Private Root and River

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Hiking Gear
Equipment: Lightsaber, Backpack, Bracelet, Earrings, Uneti Flute
Tag: Tigris Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

Eve adjusted the strap of her backpack for the third time. It didn't need adjusting — it was perfectly fine, snug against her shoulders — but her hands didn't seem to know what else to do. She stood just outside the Temple gates, the early morning air on New Cov was wonderful and nourishing, still relatively cool. The scent of dew clung to every leaf, and the gentle breeze that stirred the trees carried with it the earthy aroma of damp bark and fresh moss. It was a world that breathed life in every direction, far removed from the sterile hum of Coruscant, and Eve let herself drink it in with a quiet breath.

Tigris stood beside her, the ever-present image of calm confidence. Eve stole a glance at her and gave the faintest, bashful smile. Stars, she looked composed. It wasn't fair. Eve swallowed and looked forward again. She was about to go hiking with her Master. That was fine. Normal. Comforting, even. But also? With Kahlil Noble, the mysterious, powerful figure she'd only heard about in stories, and whenever her Master briefly spoke of him.

And on top of that? Tigris would be meeting them both.

At once.

It was too much.

No, no. This was going to be a good day. It would be nourishing, and fun, and it would be wonderful to spend some time with two of the most important women in her life

"I think I packed too much," she mumbled quietly, even though her backpack was modest. "I brought the lemon drops... and those dried berries... and tea... and... I think I put an extra blanket in... just in case. You definitely remembered lunch? Ugh, did I really need to bring my flute..."

She glanced at Tigris again.

"You're... not nervous, are you?" Her voice was soft but searching, looking for any tell — a flicker in her girlfriend's eyes, a twitch of a smirk — that might say 'me too'.

And then, as if summoned by that very uncertainty, she felt it; the subtle hum in the Force, warm and familiar, like a spark catching light in the distance. Eve straightened instinctively, her fingers brushing at her tunic, heart fluttering as she saw the figures rounding the Temple. Valery... and beside her, tall, calm, and quietly powerful, Kahlil. The two together gave off a quiet, effortless harmony, like twin stars in perfect orbit. There was a steadiness to them, a warmth that didn't need to be loud to be felt. Just standing there, side by side, they seemed to radiate a kind of peace that made the world feel just a little safer.

She focused on Valery first, offering a warm smile to her, eyes flicking shyly to her husband and then back, and then back to him, and then back to her again, and then back to him once more as she gave a sort of awkward half-bow, before greeting them both.

"Hi."

She probably could have done better than that.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

It was a classic thing really for Valery and Kahlil to take their Padawan's out into the jungle of New Cov. It was her original temple from an age long lost now, but certainly not forgotten. The temple was still in good health, long repaired now and well tended to. It still filled him with a sense of pride, especially considering how much it had meant to Valery when he first rebuilt it.

He stood beside his wife, glancing about briefly. "So I understand why Everest is here, but what of Tigris?" He glanced to his wife, idly raising a brow. He knew the two were a couple, but what was Valery's intention to teach here with the two of them together? It surely wasn't just another hike. And, well, he had some suspicions.

Soon enough though the pair was there, ready with supplies and packs. His expression softened though as he saw just how nervous Everest seemed to be. How much had Valery been hyping him up? Another glance to his wife before he dipped his head. "It's good to meet you both properly. Hopefully I won't be so office bound in the future."

Valery Noble | Everest Vale | Tigris

 

[Tigris]

Tag: Everest Vale , Valery Noble , Kahlil Noble

Tigris had never been one for the wilderness, jungles, forests or the like. Her past kept her close to people, close to important targets. Important people didn't live in the wild. While she did some desert training with the Enclave on Jakku, itwas the trip to Selvaris with Eve that had opened the tattooed padawan to the beauty of nature. With the recent fond memories of that trip, Tigris looked forward to the hiking adventure on New Cov. But that was not the most interesting aspect of the visit to the remote enclave.

It was their hosts.

Everest's master was none other than Valery Noble. The fact spoke highly of Eve, and Tigris understood the honor of having a Noble as a master. Eve didn't share many details about her relationship with her master. Tigris assumed that was because Eve didn't want to emphasize her girlfriend's lack of a master. Everest was ever conscious of other's feelings.

Certainly, Tigris thought it not unusual for Grandmaster Noble to bring her padawan to New Cov. What was unusual was that Valery Noble invited her padawan's girlfriend... and her husband. Tigris found the invitation to join the power couple for a hike not only an honor, but very unusual. The jedi did nothing without purpose.

Eve's voice drew Tigris into the moment. It was clear the Echani was nervous, and it wasn't about the hike. Eve was a natural in, well, nature. Tigris knew it was the Grandmaster and Shield of the Jedi that had Everest anxious. When Eve asked Tigris if she were nervous, the older padawan reached to caress Everest's arm. "A little, I've never really met them." She replied "Relax, Angel, This is suppose to be recreation." Tigris was more curious than nervous.

The Nobles were remarkable. The tales about them were famous. But the couple were inspiring even in appearance. They were physically impressive, statuesque and strong, he was ruggedly handsome and she simply gorgeous. Both bore scars upon their attractive features, proof that the stories about them were true.

Tigris turned to the Nobles, her head nodding in a sign of respect. She spoke up. "I'm pleased to meet you both." She offered. "Thank you for the invitation." Again, she discerned that her inclusion had some purpose. What it was, Tigris didn't know.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers |

Valery stood with her arms loosely folded, the morning light of New Cov brushing through the foliage above. She could feel the weight of her husband's glance before he even spoke, and when he did — questioning, suspicious — she turned her head just enough to catch his expression.

And smirked.

"You're giving me that look again," she teased, lips tugging slyly at the corners. "The suspicious eyebrow. You know, the one that says you're trying to figure out my master plan like it's some grand galactic secret." Her tone was light and teasing but her eyes sparkled with her hidden plan. Valery didn't do things without purpose. And this hike was no different.

She glanced toward Everest and Tigris as they approached, her gaze softening as it landed on her Padawan — the nervous shifting, the stolen glances, the backpack that probably weighed more with anxiety than actual supplies. Her smile deepened with fondness, then flicked briefly to Tigris. The older Padawan stood confidently, respectful, composed — a contrast that didn't go unnoticed.

Two halves of a coin.

She tilted slightly toward Kahlil again, her voice low enough for only him to hear, "Tigris doesn't have a Master. You recently knighted your last student. Maybe it's worth seeing what she's out in the field, huh?" She nudged his side gently, playful and quiet in her plotting. "Just planting seeds~"

When his gaze flicked back to her, no doubt with another one of those looks, Valery smiled at him — sweet, serene, and entirely too innocent.

Then she stepped forward, her hands resting at her hips now as she addressed the two Padawans.

"Good morning, you two. Today's hike isn't just about getting fresh air and stretching your legs — though I promise there's plenty of that," she said with a wink to Eve. "It's a special trail, one I used to walk often as a Padawan myself. A place to connect with the Force, to reflect, and maybe... learn something new along the way."

She looked between them, then over to Kahlil again.

"Ready?"

Everest Vale Kahlil Noble Tigris ​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Hiking Gear
Equipment: Lightsaber, Backpack, Bracelet, Earrings, Uneti Flute
Tag: Tigris Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

Eve gave a gentle smile to the Nobles, and nodded softly.

"Mhm, let's go."

The forest canopy stretched above them, the morning light breaking through in gentle beams of gold. As they stepped off the main path and onto the trail proper, the world seemed to change. It was quieter, older. The hum of the Temple fell away entirely, replaced by the soft hush of leaves brushing in the breeze, the chirp of unseen birds, and the occasional rustle of something moving through the underbrush.

Eve trailed a few steps behind Valery and Kahlil, her hand lightly brushing the edges of ferns as they passed. The jungle air was thick, fragrant, and she felt it settle over her like a weighted blanket, grounding but not oppressive. Her senses, always more attuned in natural places, reached out gently. The forest pulsed with life. She had been on New Cov not all that long ago. At the height of her healing, Kat had been kind and loving enough to bring her here for a while, so that she may find some freedom from her thoughts. It had helped immensely, and Eve saw starting to love the planet. It was not Selvaris however, but love for that place was due to something entirely different...

Still, a soft skittishness clung to Eve like dew. The presence of both Valery and Kahlil — not just as mentors, but as a couple so deeply connected — made her hyperaware of her own movements, of the way Tigris walked at her side. She didn’t want to say the wrong thing, or give the wrong impression. But there was nevertheless peace in the way the trees welcomed her. The tension began to loosen.

Her gaze drifted to Valery's back, and her brow furrowed ever so slightly. What had she meant, exactly? That little comment back on the stone steps — about the trail being special. It hadn’t seemed like idle words. Valery didn’t say things without purpose, and Eve had come to trust that twinkle in her Master’s eye meant something was stirring beneath the surface.

Quietly, she reached out through the Force; not pushing, just listening. Feeling. The jungle breathed. Tigris was close, grounding. Valery’s presence shone like a guiding star, steady and strong. And Kahlil... something about him felt vast, like an ocean beneath calm skies. She exhaled, slow and even, and allowed herself a small smile, as her hand reaches for Tigris' beside her.

Whatever surprises lay ahead, she’d be ready, they both would be.

Hopefully.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

So that was the master plan. Literally, in this case. Kahlil chuckled softly as he nodded to Valery. It had been some time since Katherine Holt became a Knight, and since then hadn't taken on another Padawan. His gaze shifted to Tigris as she greeted them. Far more confident than Eve, that much was clear. He knew some about her past. A blessing and curse of working the office was having access to information, all to keep the Jedi protected. Both the Order and those at home within it.

An Assaassin turned Jedi, from a Dark Sided organization no less. The exact origins they had were different, but the similarities certainly revealed why Valery would suggest as much.

"We'll see if they bloom, then."

Kahlil turned with the group as the hike began, standing beside Valery as they took the first steps from the relative safety of the temple into the untamed, savage wilds of the jungle. Nature itself was at peace within the jungles of New Cov, but what that peace meant was an ecosystem of devourers, plants and animals alike taking life to sustain themselves. It was part of the reason why Kahlil had the New Cov temple remade, though.

To many Jedi, peace was pacifism. Nature was anything but pacifistic. It was important to learn the difference between doing what must be done for survival and a pacifism that would only lead to destruction and death.

They were watched as they walked. Hidden predators eyeing them up, judging for a meal. Kahlil's gaze found them all, each of the beasts within that hungered for their meal. They didn't linger long though. The more clever were attuned more to the Force, and this group walking through was not a meal but death waiting those foolish enough to try.

They could see it in his eyes before he passed them by.

"Short of them being rabid, none of the beasts that live here should interrupt us. Be more warry of the plants. Those sweet scents are there to lure prey in to be consumed. They've no mind to think twice, only instinct to feed themselves."

Valery Noble | Everest Vale | Tigris

 

[Tigris]

Tag: Everest Vale , Valery Noble , Kahlil Noble

The Noble's presented a dynamic that demonstrated how the unique nature of each of them made a perfect union as couple, not only romantically, but as Jedi leaders. Valery and Kahlil were finishing up a private conversation, then she stepped forward. Hand on hip, Valery Noble commanded the moment with ease, seeming casual and unassuming even as her presence carried authority. The Grandmaster promised the hike was would be more than a just a walk through the jungle.

Tigris would have been disappointed if the intention was just to hike. The opportunity to spend time with Valery and Khalil Noble as a padawan was a boon in her eyes. Eve had the blessing of being Valery's padawan, but for someone like Tigris, it was significant.

As was usual, she spoke little. Tigris nodded and smiled at Valery's comments, a thrill of excitement veiled behind dark almond-shaped eyes. The foursome stepped onto the trail and into the waiting jungle. While she had seen Valery Noble a couple times, that day was the first time the older padawan had met Kahlil. While Valery was the commanding voice, Khalil was the strong, silent presence at her side. Tigris admired that about him. It rendered him a mysterious power, few words spoken with his mouth, many more expressed in his features.

The former assassin pulled her attention from the charismatic couple. In the void of that focus, another spilled in. Everest. Her presence in Tigris' life had become wonderfully pervasive. The tattooed padawan tempered her emotions for the girl in the presence of the Nobles. But the hum of that strange connection in the Force the two padawan lovers shared hummed between them, turning Tigris' attention to that energy.. In that moment, she felt especially in tune with the Force. The echo stone, the imbued bracelet Eve had made her, and the powerful connection with the Force around the Nobles, honed her senses in the Force.

The gentle brush of Eve's hand against hers grounded Tigris from her thoughts. She took the hand and squeezed it gently, before letting go. Tigris was a bit self-conscous about showing affection openly to Eve in the presence of the Noble, concerned about not appearing professional. She did cast a glance to Eve, flashing a smile and a wink.

As they drew deeper into the jungle, Tigris found it a bit more menacing than Selvaris. Khalil spoke up, offering both assurance and admonition about the dangers of the New Cov jungle. Words of wisdom Tigris took to heart as she became more diligent of the trail and the life along its edges.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers |

Valery moved with ease, her boots pressing softly into the trail as the jungle began to close around them, thick with scent and sound. New Cov's wilds were familiar to her — not just from memory, but from muscle, breath, instinct. Every chirp of hidden insects, every distant call of birds, every breeze brushing across her cheek was a reminder that this place had once been home. In many ways, it still was.

But it was different now. Because the Temple here had been rebuilt.

Because he had rebuilt it.

Her eyes flicked sideways toward Kahlil as he walked beside her, his presence as steady and grounding as ever. She could feel the weight of his words in the Force — how he spoke not just with knowledge, but experience. The plants. The predators. The subtle balance of a place so beautiful and deadly. He knew it all now. He understood it. And somehow, that made her heart race just a little faster.

She smiled to herself, unable to help it. He had done all this. For the Jedi. For her. For them. And stars, she wanted to reach for his hand, to link her fingers with his the way she always did when the moment felt overwhelming in the quietest, most beautiful way. But she didn't with the two Padawans around. Instead, she lingered just a step closer than necessary, the warmth of him a silent comfort as they led their little group deeper into the wilds.

Ahead, the path narrowed, the foliage thickening until the light above fractured into golden shards through leaves. And then — she heard it. The soft, distinct slither of movement through undergrowth.

Vines.

Valery's smirk returned. The jungle here was different. A place where the flora had learned to hunt — to trick, to lure, and to devour in silence. Her pace slowed just slightly, and she tilted her head, listening with more than just her ears. The Force shimmered through the trees, warning, alive with tension.

She glanced back over her shoulder at the two Padawans — at Eve, whose hand had brushed briefly against Tigris', and Tigris, ever-watchful despite the quiet affection between them.

"Keep your senses open," she said lightly, her tone deceptively relaxed. "This part of the jungle tends to... test your awareness." The vines above shifted again. Not falling.

Waiting.

Everest Vale Kahlil Noble Tigris ​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Hiking Gear
Equipment: Lightsaber, Backpack, Bracelet, Earrings, Uneti Flute
Tag: Tigris Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

The canopy thickened overhead, light fracturing into jagged shards. Eve felt the shift before she saw it, a tension in the air, subtle, coiling. The deeper they went, the more the jungle seemed to close in around them. The vibrant chorus of wildlife was still there, but quieter now, more spaced, like all the planet's life was holding its breath.

Every sound became more pronounced; a faint rustle of undergrowth, a low hum of something unseen, the wet squash of moss beneath her boots. Her fingers brushed the bark of a nearby tree as they passed, rough and cool, grounding her, but the Force whispered of movement, the way it sometimes did before a storm struck. She tried not to shiver.

Be aware, not afraid, she reminded herself. But still, her senses were sharp now, honed like a blade. The lessons and observations from the Nobles weren't lost on her, especially the reminder that here, in this jungle, it was the plants you had to fear, perhaps more than the beasts. Her natural aptitude to feel the Force through the plant life and fauna brought intoxicating results for her here; it was so dense, so overwhelming, and not without the air of discomfort now.

She didn't like the feeling of being watched, and yet, walking just ahead, Valery was calm, perfectly still in her awareness. Eve found strength in that. And beside her, Tigris, quiet, composed, aware, but the way she held her shoulders showed she felt it too. The way she moved now, every step deliberate, every glance calculating. Eve felt it too, her own senses tuning in more strongly to the wild of the place, in spite of the chaos that bubbled beneath the surface of its deceptively calm allure.

The jungle held its breath, and Eve along with it.

Something was waiting.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

It was certainly waiting. So too was Kahlil. He kept his gaze forward, the smile calm and soft on his face. Especially as Valery stepped closer. He was the type at first who didn't like to show affection, and even as those old walls broke down he still wasn't the most showing of it. Especially amongst the Jedi. The focus was on the lessons to be learned, not the connection the Sword and Shield had.

But even now he couldn't and wouldn't hide his joy at having her close.

"You can feel it, whatever is here. What do you feel specifically?"

Valery Noble | Tigris | Everest Vale

 

[Tigris]

Tag: Everest Vale , Valery Noble , Kahlil Noble

Tigris was indeed wary. The New Cov jungle left the faintest unease in her being. Unlike Eve, she was not as accustomed, or in tune with, nature. Their trip to Selvaris was her first venture into a thick wilderness. But the forests there were different, felt different. Benign, passive. Tigris' senses were not as keen in the Force as Eve's either when it came to flora and fauna, yet, the inked Atrisian sensed the jungle. It was like being watched by a predator.

As if to confirm Tigris' senses, Valery cautioned the padawans to be aware. Of course, the woman's demeanor was anything but anxious, and her choice of words seemed consciously void of specifics. In light of such, Tigris not only kept her dark eyes open, but calmed herself so she could reach out with the Force as well. It became a pattern, eyes down to check the uneven ground, out to the surrounding jungle, at the Nobles and at Eve. And then... up. It was then she noted the movement above, where no animal was seen moving.

She traded a wary glance at Eve, seeing, and feeling in the Force, that the her beloved too felt something. Like the Nobles in front of them, Tigris moved closer to Eve. Her eyes lingered at the back of the couple ahead. Eve had told her the story of them and New Cov. Tigris wasn't one to look to far into the future, each day had enough to handle as they came. But she wondered, only to herself, if maybe, one day, she and Eve would be like them.

Tigris saw Kahlil say something to Valery under his breath. He looked so much like Aris, or rather vice versa, it was uncanny. Her attention had wandered. Tigris' thoughts returned to the moment as she again assumed the pattern of her awareness. Her nerves were enervated, muscles ready to spring into action, hand ready to snatch up a weapon if necessary.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers |

Valery's eyes stayed fixed on the trail ahead, but the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips betrayed the calm. The jungle's weight was shifting again. The Force didn't whisper now — it pressed on them all.

She could feel them.

"The vines," she murmured back to Kahlil, voice low and smooth, like the hush before a storm. "They're about to say hello." And then — chaos. With a snap and a rush of movement, the jungle sprang to life. From every direction they came — vines thick and strong, others slender and whip-fast. Some moved with animalistic precision, reaching for legs and waists, others uncoiled from above like snakes, thorned and glistening with something dark. They struck from shadowed roots and leafy blindspots, fast enough to snare the unready.

Valery moved like she'd been waiting for it.

A step to the side, a twist at the hip — she slid out of reach of the first vine with a fluid grace that bordered on impossible. Another came from her left. She ducked low, then spun into a tight roll and came up with her saber in hand, unlit, but ready. Her eyes flicked to the Padawans behind her, sharp and assessing even as the jungle snapped and hissed.

Let's see how they moved. Not just physically, but with the Force. With instinct. With trust in themselves and in each other. She didn't shout orders. She didn't need to. This wasn't about barking commands. It was about reading the moment, letting their training take hold — and watching them rise to meet it.

And as she sidestepped another vine with dancer's precision, she caught Kahlil's eye — a flicker of amusement, but pride too. She could already feel the way his presence shifted beside her, prepared but composed.

This was all part of her little test.

Everest Vale Kahlil Noble Tigris ​

 

[Everest Vale]

Outfit: Hiking Gear
Equipment: Lightsaber, Backpack, Bracelet, Earrings, Uneti Flute
Tag: Tigris Valery Noble Kahlil Noble

Eve felt it before she saw it. A subtle shift in the air, like the breath of the jungle had caught in its throat. The rustling leaves, the murmuring streams, the hum of insects, all stilled for but a fraction of a heartbeat. Her steps faltered, silver eyes narrowing as she tilted her head. Something was coming.

She felt it not just through the Force, but in the soil underfoot. A shiver down the stems of plants. A warning held in tension. Her heart gave a soft flutter. And then—

Snap.

The first vine cracked through the undergrowth like a whip, and Eve moved before thought had time to form. A duck, a sidestep, the vine missed her shoulder by inches as it lashed past, spraying dark moisture through the air. Another came from behind, low and fast. She twisted, letting the movement carry her in a flowing motion, drawing on her Echani instinct as much as the Force, as black dilated over quartz-silver. Her hand found the bark of a nearby trunk for balance. Her breath was quick, but even.

She reached for the Force — not with command, but communion. She didn't push against the jungle. She listened to it, felt its rhythms. This wasn't malice, but rather it was instinct. Nature doing what it must. She could work with that.

Then she felt her. A pulse — not just in the Force, but in her chest. The fledgling bond she and Tigris had been cultivating together shone at her centre.

She didn't need to look to know her love was nearby. She could feel the warmth of her, the thrum of tension through their connection. Focused, sharp, aware. It grounded her. Anchored her. In the swirl of moving vines and writhing roots, Tigris' presence was a lifeline, not because Eve needed saving, but because she knew now that neither of them were alone.

The Force surged beneath her skin. A whisper, a current. It guided her steps. She turned as another vine lunged down from above. Her hand shot out, not to fight it, but to redirect it, a subtle nudge through the Force sending it swinging past her harmlessly. Her breath hitched. She hadn't meant to do that... not exactly.

She could still feel Tigris — the faint strain of motion, the focus. There was no thought between them, just instinct. Just connection. Eve looked — just a glimpse — and saw the faintest blur of bronze and motion where Tigris had cut through it. Their eyes met across the chaos. A second. A breath. A thousand things said without words. Eve's chest swelled. The warmth she always felt when Tigris looked at her was still there, but now it was threaded through with purpose. This wasn't about romance. It wasn't even about protection. It was partnership. Trust. They moved not just for each other, but with each other. The Force wrapped around them both like threads being drawn tight — not binding, but connecting.

Eve let herself move again, staying light on her feet, slipping through the chaos like a thread in a loom, weaving through danger without a single order given. But she intentionally didn't reach for her saber. If she could avoid truly causing harm to the entities of this forest, she would feel all the better for it. Besides, she knew this was a test of something greater than simply taking the easy way out.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil's stance shifted, but it only turned to one far more relaxed than it had been prior. The plantlife had surged, reaching for the others for the desire and instinct to feed. The need, at that. None, though, reached for the Jedi Master. His signature in the Force had shifted, giving off a peace that even the plants couldn't ignore.

To them, he might as well be another plant.

He watched the Padawan's, letting himself be Valery's eyes as the plants sook to devour her all the same. Briefly he glanced to his wife, watching her grin as she weaved through vine and thorn. And winked. He'd certainly picked the lazier route.

Valery Noble | Tigris | Everest Vale

 

[Tigris]

Tag: Everest Vale , Valery Noble , Kahlil Noble

Tigris continued cautiously, heeding Valery Noble's warning. She reached briefly through the Force for Eve, part of the cycle of awareness she had adopted in the unfamiliar jungle. In their connection, Tigris felt a moment tension, as if Eve was reacting to something. A breath later, they were under attack.

Vines whipped around them from every direction. It was not jedi training that ignited the lightning quick reactions of the tattooed padawan. It was the training of a Seyugi assassin. Tigris moved in what appeared like a dance, her carefully trained body flowing with the Force, arms moving not to seize the serpentine vines, but to glide along them, redirecting them, or herself, out of their tangling reach. It was taxing, difficult. These were not the sort of foe for which her martial arts were designed, demanding her sharp attention as multiple writhing vines assaulted her.

She caught Eve's gaze for a fraction of a breath, but in it, Tigris saw much. This was Eve's domain, and even as the vines sought to capture her, Everest used her abilities to resist them harmlessly, a balance of passivity and aggression. Another darting glance caught Valery dodging the vines with ease. Tigris too resisted violence, seeing both Valery and Eve avoiding lethal means of defense. and Kahlil... stood still. Why weren't they attacking him? The moment of confusion cost her.

A vine wrapped around her wrist tightly. Instantly, Tigris leaped, using the purchase of the vine's grasp as leverage, not pulling against it but moving in the direction of its pull, upward in a Force-fueld jump. She caught a low hanging branch with her other hand and pulled herself up and over it, then a second time, wrapping the clinging vine around the limb. Then she let go and fell. There was a sharp jerk on her shoulder, but the strong, lean muscle around it kept it together. The vine released.

Tigris landed on the jungle floor, near Eve. It would have been easier to take up her lightsaber and sever the vines attacking her and Eve. But she sensed that was a bad idea. The jungle was not like Selvaris, this jungle was alive in ways she didn't yet understand. Then a thought struck her.

Tigris stood, not moving. She would conduct a test of her own. What if she didn't resist? Was fighing always the right way? If she was wrong, she knew Eve and the Noble's were there. With a deep, cleansing breath, she let the vines come.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers |

Valery could feel everything.

The jungle's pulse beat louder now — not from malice, but intention. The vines weren't mindless. They were testing them. Pushing boundaries. Learning as much as they were threatening. Through the Force, that rhythm beat strong and steady beneath her feet, and she danced with it. Slipping through its strikes, countering not with violence, but precision.

But it was the way the Padawans moved that kept her eyes sharp.

Eve was adapting. Feeling, not just reacting. She didn't try to dominate the chaos — she flowed with it. Smart. Natural. And Tigris? Fierce and focused, her movements were honed and calculated. They were learning.

And Kahlil… She felt him more than saw him. His presence, gentle and anchored, was a silent calm within the storm. The jungle simply… passed him by. Like it knew. Like it respected him. With a roll of her eyes, Valery reached through the Force — not in warning, but amusement.

<I never knew my husband was a plant. Should I start watering you twice a week?>

She grinned as she moved, sure of her teasing. But it was the wink he gave her — subtle, smug — that broke her rhythm and made her blush like a school girl.

She tripped.

One foot snagged beneath a crawling vine and suddenly, Valery Noble, Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order, was tumbling. But years of experience turned the stumble into a graceful forward roll. She sprang up smoothly, hair a little more tousled, expression fixed in the kind of composure that screamed I meant to do that.

She very deliberately did not look at Kahlil.

Don't say a word. The thought was sharp, dry, and entirely for him. Behind her, the vines weren't letting up. If anything, they surged harder — faster. She could feel the jungle pressing again, watching. Testing not just the individual, but the group.

That's when her attention snapped to Tigris.

The Padawan had stilled — smart, another test. But Valery felt it a heartbeat before it happened. A vine, slick and silent, curled around Tigris' ankle and yanked.

"Tigris!"

The warning left her lips even as she surged forward. But she didn't intervene — not directly. This was part of it. She was watching now, keen-eyed and alert, waiting to see how the others would respond. Would Eve move first, drawn by the bond? Would Kahlil step in? Would they act alone or as one?

Everest Vale Kahlil Noble Tigris ​