Faction Intervention

[Ala Quin]

Instigator

<<I will find my way back to you.>>

<<I promise.>>​

The words from Kaila echoed. She made promises. Promises that Ala was unconvinced she could keep. Having discussed her situation, she knew how precarious a position she was in as Governor of Echnos.

Ala did not take the circlet off her head. The device that amplified her telepathic communications with Kaila was her only link to reassurance. So long as Kaila could speak to her, it meant she was alive. That was all that mattered.

A bag was hurriedly packed, surely forgetting several key items for a trip, but Ala did not pay that any heed. Instead, she grabbed everything that she could process needing and pulled the strap over her shoulders. As foolhardy as it was, Ala had defy Kaila's request and go to her.

She had too.

The Jedi Master paused before exiting her room. She was acting impulsively. She was acting out of fear. She knew this. And to an extent willingly accepted it.

She leaned against the door, palms pressed against it, as she took several long, deep breathes. It was never going to end well...this dalliance. Finding affection for a Sith, but not in the context of their actual life was a dangerous prospect. She had fallen hard for the woman that Kaila was, but Ala had only seen her away from Sith space and influence. Sure, there was a darkness within Kaila, but there was also so much light. There was an untapped reserve of light that Ala clung to hopefully.

She could save her.

She could save her.

That meant more than her normal mantra at this stage.

Ala could see the path ahead. Her dreams had been flooded with possible futures. To leave now, had a high likelihood of her never returning. But the future was so hard to know, so hard to see for all the darkness that influenced it.

It was entirely possible, that leaving today would mean leaving the Jedi...for good.

"I cannot...do nothing...do not ask that of me," she murmured to the unseen Force that had been her companion since youth.

The choice was impressed upon her again. Her hand moved to the controls and the door slid open.

"I have to go. There is not other choice," she whispered to the self that she left behind.



@Open to Jedi that are willing to talk her out of this very bad choice, if you coming in to say how a Sith and Jedi can have a long meaningful relationship and be happy with each others life decisions, this may not be the thread for you.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery stood quietly in the dim light just outside Ala's quarters, her presence a steadying force against the whirlwind of emotions she could feel radiating from her friend. Her amber eyes softened as she watched Ala, the tension in her shoulders visible even through the hazy light. It was clear that Ala's decision weighed heavily on her — a battle raging within her heart and mind.

"Ala," Valery finally spoke. Her voice carried the calm authority of a Jedi Master, but also the warmth of someone who deeply cared. "

Valery approached slowly, placing a hand on Ala's shoulder. "I know what you're feeling," she continued, her voice quieter now, more personal. "The pull to help someone you care about, the belief that you can save them. I've been there, Ala. I know how strong that desire can be."

The pain of Kahlil having fallen to the Dark Side was still a vivid experience in her heart.

"But please, don't do this."

Ala Quin ​

 

[Ala Quin]

It had to be Val. Ala pursed her lips and her head dropped, but she did not turn to look at her friend. It had not been so long ago that Ala had been visiting with Valery and bemoaning her lack of fortune when it came to romance.

Doubt bubbled to the surface. Was she infatuated with Kaila because she was desperate? Desperate for someone to see her, to notice, to want and need her? The thought was batted away in an instant. There may have been an element of that initially. But she believed the emotion to have more weight that simply desperation.

"The entire Sith Empire could be focused in on that world. Anything could happen. I just..."

She rubbed her forehead.

"...I just want to get her out of there before something happens."

She felt the unwelcome arrival of a migraine. Ala winced as the pain spiked behind her eyes.

"I just wanted to continue living in the reality where it could work...please let me stay there."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's heart ached as she watched Ala wrestle with her emotions, her pain evident in the way she rubbed her forehead and avoided looking back. For a brief moment, Valery hesitated, unsure if her words could reach past the turmoil Ala was experiencing. But then she stepped forward, the faint hum of the Force in her presence a steadying warmth, and gently wrapped her arms around Ala.

She pulled her friend into a firm, grounding hug.

"I understand," Valery said softly, her voice steady but filled with the weight of her own experience. "I understand wanting to hold onto the hope that it could work, that you can save her. I've been there, Ala. I've felt that same pull, and it's one of the hardest things to fight."

Valery paused, giving Ala the moment to lean into the hug, to find solace in their connection. She rested her chin lightly against Ala's shoulder, her tone softening even further.

"But I can't let you go. Not like this. You mean too much to me, to your friends, to the Jedi, to the people who look up to you. If you walk into the heart of the Sith Empire alone, hoping to save her, you might not make it back. Or worse, lose yourself." She drew back just slightly, enough to meet Ala's gaze, her amber eyes warm but resolute.

Valery's hand moved to Ala's cheek, brushing it gently. "I'm here for you, and I'll do everything I can to help you through this. But I can't stand by and watch you walk into something that will destroy you."

Her gaze held steady, her expression a mix of compassion and unyielding resolve. "Please, stay with me. We'll find another way."

Ala Quin ​

 

[Ala Quin]

It took several heartbeats for Ala to relax into the hug. For a time, she resisted, defiant in her resolve. It was a resolve that had years of experience and maturity fighting against it though. On the tenth heartbeat she melted into Valery's embrace.

"Why does this always happen to me?" She said, not crying but with a slight anger to her tone that was so foreign to the woman.

Ala wrapped her arms around Valery and buried her face in her friend's shoulder. She loved so easily, and so freely, and yet found her heart always going mostly after those that it should not. Aside from her first love, all of those that followed had been the type to require 'saving' in some way. It was a cycle. A painful cycle.

She had once believed, in her youthful naiveté, that there was good in all beings. Dying three times at the hands of the wicked had beaten that out of her, and her broken back at the hands of the Bryn'adul had taught her that there was darkness within her. She had to believe in the light within all, now not out of blind optimism, but out of a desperate hope to cling to her own inner light.

"I am a nobody here, Val...but I am a somebody to her," she said softly, only half believing the first half of the statement, "I want to...love...her. Is that so bad?"

She knew Val was right. It was not a good time for her to go, for many reasons. She nodded in agreement. But immediately shook her head in disagreement.

"If she dies. I did nothing to try and prevent it. It would break me...Val...break me."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery held Ala tightly, her arms providing a steadfast anchor against the storm of emotions swirling inside her friend. The faint trace of anger in Ala's tone didn't faze her; it only deepened her resolve to offer support. She listened intently, letting Ala vent her feelings, knowing how much her friend needed this moment to be heard and understood.

When Ala finally admitted her fear, her pain, Valery drew back just enough to look her in the eye. Her amber gaze was warm and steady, radiating the calm and assurance of someone who had walked through similar fires.

"It's not bad to want to love her, Ala," Valery said softly. "Love is one of the most powerful things we can feel. It's what gives us strength, what keeps us connected to the people and the light around us. But love can't exist without boundaries, without protecting yourself too. You can't save her if you destroy yourself in the process."

She cupped Ala's cheek gently, her thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped. "You're not a nobody. You're one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know. You're the very reason I'm standing here today. You don't need to prove your worth to her or anyone else. You already are enough, just as you are."

Valery's voice softened further, though there was an unshakable strength beneath her words. "If she dies…" She hesitated for just a moment, her own past brushing against her thoughts before she refocused on Ala. "If that happens, it won't be because you failed her. It will be because she made her choice. All we can do is offer a path back to the light, but we can't force someone to walk it."

Her hands moved to hold Ala's shoulders, grounding her again. "We'll find a way to reach her. We'll make sure she knows there's a path out of the darkness. But I can't let you go alone, not like this."

Ala Quin ​

 

[Ala Quin]

All the words flitted away with the seeming admission of the possibility of Kaila's death. "If she dies..."

If she dies...

If she dies...

Why should I live...

"I have a way to reach her," Ala said, holding out the Circlet that amplified the telepathy to its partnered device.

She knew that is not what Valery meant. And Ala believed whole heartedly that Kaila could come to the light. But was it completely necessary? She loved her, not the idea of a light side version of her. Right? Was she willingly walking into a relationship with someone that tapped into the dark side of the Force? Yes, she probably was.

Ala sobbed into Valery's shoulder. She poured out the pent up angst that she had known was coming. She could not, would not deny her feelings. But she also could not deny their folly any longer.

"OK. I will...I will stay..."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery held Ala close as the storm of her sobs raged, her own steady presence anchoring her friend through her emotions. She said nothing at first, letting Ala release the anguish she had been carrying. There was no judgment in Valery's touch, only understanding, the kind forged from shared pain and the wisdom of hard-won lessons. When Ala's sobs began to quiet, Valery spoke, her voice low and gentle, yet filled with an unshakable resolve.

"Thank you, Ala," she said, the words simple but heavy with gratitude. "I know it's hard, but it's for the best."

She glanced at the circlet in Ala's hand, her amber eyes momentarily narrowing in thought. "This connection you have… it's a powerful thing. Love can build bridges even in the darkest places, and your love for Kaila is undeniable. But love without clarity, without balance, can lead us down dangerous paths."

Valery cupped Ala's shoulders again, meeting her gaze with a warmth that promised she would not falter. "We'll use everything we have, everything you are, to reach Kaila. But not at the cost of your soul. Not at the cost of your life. That's not what love is."

Valery's hands tightened slightly, as though willing her strength into her friend. "Rest now, Ala. Perhaps there is a way to bring her back from the Dark Side, but you'll need to be at your strongest. And if it helps, I can stay with you tonight." No matter what Ala needed, Valery would be there to help.

Ala Quin ​