Private &nbsp; Reappearance

As a Jedi Shadow, she was often sent on covert off-record missions to hunt down Sith and their creations; to purge them so they could no longer threaten the Galaxy. This meant that historically, she was more likely to draw her blade against those tainted by the Dark Side, than attempt anything diplomatic. Yet here she was again, handling a supposed Sith who had been taken captive. It was somewhat odd to her that she was being assigned to these tasks, but perhaps her views and lack of initial trust for Dark Siders would ensure that they could not easily escape or manipulate her.

But regardless of the reason, she would make sure to complete her mission, and this time she was taking along her Padawan as well. For some time now, she had been taking Iris on missions that involved interacting with the Dark Side in some way - it was a goal to provide her with more insight and experience because Iris lacked it a great deal.

"We're about to drop from hyperspace, Iris," Valery said before she pulled back on the lever and took their transport out of the faster-than-light dimension, and into the system with The Gouda.

"Transmitting clearance codes," she responded to the cruiser on request, and once cleared, she plotted her approach vector for the hangar.

With a steady speed, the transport made its way into the Hangar, came to a stop, and powered down its engines before the ramp lowered. The two Jedi, the Master and Padawan, then stepped down from the ramp and walked over to

Mathieu Brion , who had been waiting for their arrival.

Dressed in her usual outfit, Valery stopped right in front of him and bowed her head respectfully before her orange gaze settled on the tall man, "Thank you for receiving us, Padawan Brion." Valery said, having gotten his name through earlier back-and-forth communications about this meeting. "I'm Master Valery Noble and this is my Padawan, Iris Arani."

"We are here for the prisoner."

Iris Arani · Nov 26, 2021

They arrived.

Iris stood close to

Valery Noble , the young padawan dressed in a simple, if classic, Jedi robe. Lightsaber on her hip. She was.. Not sure on how to feel about this. Transporting a Sith, or ex Sith, or former Sith. Whatever the term, it was another case of her having to mingle closer to the dark. It was part of her training, yes. But the more she dealt with this, the more conflicted she felt. Not everything was evil. All the shades of grey were just.. Confusing.

Though to her surprise there was someone familiar. As her master introduced her Iris blinked. And spoke up, interrupting Valery completely.

"Oh it's you. Hello."

Mathieu Brion · Nov 27, 2021

Reappearance

Location: Near Troiken
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags:

Valery Noble

---

His eyes followed the transport ship as it arrived to the hangar. It had been some time since he had sensed the presence of another force user who also followed the path of the light. It was refreshing. In a sense, it brought him back to when he still used to roam the wide temple grounds on Kashyyyk and Commenor. The hangar crew kept working at a high rate as the transport set down. Fueling pipes were drawn towards the ship in case refueling was required and cargo trolleys were being loaded with supplies - all part of what was standard procedure when long-travellers arrived.

Eventually, the ramp was lowered and two Jedi debarked. "Welcome to the Gouda" he spoke respectfully and produced a small bow as he greeted them. He first studied the Jedi Master - while she exuded competence, her appearance suggested that she and Mathieu weren't too different. Both being persons who preferred doing their part for the galaxy by fighting the dark and corrupt rather than theorising about the good at a temple. But then, it was just a first impression. What she was truly like was still something which he would have to find out about as time progressed.

The other, was not someone whom he needed to form a first impression about, however. "Iris! It is good to see you again." a happy smile appeared as his face brightened. He had only met her briefly in the past but the impression she left with him was still rather colourful. It was good to see her once more - and her having found a master made it even better. It was something which Mathieu had not been fortunate enough to find himself. But then, his rather adventurous lifestyle had made that a rather challenging task. This was reflected by the slight surprise he experienced as Valery called him Padawan Brion. It was not something he had been addressed as for quite some time. Chaussidier often either called him by name or simply 'Jedi'. Still, it was not something he minded.

He nodded to the Jedi Master as she mentioned their task. "I believe they are preparing her for departure. It shouldn't be long. If you can, please be gentl-" Before completing the sentence, Mathieu was interrupted by sirens suddenly coming to life. The hangar gates closed - something most would recognise as a precaution for when the vessel was in danger. The large Morellian looked to first Iris and the Valery before bringing out his comms device to answer a call by

Chaussidier

An image of the elderly Admiral appeared holographically from the handheld device. He stood hovering over a command console with both hands holding it firmly, his focus on something completely different than the Jedi. Soon, a voice could be heard from the background, informing the Admiral that the call was on. He turned to the holocam and clasped his hands behind his back. "Welcome to the Gouda. It seems like we have caught the attention of some Sith-Imperial sleeper elements based around Troiken. A carrier released two squadrons with an intercept course. I am following further developments. It seems like your stay with us will be prolonged."

Valery Noble · Nov 27, 2021

Location: Near Troiken

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Lightsabers: Link!

Tag:

"Oh, it's you. Hello."

Valery blinked and turned her gaze to her side as Iris interrupted her. As a Jedi who was raised and trained very traditionally, the sudden interruption was unexpected, but she wasn't one to go into it too much because she remembered the days when she was just an energetic young Padawan. She often got in trouble for little things, mostly because her Master wanted her to be more disciplined. While it worked, she didn't particularly feel the approach was needed with Iris.

The girl somehow seemed to know Mathieu, which was far more interesting to her right now.

But before she could ask more questions about that, the man was interrupted by loud sirens echoing through the rather open Hangar area. Valery began to look around in mild surprise as the doors of the Hangar closed, but she noticed that the people working were not sure about what was going on either.

So whatever was happening, they were all in it together.

"What's going on?"

Her orange eyes then shifted back to Mathieu, who reached for his comms device to answer an incoming call. On display, she saw the older Admiral and listened to him explain the situation. "Sith out here?" The idea mostly struck Valery because she had been very active in the region to purge remnants of the Sith Empire and other individual Dark Siders looking to abuse the power vacuum left behind in their wake.

It seemed there was a lot more work for her to do.

"Padawan Brion, you know this ship better than us. I assume the prisoner is kept somewhere safe and secure, so where would you like us to go? We'll be able to assist with these attackers." the woman said with a determined gaze. Whenever trouble grew close, she became more serious, somewhat fierce in the eyes even. Especially when it came to Sith.

Iris Arani · Nov 27, 2021

And all at once things went from okay and friendly to tense. The colors around Iris swirled with panic as the sirens went off. But she wanted to talk to

Mathieu Brion more! Tell him more of her own life and what she'd learned thus far under

Valery Noble . The pout was only momentary. Danger. The colors swirled as danger took over. She fell silent, standing beside her master as a hand calmly rested against her lightsaber.

She didn't want to fight, but if it came down to it, she wouldn't let herself be something that needed protection. Not again.

Mathieu Brion · Nov 28, 2021

Reappearance

Location: Near Troiken
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags:

Valery Noble

---

Chaussidier's expression remained neutral upon hearing the reactions of the Jedi. Whether they were determined or surprised was of little consequence to him. For he had worked with Mathieu for an extensive period of time and knew that he could be relied on. Roughly the same could be said for Jedi in general and he had faith that the Order would not just send any Jedi this deep into what had used to be the core of the Sith Empire. "Indeed" his response was dry as he looked to the more senior Jedi. "Mathieu, make your way to Shuttle Bay 2. We are going to sweep this attack clean before it can properly start. Chaussidier out."

The holographic image of the Admiral turned to static before disappearing completely. Mathieu withdrew his hand and pocketed the comms unit. It had been hard not to notice Iris' momentary pout. He offered her a small sympathetic smile as Valery spoke. "Alina" he paused briefly to clarify who he was referring to ".. the prisoner. She should be safe. Her chambers are deeper within the ship." Mathieu proceeded to point towards one of the exits "This way. I am sure the Admiral would welcome your aid."

It would not be long before the large Morellian lead them through the long corridors of the ship. While not sprinting, he did make long and rapid strides towards their destination. Briefly, he turned around "If they're going to board, Shuttle Bay 2 should be a good location to launch a response from." he paused to make a sharp turn to the right and proceeded up along a staircase "But judging from his wording, I think he wants to send a boarding party"

It was not long before the trio would reach a hangar bay similar to the one that the two Jedi arrived in. But instead of a singular transport ship and food supplies, this one had a number of military grade shuttles. A busy hangar crew was operating along the deck, making last minute preparations. Astromech droids were being loaded onto the smaller craft, fuel pipes were being removed and missile hatches were being locked after having being filled to the brim. Three twelve-man squads entered the hangar from another entrance. From an outsider's perspective it may have looked like mayhem. But to those who were used to it, there was a kind of organisation to the chaos.

Dull sounds could be heard from the outside. Laser beams hitting the Gouda's shields and point defence turrets firing back at the fighter squadrons outside. There was en eerie sense of peace inside - everyone in the hangar knew what their job was and worked together well. But they were all at risk if the shields should break and the armour plates underneath falter.

Valery Noble · Nov 29, 2021

Location: Near Troiken

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Lightsabers: Link!

Tag:

Valery has always been a Jedi who prioritized the mission over anything else, and she came here for a prisoner. So only with confirmation from Mathieu that Alina was secured, the Jedi Master felt ready to continue and assist in repelling the attackers. If the plan was to group up with others in Hangar Bay 2 so they could send out boarding parties, then that's what she was going to do.

At a steady pace, she followed Mathie through the hallways while the battle outside the cruiser's hull was firing up. With a look to her side, she made sure Iris was following along, which she was, and the girl seemed more determined to fight. In a relatively short amount of time, she had gone through a lot, so it was to be expected that she felt a need to stand her ground more.

However, as they passed through yet another corridor, Valery suddenly stopped and placed a hand on Iris' shoulder to make sure she paused in her steps too.

"Wait, something is coming." She said as she looked around as if something was somehow approaching them from within the walls.

What wasn't very obvious to the group yet was that just outside the cruiser, a pair of enemy craft fired boarding torpedoes towards the cruiser as some of its shieldings was taking a localized beating. The pods that were launched were smaller than your average breaching pods, but they held something more dangerous than the average soldier, and this sent an echo through the Force that Valery had picked up on.

With a loud bang, and some brief but intense vibrations of the hull and floor panels the Jedi were standing on, the pods buried their way through the durasteel and other materials in their way, until just the sharpened tip of the pod came out and into the hallway. As they came to a stop, a brief silence followed but within them, the three could hear the mechanisms trigger that opened the pods.

"Here they come."

And out came tall soldiers in black armor that covered much of their bodies. Just their appearance alone made them seem more threatening than the average soldier, but they also carried heavy rifles to further reinforce the idea that they weren't pushovers.

Then with a snap-hiss, Valery's twin lightsabers burst into existence, the violet light reflecting against her body and face to accent her fierce demeanor towards the attackers. There was no way or reason to go around them, so through them, it was. As they began to open fire, The Jedi Master moved towards them with incredible speed, ready to engage and fight her way through.

They landed in the wrong hallway.

Iris Arani · Nov 29, 2021

Boarding party? Iris glanced between

Valery Noble and

Mathieu Brion as they rushed down the hall. She had her lightsaber in hand, though her grip remained loose on it. Domxite as ever send it's calming aura for her, keeping her mind focused. Unafraid. No, not unafraid, just full of more courage than fear. She sensed it as Valery did. The colors around them suddenly swirled and dimmed.

The Force moved darkly around those with lethal intent. It was something she learned more recently.

Her blade snapped to life as the walls were penetrated. Soldiers came out. No, something more than soldiers. Droids? Elites? She wasn't sure, but Iris kept to the back. Stayed out of the way, instead pulling some fire as her blade arched through the air to deflect the shots coming her way. Shi-Cho, clearly. This was far different from the training droids back on the shuttle. Live fire was scary. Heavy.

But she kept her mind focused. Just deflect the shots harmlessly, trust in the other two to strike while the enemies attention was split. That's the most she could do right now.

Mathieu Brion · Nov 30, 2021

Reappearance

Location: Near Troiken
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags:

Valery Noble

---

Was something feeling a bit off? Maybe. Perhaps Mathieu should have reacted on the tingling feeling of impeding danger. Trusted in his instincts - in the force. But then, his capacities were far less honed than those of the Jedi Master. So while she had turned to talk to her Padawan, Mathieu had pushed on. A mistake, for certain.

When the pods crashed through the walls, he was but a mere step away from being hit. But even then, the force of their entry pushed him back and surprised him. Whatever it was, nothing good would come of it, and so, the large Morellian quickly drew his sabre. A familiar hum could be heard as the blue blade was ignited whilst its owner entered a neutral Soresu stance.

He stood near the first pod's exit and was quick to greet the invaders that it carried. Three soldiers clad in black armour. They would not allow the Jedi to dictate the momentum of the fight. Although Mathieu managed to cut through one of them with a quick sweep, the other two opened fire right after, rendering any true offensive moves hard to pull off.

Mathieu, specialised in the most defensive lightsabre form fell into what came the most naturally to him. Deflection. His sabre moved quickly as he prevented most of the bolts from slipping through and hitting his fellow Jedi behind him. Of course, both of them were likely capable of fending for themselves but defence of both himself and others came naturally to him. Besides, in this particular scenario, there was not much choice, seeing as he had become the main target for the time being.

Still, heavy fire from multiple sources at a close distance was hard to deal with. Even for a specialist such as Mathieu. While many of the bolts had been deflected, some of them slipped past. What was worse was that one of them hit him by the chest. The heavy armour would hold for a couple attacks but the sheer force of the bolt and the heat with which it burned still caused him tremendous pain. Mathieu let out a pained grunt whilst his mighty form stumbled back a step. But even then, his disciplined defence didn't pause. It was, however, impossible not to be concerned for how long he could keep it up. For now, his hope would rest with his allies.

Valery Noble · Dec 1, 2021

Location: Near Troiken

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Lightsabers: Link!

Tag:

Feeling her Padawan's courage, and having seen her improve her defensive skills with the lightsaber drastically, Valery felt confident enough to move away from her, and instead make her way over to Mathieu. Since he knew the way through the ship, he had taken point to lead them towards the Hangar, which now meant that he stood between the attackers and his allies.

The assault from the black armored soldiers was relentless, and while the tall Jedi deflected the majority of bolts away safely, some struck his armor, and one, in particular, sent him stumbling back a step.

So in an attempt to offer relief, Valery allowed the Force to freely flow through her body, augmenting her speed greatly as she came up behind him. But right before reaching his backside, she made the move to go around him and used the walls to launch herself towards the two leading figures with such incredible speed that they could not track her movements and react.

A violet flash followed, and their bodies toppled over, the heads separated from the torso. While it looked rather brutal, it was a quick way to go out, and even with attackers like this, she wanted to avoid unnecessary suffering if possible.

"Keep moving!" Valery called out to the other two Jedi, wanting them to regain their balance if necessary and push up with her towards the group of 5 enemy soldiers that were coming their way.

Iris Arani · Dec 1, 2021

Wait.

Iris blinked. Domxite, her ever faithful companion, whispered in her mind. Well, not so much actually whispered as sent a wave of anxiety through the Padawan's mind. At first she was confused. Then she noticed it. "Master..!" She gritted her teeth as she noticed another shot coming her way at the last second. Deflected to the side, yes, but sloppily. Worse, she felt pain in her wrist. A sprain?

No, that didn't matter. She rushed forward, noticeably far slower than

Valery Noble 's display of power. She hadn't figured out how to channel the Force in such a way, though in her desperation to help Valery would be able to see it. The subtle change as she indeed sped up. Iris dove forward, under another shot and right into one of the freshly beheaded corpses. She didn't have a lot of skill in using the Force in combat. She needed to be close.

Ignoring everything else around her she reached out. Lifting the body in front of her as a shield, then tossing it towards the five still remaining. Gruesome, and something she'd never normally do. But why was apparent as the the remaining immediately scattered.

The Dark Side swelled, and the corpse blew up. Iris shielded her face, though thanks to her throw there wasn't much for her to be protected from. Domxite had noticed it first. A subtle tinge of the Dark around the body. Iris assumed it was connected to how the soldiers were fighting to kill, but it swelled after death. Her hands shook as she lowered them, glancing towards the other Jedi.

Before she could ask anything the dark clad troopers resumed fire. She gritted her teeth as she hopped to her feet, her blade flashing to knock a shot away. Right, keep moving.

Mathieu Brion · Dec 1, 2021

Reappearance

Location: Near Troiken
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags:

Valery Noble

---

And they came through. Mathieu's staunch defence was being put under an ever increasing amount of pressure when Valery suddenly burst forth to quickly cut down the two dark soldiers near him. Not only did it reduce the amount fire which came raining down upon them but it also removed the primary threats to him, seeing as bolts fired from a close range were considerably much harder to defend against. Iris did her part too, for while Mathieu allowed himself to recover for a moment, she flung the severed body away before it could explode on them. "By the stars" he mumbled, eyes fixed on the scene of what had just happened.

The armour segment where the bolt had impacted was still smoking. The large Morellian stood ready for continued battle and after giving himself a little time to take in what had just happened, he continued pushing forth along with the newly arrived duo.

Why fix what is not broken? Sometimes, mixing it up could be fun. But being trapped in a narrow corridor and facing blaster wielding opponents, Mathieu saw little reason in not continuing doing what he had done just before. Namely producing a solid defence against the incoming attacks and hopefully allowing the others to disable their foes. It was only natural, seeing as his capacities were limited in their current setting. He was not agile enough - or lightly armoured for that matter - to launch himself from the walls like Valery. And he was not much for force based attacks either - perhaps it was a lack of confidence and imagination. Regardless, he would lean on his allies.

With the initial distance between the Jedi trio and the troop being greater, his defence would not have to be quite as strained as it was before. It left more room for reflection rather than deflection. Of course, Soresu was more oriented towards pure defence but even then, he managed to bounce a few shots back towards their senders. It was not very effective, for the returning bolts that were not avoided could at times be absorbed by the armour. Whether it was the force or pure luck was unclear - but one of the laser bolts Mathieu reflected sailed straight back at the trooper's helmet. The foe was immediately killed as the Jedi continued to push on towards the survivors.

Valery Noble · Dec 2, 2021

Location: Near Troiken

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Lightsabers: Link!

Tag:

"Master..!"

It was impossible to ignore the call from her Padawan, the emotion of which carried to the Master through the Force. Almost instantly, Valery was alarmed by the danger of the bodies she had left behind as a result, but before she could respond to the threat herself, Iris was already on the move. Seeing the girl accelerate and do what's necessary with little time to think would normally bring a proud smile to Valery's face, but right now there was too much to focus on.

Seeing the body explode as it approached the remaining soldiers caused Valery to frown - it seemed something darker was at play here and it was only a matter of time before they'd run into it. For now, though, her focus was on moving forward with the two Padawans, who were standing their ground as the onslaught of blaster fire continued.

With a bolt deflected from Iris, and one sent through the skull of an attacker by a more accurate deflection from Mathieu, Valery pressed on and began to dance between the waves of blaster fire, only deflecting the bolts that would still be able to strike her body. But as she moved, she channeled the Force once again to very suddenly lift two of the armored soldiers off the ground, sending them head-first into the ceiling of the hallway, and backward so they'd land behind her as she moved in for the 2 others that remained.

Hoping the two Padawans could deal with the two soldiers she left behind for them — who were already getting back up to fight the young Jedi with rifles or knives — Valery focused on the two that were still standing. They opened fire in an attempt to keep the orange-eyed woman away, but her deflections were precise, allowing her to send the bolts into the walls or back towards their black armor. When she got close enough, however, she extended a hand and balled it into a fist as her grip extended to crush their weapons. She hoped to force them into surrendering by disarming the two, but they had other plans.

With their rifles rendered useless, they were quick to move their hands for their sidearms, but Valery had expected them to keep fighting even in her attempt to disarm them. So by the time they pulled out their pistols, she was up in the air between them, her blades swept into quick arcs to put out the lights for good.

After making her landing, she quickly turned around to see how the Padawans were doing.

Iris Arani · Dec 2, 2021

How many of them would blow up?

Iris hated this, the killing. Even now, with them so desperate to kill her,

Valery Noble ,

Mathieu Brion , she couldn't help what she felt. No, not hate. She just.. Wanted there to be something else they could do. But.. There wasn't time to hesitate. Others were counting on them, especially now that there was something causing the bodies to explode. She could see it better than the others, she knew that much. The world of colors blotted out by the Dark. Which..?

The two sent back towards the padawan's stirred in her moment of thinking. She gritted her teeth before stepping forward to close the distance. Take advantage while they're down. It wasn't a lesson Valery had taught her, but it was one she learned none the less. Her blade flashed, severing through the man's rifle. She couldn't kill him. Which proved to be a mistake. The black clad trooper immediately pulled his sidearm, firing for Iris.

The blast rang out in her ears. Letting the Force act through her her body acted on it's own. She dodged the strike and countered. A single thrust towards the troopers chest.

She blinked as she watched the pistol drop from his grip. She'd killed him. She'd never killed someone before, not like this. Sithspawn, monsters, yes. But not a person. Her shoulders drooped as the body started to swell, prepped to explode just like the others.

Why did it have to come to this? She didn't move from where she was, sadly staring at the expressionless mask the man wore.

Mathieu Brion · Dec 2, 2021

Reappearance

Location: Near Troiken
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags:

Valery Noble

---

He was not fast. Mathieu may have been strong with a good technique, but his fighting style did not promote speed. It stood in stark contrast to that of the Jedi Master who sped past him on her way towards the four remaining foes. Staying relatively close to Iris, it was easy to see what Valery just did, weakening two of the foes for them before moving on to take on the other two by herself. It was gracious and generous of her to do so - to put herself at greater danger to allow the others to take a safer path. But it also caused him to wonder what perception the woman had of him. At this point, his capacities were far beyond that of a Padawan, but even then, she offered him a crutch. His thoughts would not linger on the matter for long, however, his focus was needed elsewhere.

Pushing on along with Iris, Mathieu soon arrived by one of the somewhat dazed troopers. The large Morellian's impressive defence rendered continued fire at him a rather pointless task. Far from stupid, the trooper sheathed his rifle and opted for a blaster pistol in one hand and a vibroknife in another. A combination better suited for close quarters. As Mathieu got closer, the dark foe would continue firing at the Jedi while trying to find an opening with the knife.

The trooper's strategy was good, for once Mathieu got close, he struck at the attacker's blaster hand quickly destroying the blaster pistol while simultaneously injuring a few fingers. But he also left his side open for attack. Capitalising on the opportunity, the trooper sent his blade towards one of the open areas that Mathieu's heavy armour did not cover. But Mathieu had fought many good soldiers in the past. He was well aware of the tactic and not afraid of countering it with force. Instead of staying his blade after it cut through the blaster, he allowed it to keep its momentum, resulting in it falling down on the knife-wielding arm. The limb fell on the floor as Iris killed her foe a few steps to his right.

Through the corner of his eye, he saw the fallen enemy's body starting to swell. If anything was a bad sign, that had to be it. Mathieu extinguished his blade. With one swift motion, he turned around the axis of his right leg, moving away from his foe and placing himself between the swelling body and his fellow Jedi. His large form would cover hers and his heavy armour and thick outer robe would cover him. He placed a hand by her back, gazed down at her sympathetically and opened his mouth to speak. He did not know what was going to happen but he did recognise her pain and he did want to make it better.

Before any words could be uttered however, the body exploded, He could feel a wave of gore and bones hit his back with a strong force as the shockwave knocked him forth and caused him to fall. The arm around Iris' back would make sure that she would not be squashed underneath him when they fell, the other shot out to reduce the impact of falling overall.

Once down, Mathieu breathed heavily with a soft sense of pain spreading across his back. His eyes stared down blankly at Iris' own. It was clear that he was not at all understanding what was happening. Not waiting for long, he would soon rise to a kneeling position. The large Morellian's blue eyes were fixed on Iris' before his gaze would shift to Valery "What's going on? Why are they exploding?" he asked with a voice carrying confusion and concern.

Valery Noble · Dec 3, 2021

Location: Near Troiken

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Lightsabers: Link!

Tag:

Valery had no doubt in the abilities of the two Padawans, which is why she moved away from them to pressure the attackers. She may have left them with slightly weakened targets to handle, but they were still deadly soldiers - likely some kind of elite force. Knowing that Iris hadn't quite killed people like this before, and having seen Mathieu take a decent hit, it only seemed logical to have them save their strength until she was more certain about how they were holding up.

The way things were looking now for the three Jedi, this day was going to be full of fighting after all.

Turning around, Valery noted the swelling, dead trooper near Iris while another seemed to be overwhelmed by pain, as he stared down at a severed limb. Her eyes widened but before she could jump out to help her Padawan, Mathieu positioned himself between the girl and the blast, taking the hit instead with his armor and body. If there was time to sigh in relief, she would have, but her eyes instead turned to the one soldier who was still standing, albeit injured.

There was no reason to kill this man to her, but these types of soldiers were trained to fight until the end. So to ensure that he wasn't going to be a problem, Valery flicked her hand and sent him flying against the wall to knock him unconscious. She figured that the onboard crew would be able to detain him while the Jedi moved on.

With the man down, she finally dashed over to the two, who were just getting back up to their feet.

"Are you two alright? No severe injuries?" she asked with an almost motherly tone, especially as her eyes turned to Iris. Valery showed great care when it came to her Padawans, so she was worried.

"Not sure what exactly, but only the Dark Side can cause something so... unnatural. I sensed it after Iris alerted me the first time. We'll have to put a stop to it." she told Mathieu with a frown.

"If you're both ready to get moving, we'll grab a shuttle and move to board the attackers."

Iris Arani · Dec 3, 2021

She'd done it again.

Iris's eyes widened as the noticeably larger form of

Mathieu Brion blocked her sight from the man she'd killed. It pulled her from her own head at least, but no where soon enough for her to help or even defend herself. Instead she was blasted back just as the other Padawan was, only protected by his sheer bulk and determination. It was upsetting for her, to say the least. Frustration leaked into her expression. Not at him for protecting her.

But at herself for letting her guard down. What was the point of everything she learned if she kept letting others get hurt in her stead?

She got up, but didn't move far from the man who acted as her shield. He was hurt. Worse, it was her fault. Her gaze fell from his, her frown ever more apparent. She didn't like this feeling. ".. I'm alright."

Iris was. Despite her lapse in judgement, Mathieu truly had protected her. She let out a sigh, and with it, her frustration. There was no time to dwell on her inaction. The only thing she could do was move on. Be ready to help and protect Mathieu and

Valery Noble the next time.

"Will a shuttle be enough to get us to their ship? Won't they shoot us down?"

Mathieu Brion · Dec 4, 2021

Reappearance

Location: Near Troiken
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags:

Valery Noble

---

Valery was answering his question. Her words entered the back of his mind. They sunk in but were not really processed. Mathieu's thought still lingered around what had just happened. He was taking it all in, only answering her with an absent-minded "I'm fine. Thanks." It was not something he had truly reflected on, however. His back was still a little pained. The armour had taken the brunt of it. A number of cuts were clearly visible in his robes and a patch of hair was bloodied from a scratch wound underneath. All-in-all, he didn't feel like anything was wrong. It seemed like he was just like how he was supposed to be: Fine.

With a little bit of effort fighting off the pain, Mathieu rose to his feet. Through care and determination, he stretched, moving his shoulders back, straightening his back and raising his chest. Just to make sure that everything truly was in order. Once satisfied, he extended a hand to Iris if she was still on down on the floor.

His eyes ventured over to the foe he had been fighting. The armoured trooper was knocked unconscious. It was the handiwork of Valery. He looked to her with a very slight smile only seen in his eyes and by the edges of his lips. It was good that she was there. With a nod, he confirmed that he was indeed ready and raised his arm to point the way "This way"

As the trio moved out, he looked back to Iris. "Don't worry. If Chaussidier sends us out in a shuttle, the trip will be safe enough." he spoke with confidence. After having worked under the Admiral for so long and started to see him as a mentor, Mathieu trusted the old man implicitly.

Upon arriving by the hangar, most of the business from before had already died down. Two of the shuttles had already departed with the third one being all but ready for departure. As they entered the hangar, the last few marines stepped onboard. A deck officer waved to the Jedi, signalling for either Mathieu or the entire party to board the shuttle. It seemed as if time was of the essence. Looking out of the hangar, it was apparent why. Fighters from both ships waged an intense battle outside. Few of the ships seemed to get completely destroyed however. The Concord forces fought defensively to minimise losses where supply lines were unreliable at best. With the fall of the Sith Empire, it seemed as if the hostile fighters operated under the same mantra.

The shuttle trip would not be a long one. A beachhead had already been established at an emptied out fighter bay. Dozens of Concord troopers had flooded the chamber already and secured it. A technical team worked on hacking into the greater operational controls of the ship through a local computer terminal while two explosives specialists were planting some ordnance on the main doors that appeared to have been sealed to keep the invaders from getting further into the ship.

Valery Noble · Dec 5, 2021

Location: Near Troiken

Valery: Appearance

Outfit: Factory Link

Lightsabers: Link!

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