Private Into the Grave

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

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During the six-month-long meditative retreat Valery took not long after her recovery from stasis, the war with the Bryn'adul had come to an end. Large parts of the Galaxy were left scarred by the fierce battles that took place on countless worlds, and many lives were lost or devastated in the conflict. But unlike most active Jedi, Valery hadn't once encountered the Bryn'adul herself. Most of the war had been spent in stasis and during the final stages, she was still adjusting and recovering herself.​

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But despite this lack of experience, Valery was still determined to help in the recovery of the planets that were torn apart by the war, and this included the clearing of any Bryn'adul remnants that were still out there. According to intelligence reports she received from the Galactic Alliance, an outpost still remained on Boz Pity, where it was built within the Gargantelle Ruins — the remains of a large species exterminated by the Hutts thousands of years ago.​

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So without any further hesitation, she had boarded her fighter and traveled to the planet, where she brought the ship down a safe distance away from the ruins. It would make for a long walk but she was working alone and even though it was supposedly a small group of them, she wanted to play into her strengths as a former Shadow and approach undetected.​

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Eventually, the Jedi Master found her position on top of a small hill, behind the skeletal remains of a Garantelle. She couldn't quite see the entirety of the outpost but several Bryn'adul were patrolling the area around it. ​

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Alright, here goes.​

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She removed one lightsaber from her belt, faded away into her Cloak, and began her approach.​

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[Percival Io]

Red hair gleamed gold in Percival's periphery as the sun hit it. Rebecca had plaited her long hair, pinning it up on her head to keep it out of the way, but a few strands had already slipped free, blowing in the wind. The disruptor rifle she held in her hands—a high-quality rifle belonging to Percival, looted from an expensive mercenary during a previous adventure—roared as she picked off the Bryn'adul patrols below.

The two of them were lying side by side on their bellies, safely couched in a camouflaged sniper's nest along the rocky slope of a hill. Behind them, the outpost stood atop the mound, the rusty metal roof shining auburn in the light of day.

House Io had established a presence on Boz Pity some time ago, their forces occupying the remaining structure of the outpost. A battle had been fought in which they managed to destroy a Bryn'adul warship, blasting it to space dust. Ever since then, the remaining Bryn forces had rallied around the outpost, cutting off supplies in an effort to starve them out.

They knew someone was shooting at them, of course. A few fired back, their strange alien ammunition scorching the rocks and embedding molten spikes in the dirt around the nest. Taking cover, Rebecca waited a while, then fired again. The gun she was using had been specifically engineered by House Io to kill members of the Draelvasier species, taking advantage of their unique weaknesses.

Watching one of the troops fall down dead, Percival marveled at her skills as a sniper. "I had no idea you were so talented," he said.

"Thanks," she replied, hunkering down as they pummeled the nest with returning fire. "I used to shoot critters and rodents back home. This isn't much different."

"No," he murmured. "Not much different." Like many House Io citizens, her homeworld had been destroyed by the Bryn'adul. It was no surprise that she viewed them as similar to rodents.

She took aim and pulled the trigger again. Three shots, now time to reload. Percival heard shouts in the grotesque Drael language moving closer to their position. Moving toward the exit, he rolled out and hid among the rocks. A group was headed up the slope, weapons drawn. He activated a cryo grenade and lobbed it at them, drawing his sword in preparation to shatter their frozen bodies...

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

From her own position, Valery had been observing the Bryn'adul outpost and its patrols closely but when she began to make her approach to take one of them down, something felt off about the situation. The area had an unusual amount of Bryn'adul movement, far more than what seemed appropriate for simple surveying of the surrounding area. Were they preparing to make a move against something or were they always like this?​

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The answer to her questions came quickly, as she spotted an exchange of heavy fire from one side of the hill. Whoever the attackers were, they had the superior position against the incoming Bryn'adul, but it did little to stop the large aliens from swarming the hill with their numbers, all in an attempt to kill the sniper and those with them.​

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As quickly as she could, Valery took the opportunity to move around the hill so she could flank the Bryn from the side. Still hidden within her cloak, she didn't have to worry about the sniper possibly targeting her yet, and thus she waited until after the cryo grenade exploded to make her move.​

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To the Bryn, it would almost seem as if Valery appeared from thin air when she stepped out of her Cloak and ignited her two lightsabers. She was right on top of the group that came up behind the now frozen squad and explosively moved from one target to another, taking them out with swift strikes that ended them without any suffering. ​

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But no matter how many she took down, there seemed to be only more coming up towards them.​

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[Percival Io]

As Percival raised his sword, however, a woman appeared seemingly from thin air. Wielding two lightsabers, she made short work of the frozen Bryn.

Her sudden appearance startled Percival, and he froze up momentarily. The lightsabers, her fighting style—was this woman a Jedi?

Like all Neutralizers, he had been programmed to despise Jedi, as their creator did. In fact, Percival was a Chaplain Neutralizer, one who was designed to be able to take on Force Users. He was Force Dead, armed with technology that mimicked certain Force powers, and his body was resistant to lightsabers, preventing dismemberment. This Jedi was clearly skilled, but perhaps she would fare worse in battle against Percival…

“Percy!” Rebecca’s scream for help snapped him back to reality. For now, the Jedi woman was helping to keep the Bryn off them. Percival left her alone and rushed to Rebecca’s aid.

He rushed back into the sniper’s nest, gutting a Bryn who had managed to get inside. Rebecca was hunkered down, blood trickling down her leg from a wound in her thigh.

“This isn’t what I had in mind when I said we should go on a date,” she tried to joke. She was breathing hard, trying not to cry out from the pain.

Their position was no longer viable. Rather than stay there and wait for the nest to be swarmed, Percival scooped Rebecca up with one arm, slinging her over his shoulder, and headed out. The moment he left the cover of the nest and started to run up the slope, the area where he had been was pelted with enemy fire. It chased him up the hill, forcing him to seek cover behind rocks. He didn’t bother to fire back—he had his sword in his hand for cutting through anyone that got in his way, but was otherwise wholly focused on carrying Rebecca to safety. He’d even forgotten about the presence of the Jedi behind them.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

While Valery swiftly maneuvered from one target to another, she still was able to focus her senses on the others who were fighting the Bryn'adul at the same time. Or well, one of the others. When she first spotted the fight between those on the hillside and the incoming Bryn, she noticed that one among the defenders had no presence in the Force at all. She could see him move as he got up to his feet to assist the woman she did feel, but there was... nothing from the man himself.​

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She had heard and read about the Yuuzhan Vong and how they were considered 'Force-dead', and there was a Mandalorian she encountered a while ago that could be considered the same as well. So right now, she figured the same was the case for the young man, who was trying to relocate his wounded friend.​

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Without any thought for her own well-being, Valery accelerated and moved between the attacking Bryn forces and the two who were making their way uphill, but it was difficult to provide cover against all angles — there were just too many of them. It was enough, however, to help them get behind some rocks that were closer to the top of the hill, where he'd hopefully be able to set down the woman and help fight back.​

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"Are you two okay over there?!" Valery called out over the loud battle as she moved closer to them. Fighting off these Bryn was going to be a lot easier if they worked together, so she hoped to get them on the same page.​

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"We can't let them surround us!"​

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[Percival Io]

When it became apparent that they could not reach the safety of the outpost on their own, Percival hid them behind some rocks and began to tend to Rebecca’s leg wound. He tied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and gave her an injection of a healing enzyme—similar to bacta, but cheaper and easier to produce.

His work was occasionally halted as he paused to lob another cryo grenade at the advancing Bryn. Besides that, he multi-tasked, his droid brain accessing the outpost’s network in order to call for help.

He heard a woman calling out to them, presumably the Jedi. Percival grit his teeth, reaching for a blaster holstered at his hip. The weapon was one of many that had been manufactured by House Io specifically to kill Draelvasier, taking advantage of the species’ weaknesses. He didn’t bother to check which one it was before he unleashed a volley of fire on the Bryn’adul, slaughtering any that came too close.

But there were more still coming. “One wounded,” he called back to the Jedi. “In the leg. She can’t walk. I need to get her back to the outpost. I called for reinforcements…”

Sounds of gunfire from somewhere nearby indicated that said reinforcements had arrived. Skeletal droids—the infamous Neutralizers of House Io—descended upon the Bryn, guns blazing. The resulting firefight took much of the pressure off Percival, Rebecca, and Valery as the Bryn were drawn away from their position.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

With Percival throwing cryo-grenades towards the advancing Bryn, Valery made sure to take advantage of it. Each time one exploded and froze a few of them in place, she was right on top of them to finish it off quickly before moving on to the next group. It helped thin their numbers and hopefully offered Percival the relief he needed to get his friend ready to be moved.​

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But for them to get out of this situation, they did need help or some kind of plan.​

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"Once they arrive, I'll cover your retreat!" ​

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Valery called out before immediately moving away to jump back into the fray. More Bryn'adul fell in their clash with the Jedi, but soon enough, reinforcements finally arrived. While she expected people with similar weapons as Percival to assist them, she instead watched as skeletal droids flanked the Bryn'adul troops, and forced them into a more defensive stance. She hadn't quite seen droids like these before, and it made her wonder who they belonged to.​

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"Come on, let's get her out of here," Valery said as she jumped back to assess the situation. ​

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"Do you need help carrying her back?"​

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[Percival Io]

“No,” came Percival’s clipped reply. While he looked like a skinny boy, he exhibited superhuman strength—or at least enough to be able to lift Rebecca with one arm. His tone was vaguely protective (or perhaps possessive), clearly not wanting the Jedi to touch her. “Cover our rear.”

He moved quickly, racing up the slope, and burst through the entrance to the outpost facility proper. Almost instantly he was greeted by Medical Neutralizers—a gaggle of white-uniformed “people” who, like him, had no presence in the Force. They loaded Rebecca onto a stretcher.

“Percival!” she called out to him as they began to carry her away. She made a signal with the fingers of one hand, then said, “Don’t forget!”

Percival mirrored the signal, then hastily went to find the nearest commanding officer: a skeletal droid called Clay. Green stripes on his metallic face marked him as one of the older models; his experience was what had earned him a position of power.

“Don’t attack the Jedi,” Percival told him. “If you can avoid it, at least.”

Clay stared at Percival. His face couldn’t emote much, but something about his movements gave the impression of surprise. “We aren’t shooting Jedi on sight today? What’s the occasion?”

“This outpost nearly being overrun for the third time this week is the occasion. We could use the help of a Force User.”

“But she’s a Jedi.”

“Doesn’t matter in this case. I don’t think she knows who we are. Take advantage of that.”

Clay nodded, and a second later Percival received a digital copy of the orders he issued to every droid in the outpost: don’t shoot the Jedi, don’t mention Darth Xiphos, the Neutralizers, or House Io.

As Clay stepped down to meet the Jedi, Percival accompanied him, walking alongside his fellow droid.

“Welcome,” Clay said. “I am Clay, the commander of this outpost. We are currently being besieged, or else I’d have more to show for it. What brings you here, ma’am?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

Valery just blinked at his response.​

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The tone he had was pretty clear and the ease with which he lifted the woman up in a single arm showed Valery everything she needed to know. He wasn't just some scrawny kid who needed protection, so she did what he requested and positioned herself between him and the incoming Bryn'adul soldiers.​

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With her cover, the path uphill wasn't too difficult anymore, and Rebecca would be lifted onto a stretcher on entry. But while Percival sprinted off into some building within the outpost after that, Valery remained behind to push back the few Bryn soldiers that were getting closer.​

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It was only after their demise that she turned around and began looking for Percival or whoever else could she could coordinate the defense with. They had the high ground and that was going to be a huge advantage, but sooner or later they'd have to launch some kind of counter-attack as well.​

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Stepping into the outposts, Valery looked around and took note of how everybody seemed to be without a presence in the Force. It wasn't something she was really used to, especially since these people didn't all look like droids. But her pondering was quickly interrupted as Percival returned with someone else.​

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"A pleasure to meet you, Clay," Valery said with a nod of her head, "I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble — I came here to look into the Bryn'adul remnants, and help get rid of them." ​

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She looked in the direction of the ongoing attack and sighed softly, "There are more of them than my intel suggested, but we might be able to work through this together. Are there any plans for a counter-attack or is the situation too dire for one?"​

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[Percival Io]

"We've got plans, but the odds don't look too good for us," Clay replied. "We came here expecting to be dealing with a handful of scattered stragglers. Instead we got a full-scale organized army. We called for reinforcements, but they've been delayed. We've suffered significant losses in the meantime."

He was referring to the deaths of two witches, the only Force Users that had been stationed at the outpost. Both were members of a peculiar little Dark Side cult, one of House Io's major allies. Percival despised their cult and hadn't been sorry to see them go, but he couldn't deny the impact the loss had had in terms of strategy and capabilities.

"We're fairly set when it comes to defenses, but we can't hold out forever," Clay continued. "The hope that our backup will arrive in time to turn the tide is all that's keeping us going. Once we run out of supplies and ammo, we're screwed."

"The latest intel says our reinforcements should be here within three days," Percival cut in. "If we can last that long, and there are no more delays, mounting a counter-offensive may be worthwhile."

"And if there are more delays, it'd be suicidal," Clay countered. "Speaking of, I'm a little bit pissed at you, Percival. What were you and that girl doing out there all by yourselves?"

"Trying to thin their numbers a bit," Percival replied. "Being cooped up in here makes her anxious. We shouldn't be hunkering down here while our supplies dwindle."

"Meatbags don't have patience like ours." At Percival's glare, Clay shrugged. "What? It's true."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

While Clay explained the current situation with the occasional input from Percival, Valery remained quiet and gave it all some thought. The way they were talking about delays suggested it had happened before, and holding out for 3 days in a defensive position was tough not just because of supplies, but also the risk of unexpected attacks thinning the defenders too much.​

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"I agree with Percival — 3 days in these circumstances is a lot of time, and making accurate predictions about how well you'll stand up to them seems impossible for this timeframe," Valery said with a dip of her head to the young man. Or well, man? She wasn't quite sure what he was, but it hardly mattered.​

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"If there is a way to take the fight to them and clear them out, we should take it. Staying here and fighting to the last man is only an option if everything else is completely impossible."​

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She paused and looked around for a moment, thinking about what she could do to turn the tide of this battle. After a moment, she seemed to remember something and turned back to them.​

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"What are their air defenses like? I have my fighter not too far out, so maybe I could head back there unnoticed and return to provide support from above. I have some heavy weaponry on it."​

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[Percival Io]

“Up until now, it’s been our only option,” Clay replied. “We have some pilots and starfighters, but they’ve been harried by Bryn’adul air forces.”

Percival himself had taken to the skies to combat their unmanned swarm fighters. “Their number of fighters is dwindling,” he said. “They can’t make more. Your idea is a sound one, and we have ships of our own to assist you.”

“Sounds better than what we’ve been doing,” Clay remarked.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

For a moment longer, she looked between the two and finally nodded, "Then I'll take to the skies and hit them from above. The current loadout of my ship has cluster-missiles and other heavy weapons, so I'll break open their frontlines and create some chaos within their ranks." Valery explained,​

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"If ground forces are ready to move and take advantage of that, I'm sure we can get the upper hand. After that, I'll switch to cannons only and provide cover until it's best for me to land and help on the ground," she said, clearly in her element when it came to planning and preparing for combat. The two were flashed a final grin and unless they had any objections or additions, she was going to use her training as a Shadow to hide within the Force and return to her fighter.​

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Once inside the cockpit, she sought to connect with the outpost via comms and went through all her system checks.​

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<Transmission> "This is Master Noble, I'm standing by and ready to engage when ground forces are ready," she said, as the modified X-wing came off the ground and went up above the clouds to avoid visual detection. From there, her targeting systems calculated the best impact zone for the highly devastating cluster missiles, and she simply waited for their command.​

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She was ready to hit the Bryn'adul hard.​

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[Percival Io]

While Clay went to muster the armies, Percival drifted toward the medbay, intending to check in on Rebecca. He found her lying sedated in a hospital bed, her leg wound cleaned and freshly bandaged. They’d removed the shrapnel, and according to the Medical Neutralizers, she was going to be fine.

Satisfied, he left the medbay and was soon swept up in the buzz of military preparations. A few pilots in salvaged starfighters took to the skies, joining Valery in the air assault. Ground troops mobilized to attack the Bryn’adul in their wake, gleaming metallic bodies and organic HRDs clad in suits of armor glinting in the sun. Percival was among them, having swiftly donned his gear, his head now obscured by a black helmet.

“Ready when you are, Master Noble,” Clay replied to Valery’s transmission. He had taken up a position at the head of his ground forces, wielding a massive gatling gun. Farther down the slopes, a few scattered shots shattered rocks. The Bryn’adul had already started firing upon them.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

"Ready when you are, Master Noble,"​

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Valery didn't need to hear that twice and grinned a little as she pushed the nose of her X-wing down through the clouds. With weapon systems ready and various other ships fighting alongside her, the squadron came screaming down on top of the Bryn'adul defenses, and they were given no time to respond.​

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From her wings, several missiles were fired that each split up into many smaller ones. All of them were guided by her targeting systems, and soon a long series of incredibly violent explosions devastated the defensive lines the Alien invaders had set up. But if that wasn't enough, her quad cannons locked on as well and blaster fire would rain down on them.​

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"Their lines should be breached — I'll provide cover until I'm more useful on the ground."​

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[Percival Io]

Percival was soon right in the thick of things. No matter the circumstances, he had always found battle a chaotic, brutal affair full of sound and fury. He heard the whistle of bombs and missiles, followed by explosions that shook the ground beneath his feet. The air was choked with smoke and ash, the putrid stench of Draelvasier corpses carried on the wind.

Guns fired, bullets and bolts and rays ripping through flesh. A Neutralizer near him was struck by a molten spike that tore through his metal skull. The droid collapsed, circuitry brain sparking.

Turning away from the sight, Percival roared and launched himself at a Bryn’adul warrior. He dismembered his foe with his sword, alien blood trickling from the blade.

The combat was intensifying, and Percival entered deeper into his element. He spoke in tongues, reciting passages from the Book of the Dead, from the Art of War, from the Code of House Io. He threw himself into the slaughter, killing with abandon. Distantly he heard Clay shouting orders, but none of it applied to him. Filled with the thrill of killing, he found that he was beginning to enjoy the purification of Boz Pity.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Boz Pity | Gargantelle Ruins​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link!​

Tag: Percival Io ​

​

Having obliterated the main defense line, Valery went for a few more attack runs to create as much chaos as she possibly could within the Bryn'adul ranks, but it quickly became impossible to continue. Percival and the army of droids were engaging the aliens up-close, and any shot fired would risk taking them out in the process.​

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So she took that as the signal to return back to the ground, and offer her skills as a Jedi within the ongoing fight.​

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Jumping out of the cockpit once the canopy had opened, Valery drew her lightsabers into her hands and moved to engage the remaining Bryn'adul forces from their left flank. At this point, they had taken massive casualties and with defensive lines shattered, the chaos would hopefully remove any and all hope they had at winning this battle.​

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An enemy without hope for the future was one easily taken out, but also one that could be very unpredictable.​

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"Let's make the final push!" Valery called out as she spotted Percival at the front, brutally killing his way through the enemy ranks. While she couldn't sense his joy in it, she did want him to help fight in a coordinated way to push this to a conclusion. So as she always would, Valery moved to take point and hoped to provide some cover while the enemy numbers were beginning to dwindle.​

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The end of this battle was near.​

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