonlight. The cold breeze that was blowing through her hair, the proximity to a place so holy to the Jedi — it offered a kind of comfort very few other places could. But the longer she stood in silence connecting with the Force around her, the more she felt a strange sense of uneasy discomfort as well.

It had been years since the Brotherhood of the Maw attacked Coruscant, and all they left behind had been dealt with. Yet, there was a tension that pulsed against her mind that somehow felt similar to that day she had chosen to return to the Galactic scene as a Jedi.

"Hmm..." she frowned and turned her gaze back to the entrance of the Temple, where a pair of guards were stationed to oversee who entered the Temple that was slowly getting rebuilt. But Valery knew very well that it wasn't the only entry point, especially not with parts of the structure still being in ruins.

"Don't let anybody inside unless I give permission," Valery said as she made her way over, and the two simply nodded to her without questioning the reason behind it.

Moments later, her footsteps echoed through the mostly empty halls, while she followed her senses to the source of what she was feeling. Everything about the situation felt strange — there was little to gain from infiltrating the Temple, and most items worth stealing had long been moved to other Temples or at least been kept somewhere safe. Yet, her senses were bringing her closer to one of the more protected areas of the Temple, where holocrons and other important items were safely stored.

For a moment, she stood there, watching the door and wondering who had entered. She knew someone had, and felt a great deal of turmoil on the other side she needed to understand. So after a few more seconds passed, the woman took a deep breath and entered as well.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

Inside the vault, an array of ancient artifacts lined the room. Of both Jedi and Sith origin, there on the account of their historic value and the need to safeguard them from those that would seek to make use of them. Often was that a dark sider with access t othe old Force imbued marvels of the past had been a recipe for disaster, a threat not to be taken lightly. Yet, even with them all on display in a hidden and unmapped room, Rakaan had paid them no mind at all. Not so much as a second thought, even in a room so full of valuables. The Force called to him like a beacon, and an Imperial Jedi was not so twisted as to think the Force was a tool for himself to twist.

His cautious stride had instead carried him across the length of the room, over a crimson rug that reached from one side to the other. Rakaan stopped before another sheer wall and reached out with the Force, his hand held lazily beside his chest, twisted and turned. Again, the sound of stone and marble grating against one another made itself known, clearer now with the faint and vague noises of electronics before the blue glow of a holocron released itself from the wall to bathe himself in. It shined bright, illuminated his otherwise guarded features. But in the midst of his delight, a warning cried out in the back of his mind.

With one sudden leap, Rakaan vanished into the rafters. The blue glow there, albeit muted beneath the cloak that wrapped around it. He positioned himself awkwardly, intent to not make so much as a sound or movement whilst a concentrated effort to mask himself occurred. Of all the Jedi in the Galaxy to follow in after him, it had to be her.

His eyes closed in muted frustration, only to reopen and observe the woman below.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

Valery had taught countless Jedi in the past and present not to rely on their eyes and ears, but to trust the Force more than any of their other senses. It was a crucial part of developing the awareness a Jedi needed to protect themselves, help others, and avoid problems that required no direct engagement. But as most students would learn, even the Force could play tricks, and as the Jedi Master walked through the familiar hallways of the Jedi Temple, she knew relying on her senses wasn't going to be enough.

There was no doubt in her mind that someone had entered these halls before her, and that whoever stepped inside knew what they were doing. No stranger could bypass the security without detection, and find the rooms that held so much of the Jedi's history effortlessly. It made her believe she was dealing with a Jedi or someone who had been informed about the Temple's layout by one.

But as her senses extended throughout the building, she only felt those who were supposed to be there.

"I know you're out there. You can hide your presence and try to stay out of sight, but you're not getting out of here," Valery called out with her usual confidence. She had stepped into the room lined with holocrons and data chips containing vast amounts of information, but it seemed none had been taken yet.

She had no idea where the intruder was either, but this had to be their target.

"Show yourself."

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

Hesitation and indecision.

Rakaan stuffed himself into the rafters overhead and remained there courtesy of his two legs that strained against the beams. His hands, unsupportive in the efforts, had been occupied with the hold over the holocron and his lightsaber. He relied on old techniques, one a Jedi Master taught him of some years ago; a masked presence cut him out, silenced whatever pulse the Force radiated from him, and to be unseen before it erupted in a sudden and chaotic surge - a flood, everywhere at once, and on all sides. His vaguely familiar voice projected, to come from nowhere and everywhere all at the same time.

"Leave." It sounded whispery, hushed, no matter how loud it was. "It does not concern you, it does not concern the Jedi."

The Imperial reached out with the Force, a sudden flick of his wrist had seen a decoration soaring across the room. Not an artefact, notably. It crashed into the wall with velocity, a shattering crash had seen the metal item splinter into shards. Not aimed towards Valery, not aimed towards anything. But even then, the Force signature of a holocron could draw someone to it all the same.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

"It does concern the Jedi if you are here,"

After hearing the projected voice, she knew she was in the right place. Slowly and carefully, she began to look around but she couldn't spot whoever was talking to her. He was close though, and the faintest bit of tension that caused was something she could feel in the Force. Only its source remained a mystery.

Despite it all, the woman did not draw a weapon, nor did her stance seem all too threatening. If there was a way through this situation without conflict, she was naturally going to take it. But deep within, she had a feeling that whoever was here had no intentions of leaving this place without an artifact, and that meant a clash was moments away from happening.

The mysterious figure finally sent a warning — a decoration was smashed into the wall, perhaps with the intent to scare her or get her to leave. But Valery viewed it differently, and hoped to draw him out with this perspective, "You don't want to fight," she said as she looked around, hoping to spot him or pick up on any emotions that could echo through the Force. "I'm not hiding in the Force, you know where I am. Yet you're staying concealed and you're not aiming at me."

She paused a moment and let out a soft sigh.

"Are you afraid of what would happen if you did attack? Or is it something else?"

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

"It belongs to me." Said the disembodied voice with entitlement, "I am not afraid. I don't wish to hurt you, Val."

Slip of the mind, slip of the tongue. His disconnection from the Order fell, and so too had the mask whilst Rakaan chided himself on his foolish failure. His disguised presence weakened and his true self slipped through the cracks as his features stormed to a scowl. In an effort to distract, or even lash out with his anger, through the Force Rakaan had thrown another series of odd ornate decorations. Careless, yet without aim.

"Be a Jedi, choose the lesser path and walk away."

In the air, a stronger sense of where his true voice stemmed from could be felt. As could the signature of the holocron. Rakaan was running out of time as he leaped between the rafters.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

"I am not afraid. I don't wish to hurt you, Val."

He could likely feel it — there was an instant shift in the Force, caused by the revelation in his slip-up. The woman's eyes narrowed and as she looked around the room, she was no longer searching for just any intruder, but for what she believed to be a former Jedi. To an outsider, it might seem strange that it made a difference, but to her, it was very much a different situation now.

Along with his slip-up, Valery's refined senses began to pick up on his signature bleeding through the cracks in his veil. But her eyes and body did not betray that she was catching on to his location quite yet.

"Be a Jedi, choose the lesser path and walk away."

"If you know who I am..." Valery began as the Force built up within the woman, "...Then you know that I can't." Her eyes turned up to the ceiling, and right as he jumped between rafters, Valery allowed the Force to explode underneath her. A single jump and she was up there herself, but a distance away so he couldn't lash out while she was in the air. It meant that she immediately transitioned into a sprint to catch up, and she hoped he decided against running away.

"There's no way out!" The hilt of one of her lightsabers was finally drawn into her hand, but she didn't yet ignite the weapon. It was there in case he decided to attack, or if she made the decision to strike herself.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

Rakaan had recoiled, halted in the sudden shock and was taken aback for but a moment. Her sudden arrival forced that much, and his half-visible features had not betrayed that much as the Imperial turned to face the Jedi, her own eyes able to peer into what the hooded cloak had failed to conceal. His momentum, stolen out from under him, with Noble in tow - the cloak and wish to ensure the holocron remained hidden had done him no favours either, far less agile than he otherwise would be.

The Knight dropped from the rafters with a thud and threw himself into a roll, only to be confronted by the truth: there was no way out, the door had closed. In a haste-filled effort, Rakaan harnessed the Force with the drawback of his unused hand and thrust it forwards. It was as if an explosion had ruptured, the hidden chamber's doorway fractured and detonated with the energy he threw towards it. But that had seen him stand there, still, in order to do so.

Vulnerable, if but for a moment. And Valery only needed a moment to get the drop on him.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

"Don't do it," Valery said as he turned around to face her. The woman's eyes began to pierce through his cloak, and a familiar feeling struck her, one that she couldn't entirely place just yet. But the man didn't stop and jumped down the rafters with a concealed item that had likely been his reason for coming here. He landed and after transitioning into a roll to use the momentum from the fall, he blew apart the large doors and with that release of energy, she finally felt it.

The attack left him exposed and while she considered jumping him for a brief moment, she decided against it and made her landing between him and the fractured door instead. She made her landing and after going down through her knees to absorb the shock, she slowly began to rise up and looked him in the eyes.

"Rakaan?" she asked with a noticeable frown. "You know I can't let you go but... why?" She wanted answers and the desire to confront or even fight were fading fast in her. It likely meant her guard wasn't as strong as it usually would be in the face of danger, but he was a former Jedi, and even though he had left the order behind, there was still a feeling of compassion that made it difficult to raise a weapon against him. Whether that would be a problem remained to be seen, but at the very least, she wasn't going to step out of the way.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

"Like I said," Rakaan remarked with a sullen eyed stare sent out from underneath the cloak, "It belongs to me."

His concealed hand withdrew the holocron, the cube held within the palm of his hand. Even if unknown to Noble, it was known well enough to Rakaan; forged by another Jedi Master, one that taught the Imperial near all that he knew now and intended the teachings to be for him. Lost to him upon his departure, and thought lost some more with the destruction of the Jedi Temple, until now. Believed or not, it hardly mattered. Rakaan was on a mission of his own, sanctioned not by the Empire but by a higher authority: his own.

The Imperial raised a hand for the front of the hood that still veiled his features and removed it, all in order to reveal the rest of his familiar features. He was older now since their last meeting, aged so slightly in that limited time, but not enough to become a new man - still the same Rakaan, that Jedi.

"Let me go, Valery. You don't want to make me do something we'll both regret."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

When he removed the holocron from underneath his robes and presented it, Valery's eyes narrowed briefly. She couldn't recognize every Holocron just on sight, but knowing the personal holocrons of Knights and Masters were stored here, it wasn't too difficult for her to understand what he was holding.

"I see," she said as she watched him closely, "This is personal."

He wasn't on some kind of mission for a higher authority to infiltrate the Jedi Temple and steal Holocrons containing vital information for the Jedi. Rakaan had traveled this far and taken the risks he had to find something connected to his past as a Jedi. To Valery, it made the situation a lot more difficult — it felt easy to confront a foe who was looking to gain information with the hopes of using it to destroy the Jedi. But to stop someone who was still attached to certain parts of his past and looking to reconnect with it was a lot more difficult.

Of course, his intentions with the knowledge on the Holocron could still be problematic.

"I won't let you go, and I'm not making you do anything. Your actions are your own, Rakaan," Valery said while she watched him remove the hood and expose the familiar features. He had changed, matured, but she could still recognize him without a problem. "And so I urge you not to do something you'll regret."

With the hilt of her lightsaber held low at her side, and her eyes fixed on him, she sighed, "Maybe I can help you, and I would be willing to. But I can't let you leave with one of these Holocrons, no matter how important they are to you personally."

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

"It's too late for that." Rakaan stated with utter conviction, "I am what I am, and this is still mine."

The once-Jedi raised the holocron, all whilst a certain coldness formed across his features. So far removed from the Jedi that once was, another man stood here now and claimed the name and stories of Rakaan. Severed the ties to the Jedi, abandoned them and felt abandoned himself, so full of mistrust and caution. If not a hint of hatred, with ideas of a road ahead that scared him. Too aware of what fear meant to a Jedi.

Rakaan retreated into the cloak for a mere second and rolled his shoulders, all for the fabric to fall onto the marble floor behind him. His saber, taken from his belt now sat in his hand. He was a valiant man of action, the first to the front. But with a feeble amount of patience, or consideration for the future. Impulsive, to say the least. With the flick of his finger, the white beam hummed to life and illuminated the otherwise dark room the two stood inside of.

"I'm leaving with the holocron, whether you want to allow it or not."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

"It's never too late,"

As much as she believed that to be true, she also understood that in the moment, it mattered nothing. He wasn't going to change from one moment to another, and stood firmly in what he believed in now. Which meant that regardless of his past, and whether or not she was willing and offering to help, he'd complete the task he had given himself. It brought another momentary frown to the woman's face, which grew deeper when he rolled his shoulders and dropped his cloak to the ground.

"I'm leaving with the holocron, whether you want to allow it or not."

A soft sigh escaped the woman's lips as her fiery eyes watched a blade of white plasma ignite, and briefly, she glanced down at the hilt in her own hand. Her thumb hovered over the switch and slowly, she looked back up at him, "I understand, and I hope that someday things can be different." There was a brief smile on her face for him, that quickly faded into the focused and fiery glare most of her opponents would have seen at one point or another.

The thumb hit the switch and after the violet blade ignited, she raised her weapon with both hands into a defensive stance. As aggressive of a fighter she could be, Valery would not make the first move against a former Jedi. The almost unbreakable respect and compassion she felt would not allow it. Instead, she stood directly in his way with her blade raised to defend herself.

If he wanted to get out, he'd have to go right through her.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

It was all a mess, intended to be an easier mission; a simple one, in and out in a matter of moments. Dozens of times had Rakaan visited the ruins in secret, his name and face left unsaid and unseen whilst the man mounred for the life he lost and the life he could never return to. Of his own volition and their own, even, as once Rakaan stuck the blade in their back it was the Jedi twisted one in his. Truth remained relative, everyone had their own versions, and many interpretations arose from that day.

"I doubt it." Rakaan said, blunt as can be. His since idle hand drifted across to the hilt of the saber and the Imperial assumed the combative stance of Djem So. Moments before, the holocron had been set down on an unshattered table with the Force.

He moved fast, faster than most, and with aimed strikes Rakaan lashed out with his white bladed saber. The Jedi no doubt defended herself from them, but his assault continued with a wrathful series of movements. Sent from side to side, from overhead and all inbetween. His focus clear on his face, yet it was a face of anger. Anger with Valery, or himself. Who was to say?

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

His words likely hurt more than he'd realize through his anger, but even so, Valery didn't give up hope that one day, he could change. Not necessarily with a path back to the Jedi, but at least one without the anger she felt from him. It was like the raging inferno within herself, but uncontrolled and destructive to more than just those around him. To tap into it, she watched him transition into the familiar Djem So stance, and from that moment forward, she knew she could no longer let her guard down.

"So be it."

In the blink of an eye, the man exploded towards her to close the distance, and the first powerful sweep wasn't met with a direct block, but more expertly deflected away from her body through precise angling of her guard. Back in his Jedi days, Rakaan had showed to be an extremely promising Jedi, capable of rivaling some of the order's greatest duelists. But every part of Valery's being was defined as a great warrior as well, and so she was able to adapt and match his speed to keep up a strong defense.

For anybody who knew about the way she fought, it would seem highly unusual — she was an aggressive fighter who used her own speed and strength to overwhelm. It made it obvious that she didn't want to strike with the intent to kill or main, she wanted to exhaust him and find a better way through this. There was risk to such an approach, but the Jedi way often meant taking the hard routes to fight and suffer for something important.

It didn't mean she wasn't going to just let him bash away though.

As one particularly powerful overhead strike came for the top of her head, Valery took the opportunity and raised her blade up in a horizontal guard to block his strike and force him into a blade lock. Only briefly though, as her foot suddenly shifted off the ground and a powerful, Force-augmented kick was sent to his lower left ribs from the side. If she could take the fire out of his onslaught and cripple him without dealing too much damage, this could hopefully end without too many regrets.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

His strikes continued to bear down over the Jedi Master, the white blade transformed into a blur certain to sever those left unattuned to the Force with all the capabilities it offered a most competent wielder - one such as Valery Noble, a teacher any aspiring Jedi had aspired to become in some way or another. Of them all, few rivalled her fame in and out of the Jedi Order. New, or otherwise. But his steely focus remained in spite of that, and neither could Rakaan afford to lose that focus and slip. She had not wanted to kill him, but there was always a time when there was no alternative.

Rakaan had found his blade locked with her's, his full might bore down over Noble in a bid to see her flattened beneath him. Taken out of the fight so soon, but the idea of that would almost have been a disappointment. His concentration had become so single-minded that it was at the detriment of himself, and the swift kick to his side had connected. Rakaan stumbled backwards, yet still found himself on his feet. His features twisted and he hissed between his teeth from the contact.

"You can do better than that," Rakaan taunted almost playfully, "Everyone's heard the stories. Valery Noble, Galaxy's finest."

He advanced again, his saber wildly on the move with the persistance of someone with something to prove. But the flick of his wrist had sent several small and shattered chunks of the destroyed wall in Valery's direction. His saber swung high and low, almost in a sequence, the opposite side of wherever it was his elder motioned to block. She could feel the strength and passion behind each swing of his lightsaber, as if doubled from their spars in his time as a Jedi.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

"You'd be dead if I did."

She met his taunting with an almost annoying smirk but it didn't last very long. Considering the situation, she was in no mood to joke around or spend too much time taunting her opponent. The fight was going to be tough — taking him down just on its own was a challenge, albeit one she was more than confident enough in to accept. But to do so with the limitations she imposed on herself made it far more difficult, almost impossible, even.

Landing that kick was a good first step though, but it likely alerted him as well.

With her blade drawn ready again, she waited and with the same ferocity as before, Rakaan stepped in striking distance to unleash another barrage of attacks against her. Each one was powerful and meant to break through her defenses, forcing her to utilize incredibly precise deflections to avert most of the energy each strike contained. But the focus needed to counter him without striking much in return was so great, that the sudden barrage of debris became tough to handle.

With a few motions of her body and head, she evaded most but one piece managed to clip her cheek, and sent her stumbling back a step as blood splashed away from her face. It began to run down her cheek quickly, and dripped to the ground from her chin, but the greater problem would be the momentary opening it left in her guard. So in an attempt to keep him from exploiting it, there was a quick and sudden surge of power within the Jedi Master, which she used to send a strong wave of telekinetic energy his way.

Unlike former attacks, this one was without the restraint to avoid harm — she needed to keep him off of her so she could find her balance and somehow end this fight.

 

[Rakaan Horne]

Valery Noble

His response was a smirk, coupled with an amused huff.

Rakaan continued without restraint, merciless in his blows, one after the other. His blade bounced and slid across her own, the discolouration bathed the vault room with each connection to the two beams made with one another. Each sound echoed off of the walls, as the two battled, and trickled out into the rest of the Jedi Temple; whether those the Jedi ordered to remain without an order from her had done so was in the air.

But the moment soon came with his offensive use of the Force, a chink in her armour made. His saber found a wide arc and sent towards her, to find her own use of the Force sent out - an unmeasured use, the kind that could wound if not kill. Rakaan ceased his swing and braced himself with his own use of the Force, and it felt like a tidal wave crashed over him; his hair wildly whipped back, and the fabric of his clothes had torn, so much so it revealed his arms and portions of his torso as he slid backwards several feet, though still on his feet.

It took a considerable amount of effort, and a moment of reprieve had been needed. He breathed and almost smiled an amused smile, if not an entertained one. He shut it down, however, and remained so unsure as to where it all came from. But another explosive movement had seen the him leap into the air and try to flip over Valery and find the doorway to his back.

"Almost had me." He taunted again. As if it was all a game and enjoyed the thrill of the fight.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsabers (2)
Tag: Rakaan Horne

While the wave collided with his body, Valery regained her balance and looked at Rakaan with widened eyes. The attack she unleashed against him had been with the intention to just knock him back to keep him from attacking, but with it being so unrestrained, it had done a lot more than just that. Seeing the clothing torn around his arms and upper body, Valery blinked and quickly shook her head to empty her mind of thoughts and emotions so she could focus again... before he'd get another chance at catching her off-guard.

The man, however, used the moment to jump over her and landed between her and the doorway she had been looking to protect. With an elegant turn, she brought him back in front of her, and met his amused smile with one of her own. She wasn't quite sure why she smiled yet either, perhaps because of the thrill of the fight, but she also suppressed it as quickly as it came.

"Not looking to run already, are we?" she teased back, before a hand came up to wipe some blood away from her chin. The injury was luckily minimal, and between the adrenaline and Force sustaining her, she didn't even really feel it either. But it was still a warning that this fight was serious, and that helped her focus quickly again.

This time though, she wasn't going to be as passive with him. Turning to the Force, Valery exploded into the air and towards him with immense speed, and as soon as she moved within striking distance, a barrage of fast-paced attacks was launched his way, aimed at all limbs and parts of his now-exposed body. Perhaps it would give him the idea that his taunting provoked her usual fighting style, but Valery had other reasons to tap into her fiery spirit. It was most likely the best way to ending this fight.

But somewhere deep down, she couldn't deny that she enjoyed the thrill of this clash with him.