Private Hell to Pay

[Kryos]

Coruscant
Tags: Valery Noble Azurine Varek

Fiery eyes stared down at the crowd below, intensity and frustration growing as his patience waned. Locals and tourists intermixed on the busy street as afternoon turned to evening. Normal people carrying on normal lives, drifting from shop to shop, into restaurants, oblivious to the predator monitoring their actions. But they weren’t his prey. In fact, it was just the opposite. They were the oppressed, and he was here to free them of the tyranny. It was time to end the stranglehold that the Jedi and Sith had held on the galaxy for far too long.

His target was the queen of them all. The Grandmaster. The Sword of the Jedi. Valery Noble.

Removing her from the board would ensure chaos. First they would mourn. Then they would turn on each other. Each egomaniacal demon of the light clawing for power. Her husband would take steps to assume the mantle. To take lead. Kahlil Noble would not be able to help it, seeing himself as the natural successor in the time of crisis. But others on the Council would be less willing to follow. The infighting would weaken the entire Order. And he would be there to clean up the mess. Taking out the remaining pieces one by one.

But first he must accomplish the task at hand. Kryos recognized the bold decision to launch his attack here, on Coruscant, was irrational. She would have allies, friends even, available at a moment’s notice. But he found he did not care. Nothing was rational. What the Jedi had done to him was not rational. What the Sith had done to him was not rational.

Perhaps this would be the hardest thing Kryos had ever done in his life. The hardest fight he had ever had. Master Noble had powers unmatched in the galaxy. Sith feared her. For good reason — she had decimated legions of them in her time. Surely, her own subordinates feared her, too. One could not simply walk away from a battlefield covered in bodies, soaked in the blood of her enemies, and not take that home to the Temple.

Yet Kryos did not feel fear for what was to come. One emotion controlled him in this moment. Revenge. Revenge on everyone and everything that had done him wrong, and that continued to wrong the people of this beautiful galaxy.

Today, he was not Kryos. He was Hell’s Prophet. And he was here to kill Jedi Master Valery Noble.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery strolled down the bustling streets of Coruscant, a calm, relaxed presence amidst the neon lights and evening rush. Beside her walked her Padawan, who matched her pace with a quiet sense of purpose, the day's mission leaving both with a sense of accomplishment. They'd just wrapped up a routine investigation in the lower levels — a simple matter of resolving a minor dispute and reinforcing the community's trust in the Jedi. Valery enjoyed the lighter missions; they offered rare moments to connect with her Padawan on a more grounded level.

As they weaved through the crowd, her amber gaze flickered over the storefronts lining the street, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "What do you say, some noodles before we head back?" she asked, glancing down at her Padawan, whose eyes lit up at the suggestion. The Temple could wait a little longer, and the idea of sharing a meal, an informal ritual of sorts, felt like the perfect way to end their day.

The crowd bustled around them, yet Valery's senses, always attuned, took in the scene with practiced ease. The hum of passing speeders, the chatter of merchants closing up for the night, the flicker of holo-screens flashing above — it was all familiar, grounding. There was a strange comfort in the chaos of the city; it reminded her of her place within it, a quiet strength amid the galaxy's restless pulse.

As they approached the noodle stand, Valery felt an unusual disturbance ripple through the Force. It was faint, barely perceptible, yet it lingered, a subtle darkness that sent a chill over her skin. Her hand instinctively brushed the hilt of her lightsaber, but she didn't reach for it. Instead, she lowered her voice, her expression composed as she spoke to her Padawan.

"Stay close," she murmured, casting a sidelong glance over the crowd.

The city around her continued as it always did, the people blissfully unaware of the threat watching from the shadows. But Valery knew better — the subtle darkness was deliberate, intentional, and its presence wasn't something she could ignore.

Someone was here, lurking in the depths of the crowd, waiting.

Kryos Azurine Varek ​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Chaos, Yet Harmony

Outfit: Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber | Hook Swords

It had been a simple, routine trip. They hadn't even had to fly to get there, which Azurine had jokingly pouted a bit about. The investigation was simple, it was the resolution of the issue that hadn't been. She'd been tasked with using her mental manipulation and view of auras to try to keep tensions from rising past frustrations and level out the emotions of all involved in order to more easily come to a peaceful resolution. Using her skills like that had been something she'd only successfully done once or twice in the past, so to say she was proud of herself in being able to manage it with multiple parties for long enough to get to a solution that everyone involved was happy with would be an understatement. She'd make quite a successful Shadow someday if she kept pushing her natural talents.

Though she may have looked more pale today than other days, that paleness only seeming to grow as time moved forward, and the bags under her eyes showed the lack of sleep she'd been getting, she still held herself with a strength that was unmatched except by Valery herself. A warm fire from their success flickered behind her amethyst hued eyes like that of a warm hearth.

"Before Tython, Aris sniffed out this food stand with some kind of kebabs and sandwichs. I should show you sometime if you haven't had it. It was so good," she said with a quick grin. She'd been spending a lot of time with Aris Noble since their first spar. He'd certainly become a staple in her routines and by now a close friend. It was nice to have been able to connect so easily with him like she had with Anneliese Kaohal .

Approaching the stand with her master, something instantly felt off. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and sent a jolt through her spine. It wasn't close, but at least to her, whose natural sense abilities were so strong, it left her on edge. One quick glance at Valery told her that she'd felt the same thing.

"Should I try to get people off of the streets?" Her words were no more than a whisper, but her worry was no longer on herself or Valery. It instantly went to the people around them who could become cannon fodder it something actually did go wrong. Would they even trust her if she started to push the narrative that they needed to head to shelter? She wasn't sure, but she was ready to press it if she needed.

Valery Noble | Kryos​

 

[Kryos]

Location: Coruscant
Tags: Valery Noble Azurine Varek

They knew he was here. Of course Kryos could see them, but he could feel them. A Jedi of Master Noble’s caliber would certainly sense the dark aura exuding from his presence. And any Padawan under her guidance would likely have the ability to sense him, as well.

The Padawan. While he had hoped to catch Valery alone, it was not unexpected for her to have a student in tow. A young Iridonian, still in training. She was a wildcard, an unknown to him. But she was of little concern. Nothing but a fly to swat. Perhaps even a distraction for her master, one that Kryos could use to his advantage.

There was no use in remaining in the shadows now. Kryos dropped from his perch, landing in an opening on the street level among the pedestrians. Those around were startled, some froze in place, unsure what to do, others immediately running away. He paid them no mind, focused solely on the two enemies across the way, perhaps twenty meters or so in front of him.

He drew his lightsaber, and with a snap-hiss! the crimson blade came to life. The bystanders who had stopped, confused by his sudden appearance, now fled in fear upon seeing the signature color of the Sith glowing before them. But he was no Sith. The darkside enslavers would perish at his hands just as those of the light. Sometimes he wondered whether the blue Kyber crystal from his Jedi lightsaber would have bled. He had not waited to find out, destroying it immediately upon leaving the Order and building a new weapon. Kryos controlled this synthetic crystal, not the Force that had forsaken him, that had corrupted him.

Slowly he stalked toward the Jedi, his senses tingling, electric from the energy and excitement that flowed through him now. “Master Noble,” he called, his voice carrying through the chaotic crowd sprinting and yelling in every direction. “I am Hell’s Prophet, and I have come for your head. Perhaps I will take that of your apprentice, as well.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's senses sharpened as Kryos dropped from his perch, the Force tingling with dark intent around him. Her hand moved instinctively to her lightsaber, but she didn't yet ignite it, watching as the crimson blade of her enemy flared to life amidst the panic of the crowd. Bystanders scattered in all directions, and she saw flashes of fear in the eyes of those running past her, their expressions a reminder of who was most at risk in this confrontation.

Her gaze narrowed, a steely calm settling over her as Kryos spoke, his taunt slicing through the chaos.

"Hell's Prophet?" Her voice carried across the distance, strong and unyielding, with a touch of sardonic humor. "You came a long way to be disappointed, then."

She cast a quick sidelong glance at Azurine, a silent reassurance passing between them. "He's here for us, so stay close and focus on your own protection." Valery could handle herself, and she knew Azurine could as well. Together, she was confident they could bring this stranger down.

Turning her attention back to Kryos, she finally unclipped her lightsaber, the violet blade springing to life with its own fierce hum. She took a single step forward, her stance both defensive and inviting, as if daring him to approach.

"One last chance to stand down."

Kryos Azurine Varek ​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Chaos, Yet Harmony

Outfit: Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber | Hook Swords

A flash of fear sparked through Azurine's amethyst colored eyes for a moment, not when he saw him, but when he ignited his blade and spoke.

"The jedi and his padawan. How ... quaint."

Suddenly, she wasn't on Coruscant anymore. Instead, she stood in the tie fighter facility above Nar Shadda over 900 years ago, eyes wide and staring at the black masked figure of the Thirteenth Brother, his red blade flickered in sharp contrast against the soft station lighting. She looked over at the Pantoran man beside her, whose grip had tightened on his own saber. There was a hesitation, then the Inquisitor chuckled, his attention focused completely on her, "What's this? I didn't realize you had someone quite so powerful ... truly remarkable. The dark lord would be pleased with her."

Azzie felt her blood run cold like the oppressive air she felt around them, her fear and confusion even more palpable than it was before. Kynn turned his head to face her, his eyes holding his fear but also his concern. His aura, however, spiked with a determined resolve as he moved to position himself protectively in front of her. "Find your own apprentice."

Azzie was snapped back to reality by Master Valery's voice before she could even think about the flashback she'd relived. She'd been hunted before —for years even— and something about the way he spoke brought her back to those dark times. It sent a shudder down her spine the same way it had then.

However, she was stronger now, better trained, than she had been on the tie fighter facility. She'd looked into the eyes of darkness and continued to fight with everything she had.

Her eyes narrowed in a quick and rebellious defiance, "You're all the same. All of you. You think this will earn you favor from someone higher than you when all you are is a slave to them," she spat, one hand going to grasp the hilt of her saber and the other to that of one of the hook swords she had been gifted by Jonyna Si , The Blades of Rebellion.

As Valery whispered to her, she nodded and flashed a small grin. The yellow blade of her saber and the orange glow of her hook sword cast a light across her face in a conplimenting contrast to the violet of her eyes. She glanced around the streets. Her first priority was getting as many of the remaining civilians out of battle range as soon as possible. She trusted Valery could handle this while she did that. They were so close to the temple, what a brazen place to make an offensive. Attention was bound to be drawn, and eventual backup received with the commotion this would cause.

Valery Noble | Kryos​

 

[Kryos]

Location: Coruscant Streets
Tags: Valery Noble Azurine Varek

Kryos smiled at the Padawan’s statement. How ironic. She accused him of the very thing in which she was engaged. She saw this as another battle of light versus dark, of Jedi versus Sith. The endless war of power hungry cultists obsessed with controlling the galaxy by force, with the Force. She would never understand. He was not here to do the bidding of some Sith Master, to further some agenda of another empire or “republic” seeking to enslave the population. No, he was here to put an end to all of that. He would eradicate their entire existence — Jedi and Sith alike — so that the people could be free of their tyranny, free to govern themselves without living in constant fear of the next brutal encounter that would result in nothing but countless innocent lives lost to collateral damage, with neither the Jedi nor the Sith giving a second thought to those men, women, and children killed amidst their continual violence.

Shifting his eyes back to elder Jedi, he addressed her comment directly. “I think you are mistaken, Master Noble. This isn’t a challenge or a duel. This is a genocide.” And that was enough talking. His eyes seemed to glow, fueled by anger and eagerness, the desire to bring the Order to its knees by cutting down its leader here and now. The Force fought him, attempting to take over, but he held strong, ensuring that he remained in control of it. Giving in made him no better than his foes. He owned the Force. It would do his bidding, not the other way around.

Leaving the apprentice for dessert, Kryos stepped toward Valery, slowly at first, then increasing in speed, holding his lightsaber open and behind his right side. When he closed the distance to just a few meters, he launched into the air, bringing his blade up and over, connecting his left hand into a powerful two-handed vertical strike down on his opponent.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's grip on her saber tightened as Kryos launched into the air, his blade descending with deadly precision. She met his strike with both hands, their weapons colliding in a shower of sparks that illuminated their fierce expressions. The power of his attack sent a resonating shockwave through her arms, but she stood firm, grounding herself in the Force.

Kryos was close, his crimson blade pressing down with relentless weight. Their faces were close enough for her to see the flicker of madness in his eyes. "You claim this is genocide," she said, her voice steady but sharp, "But I see only fear. Fear of what you can't control."

The hum of their sabers filled the tense air, blending with the distant cries of the dispersing crowd. Valery shifted her footing subtly, redistributing her weight to maintain the lock while keeping Kryos' attention fully on her. Her voice dropped to a near whisper, a taunting edge lacing her words. "You'll find no victory here."

In the corner of her eye, Valery glimpsed the flickering orange and yellow light of Azurine's weapons. Trusting her Padawan's instincts, she pressed harder against Kryos' blade, trying to lock him in place to give Azurine the perfect opportunity to strike from his blind side.

Kryos Azurine Varek ​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Chaos, Yet Harmony

Outfit: Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber | Hook Swords

Azurine felt the sudden shockwave of the attack as it reverberated through the city street. She planted her feet firm to keep herself steady, but her attention was quickly drawn to the civilians who'd started screaming, visions of the oncoming danger flashing quickly before her eyes. Parts of unfinished construction had been destabilized. It wasn't much, just small pieces, but it was enough that it could have caused broken bones if it collided with anyone who'd fallen over. She ran forward swiftly, holding both hands out in front of her to slow and eventually stop the bits of debris just as it crumbled. Her violet eyes flickered with the persistent pain she'd been hiding for some time that all of this seemed to exacerbate, desperately trying to hold it up for long enough for those underneath to escape.

"Go now! Get to shelter!" She shouted quickly, watching people pick themselves up and run before she was able to finally release her telekinetic hold, and the bits crashed to the ground.

Taking a deep breath in order to quickly recenter herself the best she could, her focus was quickly drawn back to the would-be assassin clashing blades with her master. Not only could she see what Valery was planning, but she could feel it as well. Kryos was unfocused on her, and a smart Shadow should be able to take advantage of that position.

With a speedy move of her hand, she vanished from the naked eye, completely cloaking herself within the force. Light on her feet, she launched herself forward, vaulting off of the environment around her while mostly hidden to position herself to his back. Uncloaking herself in order to make her move, she aimed her lightsaber to strike at his back and her hook sword to snag around his leg with intent to pull to destabilize balance as well as cause damage. Whether or not she was successful, she used the remaining momentum to push herself upward, flipping back with the signature acrobatics of an Ataru practitioner to create enough space between them to cloak herself once again.

Just like on Tython, she knew her best asset here was to keep herself from being the primary target as much as possible, playing to her strengths of swiftness, precision, and unpredictability.

Valery Noble | Kryos​

 

[Kryos]

Location: Coruscant Streets
Tags: Valery Noble Azurine Varek

Master Noble‘s physical strength was undeniable, especially when leveraged with her superior combat skills. He stared deeply into her uniquely orange eyes as she spoke to him, their faces only inches apart. “You speak as someone familiar with that same fear,” he responded coldly.

Clever girl. The pair were trained to fight in tandem. The Jedi had no honor, so of course the weaker would strike in stealth while her master sought to distract. Kryos disengaged just in time, spinning to his right to catch the lightsaber aimed at his back with his own. But his ability to counter was wholly prevented, as the hook caught his leg and pulled him off balance. He dropped to his left knee, and the Padawan leaped away as swiftly as she’d come, allowing him to bring his red blade back forward to block any opportunistic attack from Master Noble. Now holding his primary weapon in his right hand, he drew his dagger in an underhanded grip with the other, prepared to fight with two weapons if that was how his enemies wanted to play.

“Look at yourselves,” he taunted, “Fighting like assassins. The only thing you are fit for is war and death.“ Kryos pushed up and forward, attempting to return to standing while pressing into the elder Jedi.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes narrowed as Kryos taunted her, his words cutting through the sound of clashing sabers and the distant cries of the evacuating crowd. She held her ground as his crimson blade pushed against hers, the deadly hum of their weapons locking in a fierce, fiery contest. His cold words, laced with venom, did not waver her resolve.

"You're wrong," she replied evenly, her voice steady, yet carrying an undercurrent of steel. "We fight to protect, not to destroy. But you — you're so consumed by your crusade that you can't see past your own hatred."

Her blade held firm against his as Kryos pressed forward, his strength driving him closer, but Valery's mind remained sharp, calculating. She felt the shift in his stance, the way his weight adjusted as he sought to overpower her. His skill with dual weapons was formidable, but his overconfidence in pushing through a supposed opening would be his mistake.

As his momentum surged, Valery made her move.

In the blink of an eye, her form shimmered and dissolved into an ethereal blur. Her body seemed to vanish, phasing through Kryos as if she were nothing more than a fleeting shadow. His weight, thrown into what he believed was a decisive strike, now carried him forward into empty space.

Reappearing behind him in a fluid motion, Valery spun on her heel, her violet blade arcing through the air in a swift, precise strike aimed at his exposed flank. The Force flowed through her, enhancing her speed and precision, her every movement calculated to exploit the momentary imbalance she hoped to cause by phasing through him.

Kryos Azurine Varek ​

 

[Azurine Varek]

Chaos, Yet Harmony

Outfit: Clothing | Right Arm | Glove
Weapons: Lightsaber | Hook Swords

"Look at yourselves, Fighting like assassins."

The words caught Azurine off guard more than she thought they would, immediately rubbing her the wrong way. They hadn't been the ones to start this fight! They were fighting for their lives against someone who wanted to end it, but not just that. They were fighting to protect all the innocent people caught in the corsshairs of this mans ill-fated crusade. She had been a rebel once. She'd spent so much of her life in war against the Empire, that much she could admit, but she never once did it for herself. Everything she had ever done had been to stand up for the people who couldn't do it for themselves. To lead people to a hope they desperately needed. She'd given up everything —her childhood, part of her sanity, even her life— for it.

But quickly, she realized that he couldn't possibly know that, and her emotions settled before they could even flare.

"You chose this fight," she spoke from the shadows, her voice a deadly calm but also laced with a sorrow as she examined his aura more closely, "I would much rather sit down and discuss our differences, but the hatred in your aura tells me that's not going to happen right now. Whoever hurt you so badly that you chose to do this and put so many people in harms way, you didn't deserve it. I'm sorry."

Rather than attack, Azzie held her hand forward, attempting to push her way through his mind to plant the suggestion on a loop, a technique she'd been working in perfecting:

Sleep ...

If she could subvert a fight, the collateral damage would be much less, and she'd rather lead by example. No one needed to die here, and she remained steadfast in the tennants she'd been taught once by Kynn and now continued by Valery; The use of ones blade should be done with caution. If you must draw your saber, you must be prepared to do what is necessary in the defense of others. She was prepared, holding her lightsaber and hook blade in a stance that was ready for whatever he decided to throw in case it didn't work while she continued to push the mental suggestion forward.

Valery Noble | Kryos​