Private Homecoming

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Wait, what?

Valery blinked and listened to the melody she heard. It was the one she always hummed herself, and she knew that it was Keshian... but now it really started to click. The memory of her mother had shown the woman humming it to calm down her daughter, so that could only mean one thing. Her mother had once been one of the Faedra.

Valery's eyes shifted to Kahlil with a smile that showed a mixture of joy at the realization, as well as sadness that she never got to talk to her mom about it.

"Thank for you showing me," she said softly.

Not much later, the Nobles would be able to spot small docks up ahead, and several silhouettes could be seen standing there, waiting for them. They were all women, beautiful and strong with vibrant eye colors like Valery that seemed to glow even during the day. They were armored but not afraid to show some skin either, and each one of them stood with the same confidence and pride Valery had.

"Woww!" Vera called out, and Valery could only smirk.

Once the boat settled and all of them were out and on the docks, Valery stepped forward a little and nodded, "I'm Valery Noble. My mother was once a warrior here, and I was hoping to learn more about that part of my past," she decided to say, and the women all looked at her for a moment. But rather swiftly, their eyes shifted from Vera to Kahlil, where they lingered. Valery realized they likely hadn't seen a man in a while and narrowed her eyes a bit at them, forcing them to stop checking out her husband.

"We recognize the name, and welcome you to our home. These are trying times, but we'll do our best to assist." One of the women then finally said, who glanced between Valery and Kahlil.

Trying times? Valery blinked and looked at Kahlil for a moment.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil stayed beside Valery, hand in hers, watching with a faint smile. And a curious one. He'd apparently caught their attention, which was more.. Surprising than anything. Their looks, and how Valery seemed to react. Was she jealous? She was jealous. They were checking him out and she was jealous. Yep, he was going to be using that against her at some point. Right now though he wanted to see more of the culture.

".. Wait, what's the problem?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery felt something through their bond as it all happened, and gently squeezed his hand. She wasn't sure why she felt even a little more tense with these women looking at him, but it was an odd sensation. Either way, she doubted that it would matter much at all out here, and decided to also focus on what mattered the most. The people here, and the culture going back thousands of years.

Few groups ever lasted even half that that long, so it showed just how resilient the Faedra were. Perhaps things have changed, but nothing was ever going to shatter them completely.

Or so she hoped.

"Perhaps you've heard about it, but there is conflict on our world, brought here by outsiders," the leader of the group said, but she seemed to make no association between them and Kahlil, unlike the elser Noble earlier. "We have lost too many of our warriors to them, so our reach has weakened. But the needs of the Keshians has only grown."

Valery frowned and looked between the woman and Kahlil. "Maybe there's something we can do to help?" She asked carefully. This was their Vacation after all, but there was no reason they couldn't return, right?

"Maybe, but for now, please join us in our home, sister," she said with a slightly more welcoming smile, before she turned and they started Heading through their camp. It was mostly simple in design, with large tents for barracks and smaller buildings for important things. But everywhere they looked, they'd be able to see armored Keshians train.

"What do you think, love?" Valery asked more quietly while she held his hand.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Conflict, as in, ongoing? Kahlil's brow knitted together for a moment in concern. Right. There was trouble on this world. But to think it was actually this much, to say that they've been dying off, the warriors. Kahlil just gave a nod.

"I think we should help. Even on vacation, we're still Jedi. We'll help, where you need us to."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Normally, we would not accept the help of strangers in our battles, but we have heard of the Jedi, and you are one of our sisters," the woman said, addressing Valery with the last bit of her statement. In fact, the name Noble had sparked curiosity from the start, and now that she knew that Valery was a different kind of warrior, she'd very much be welcomed.

Along with her husband.

"This is sadly a fight that we can't win, even with your help. But there is something you can do to help us. A group of our sisters is surrounded and trapped by enemy forces, and we are planning an evacuation mission. It will be dangerous, but your help would be appreciated."

"You got it," Valery said, now feeling confident with her husband backing her up. "I uh, didn't bring my Jedi attire or armor though. I only have my lightsaber and this dress." Kahlil had a more fitting outfit for a potential fight, but she really needed something else. "And what about my little girl?" she asked, her free hand shifting down to pat Vera atop her head.

"Your daughter can stay with us, and we'll take good care of her." She looked down and smiled, "We could give her a lesson about how we fight, safely here in our camp." She then looked back up at Valery and Kahlil. "As for you, allow us to gift you a set of armor, fitted to you and designed to match that of your mother's. Every armor we create is unique, but we keep a record of everything we've made."

"Yay, training!" Vera chimed in, while Valery was quiet for a moment, as the woman's words sank in. "That... would be fantastic."

"You wouldn't mind waiting for that, right love?" she asked Kahlil with pleading eyes.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

".. Be quick. If there are people in danger, I'd like to go now. But I will wait for you."

Kahlil was already seeming to jump at the bit. His gaze traveled the camp, tried to find something to get ready to just.. Go. He wasn't one to stand around when someone was in danger. Especially when he knew he could help. His gaze fell to Vera, though. Then back to Valery. He gave a simple, small nod.

"Just- be quick."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"There is no rush yet," the Keshian woman assured Kahlil, who was understandably not wanting to waste any time. "If we fly there now, we'll be shot down and killed. We make our approach silently at night when the enemy struggles to see us. But our eyes allow us to see them, as I'm sure you know." She glanced at Valery, who shared the same vibrant eyes as the other warriors. Surely, her husband knew that they could see quite well in the dark.

Valery nodded and squeezed his hand, "We'll help them. This is very important to me, so let's stay relaxed for now. Tonight is when we get serious." She had never been this attached to her homeworld, but now people needed help, and she wasn't going to let her own people get hurt or die.

The woman then brought Kahil and Valery along to the armory, while two others guided Vera to the training area. Their little star seemed excited, and was even given some Keshian training weapons!

"Alright, come with me into the booth, and we'll get it made and fitted to you," the woman then told Valery, before glancing at Kahlil. "This won't take long."

"See you in a moment, love~"

While they disappeared into the booth, Kahlil briefly stood alone. At least, until another warrior approached. She stood about 6ft tall with almost glowing golden eyes, and her long black hair was loose around her shoulders. Her eyes shifted to him and lingered for a moment before she spoke. "I'm Eleya, one of the leading council. You... are not from here," she said, both her voice and eyes showing interest in who he was.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

At that, he relaxed. A night strike. That actually made much more sense than his initial want to spring into action. Kahlil let out a nervous laugh as he glanced between the woman, rubbing at the back of his head. That was fine, right? It had to be. He followed them into the armory, idly glancing around. Still impatient to leave, if only because she knew that someone was in danger. Multiple people were in danger.

It had him a bit more antsy than he'd like to admit. Mostly because these were Valery's people. .. And he had the chance to at least help hers, where he couldn't help his own.

At least Vera looked like she was having fun.

"Right. I'll be here." He gave Valery a smile, then stood and waited. A curious brow raised though as another approached him. He gave her a brief smile, before letting his gaze drift towards where Valery had disappeared.

"No, I'm here with my wife. I am Kahlil Noble."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Keshian Armor
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Noble?" she asked with some surprise, partially because she wasn't aware of there being more Nobles, but she was also trying to mask how she felt about the mention of his wife. Moving on, she decided for herself. "The Nobles have a long history with the Faedra, so I'm sure you'll be able to help us. I assume you two must be the Jedi I heard about as well."

She briefly glanced at the booth before turning her golden gaze back to the man, offering him a smile.

It was at that moment that the door opened, and Valery stepped outside in her new armor. It was fitted to her perfectly, and while it showed some skin, she was also wearing a lot more armor-plating than she usually would. Her fiery eyes shifted to Kahlil, who she smiled at brightly, before it grew much colder when she spotted Eleya.

"Hey love," Valery said with some emphasis on love. "What do you think?"

Eleya got the message and backed off a little to talk to the other Keshian, and Valery briefly followed her from the corners of her eyes. She then turned around so Kahlil could see the entire armor, and one important question came to mind. One she asked with a happy, loving smile.

"Does my butt look big in this?"

A dangerous question, but he was not going to get out of answering it.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"That we are. Word travels fast, doesn't it?" Kahlil gave a more patient smile this time. Regardless of how Valery felt, the fact that this woman seemed to be conflicted over the mention of his wife just.. Annoyed him. The ring on his finger meant there was only one. Not like his father. Thankfully Valery came back out. He turned his gaze to her, giving a much brighter smile as he looked over over. And raised a brow.

".. You realize it's outfits like this that have people saying you've got the Alliance's Ass, right?"

By the grin of his face, he was teasing. Somewhere in there.

"It does look fantastic, though."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Keshian Armor
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

As she stepped out, Valery felt a slight moment of frustration in her husband, and it was targeting the other Keshian. it wasn't difficult to understand what it was about, but it didn't matter. Nothing could break their bond, and the rings around their fingers symbolized that for her. It was only when he responded to her 'dangerous' question, that she blinked.

"People say that about me?" She looked down at her rear, blinked again, and felt herself blushing. Absolutely not because of what other people said, but because he liked the armor and teased her about it.

"Well, I don't care what others think. I'm just glad that you like it, and the armor being connected to my mother just... it makes me feel a little more connected, even though I could never meet her. Does that make sense?" She let out a soft sigh and looked up into his eyes.

"Do you have anything to prepare before we go? With the armor and my lightsaber, I'm ready."

The other two Keshians joined at this point too and looked between the couple. "We'll be traveling on our companions. They're called the Ayda and live in these mountains. They're very intelligent creatures but what really sets them apart is how quiet they are in flight," Eleya explained. "You two can share one if you'd like, but it might be hard to fly one if you've never done it before. One of you could also fly with me, while the other flies with Ayla here."

Valery's gaze narrowed a bit, and she turned to Kahlil. It was clear she just wanted to accept the challenge and fly one herself now.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"On and off, I think." The few he might of heard it from certainly weren't going to be saying it again. It was still his wife they were talking about. And even the calm, mild mannered Jedi Master could give quite the death glare if he needed to. But his smile softened as he nodded. It was her mother's armor. He reached a hand up, gently patting the top of her head.

"She'd be proud."

Then turned his gaze forward. Towards the warriors. He gave a smile nod. Silent mounts? Well, that'd certainly help the cover of night with their plan. Already he could feel Valery's determination though. He let out a chuckle.

"Alright. You have until tonight to figure out how to fly one."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Keshian Armor
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

On and off? Valery tilted her head and looked at him — the way his expression hardened made it very clear that he wouldn't let people talk about her like that, and she quite honestly appreciated it. Whether it was out on the battlefield or in social situations, she felt good knowing that he'd support and protect her.

Kahlil then reached out to pat the top of her head, and Valery smiled brightly. "I'm proud to know that my mother was a warrior here, and well, that she was a good mom." She had given up her child for her child's own safety, and that was no doubt the most difficult decision any mother could make, and she did. Because it was necessary.

"I'm also certain she'd have been happy to know I started a family with you." She blushed, knowing it was cheesy, but if her mother was anything like she was, these things were important. Family was everything.

On the topic of flying and learning how to fly, Valery smiled sheepishly. "We got this. I'll try to fly one, but you'll have to join me so I can get used to flying with a passenger." She totally didn't just want him to be with her.

"Very well, follow me," Eleya said, and together with the Nobles, they stepped outside and walked out of the camp, and to an area dedicated to the Ayda. They were beautiful creatures with colorful feathers, and even their eyes were strangely colored, almost like the Keshians who took care of them. "The Ayda will recognize someone with a good heart, and only then will they allow you to fly."

Valery blinked, reached down to take Kahlil's hand... and pulled him along. Slowly, she approached one of the Ayda, who spotted the couple and turned to them with a cautious look about it. Valery reached out with her hand, it sniffed and lowered its head, signaling that it was okay for her to pet him.

But then it was Kahlil's turn.

"Try it, love. They're really soft." She chuckled and knew that Kahlil would be able to do the same.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil for the most part was just watching the interaction, more curious on if Valery would be able to bond with the creature. From what he knew, he was the.. Better hand when it came to handling the more wild of animals around them. But then she dragged him along. For a moment he just blinked, glancing between her and it, then back to her. And smiled. Of course she'd bring him along.

Even not part of the culture, she wanted to include him.

He let out a sigh before looking back to the Ayda. Locked eyes with the creature. Then stepped forward. There was a silent moment before he reached his hand up, and the creature leaned it's head forward into his palm. Then he did the same, resting his head against it's. Smiled.

"You are soft, aren't you?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Keshian Armor
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

There was no way she would have done this without him.

It was partially because they had planned to ride out together, meaning they should prepare together, but she mostly just wanted him to stay close to her. This was her homeworld and these were her people, but he was her husband, so together with Vera and the upcoming kids, he was the most important person in her life.

She wanted to share the best memories with him whenever she could.

Once Valery had calmed the beast and opened it up to her, she nudged him forward and just watched. He had always been far better with handling animals, so it was no surprise to see how easily the Ayda accepted him. It even went beyond that — the creature rubbed its head against Kahlil and seemed to really like him.

Valery, of course, pouted a little out of playful jealousy. "You should teach me how you do that sometime..." she chuckled and stepped forward to climb onto its back. Then, even though he hardly needed her help, she'd offer Kahlil a hand to climb up and sit behind her.

"Hold on tight, babe. I don't think we'll be going slow." Even if it could, Kahlil knew exactly what Valery was like. There was just no way she'd take this slow and easy.

Then, with a signal given by the other Keshians, the Ayda began to spring to generate a lot of speed in a short amount of time. Its wings rapidly extended, and with several powerful sweeps, it was suddenly up into the air. It felt faster and more intense than any speeder she had ever driven, so as he likely expected, Valery was grinning from ear to ear.

"Isn't this amazing?!" she called out. "And look how beautiful this place is..." she said, her voice now trailing off as she looked across the lake and valley below.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"We can work on it."

He flashed her a grin before glancing back towards the Ayda. Just smiled as he seemed to have some unspoken conversation with it. At least until Valery offered a hand. He blinked, more in surprise that she was offering him the first flight with her. And smirked.

"If you can't actually fly this, are you sure you want to risk both of Vera's parents?"

He was teasing, given he immediately took her hand and clambered on. .. Then they took off. Really took off. He was completely surprised by just how quick they were airborne, but it didn't stop the grin spreading across his face. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as they looked off towards the valley.

"Almost as beautiful as my wife.. Huh."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Keshian Armor
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"I'd never risk our lives for no reason. I can handle this," she said, her eyes narrowing just a little bit. She knew that he was teasing her, but there was also some truth to what he said. The only reason that she was okay with going up there together was that the Ayda didn't need their input to fly, and it definitely wasn't going to run itself into the ground if she made a slight error.

Or she hoped so, at least.

Then, with Kahlil right behind her, they took off with incredible speed that surprised Valery just as much as him. She held on to the beast, and grinned when she felt Kahlil's arms wrapping tightly around her waist. Yeah... there's no way she'd let those other Keshians bring him along for the ride. Especially not after the way they had looked at him.

Enough being jelly.

As Valery then commented on the beauty of the world, Kahlil said something that also took her by surprise. Really by surprise, judging by the way her face turned bright red. "Oh baaabe," she squealed lovingly, not having expected such a sweet compliment. If she would have been able to turn around, she'd be all over him right now.

"I love you, and thank you for being here with me." She smiled, but it quickly shifted into that Noble grin, as she took the Ayda into a dive to really get the.blood going. At the last moment, she pulled up, and continued their path juuust above the water.

'Hmm, I think I got this under control~" she said a bit smugly.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

He just chuckled as he squeezed her from behind. Just a little. He didn't want to distract her any more from her piloting than she might have to begin with. And- Oh, they dropped. He squeezed around her waist tighter as they fell all the water to the water. He reached down after a second, just feeling the water with his fingertips. And laughed. Really laughed. This was way more fun than he expected it to be.

"I love it when you're in control."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Keshi

​

Outfit: Keshian Armor
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Enjoying yourself back there?" She chuckled and quickly began to laugh when he did as well. They might be preparing for something serious later tonight, but right now, she was just having the time of her life with him. Together with him, she could just so easily forget about the lesser things.

Kahlil then tightened his grip on her waist as they went down fast, and he didn't have to see her face to know she was grinning from ear to ear. "Maybe I should take control more often then, hm?" She looked over her shoulder and winked at him.

"If you let me~" He probably wouldn't. At least not for long.

Valery then came back around with the Ayda and decided on a more straight and steady path. She had an idea for a special little moment she wasn't going to let slip by. With some effort, she turned and threw her legs onto the opposite sides of the beast, allowing her to face him. "C'mere..." she said, as she shifted closer, reached up to cup his cheeks with her hands, and leaned in to kiss him while they drifted along the currents of the wind. Nobody was here to see them, so she no longer felt a need to hold back at all. For as long as he allowed her, she'd keep him locked in a deep, passionate kiss.

Right now, she was really happy these Ayda could fly so easily on their own.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

He raised a brow as she swung a leg around to face him. Then laughed. her intentions were, as they always were, clear to him. So he just smiled, leaned down just as she leaned up to meet her kiss with the ever bright smile on his face.

"I love you, you silly romantic."

Valery Noble