Private Healing Waters

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery let out a soft sigh and nodded, "There have been times when I thought about life if we both just stopped being Jedi and just focused on the family we started. But I don't think it's that easy," she said, but she believed it to be a selfish thought. They were both Jedi and so many people relied on them for guidance. She felt it was her duty to help other people.

What he said next got her to frown a little, though.

Once more, she squeezed his hand and looked up to meet his gaze, "Maybe we both need to take a step back," she suggested. "Since you returned, you've been more open about your emotions and held them back less. I've...really liked that, but I don't want you to tap into the Dark. I can't have you fall or leave me again." She looked down at their hands now and thought about what he told her after she had brought him back from the Wellspring. The promise he made not to leave her again for as long as he lived.

"All Jedi are confronted with temptations of the dark, but I've never seen you use it without even thinking about it. Even for me." She paused and offered a more loving smile to show him that she'd always be there for him. "Maybe what happened with the Wellspring, or your father or something, has changed something in you? I want to help you with it before it's too late."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It's been this way since I came back, love. I've wanted to live more free since.. Well, dying. I truly felt dead, and all I had was time to think about everything I didn't do." A heavy sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes. Then, despite where they were, he leaned down. Rested his forehead against her hand as he leaned over the table.

"When our home was attacked by the Maw, when those slavers whipped you, when our family was threatened. I don't hesitate, I don't think. You're my greatest weakness, Val."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery watched him with a mix of pain and love in her eyes. It wasn't easy to see him like this, and to know what he had felt and gone through to protect her. But the way he had changed also had its positive effects on both their lives. How he was more open, and seemed to feel more free in life.

She'd never want that part of him to change.

"I know," Valery then said after a moment, as she held her hand against his cheek and gentlt let her thumb brush through his beard. "After you came back, you were so open and embracing life again. It gave me a lot of energy and it still does when you take me om trips like this, or go the extra mile to make sure the kids and I are happy."

She paused and let out a soft sigh. "We've gone through so much just to be together. From the mark of your father, to losing our home and being separated through what felt like death..." She felt tears in her eyes but held them back and smiled at him instead.

"But we always pushed through and got back stronger together. I want to help you with this. We'll always stay each other's greatest strength and weakness, but we can learn to live with that without losing ourselves in the process. I just know it..." She said with a hope in her tone she didn't want to lose. They had to work through this.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil let out a sigh as he squeezed her hand. He kept his eyes closed for a moment, then sat up. Reached up to rub the back of his neck as he watched her. And smiled, a little more nervously than he ever had before.

"Well, yeah. That'd be ideal. I'm already doing things I probably wouldn't have before. I just.. Don't feel bad about it. I don't regret it. I don't even feel I've done anything wrong despite knowing, factually, that it was. I want to protect you, our families, our Padawans, our Order. Just, without you, I don't think I can stay in check. So don't get caught again. I'll teach you whatever you want so you don't get caught again like that."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery blinked and looked at him for a moment, before she began to smile again. "I'll be your anchor, the way you always have been for me. And I think it's my turn to promise that I'm not going to be gone like that again." She chuckled softly, but what she said was serious and to drive that home, she leaned across the table again to take his hand once more. "I don't want you to go through all of that again because of me."

She leaned back, raised a hand up through her hair, and let out a heavier sigh. Sometimes, the best way to relax and get a calm mind again was to get through these difficult conversations, and she felt they had made a lot of progress.

"So, I'll not return to Jedi duty right away, and make sure I'm ready for it first. Spend some time with you and the kids to recover, and we can train to build up my strength and learn how to shoot or, well, anything that can help." She smiled and pushed away her empty plate before resting her hands on her stomach.

"I hope you have your protective clothing ready if you're going to teach me how to shoot." She grinned.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil snorted a little at that before shaking his head. Protective clothing, huh? He just squeezed her hand before standing up and pulling her over. Hugging her, close. The restaurant didn't matter. It wasn't just him who didn't want to go through that again. He didn't want her to ever go through that herself again. He'd seen what she looked like after they finally rescued her. No one deserved that.

"I won't need it. I've got a couple ideas on what we can work on. Times are changing so.. I want to work on bringing what I learned in more with my saber."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery smiled brightly when he began to snort, and almost squealed when he stood up to just pull her up to her feet as well. Years ago, she would have never expected him to hug or be so affectionate in public, but now? Valery leaned into his embrace and rested her head against his chest, just underneath his chin. She didn't care about the restaurant either, so even as a few confused looks were shot their way, she stayed right where she was.

"Oh yeah?" She then asked when he brought up ideas. "I think I remember you having a blaster with you when we first met. You're definitely a good shot too, so I'm sure you can make that work." She looked up and began to smirk. "You'll have to teach me but first..."

"Can we just stand like this for a few hours? I'm really liking all these hugs I'm getting now." She teased and waggled her eyebrows a little. She wasn't going to call it an advantage of being captured but... the hugs were nice.

"You think we should take the Bastion and go somewhere interesting for the training?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Oh we absolutely are going to do just that. But we're not going anywhere too crazy for it. Or we are. We'll see where the jobs take us, mm?" That's what it meant to be a spacer, anyway. He paused though, glancing to Valery, then to the ship. Smirked.

"We're bringing the kids with us. I don't want them missing us too much. But while we're out we'll work on shooting. Expand our arsenals so we can deal with whatever comes our way."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

At this point, Valery gently and somewhat hesitantly broke the hug, before she took his hand to start heading back for their ship. But as they walked, she stayed on topic. "It's exciting to not really know what's next. We could get a dull job that brings us to Coruscant, or we're suddenly in the Outer Rim, being chased by pirates." She had that spark in her eyes again, that desire and joy for adventure and mischief.

Some things would never change.

"Oh and I agree completely. Part of what's nice about this is that we can take the Bastion, and bring the whole family with us. We'll just reject any overly dangerous jobs." She wasn't going to put herself in a position where they'd get chased by pirates if she could help it. Never if their kids were on-board.

"That said, how are you planning to implement a blaster? I can imagine it's more useful when we're up against soldiers, pirates or thugs but if we're dueling Carnifex again..." she smiled sheepishly. "Might want to keep both hands on your lightsaber, hm? Or can it still be balanced?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"No dangerous jobs. The life of a Spacer isn't about going against pirates or anything." Not that they weren't going to help people who needed it. Just, a spacer didn't search for danger, not like Jedi did. They were still Jedi, but the idea this was supposed to be a break from the usual life. For them, and their family.

Then he chuckled.

"Maybe. I've got some ideas on what I can do with that, honestly. Soresu is all about being as careful and passive as possible to avoid overstressing yourself. So.. What if you did that with one hand. With a gun in the other. I think it could work."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I know, I know... but you know me," She waggled her eyebrows and wrapped herself around his arm first, before her hands slid down his arm until she could hold his hand with one of her own. Her fingers then interlaced with his, her side gently bumped into him and she readied herself to walk back.

Like this, she could forget about the things that still troubled her mind so easily.

"I think it can work too! But..." She grinned as her own inner nerd began to shine. Kahlil knew everything about runes and loved to nerd out over them, but Valery had been a Lightsaber Instructor. The Battlemaster, even, so she loved to theorize and talk about this stuff. "A weakness of Makashi is that it's mostly one-handed and about precision, so heavier power attacks from a Form such as Djem So can break through. It's why you see Masters of Makashi often shifting into two-handed grips as well to defend themselves."

She paused and smiled, "You're really strong but be careful wielding a blade in just one hand if you're up against a strength-driven foe." she pinched his bicep with her free hand and smirked.

Until a glass falling from someone's hand shattered to their right.

Valery's eyes widened for just a second, as an image of a bloodied cockpit flashed through her mind. Her breath hitched, her grip on his hand tightened and... she relaxed again. Her eyes shifted away from her husband and she continued to walk forward, knowing he'd notice, but almost hoping he wouldn't have.

"Let's uh, pick up the kids and get this journey started, hm?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That's why holsters are a thing."

Kahlil snickered a little. The idea behind it wouldn't make it very effective in a duel, at least not conventionally. But now he was already scanning through his thoughts, trying to piece together the idea bit by bit. At least, that's where his mind was until the glass shattered and he felt the emotion of the memory in Val. He frowned, glancing her way for a brief moment, worry obvious. But he knew he was already being overbearing with everything.

So he reached out to squeeze her hand gently and nodded.

"Yeah. Let's get them."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Carosi XII

​

Tag: Kahlil Noble

The squeeze of her hand helped Valery snap out of her own mind and had her turn to face him with a loving smile. She knew why he wasn't saying anything about what just happened, and appreciated that he wasn't pressuring her about it. There was still a lot for her to process, and she surely would with his help.

Just...one step at a time.

"Can you fly? I'll call Vera to pack some stuff and tell the nanny we'll be going on a little trip." She squeezed his hand back and leaned into him a little with her side again.

This was going to be exciting.