Private Living Up to the Name

[Alicio Organa]

Little Star.

Alicio knew Vera's moniker with her parents. They'd called her that enough in his presence to pick up on it. To think that it had affected her enough to shape her subconscious view of the Future was... touching.

"I think I prefer how you see, too." Alicio commented, smoke pouring from behind his teeth. He'd never been able to shake his healthy wariness of the Future. That's why his path was so cold, and shifting, and dangerous. Following his visions were like navigating a rough sea of possibilities

All they had to do here was follow the stars.

Alicio found himself tracing the patterns Vera pointed out with his eyes, trying to search for meaning in the random motes of light. Slowly but surely, patterns began to form.

"I... see... debris." Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled, and salty sea air tousled his hair. His influence, even in the starscape. "Fire. Ships in the wreckage."

Maybe Vera could see more.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Tag: Alicio Organa

"I see it, too," Vera said before she closed her eyes and brightened the stars around them. Those not part of the patterns were starting to gradually fade, but those that showed his vision of the future grew more intense. But those were not the only ones that stood out to both of them.

New stars were starting to form in the distant Galaxy, showing futures that hadn't existed yet a moment ago. It was always in motion, just like the cycle of life.

"It's bad, Alicio," Vera said with a frown, as several stars went supernova. "I feel pain, suffering. Death and destruction." She looked up at him with a concerned frown. "There's no way we can get reinforcements in time. If we want those people to live..." They'd have to go there now themselves.

With all risks involved.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio's frown became grim, a bit of color leaving his cheeks as he squinted his eyes against the supernovas. Something had obviously happened, something enormously destructive. The Count's mind went into overdrive, trying to piece together all the clues.

"No meteor swarm could do that much damage. And pirates wouldn't be strong enough to assault a station of that size..." Which only left a few disturbing options.

"There's no way we can get reinforcements in time. If we want those people to live..."

"...We have to save them." Alicio nodded. There was no question in his mind of what they should do.

Captain da Silva jumped a little as Alicio leapt to his feet, his crystal spinning into his hand. In a moment, Introspect's gem was returned to it's hilt, and Alicio whirled around, to address the bridge. "There is danger ahead. The shipyard is under attack by unknown assailants."

"Beginning calculations fo-"

"We are going to rescue as many people as we can."

There was a pause from the Captain as she processed. Remembered who exactly she was serving under. "...Yes, Your Excellency."

"Once we exit hyperspace, stay at a safe distance, Captain. Padawan Noble and I will be departing in the shuttle." Leaving no room for debate, Alicio let his cape billow behind him as he turned, and escaped the room before his captain could talk him out of it. After a brief, confused pause, the senate guards followed.

"The station will already be nearly ruined by the time we get there. We need to get in, and evacuate people before life support fails, or the shipyard implodes." The Count smirked, though there was a serious glint in his eye. "A little more action than we planned for your first mission, Vera. Sorry for the surprise."

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

"...We have to save them."

Vera's eyes opened and they were back on the bridge again. Seeing Alicio jump up the way he did with his crystal made her blink again though, but she wasn't going to make a comment. Not until later, anyway. She hopped up to her own feet right after that and looked between him and the Captain. This whole situation had turned into something much more serious, and she was a newer Jedi Padawan.

If Mom and Dad heard about this-

No, she had to do this. She was a Jedi, after all.

"It's okay, Senator Organa," Vera said rather politely, but there was a reason for that. "Would you like me to fly the shuttle? That way you can be the first to get onto the station and greet the attackers." Perhaps a sound plan, but that little sparkle in her eyes made it clear she was just really wanting to fly and show off a little.

It was the exact same sparkle Valery had before doing something dangerous or exciting.

"Oh and Captain? Please scan on short-range. There will be escape pods among the debris of the station. The people there will need to be drawn in."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Would you like me to fly the shuttle? That way you can be the first to get onto the station and greet the attackers."

Alicio noticed her mother in her eyes.

The Count smirked sharply, bobbing his head a little. "I suppose."

Momentarily, the small attack force of an Alderaanian nobleman, a fresh padawan, and four bewildered senate guards piled into a shuttle. One of the guards couldn't help but speak up. "Sir, uh, Your Excellency, Sir... Are you sure this is the smartest idea? We don't know what we're getting into." Alicio thought a moment, before letting a soft smile assure the commando.

"I'll try my best to keep you safe."

An odd thing for a senator to say to their bodyguard.

Alicio felt a stirring in the future. "Here we go," he murmured, bracing himself.

The Gift of Peace reverted into realspace at the edge of a battlefield. It seemed most of the fighting was done, chunks of Vandelhelm defense force ships, and noticeably Mandalorian vessels, scattered in the starfield. The station itself was broken into three parts, though some portions of it still flickered with waning power. Most disturbingly, there were ships poking through the wreckage, and docked with what was left of the shipyard.

They obviously weren't Enclave vessels, small maneuverable snubfighters and shuttles with cobbled designs and mismatched paint denoting them as Vandelhelm's pirates. No doubt emerging after the battle, to scavenge the debris left behind.

Alicio spun Introspect's hilt in his hand, a sudden bout of nerves striking him. But he pushed them aside. "Take us in, Padawan Noble."

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

Yesss.

Vera's eyes widened with excitement when Alicio allowed her to pilot the shuttle. It was a chance for her to prove herself, and she much preferred it over having to sit still as well. As soon as they had entered the vessel, Vera practically threw herself into the pilot seat and turned into quite the professional. Pre-flight checks, take-off procedures and clearance coordination with the Gift of Peace to ensure a safe departure.

She had this.

Picking up on the conversation between Alicio and the guards, Vera rotated just a little in her seat and smiled, "We wouldn't be doing this if we thought it impossible. Stay focused, and we will all go home together." She smiled a little and turned back, this time to shift into the Force for guidance.

"Take us in, Padawan Noble."

Vera blasted off without further warning and took a rather peculiar approach. Rather than avoid the debris entirely, she chose a path right through the floating field of torn apart ships, hull fragments and other components. "Helps us avoid detection," she explained before anybody could question whether or not she had a death wish. With the Force on her side, she knew what she was doing, and no Mandalorian or pirate was going to stop her.

"I detect some life signs on a few of those derelict ships," Vera said with a frown. If they stopped to help survivors, they risked being caught. But leaving helpless people — even pirates or Mandalorians — behind on critically damaged ships was likely an actual death sentence for them.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio suffered Vera's enthusiasm the least, as they all shot out of the Gift's hangar, his precognition alerting him to her sudden departure. The guards stumbled a step or two, but he stood firm, even helped catch one before he could fall.

When Alicio had allowed the little Noble to helm their shuttle, the Count certainly hadn't anticipated she would beeline towards the most difficult route imaginable. He winced a few times in their descent towards the station, but his faith in the preteen wasn't misplaced.

"I detect some life signs on a few of those derelict ships."

Alicio immediately forgot Vera's dicey path, frowning in thought. If there were even a chance they could save more innocent people... they had to try.

"Bring us in." Alicio stepped towards the exit ramp, preparing to be the first one out, as discussed. He turned back to the Senate Guards, fixing each with a determined look. "Your job is to hold this shuttle. If we lose it, we lose any chance of making it out with anybody. Vera and I will evacuate people here, you protect them."

A unified yes sir was his response. Alicio offered each a genuine smile. "Thank you. You're all very brave." They had been surprised, and scared. But they were still commandos, some of the best of the Alliance. They could handle holding a single ship.

As soon as Vera was able to dock with the derelict ship, Alicio would open the doors, and step into the unfamiliar walkway, one eye on the Future.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

"Don't mind the impacts," Vera said with a little grin. "The Shields will hold, I can see it." Reassuring? Perhaps not, but she wasn't going to be lying to Alicio and the others. Her path through the debris field would result in some of it hitting the ship, but as long as she avoided dangerously large chunks, they'd be just fine.

She hoped.

With Vera's warning of people trapped in derelict ships, however, she figured attention was drawn to that. Alicio agreed to save them, so Vera took them in fast and only looked over her shoulder to acknowledge his plan. They'd go in together, and the guards were going to protect the ship.

It's what Vera would have said, too!

"Alicio, I sense them." Vera looked at him as they entered the hallway of the derelict. "Not all of them are friendly."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Vera, I trust you implicitly," Alicio said, his voice mildly strained. "But I'm minding them."

In no time, Alicio and Vera were stalking through the damaged vessel, low-power lights flickering above them. The Count kept one hand on his saber, his cape swirling behind him, catching the wind from his quick steps.

Vera's warning was well-received. Alicio narrowed his eyes at the closed door ahead. A frown tugged at his already severe expression. "We try to save everyone, if we can. But if we can't..." He paused, clasping Vera on the shoulder. "We do our best."

Alicio had never been very good at telekinesis. Brute force wasn't his... force. But precise applications on a doorway meant to open was easy enough. An outstretched hand forced open the entryway, revealing what lay beyond.

A single woman, with a blaster rifle, standing over three unconscious forms. Two men in business suits, and a teen boy, all with their eyes rolled up in their heads, sprawled on the ground. The woman was rifling through their pockets, protected by a squad of six... ancient battle droids.

Who immediately turned and opened fire.

Alicio leapt in front of Vera, turning aside poorly-aimed, but voluminous blaster bolts with a Soresu flourish. All that training with Amani was certainly paying off.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

Vera nodded, "We'll do our best," she echoed with a little smile of confidence. This whole thing was pretty scary, she had to admit, but she felt good having someone she trusted with her. He'd do anything to keep her safe, and she'd do the same for him in return. That's what it meant to not only be a Jedi, but friends as well.

Now, she needed to be focused.

With a flick of his hand, Alicio opened the door that was in their way, and Vera felt an instant pulse of danger in the Force. She took just a little step back and let him shield her against the woman and her droids. They looked ancient! But even old blasters could kill, so Alicio's quick guard was appreciated.

"Move forward!" Vera then exclaimed, as she reached out with her hand and projected a bubble of Force energy right in front of the Count. The blaster bolts no longer reached his lightsaber, and struck her shield instead. Vera wasn't an aggressive fighter, so offering him a chance to push forward seemed best.

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Jedi! Get 'em, boys!"

In one moment, Alicio was turning aside blaster bolts from Vera. In the next, Vera did the same for him, projecting a wall of Force to protect the senator. Alicio smirked, though he didn't take his eyes off the enemy, nor did he utter a quippy response, as much as he wanted to.

He'd never been able to manifest any shielding techniques. And here was Vera, already proficient. Any wound to his pride was offset by the pride he felt in her.

The Count took the opportunity, dashing forward like a slithering snake, and closing with the enemies.

Hoping the chaos of the moment would allow Vera to do some damage in his wake, Alicio went for the biggest threat first- the woman. All in one smooth motion, Introspect slashed through her weapon before she could train it on the nobleman, and his forehead smashed through her nose, breaking cartilage, and sending her writhing to the floor.

The battle droids moved to slowly fire at Alicio, giving Vera the perfect opportunity to do some... aggressive maintenance.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

Ouch.

Vera had seen her parents fight before. She had seen Aris fight, and even some other Jedi. But never before had she seen someone close the distance, use a weapon to disarm, and then headbutt another to actually deal any damage. Blood squirted from the woman's nose, and while Vera couldn't hear the sound of crunching bones from her distance, she knew it had to have broken on impact.

There wasn't much time to focus on it, though.

The battledroids slowly turned and Vera knew she had to do something. She wasn't as aggressive as Mom, and she was still perfecting more offensive skills. But she did learn a few things from Dad. "Freeze." Her hand came up to trace a rune, and in an instant, the oils and liquids around their joints began to freeze up. It slowed them down, and made it much easier to avoid their firing arcs.

"Now!" She called out, but this time Vera rushed forward too. Her green blade cut right through one of the droids, and with a decent burst of speed, she charged another and impaled it with her lightsaber.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio spent no more time on his own handiwork than Vera did, moving on to the next threat with the experience of a warrior. His blue and black blade flashed around him, parrying a blaster bolt into the ground between his feet, before lunging forward, to run through the droid that had sent it to him.

The little Noble's ice spell illicited a chilled frown from the Count, though he didn't comment on it further. Instead, he used the opportunity as it was given to him, dismantling the battle droids in his immediate area, and trusting that Vera could handle the rest.

Once the last was defeated, ran through by a black-cored blade, Alicio deactivated his lightsaber, and slowly took a knee, sweeping his cape aside to let his hands hover over the unconscious forms of the two men and the boy. Energy flowed from the senator's palms, freely given.

"Have they taught you healing at the temple, Vera?" He let his eyes rise to the girl, finally letting a sigh of relief escape him. He could handle it on his own... but far be it from him to take away a learning opportunity from a new padawan.

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

Derelict Ship

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

Together, the remainder of the droids were swiftly taken care of. None of them were able to move, after all, so even an untrained youngling could have finished them off. But with the threat over, there was still one other important thing to take care of. The survivors here were injured, and Alicio was quick to rush to their side to provide medical attention.

But he wanted her help.

Vera tilted her head, knowing that he could likely handle it alone. But she suspected that he wanted her to learn or be involved, and quickly moved over to sit down on her knees with them. "I did learn a little bit of healing," Vera said, as she recalled lessons from Amani Serys at the Temple.

Some of her absolute favorites.

"I'm not very good at it yet, though. But if you guide me, we can do it together."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio beckoned Vera down to kneel next to him, as he held his hands over the three unconscious forms. He paused to assess them, letting his senses wash over them like water over riverstones.

"Good, I don't know if I could teach it from the beginning." He smirked, letting humor shade his tone. Their situation was serious, but it wouldn't benefit either of them to wallow in the darkness. "The boy, and this man, seem to just be stunned. This one appears to have been hit in the back of the head. Focus on him, if you can."

Alicio looked between their makeshift patients, including the recently laid-out pirate in his sights. "Each one of us has a warm light inside of us. Like a summer river, or a burning ball of flame. That's our life force. Our soul, our... essence." Alicio reached down, and gently placed a few scraping fingers along the downed civilians' temples. "When we heal, we... share our essence. Pour a piece of it into those around us. Give of ourselves."

Alicio gave. Only a little. Enough to ensure they weren't in danger, but leaving enough so that Vera could learn. Then, he turned his attention to the woman he'd laid out, giving a little more. With his thumb and forefinger, Alicio coaxed her nose back into place, mending what was broken beneath.

"Find your inner light. Let it warm you. Then, let it warm them."

- Vera Noble -

 

[Vera Noble]

​

Tag: Alicio Organa

"I got it," Vera said as she shifted on her knees to focus on the man who had been hit against the back of his head. There was some blood in his hair because of the impact, but what worried her the most was the risk of internal damage. With what they had available now, the only way to heal it would be to use the Force. She had seen Amani do it several times and practically without effort, but Vera had never healed someone for real.

Only in practice simulations.

Luckily, Alicio's explanation kept her focused and Vera carefully followed his instructions. They sounded familiar and even though she disliked classroom learning, the lessons were starting to come back to her. She raised a hand, closed her eyes, and allowed a bridge to form between herself and her patient.

A gentle flow of her healing energies followed along the currents of the Force and began to heal.

"I think I'm doing it," Vera said with furrowed brows of pure focus. "I can do it!"

 

[Alicio Organa]

"I can do it!"

Alicio's heart warmed, watching Vera pick up on the skill. "There was no doubt in my mind, Padawan."

He supposed this was how being a Jedi mentor felt, too. Seeing someone connect with the Force in a new way, and the excitement that brought. Not for the first time, Alicio wondered how his life would have changed had he decided to go the path of the Jedi, rather than the politician.

Alicio gave only enough of himself to stabilize the people, careful not to give enough to the woman to wake her up, and stood up, though he let Vera continue her work. He stared ahead, a sudden pressure whining in the air around the Count as he stared ahead. "There were more people here..." Alicio said, a sad color to his words. "Not... anymore."

If the pair of them looked further into the ship, all they would find was death, and detritus.

Alicio sent a quick message to a guard, to help them carry people, before taking a knee next to Vera, and putting a gloved hand on her shoulder. He shared his energy with her, to give her the power she needed to continue.

Once Vera finished her work, at least stabilizing the men, and the guard arrived to help carry them to safety, Alicio would nod, standing. "Let's get back to the shuttle. I sense we can do the most good by docking with the broken station."

- Vera Noble -