Private Rainfall and Rest

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

"Looks like rain, Master," one of the Padawans said as he pointed to distant clouds. They shifted from soft pillows to heavy, dark blobs over the mesas that stretched out from the enclave. Elias nodded, humming deeply. He reached for a potted feather fern and passed the plant to the boy.

"Take this down to Katie, would you? She'll show you where to store it." The boy took the feather fern as a confused expression grew on his face.

"I thought they loved the rain?"

Elias nodded again.

"They do. But this one's not for the garden. It's a gift for a friend," he explained.

It didn't take much for the limestone mesas to saturate from the rainwater. The worst of the storm seemed to pass them by, but a light drizzle had settled firmly over the enclave, washing it with summer rain. The strong scent of petrichor was its own form of medicine, bringing a sense of peace and serenity to the already homely Jedi settlement. If he weren't expecting a visit from his friend, Elias would surely have spent the evening in the archives, studying holocrons with Katie and the Padawans.

But he was glad to set aside his duties, even the studious ones, to see Valery again.

With a warm leather cloak drawn over his dreadlocked hair, Master Edo waited patiently on the landing pad for her ship to arrive. As he understood it, this was her first time visiting his enclave since the Masters pledged Bogano to the New Jedi. He was eager to show her the grounds, and to spend some quiet time away from the tensions of the galaxy. A soft smile formed on his lips as he looked to the rainy skies, watching for her.

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

With a steady descent, Valery's X-wing broke through the clouds and prepared to land on the Enclave's designated landing zone. Normally, weather like this could have a more depressing effect on the Jedi Master who had grown up in warm, sunny weather, but not today. She was meeting a close friend, and out here the rain helped produce a gentle smell that helped relax her mind. She was looking forward to a day away from the front or Jedi Duty.

A day to rest.

Soon enough, her ship touched down, and Valery emerged from the cockpit, dressed in her usual outfit but with a cloak drawn around her, and a hood slipped over her head to keep her long hair from getting soaked. It wasn't the most comfortable to wear, but she hated having to fix up her hair a lot more than this.

"Elias?" Valery asked after she made her way over with a bright smile. "It's very good to see you again."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

“Valery!” the hooded Jedi returned, bowing to greet her. The weather chimed in as well, coaxing the pair into the safety of the enclave with a low rumble of thunder.

“Welcome to Bogano,” Elias said as she joined him. “Let’s get out of this rain, shall we?”

The drizzle was relatively light, but still uncomfortable to stay in for very long. The temple, by contrast, was much cozier, as Valery would notice while walking through the halls. Elias was a humble man, but even he couldn’t hide the pride he felt for the enclave. It had come so far from the twice-forgotten ruins that he and Tarus Undara stumbled upon in their youth. They were a pair of fresh, headstrong Knights then. Wild and free, much like the Force that flowed through the mesas.

His voice was smooth, gently echoing off the limestone walls as the rounded a corner on their way to the main chamber.

“I’m glad you’re able to come. I know things have been… difficult lately. It means a lot to me.” And to the Padawans as well, it seemed. A trio of young Jedi no older than 10 or 11 came from the common room ahead to greet them.

“Hello, Master Edo!” they said in near-perfect unison. He dipped his head, returning the greeting.

“Hello there, little ones. I trust you’re staying dry today?”

Two of them nodded, but the third, a bright-eyed Rodian boy, snickered at the thought of not going outside. The beads of rainwater on his reptilian skin was a dead giveaway. Elias gave the Padawans a kind smile, then gestured to Valery beside him.

“I’d like for you to meet my friend, Master Valery Noble.” Just as before, they offered a unified “Hello, Master Noble!” Then, one of the Jedi offered her a small potted plant. His tiny hands held the featherfern with care, as if it were as precious as a holocron. Elias did his best to stifle the redness budding in his cheeks.

“Oh, right, that’s-“

“-a gift for a special friend!” the Padawan finished, giggling.

Elias rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, well… it’s a feather fern, native to Bogano. I thought you might like a piece of our enclave to take back to Coruscant.”

 

[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"Welcome to Bogano,"

"Glad to be here, but... I agree. Let's get out of the rain first," Valery said with a chuckle. She was used to rain after living on New Cov much of her life, but she definitely preferred not to get completely soaked during a visit like this if she could help it. It would make for an uncomfortable flight back. The two then turned for the Enclave, and Valery just looked around in quiet admiration for a moment. From nature to its architecture, but also the way other Jedi seemed to feel here — it was a lovely new place for her fellow Jedi to travel to.

"I'm still adjusting a little to Jedi duty again, but I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Valery assured him with a warm smile. A Jedi couldn't always be out at the front to fight — these moments were sincerely needed.

But as fun as it was to catch up and look around, they were soon spotted by some younger Jedi.

"Hello there," Valery said once Elias introduced her, "It's very nice to meet you both. I trust Master Edo has been very helpful around the Enclave?" she asked as a kind gesture, but also to tease her friend a little bit. The smirk on her face would tell him that much.

One of the two younger Jedi then stepped forward to offer her a potted plant. At first, Valery thought it was a gift from the youngling, but Elias' reaction told her that it was his idea. Was he embarrassed about it? Valery watched him from the corners of her eyes for a moment, before she chuckled. "It's beautiful, Elias, and it smells lovely too," Valery said as she studied the plant for a moment.

"Purple is my favorite color, so it's just perfect." She beamed a warm smile, and turned to face him. "I'll find a good spot for it."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

Elias played it off well, offering Valery a kind smile before shooing the Padawans back to their studies. He would take her to the archives soon enough, so they would have a chance to see her again. They did have lessons to attend, and in the meantime, Elias wanted to show her the rest of the temple.

"Mischievous lot, those three," he joked, as if he didn't dote on all of them. He remembered being a rambunctious Padawan, always giving his Master a headache. Truly, Elias was lucky none of his current students gave him the same treatment.

The next chamber they arrived to was the workshop, which doubled as tinkerer's paradise and a greenhouse for the enclave's herbalists. It was his favorite spot.

"This," he said with a gentle wave, "is where we construct and modify our lightsabers. It's not unlike those at other enclaves, but we do have something no one else does." He pointed above their heads, where a spiral staircase lead to a vaulted loft. The roof was a glass dome, tinted sage and pattered with rain from the clouds overhead. From here, dozens of potted plants could be seen. Elias stepped to the base of the stairs, gesturing for Valery to go first.

"After you," he said with a smile. This was his favorite part of the tour.

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"Mhm, blame the students," Valery said with a grin, but she knew there was some truth to what he said. Her own Padawans had given her plenty of headaches, and even students who weren't her own could be difficult to handle sometimes. Just in this case, there was something more to it than troublesome students, and she loved to tease him about it. At least, until they continued the tour, and entered the workshop.

"This is quite nice," Valery said as she looked around. "I worked with the old Artisans for a while, sometime before my time in stasis. I wanted to learn how to build my own lightsaber and craft something a bit more... unique." Which had eventually worked out quite well. The designs she came up with back then were still being used by her today.

But nerding out over lightsabers ended rather quickly when he mentioned something they had that no other place did. She perked a brow, and began walking up the stairs.

"You're not going to tell me what we're going to look at?" she asked with a chuckle.

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

Elias smiled.

"It's one of those things that's better seen than said." He followed her eagerly up the stairs, keeping his excitement just below the surface until they finally stepped into the domed upper chamber of the workshop. Then, his face was beaming. Valery would now be seeing dozens of plants, spanning twice as many species and planets of origin. It was like a living museum, a catalogue of flora from across the galaxy. She might wonder if he'd been collecting specimens his entire life, and she'd be right.

Prickly cactuses from Kirdo III, bogplants from Dagobah, even a wroshyr sapling from Kashyyyk; For every season of life, every enclave served, every battlefield revisited, there was a plant. But they were more than just mementos to remember where he'd been. Elias deeply valued the process of studying each plant and learning what makes it unique. Witnessing how the Force moves through even the simplest of life.

"This is our greenhouse," he told her as they walked among the leaves and vines. He caressed a purple-stemmed succulent he'd brought back from Kazarak.

"We keep many samples here, studying them to learn their secrets. Many have medicinal properties, some are calming agents, others are simply beautiful to look at." Like the feather fern he gave her. It was a simple plant, with little nutritional value or medicinal uses, but it was a unique lifeform special to Bogano. He hoped it would remind her of this place, and maybe even of him. He looked to her with interest.

"What do you think?"

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

Valery could easily tell that he was excited about where they were going, but it was only after they reached the greenhouse that the bubble really broke. She just chuckled and rolled her eyes a bit playfully, before looking around. "It's beautiful," She said, mesmerized by the various colors and scents in the room. A deep breath followed, and Valery managed to finally relax completely. She had always had a love for nature, and this reminded her of home.

"They are all amazing," Valery said, her fingers gently tracing over a plant, until she spotted the featherfern. He had certainly picked out her favorite of the entire greenhouse.

But how did he know? Valery looked at him for a long moment from the corners of her eyes before she smiled and turned back to a new species she had never seen before.

"I think...I'd love to come here more often. I'd almost ask if a desk could be set up here," she said with a chuckle. "Imagine being able to work surrounded by all of this? Or even to just sit down and read with some tea."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

"I'd like that," Elias said, before adding, "and the Padawans, too. They're all so excited to have the Sword of the Jedi visiting us. Most who come through are freighters looking for a place to refuel."

He leaned with his shoulder against the glass panel, listening quietly to the pattering of rain. The smell of water on the hot glasteel filled the room, adding to the already unique concoction of flowering plants and seed pods. Some may find the mixture of scents overwhelming, but the earthiness of the greenhouse was soothing to Elias. He could spend all day in here, resting or reading, just as Valery said. It was a getaway. He would allow her a few moments to enjoy herself here before gently suggesting their next destination, the common room.

"I'm sure the younglings are just dying to meet you," he said. "Bogano is a bit farther out than most enclaves, so they don't get visitors very often. Certainly few as famous as you. It means a lot to them, to feel like they're a true part of the New Jedi."

Their enclave was never alone per se, but as an unaligned band of Jedi distant from the Core, it certainly felt like they were on their own when long stretches of time went by with little contact from Coruscant. Pledging their temple to the NJO had brough more attention and support, which the Bogano enclave greatly appreciated.

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"Just dying to meet me?" Valery asked with a chuckle. "Not sure how I feel about that. I understand looking up to experienced Jedi because I was like that too but... it can feel odd. Like people don't look at you as a person anymore, but just a title or your accomplishments. If that makes sense?"

She shrugged her shoulders a little and briefly turned to a flower that caught her eye. Her hand gently traced over it, and she took in the scent with a deep breath. Much like Elias, this was a place where she'd easily be able to relax for hours. It reminded her of the New Cov Temple in some ways, which had always felt like home.

Far more than Coruscant ever would.

"But I'd be happy to meet them and make them smile, of course. I'm really fond of the younglings and Padawans we have." Now she spoke with that motherly love for children again, and it showed in her smile as well.

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

Elias could feel his ears redden. He didn't mean to strike a chord with her. Certainly not objectify her as some sort of Jedi trophy. He was quick to reframe what he said.

"Sure, I understand. That may be true of older members of the Order, but they're young and hopeful. They don't see you as the sum of your accolades or some substance-less honorific. You're a goddamn hero to those Padawans."

It may have been brash, but it was true. He didn't doubt that a certain amount of attention came only from those who idolize her station, but truly, Valery Noble was a name that young Jedi all across the galaxy looked up to. And in times like these, when the Sith are creeping around in the shadows like vermin hunting for scraps, it was more important than ever that the younglings had bold Jedi to follow.

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

Valery blinked when he clarified his point, and smiled almost sheepishly for a moment. She was clearly and visibly flattered by his words, even if none of what she did was for recognition or to create a certain perspective. She was just glad to be able to help, but it does feel nice that people are aware of the struggles she goes through for them.

"Well, let's not keep them waiting too long then, hm?" She chuckled and steppped away from the beautiful flowers to follow his lead. Hopefully, she'd be able to return to ghe greenhouse later though - it was already her favorite place in the Temple as well.

"While we're on the topic, is there anything else the Temple here needs to feel like it's truly a part of the NJO? I don't want any Jedi to feel like they don't belong, so if I can do anything to help, just let me know."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

“Actually, yes,” Elias answered as he came down the stairs. “The NJO has been good to us, but I would truly love an opportunity for our people to share some of our knowledge with the greater whole of the Order.”

The Jedi on Bogano were both blessed and weakened by their isolation. While they’d gathered vital knowledge and wisdom over years of seclusion, they’ve had very little opportunity to share it. Elias wanted to see the more niche skills developed here, like herbalism, find posterity. He continued his thoughts as he led Valery deeper into the enclave.

“What do you think of helping me organize training sessions between Coruscant and the enclave? Like a foreign exchange, almost. Get those poor City Jedi out here, under the sun! You’d take some of our own wild ones.” He sighed, as if he’d played it out in his head a dozen times.

“There’s so much the Order could gain from sharing knowledge and history. And each of us would return with new skills and perspective.”

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"That shouldn't be an issue," Valery said with a chuckle and a smile in response to his proposal. "We bring Jedi from Coruscant to New Cov quite often already, so I'm sure they'd love to see the Temple here too. Maybe learn something new, or be exposed to an environment they don't know anything about yet." Similarly, students who have exclusively been learning here on Bogano might actually find Coruscant interesting.

Valery never liked it there, with how busy and crowded it feels, but nobody could deny that there was some beauty to it all. The Temple was also remarkable, and had so much history to it.

Even young Jedi could appreciate it.

"Maybe the two of us should guide it. I could help those coming to Coruscant, while you help the Jedi visiting Bogano," she said before she shot him a grin. "Unless you'd miss me too much, and need some help here. We do have a lot of students."

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

Elias chuckled.

"Miss you? How presumptuous, Master Noble," he said with playful emphasis on her title.

He did very much enjoy her company, but the prospect of guiding their students into new experiences was very appealing. He remembered the first time he set foot on Coruscant as a boy. The sounds, the crowds, the never-ending cityscape. It was beautiful in its own way, but it would never feel the same as Genetia. Much like it would never feel the same as Bogano.

The common room ahead was lively with Jedi of many ages, but most of them were younglings and Padawans. A handful of Knights were doing their best to keep their apprentices on task. Some were studying, others practicing Force techniques on tiny baubles, but a large chunk were excited to see Elias and Valery. He tried to keep them from getting bogged down, waving and greeting the young Jedi - and allowing Valery an opportunity to do the same - before continuing through the rear of the temple and out into the grounds. A light drizzle still hung over them, but it was a short distance to the esteemed Zeffo Vault. Elias felt deep pride for the greenhouse, but he couldn't hide his reverence for the ancient tower that served as the heart of the enclave.

"I think you'll really like this next place," Elias said from beneath his cloak.

"It was known as the Vault years ago, but today, it serves as the enclave's archives. It's very ancient, built by a species known as the Zeffo. The Force is remarkably fluid here."

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"I see how it is, Edo," Valery huffed and followed after him with a smirk. The greenhouse had been a lot of fun to see for herself, but she had a feeling about where they were heading next. The tower known as the Vault was impossible to miss on entry with her ship, and while she had never visited it before, she had read about it during her studies. Perhaps Elias would be able to tell her a lot more, and show her around. They had surely done something new with it, after all this time.

Along the way, Valery waved and smiled at some younger students who seemed excited about the presence of both her and Elias. It reminded her of her first classes at the Temple, when she watched Master Dawn walk by. He had picked her up as a little kid, when her parents had called the Jedi, and later became her own Master as well.

Even now, his influence sometimes reached her through the Force.

"I don't know much about the Zeffo, but what they built here is remarkable," Valery commented as she tilted her head back to look up at the tower. "Has it been difficult to store the archives with data? I do hope that you've been able to acquire archive data from the Coruscant Temple as well to build something up?"

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

Elias wore a trademark grin beneath the hood of his cloak. He half-expected Val to melt in the rain, but then he remembered her surfing on Kabal. She could handle getting a little wet. As they walked, Valery made some good inquires. He looked to her as he answered her questions.

“You may know, the Vault was used centuries ago to conceal a single holocron from the Empire. It was destroyed by its keeper, but we’ve since replaced it with an impressive collection of data. At least, impressive by our standards. It’s no Coruscant Archives, but I’m proud of what we’ve built.”

With approval of course, Elias brought copies of general Jedi knowledge with him when he first settled the enclave. Teachings and lessons to help kickstart a new generation. Over the years, he’d supplemented it himself with data gathered on missions. He’d bolstered it most recently with the unique addition of KT-77, a protocol droid companion to a Jedi Master lost long before in the Battle of Sullust. She contained decades worth, if not centuries, of Jedi intelligence from the Outer Rim. The locations of ancient temples, holocrons, Force Nexuses, techniques and abilities… all stored in one little droid, but most of which was unfortunately blocked behind blocks that he’d been working to remove.

His eyes moved back to Valery, worried for a moment that he’d been lost in thought for a long while.

“Yes, we have a good cache of data. Plus an interesting collection from the Outer Rim that may interest you. Details on Jedi outposts and enclaves, should war be brought against the Trade League.”

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[Valery Noble]

Bogano

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Elias Edo

"You should be proud of this. It's amazing how quick all of this came to be," Valery said with a genuine smile before she watching him get lost in thought for a moment. This whole Enclave seemed like a dream coming true to him — a life fulfulling accomplishment that he could now share with the rest of the Jedi. It made her not even tease him about the fact he was just staring like he lost his soul.

Although, when he looked at her again, she shot him a smirk to make sure he knew she caught him daydreaming.

"If you feel a need to elaborate on what you have, we can always coordinate between Coruscant and this Temple, or maybe even look at Ilum and New Cov for sharing some of their more unique entries." She paused, as another thought flashed into her mind. "Maybe some of New Cov's flora could be interesting for the greenhouse as well."

Or well, the flora that wouldn't try to kill or eat you.

"Where to next?"

 

[Elias Edo]

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Tags: Valery Noble
Location: BOGANO...

"Well," he said in a suggestive tone, "we can go inside the Vault, if you'd like? Again, not as impressive as Coruscant - but it's a damn good sight to see. And if relics from the Rim aren't tantalizing enough, there's always Katie! You like spunky protocol droids who prattle for hours on end about xenobiology, right?"

Elias flashed her a childish grin, then shook himself to a more serious demeanor. "Really though, the Vault is worth visiting if you have the time. And Katie is pretty fantastic."

He hoped she'd stay a little while longer, but he'd understand if she wasn't able to keep this far from the Core for too long. The rain made Bogano's interiors all the more cozy and few places felt more serene than the Vault's metal structure when a storm pattered away at its bronzium surface. Plus, excavations on the necropolis world the Trade League discovered were finally producing good data. Elias took the liberty of archiving in on Bogano for personal study later when he was in need of solitude, but there would be little harm in giving Valery a peek at what they'd found thus far.

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