Private Just Hangin' Around

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

He should have seen it coming. It was not like Judah was horrid at sniffing out a trap, but somehow he missed this one. A rare occurrence at his age was to be expected, but as he thought back all the Shadow could think was how he missed some of the most obvious signs. Judah was much better than that, and as he hung upside down over a pit, chained by his ankles, he felt the sting of it.

There was really only one thing that would make any of it worse, but Judah was pretty crafty. He was determined to escape without having to suffer the humiliation of a rescue. Still, he had remotely activated the homing beacon on his ship just in case. Just because Judah was proud, it did not mean he was stupid.

Well…

…most of the time.

At least he had plenty of time to think. There was not much else he could do. The slavers he had been chasing had been on to him for a while, which was why they had been prepared. Whatever cargo it was they were transporting was nowhere near the place he was being kept. If they even had a cargo to speak of. Judah had been putting a dent into a major trafficking ring, and for all he could tell the whole mission he had taken this time was a ploy to capture him.

Unfortunately, they had done a good job of setting up the cell. The force was useless as the place was crawling with ysalimiri. Whatever escape Judah was going to plan had to be done without the force. His lightsaber would cut through the chains without a problem, but then there was the matter of the pit.

He sighed as he came to a sudden realization.

“Yup… I’m screwed.”
​

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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

"There is no Chaos, there is Harmony."​

Valery sat in the center of the training ring at the New Cov Temple, deep in meditation after a lengthy session of going through her usual lightsaber form drills. They always helped push her focus to new levels, and so meditation afterward allowed her to really dive deep into the Force. She typically spent this time assessing ongoing issues that required her to make decisions or take action, but today she felt something strange tugging at her through the Force.

Images flashed into her mind of a friend in dire need of help — she could feel his pain, his worry over his situation, and very quickly the familiar face of Judah flashed into her view. He was captured, and while she couldn't tell who was behind it, she knew the Force was showing her this for a reason. Her eyes opened, and she felt herself breathing heavier, but her eyes still turned to the bleeping vambrace, which alerted her of a beacon that was activated by him.

"Lesan..." Valery muttered before she got up to her feet, grabbed together all her gear, and rushed over to the Landing Pad to find her ship. As annoying as he could be at times, she still considered him to be one of her closest friends, and so she couldn't ever deny the fact that this worried her. Whoever was behind his capture made a big mistake.

Several hours later, Valery's shuttle touched down near the source of the beacon she got. Valery knew it was going to be his ship, and that he wouldn't be there, but it would be the best place for her to start. So with two guns strapped to her thighs, her lightsabers ready and all information she could find about the planet downloaded into her vambrace's computer, she began the search for Judah.

"Hang in there..."

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

Everything went black for a moment. Suddenly Judah was no longer hanging above a bottomless pit, but revisiting a past life. Farsight was an interesting thing, a skill Judah was not particularly skilled in. The past was set, and the future was always fluid. Yet, the Jedi rarely accessed either. Today he could see back.

Judah, his namesake, stood before a face he had not recognized for a long time. He had come to know her as Valery Noble. The relationship she had with that Judah was not the same as the one he enjoyed with her. It had been her who had expelled Judah from the order, and the force found it ironic to place another Lesan in her life.

He listened to their exchange.

“You will understand one day.”

He heard Judah repeat that several times. Had that Lesan seen something about Valery she could not expect about herself, or had they been close enough as well that he knew she was as susceptible to attachment. Regardless, Judah had been right. Valery would more than understand now.

Suddenly everything was as it had been. Lesan was hanging upside down, still. Something was different. Valery was close, he could sense her persistent presence. It caused Judah to smile.

<< “Hurry… not sure how much longer I can stay conscious…” >>
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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

​

"You're pretty tough, Jedi, but everybody breaks eventually," a Zygerrian guard said as he circled around Judah, who was still hanging above the pit. The guard was armed with a heavy rifle and had a shock whip attached to his belt as well, which he very much enjoyed using against his captives. The slavers had not been easy on Judah at all, and the worst part was that they seemed to enjoy it. This wasn't just about capturing someone who worked against them — there was actual pleasure in causing pain and suffering to these people.

However, unbeknownst to the guard circling the Jedi Master, he was no longer alone with his prisoner.

All of a sudden, Judah could see the Zygerrian freeze up completely, as if he had been stunned by some kind of invisible force. Behind him, a familiar face stepped out of her Force Cloak with a hand raised to keep the guard from doing anything. Two seconds later, he dropped to the ground unconscious and she lowered her hand. Getting inside this place had been relatively easy with her Shadow skills, but she knew they weren't going to help them get out of here.

"Fast enough for you?" she asked while she just stood there and watched him for a moment.

But she wasn't going to make his pain last any longer, and ignited her lightsaber. With a quick toss, it cut through the chains and another extended hand made sure to keep him levitating above the pit to prevent a nasty fall. She lowered him gently to the ground beside her and caught her weapon again.

"How did you end up here?" Valery asked before she crouched down and helped him undo the lock around his ankle, "These bruises and cuts look nasty, but you'll recover," she continued, clearly with some relief in her tone.

"You also really need a shower." A slight smirk flashed through this time.

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

"You're pretty tough, Jedi, but everybody breaks eventually," the voice of his captor stated.

Judah just smirked. Had been beaten, yes. Did he hurt, more than he wanted to admit, however, Judah was not one to ever give in.

“You know… my wife was a Corellian redhead… this is just foreplay as far as I’m concerned.”

That invited another punch to his gut, or it would have had the man not suddenly frozen. The smirk on his face rolled into a hearty laugh as Valery made herself known. Had she been fast enough?

“I had him right where I wanted him. You didn’t let me get to the part about the witch that ripped my fingers off…”

The smile faded a little as a serious look washed over Judah’s face.

“Thank you.”

Her lightsaber made quick work of the chains, and Valery made sure to catch the Jedi Master with help from the force. Once his feet hit the ground, Judah sat. He was not about to pretend to be any tougher than he was with the guard out of the picture for now. He simply nodded when she made a comment about his appearance, ignoring her question for the moment.

He took in a couple deep breaths and coughed as it made his chest hurt. His eyes closed. While he was not a proficient healer, Judah had learned enough to take care of himself. If Valery wished to offer her own assistance, the Jedi would not reject it. Judah stood to his feet when he was finished healing himself and not a moment sooner.

“I have been tracking another slave trafficker, one I have been close to making an arrest on. Seems they got wise to my movements, or I just got a bit overzealous. Either way… they set a trap and I fell for it.”

That was the long and short of it. His calloused hand pressed against the cold stone of the cave wall for balance. It seemed the excess blood was still moving down, and the Master stood too quickly.

He lifted his arm, and put his nostril to his armpit. “Yeah… a shower is definitely the first thing I need.” Judah chuckled as he started toward the direction of his ship.

“Since you’re here, you wanna help me close this one out?”

Judah kept walking because he knew his friend well enough to already know the answer to the question.
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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

​

"I had him right where I wanted him. You didn't let me get to the part about the witch that ripped my fingers off…"

Valery rolled her eyes, "I can chain you back down if you'd like," she said while she worked on his restraints, but she paused briefly when he thanked her. Looking up at him, she offered a smile and nodded. There wasn't really a need to thank her — they were close friends and that meant they'd always be ready and willing to help each other out of tight situations. Of course, she still appreciated it.

"There, that's better."

She stepped back and watched him while he moved up to his feet, ready to assist if he needed it. But it seemed he had it under control and even began to heal some of his injuries. Valery herself had no healing skills at all, so it wasn't something she could really assist him with. At most, she was able to affect her body's natural self-healing, which wouldn't really benefit him in this situation.

Valery then listened to his explanation, and rolled her eyes at the question, "Do you even need to ask?" Apparently not, because he already started moving in the direction of his ship. Which got her to suddenly speed up so she could move ahead of him and get him to stop.

"Right, I uh, got in here without alerting anybody. The guards are all still there, and you're unarmed," she said with her eyes narrowed a tad, "Did they get your lightsaber? If so, we might want to get it back before we head out and deal with the rest. I don't mind shielding you a little, but this is a lot easier if you're not just standing there without a weapon."

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah chuckled. He looked at the downed guard after her offer to put Judah back over the put, and he shook his head.

“Nope… good right here.”

There was a brief moment of seriousness between them. It was rare Judah opted to let things remain so between them. In truth he still used his humor to mask what lay beneath it. It was his defense mechanism of sorts. Though as she looked at him and gave an understanding nod, the Master Jedi let the facade drop long enough to allow his true feelings about their friendship to be visible.

Brief as it was, it was heartfelt, and that was all that mattered. Their relationship was mostly one of give and take when it came to teasing or sarcastic banter, and Judah would not change it for anything… well… almost anything.

He rubbed his wrists and ankles when the restraints were finally off. His body was weak after using what remaining energy he had to heal himself. A sigh escaped his lips as he realized even if he wanted to, there was little fight in him at the moment. There was one thing Valery was wrong about however.

"Did they get your lightsaber?”

He shook his head.

“I am never without a lightsaber,” he said, rolling up his right sleeve.

Judah pressed on his forearm to reveal a compartment within his cybernetic. Inside was a smaller lightsaber, the size of a shoto.

“Always have a weapon with me for occasions just like this. How do you think I escaped that witch?”

The last bit was added in case Valery doubted the earlier revelation of what he had been through before. He wiggled the fingers on his left hand for show.

“Not that I have much fight in me after healing myself so if you have a way out that will keep us from getting caught… and recover my lightsaber…”

He trailed off as he kept moving, finding the shadows. Valery would see where he was, but only because of her expertly trained eye. She was not the only shadow between them, and Judah could move undetected when he needed to.

And they needed to because two guards were about to round the corner.
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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

​

After the restraints were off and he had healed himself as much as he could in here, Valery let out a soft sigh of relief and began to plan ahead. They were technically still in the middle of it, and even though he pulled out a shoto he had hidden away, Judah wasn't exactly in a good shape to fight his way back to the ship. He luckily confirmed this himself though, which got Valery to smirk a little bit.

"Help you and recover your lightsaber? That will cost you extra," she winked and began to move forward. "Sadly though, the only way back is through some of them, so just sit back and enjoy the show. Don't get yourself hurt," she said, not in a condescending or teasing way, but it stemmed from protectiveness. She hadn't come out all this way to help him, only for him to endanger himself even more if it wasn't necessary.

Soon enough, they were quietly walking through the slaver's complex with Judah in the Shadows and Valery less so, just so that if they were discovered, it was a guarantee that she'd be the one exposed. Up ahead, she spotted two guards approaching and offered a nod to Judah, as well as a grin that likely made it obvious to him what she was going to do.

With augmented speed far beyond what their senses could perceive and track, she closed the distance and jumped up into the air. She immediately drew the Force into herself and by the time they realized someone was coming, a pair of powerful kicks connected with their heads to send them to the ground.

"Come on, we have to keep moving," Valery said as she crouched down and crushed their comm units. It would buy them a bit more time if they were to wake up, but they still needed to move fast.

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah gave Valery a nod. Naturally the way in would be the only way out. He had been doing this long enough to know that they could not always bypass the security. Even a good Shadow and Sentinel had to pick up their lightsaber and fight from time to time. Judah simply found himself doing it a lot more than he used to. The galaxy they lived in was one of constant conflict it seemed, and it saddened the Master Jedi.

What he could not do was allow Valery's comment to go without returning the volley in his own way.

"Oh honey, I thought you'd never ask," he teased as she pushed ahead of him.

It might earn him another slap, but Judah was certain it would be worth it. There were certain lines that could only be crossed with good friends, and some that needed to remain firm boundaries. Teasing was a line Judah would cross every time. Whether he would ever act upon what his joking inferred was another matter entirely.

There was the presence of two guards to distract them from whatever tension Judah's incessant teasing provoked between them. Even he was aware of how close to the line he got, and the Jedi had to admit that there was a small part of him that wished he was wholly and complete without a sense of honor. Following the light was not the easiest thing to do. Easy was often the path to trouble.

They pressed ahead after Valery took care of the guards. Judah had already locked onto the location of the armory, where he hoped his lightsabers would be. Fortunately there were not any guards along the corridor, but the door itself was locked.

Judah smirked.

"Cover the hallway huh," he said, crouching down to get a better look at the control panel.

He was not the best slicer in the universe, but he knew enough that a door mechanism was simple enough to bypass. All he had to worry about was whatever security measures were in place, but even then most slaver compounds did not have complicated systems.

After a few minutes, Judah patted Val's thigh to get her attention.

"And we're in."

It was her signal to move in while he covered her six.
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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

​

"Oh honey, I thought you'd never ask,"

Valery paused a moment, shot him a death glare that lingered for a few seconds, but then the corners of her lips curled up into a smirk and she continued walking forward while she gently shook her head. The comments and teasing wasn't something that ever bothered her, even with how far Judah took them at times — if it did, he knew exactly what to expect from her. Only once had he pushed it too far, and his cheek likely remembered what happened pretty well.

The two Jedi Masters then pushed forward, and after she dealt with the patrol, they soon reached the doors leading into the armory. It wasn't too surprising that the security here wasn't all that serious. They never expected anybody to make it this far, so, outside the occasional patrol of guards, most rooms were left undefended.

"Make it quick," Valery told him when he asked for her to cover. She turned around and rather than looking or listening, extended her senses through the facility. She could easily feel that this place swarmed with life, but nobody seemed to be on alert, and nobody was close enough to be a threat to them. So when Judah tapped her and stepped back, she turned around with a grin and looked at the door.

"Alright, let's go in."

With a quick kick, she forced the door open and stepped inside with the hilt of her lightsaber already drawn into her hand. But as expected, nobody was inside and there weren't any dangerous defense mechanisms either. Just a camera in the corner of the room, which she quickly crushed with a grip she extended through the Force.

"Grab your lightsaber and we're out of-"

She paused and turned back around as the deafening sound of alarms blaring passed through the hallways. They had either found the unconscious patrol or discovered Judah was no longer hanging above a pit. Either way, the two would have to accelerate their plans, or risk both getting trapped in here.

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

Everything was just a little too easy. Judah did not like it, but he was not going to complain about it. Most things did not come easy, so when it did, a Jedi had to take it. It was not like there was a shortage on near death escapes and crazy missions that were harrowing and dangerous. Valero kicked the door in, and right when she told him to grab his lightsabers, the alarm went crazy.

"Chit," Judah cursed. "And that's the alarm."

Judah rushed into the armory and grabbed his lightsabers. Fortunately that part was still easy. The rest of their escape was not going to be. Valery was going to have to lead the way since she was the one that found her way in. Granted this would be a great opportunity for them to test their skill. She got in undetected, and the pair could still make it out the same way.

Staying in the shadows could get them a long way, but the closer they got to the exit, it became clear they would not get out without a fight. Ducking behind a pillar, Judah looked toward the way out Valery had indicated.

"I see two on the left and three on the right. We can take them out easy enough."

Judah took in a couple of deep breaths as he closed his eyes and sent the force to his legs.

"I'll go left. Used too much energy healing myself. Was a lot more hurt than I thought."

He did not wait for Valery to acknowledge. Judah simply moved. The one thing he loved about working with Val was that they seemed to be able to move as one. It was not difficult for them to be on the same page when it came to combat. Judah smiled as he ran toward the two guards just thinking about it.

Judah dropped to a slide as he neared them. His enhanced speed allowed him to watch as both guards seemed to slowly lose their footing and float in the air. Extending his arm a wall of force energy sent them into the wall nearby, rendering them unconscious. He turned to look at Val as she handled the three to the right.

"Alright time for that shower… let's find my ship."
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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

​

"Really? What makes you think that?" Valery rolled her eyes and rushed into the armory alongside him while the alarm kept blaring. Within a few seconds, Judah had his lightsaber back and the two began to move through the hallways with Valery leading the way back. As a former Jedi Shadow, Valery had learned many years ago to always remember the details of any place she infiltrated, and so she was able to guide him through the facility without running into the bulk of the slavers.

However, they both knew that it was impossible to get out of here without any conflict.

As they crossed into a new hallway, Valery felt several presences up ahead and hid behind a pillar on the opposite side of the path, her eyes fixed on Judah as he proposed a plan. She didn't need to confirm or discuss it further — the second he explained it, they were both on the move for their respective targets. Judah was still recovering from having used all that energy to heal himself, and so he took the pair of guards while she focused on the three others.

After stepping away from the pillar, Valery rushed to their position with Force-augmented speed, making it hard for them to even track her. When they finally realized what was happening and drew their rifles, Valery extended the invisible strings of the Force and yanked the weapons from their hands. But rather than tossing them on the ground, she sent them flying back towards their owners to knock them out with the stock of their own guns.

It was a simple move, but very effective with how fast it happened.

"Area clear, and yeah... you really need it," she said with a grin before she rushed forward and into the hangar where they had stored his ship. It was likely that they would have sold it if she had taken longer to get here, but now it was easy enough to gain access and steal it back. "Can you fly us somewhere we can hide for a bit? They're going to come after us and I'd rather not risk this ship getting damaged," Valery said as she moved into the ship with him.

She also didn't want to leave the planet behind entirely because there was maybe a chance to help him complete the original mission that brought him here.

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

Judah did not take the time to give Valery an answer, he simply input coordinates into the ship computer and let the autopilot take them where they needed to go. The hermit was more concerned about getting his shower, and a little bit of rest.

There was nothing a hot shower could not cure. The door had been left slightly ajar to allow the steam out, enough so the mirror did not fog up. A few moments taken to brush his teeth, hair, and trim his beard, and Judah looked like a new man. Well, he looked like a clean version of himself. A new pair of robes had been put on as well, and about the time the ship touched down at the location he had input, Judah was ready to talk.

He moved to the galley where there seemed to always be a fresh pot of caf. Judah poured a mug for himself as he usually did, and poured one for Valery as well. A sigh left his lips as he sat on the bench of the booth which was across the way in the crew lounge. His ankles were still a little sore from hanging as long as he had, but Judah felt rejuvenated after taking the time to wash.

“You know I won’t be able to let this one go, not after all that,” he said before taking a sip from his mug. “And I am guessing you’re not going anywhere either?”

The question might as well have been rhetorical because Judah knew better. As much as they teased each other, they both knew where they stood with the other. It was refreshing, and Judah was glad he could count on Val when he needed to. It had been far too long since he had a friend like her.

“I saw you… while I was hanging there, you and the other Judah.”

Valery would know who he meant.

“Did he really tell you that you would understand…”

He was probing. Judah wanted to know if what he had seen truly had taken place.
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[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: New Cov Temple
Blasters: Link

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"Much better."

Valery smirked when he finally joined her again after taking some time to get cleaned up. The ship had touched down somewhere safe, so they had a moment to rest and make new plans about their approach. Of course, this brought them to the galley again, but she didn't take the cup of coffee — not really something she drank often, if at all.

"You know I won't be able to let this one go, not after all that," he said before taking a sip from his mug. "And I am guessing you're not going anywhere either?"

"Is that really a question you have to ask me?" she grinned. "Besides, my ship is still parked out there somewhere. I can't leave it here." It was totally the reason why she'd continue to help him. Of course, he knew it was just teasing and that he could count on her help here, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

This was way more amusing.

But then he shifted the conversation and asked a question that clearly caught her off-guard a little. She seemed hesitant for a moment but finally nodded, "He did tell me that, and well, he was right," she admitted while a faint smile breached through the cracks. "It just took way too long, and I never got to talk to him about it." Looking back, it was definitely among her regrets, but having other Lesans around her who understood her in a similar way helped.

It also sparked another question.

"Why do you think that's what the Force showed you there?"

Judah Lesan ​

 

[Judah Lesan]

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H U M I L I A T I O N

Wearing: xxx
Weapon: xxx x2
Tag: Valery Noble

“I have no idea,” Judah said with a shrug as he stared at his reflection in the dark liquid he was drinking. “Maybe because I was thinking about you at the time or something.”

He did not want to admit that a part of him had thought he was going to die. Judah knew he would have had someone not come to rescue him, but the master had faced more dire situations before. There should have been no reason he thought about dying, but a lot had changed in him leading up to Tython, and even since. Too many close calls had nearly claimed his life, and it had the Jedi thinking of how mortal he truly was.

It also showed him how flawed he was.

Judah knew she was married, and he had accepted that. Still, there was part of him that cared for her in a way that was more than a friend should. It did not mean he did not have that part of him under control. Simply that it seemed better to entertain what if at the point of death than what was.

Judah sighed.

“What was he like… the other Judah. I know I was named after him, but other than that there is not much I know about him.”
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