Private Invaders from Beyond

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery blinked, "No... I still can," she said, and she wasn't lying, but she was definitely getting weaker. So she certainly preferred to get out of the cold winds and snow that started to reach up to her thighs. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she would have climbed on her husband's back to keep herself out of the snow.

"...I just don't like cold." A little fact about her he was well aware of. The only fun thing about the cold was the atmosphere around Life Day, which was finally coming up again too.

Valery was then suddenly pulled out of her thoughts when she felt him drawing on the Force through their bond, and blinked. His runes beneath the snow had reached out and captured someone. Trapped by shackles of ice, the figure struggles but was unable to move.

"I sense him over there, behind those rocks." Valery carefully walked forward and stopped when she finally spotted him, wrapped up in layers of clothing. He had a pistol strapped to his hip, a comms unit in his hand, and a large backpack on his back.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Oh. .. Good."

There was no denying just how worried and paranoid he was about this poison. She couldn't cleanse it, and that alone was enough for him to still feel uncomfortable with her near the front. But there was a difference between the tactical side and the personal, and that's what he was currently balancing out. He raised a hand towards where the person was caught, tugging as the chains dragged them over before the group.

"Take the com. Do you know the language they speak?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery could hear the worry in his voice, and all she wanted to do was pull him into another hug. Just to try and tell him that she would be okay. The poison was troubling, of course, but they had been through far too much for things to end like this. They would find a way to get rid of it, but until then, they would have to keep moving forward.

Especially as his runes caught one of the people they were after. Kahlil dragged him over with the chains of ice, and Valery was quick to crouch down by the man's side to take away his blaster and throw it away into the snow. She then snatched his comms device, and looked up at her husband, "I can't speak it, but I can understand it." Comprehend Speech was an amazing skill to have.

"It won't matter," the trapped individual said in almost perfect Basic.

"You're goint to die, and so will the rest of you."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

So they knew basic. Kahlil glanced to the figure as they spoke. Frowned, just a little. They were prepared to kill the Epicanthix and were already sending out scouts to find them. They needed to move fast, then. He waved a hand, sending the soldier back towards another of the Epicanthix with them. Still bound. "Find out what he knows about their positions." They needed all the information they could get their hands on.

"We keep moving forward. Keep your eyes open. There's bound to be more scouts."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"We'll handle it," the Epicanthix soldiers said while the group started moving. But Valery remained still for a moment longer, her eyes locked on the captured scout, who had been looking at her with a malicious grin. She frowned and was about to speak while she turned back to her husband, when the scout finally opened up again in Basic.

"If you keep moving forward, your wife will die," he said. It could be an attempt at stalling or playing on emotions, but Valery was poisoned, and the omly way to cure her was through these people.

"My people will fight until the last man, and nobody will be left to cure her. Not that we will, either way. You might want to say goodbye while you still ca-" Before he could finish his sentence, the Epicanthix soldier smacked him across the jaw to shut him up.

"Sir, we will figure it out. Your wife took that shot for us, and will not take that gesture lightly. I say we make our move now," the soldier said but Valery just frowned. She really hoped they were right, and that this poison was out of her system soon.

"I don't sense many of them out there anymore. If we attack now, before they know what happened to their scout...we can take them down."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil paused for a moment. Then raised a hand to pull the man back before him. His expression was still as he stared down at the man still bound in his chains. He mocked, threatened, gloated. His life was on the line, and this was what he chose to do. Kahlil reached his hand up to touch the center of the man's forehead as an oddly cold look filled his eyes. "You would die before giving the cure, was it?"

A different rune rippled across where Kahlil touched. Compulsion. Truth. The foundations of a mindtrick, but applied directly to overwhelm a mind that might be able to resist it.

"Then I'll extract it. You will tell me the cure."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Babe..." Valery watched him pull the captured scout towards him and felt slightly concerned. She hadn't wanted the entire group to stop their advance, knowing it could endanger their element of surprise. But as she looked around at the other Epicanthix soldiers, they all stood their ground and stood with Kahlil. They weren't going to give up on one of their own, and they all considered Valery as one of them.

It warmed her heart, even though poison threatened to make it stop beating.

"We all will die before curing your witch of a-" his eyes widened and his muscles tensed, as Kahlil entered his mind with one of his runes. It was invasive, though not painfully so, and to Valery it just seemed like a Mind trick of sorts. Just one that this scout would never be able to resist.

"A Serum, but only a Hunter would have it," the scout spoke. "There is only one in the fortress."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Where is this Hunter? Do they lead your forces?"

It sounded like an elite of some type. But for there to be only one made it clearly a threat. The more information they got, the better. Though. He glanced to Valery before letting out a sigh. Soon as he was answered he looked back to the Epicanthix he'd asked to interrogate the man. "He'll answer your questions. Get the information needed, then report to me. Everyone else, we're moving in. Once they know their scout is missing they'll start reorganizing. We'll take advantage of it now."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

"Not our leader, but he's within the fortress. I'm sure you'll meet him soon," the captive said a little too smugly, so once more, he was smacked across the jaw by one of the Epicanthix soldiers. They weren't going to torture him or maim him, but this kind of behavior was going to be punished.

Unless either one of the Nobles told them not to.

"Very well, sir." With a nod, the soldier acknowledged Kahlil's orders, and Valery quickly stepped by his side. The fortress was right up ahead already, between large rock formations and covered in snow and ice. The wind had started picking up a little too, so there was more concealment for the group.

Still, even though the enemy had no idea where they were, there was a strange tension the closer they got.

"Weird," Valery said after a moment, "There's nobody on the walls or guarding outside. I'd be able to see them." For her Keshian eyes, a heat signature in this cold really stood out, after all.

"They're all inside the fortress."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"They know something about this world we don't, they're up to something in there, or they're expecting their scouts to let them know of our arrival." There were all number of reasons as to why there was no one outside, and none of them were reasons he liked. If there was a trap, though, their only option now was to trip it. He exhaled a deep breath before glancing to Valery. Then smiled.

They had this.

"We'll begin the assault immediately."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery looked at her husband as well and returned his smile.

Together with him and the troops around them, they moved forward and closed in on the building. Tension was rising, but nothing seemed to change or happen at all. Not until the captive started to whisper something in his language, and the Epicanthix soldiers were forced to shut him up again. "Sir, we have no idea what-"

"Get down!" Valery screamed and before most of them could even respond, the entire tower blew itself apart in a single, violent explosion. Rock, metal and debris were flung around, as a huge pressure wave expanded around the area to crush rock and send people flying. Snow and ice were flung up into the air to create an artificial blizzard, and to make matters even worse, the explosion had disturbed the mountains.

From various sides, even more snow and ice was coming down in one destructive avalanche. Some of those outside were caught, and displaced, while others had been thrown around by the explosion.

By the time things settled down, everybody was on their own, senses likely disoriented and surrounded by nothing but ice and snow.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

So it was a trap.

Kahlil let out a sigh before raising a hand. The Force warned him before it happened. Danger. Trap. Even as Valery spoke up he was already forming a barrier around them, all of them. Protection. He wasn't just sewing trapping runes under the snow. Not that it stopped them from being buried beneath. When the chaos finally ended, he glanced towards Valery, the others nearby. "Everyone good? Sound off, then we'll get to digging before they realize we're still alive."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

God, she loved him and his runes.

Valery fell down to her knees into the snow, and let out a weird mixture of a chuckle and a cry. She hadn't even felt the danger herself at all, not until the captive had literally whispered something. It made her feel weak, but she was happy at the same time, that she could lean on her husband so much. Then again, he was the Shield of the Jedi for a reason — protecting people was in his blood.

"Ma'am?" One of the soldiers asked with a look of concern down at her arm. Valery blinked, raised her left arm and glanced at the way her skin looked at this point. It wasn't good, and she was starting to feel it.

"I'll be okay," Valery still assured him before she turned to Kahlil. "What now? If the enemy was inside when it blew up..." She frowned and continued the thought.

What if the Hunter had been inside?

"Sir, we're all accounted for and unharmed. We'll start digging but we need to be careful."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

The stasis was wearing off. He could see that much just by how she carried herself. His expression tightened. If whoever was inside had survived the explosion, then it was part of their plan. If not, that meant there was a chance she might not be able to get a cure. And with the poison spreading, he didn't like that. He didn't like that at all. He raised a hand, tugging on the runes he'd made to shift the mound around them. He wasn't going to be able to do much in a hurry, but he could make a path for himself and a couple others.

"Time isn't on our side. They will assume we've perished. Gather five of the best and have them come with me. We'll infiltrate and take them out while we still have surprise on our side. What's more, their attention will at least be pulled from checking here. They'll just think only a few survived. The rest of you, keep digging out. Carefully."

His gaze settled on Valery. He smiled after a moment, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"You're staying here. We can keep ourselves warm, but it'll eventually get cold in here for them. Keep them warm for me, yeah?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery grimaced a little at the idea of staying behind. She was always very stubborn about being by his side - about giving her all to help him the way he always helped her. But this time, she had nothing left to argue against his plan, and quite frankly, it was the best plan they had. If there was any chance at still recovering the cure, she wouldn't have the strength to find it.

"I'll start a fire in here, so the enemy can't see it. I'll keep us warm." She smiled weakly when he ruffled her hair, and fought against every urge she had to hug and kiss him. What if the poison got to her while he wasn't with her? She clenched her jaw, and stepped back even more tense than she had already been.

"Sir, we're ready to move." The five most experienced fighters had stepped forward with some extra supplies and weapons the others had given them. They were determined, and started already heading out of their little hideout.

Kahlil would meanwhile sense that someone was still out there. Valery's senses were too deadened to pick up on it, but not all had perished in the explosion.

"If they're still out there, they must be buried too. Unless they prepared themselves for the explosion."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Stay strong. I'll be back before you know it."

Kahlil offered his best encouraging grin. "They won't know what hit them." The last thing he wanted as that sad expression to stay on her face. It was going to be stressful to be apart again, but it was important that she stay here. The poison was spreading. The more she moved, the more it would. Time wasn't on their side now. He nodded to the five that accompanied him before heading down the path he'd made.

"There are survivors. How well they survived we won't know till we get there. But it seems this either was a trap they didn't care to sacrifice their men on, or an accident. Either way, eyes up."

He pulled out his blaster, holding it in both hands rather than his lightsaber. He moved ahead of the group, swiftly to find the ruins of the building that had exploded. And the survivors. He needed to find that Hunter.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Valery managed a smile, just for him. There wasn't much to be happy about yet, but she didn't want him to leave and have the last thing he saw be her upset. Her smile gave him strength, and right now, perhaps he needed that as much as she did. Their bond and care for each other made sure of that.

Once he left, Valery sighed, briefly touched her ring, and rolled it around her finger. If anybody was going to make her better again, it'd be him.

Or Amani, but she was a Galaxy apart right now.

"We'll handle the survivors," the officer among them said as he followed after Kahlil with his own blaster in his hand. He looked around carefully, though glanced down as his comms unit went off, and so did Kahlil's.

<Sir? We got some useful information out of our captive. We're dealing with a group of mercenaries. The people who attacked Niv Hani did so on someone else's behalf. We don't know who, but it does mean we won't find much more resistance. We just about wiped out the Mercs.> Both good and bad news they would have to accept. Something or someone else was out there, orchestrating all of this.

FInally, Kahlil and his men would be alerted to voices up ahead. Mercenaries whispering to each other, wondering whether or not they had killed all the intruders.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Mercs that went to this length were troublesome indeed. He readied his blaster before he lead the charge in on the first group of mercs. Quick efficient shots to clear the hostiles as fast as possible. Time wasn't on their side, but they still needed to be careful to avoid any heavy exchange. Careful and efficient.

<Any details on the Hunter?>

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Kahlil Noble

Kahlil and his troops had cleared out a small group of mercenaries with ease. They had been chatting among themselves, and weren't at all ready to draw weapons and return fire. So, caught in the open, they were gunned down and searched for anything important. But among the living or the dead, there was no sign of any special soldier, elite or anything that really stood out or made them believe to have found the Hunter.

Then, as he asked for details from those left behind, he'd hear nothing but static over comms. A flash of danger followed, and then a warning through his bond with Valery.

<...Love... come back...>

 

[Kahlil Noble]

<...Love... come back...>

Kahlil's whole body tensed as he glanced to the others. "Head back. Now."

Then he was gone, immedaitely leaping to get to Valery's side through their bond. No hesitation, no waiting. With everything that was going on he wasn't going to wait.

Valery Noble