Private Shadows of the Past

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

The neon glow of Jutrand's skyline pulsed like a dying heartbeat, bleeding red and violet against the storm-heavy clouds that loomed above. This world was a hive of darkness, a city swallowed by corruption and shadow, where the Sith reigned supreme. It was the last place Valery Noble should have been.

Yet, here she was.

Draped in black, her body wrapped in a sleek combat jumpsuit, Valery moved like a whisper through the city's arteries. Rooftops. Narrow alleyways. High-speed traffic lanes filled with repulsorcraft that blurred past in streaks of red and white. To any wandering eye, she was a ghost — unseen, unfelt. Force Cloak wrapped around her like a second skin, muting her presence in the Force until she was little more than a shadow in the void.

She shouldn't have come.

Not here. Not for this.

And yet, something in her refused to let it go.

The memory of Woostri burned in her mind, the sting of betrayal sinking into her bones like an old wound torn open. Allyson Locke . A woman she had once trusted and admired — fought beside, laughed with — now a name spoken in the same breath as the Sith. Valery had seen it with her own eyes, felt it through their clash, Allyson had made her choice.

So why was she here?

A storm rumbled overhead as she approached the towering skyscraper — a sleek, obsidian spire cutting into the night like a blade. The apartment was near the top, nestled within the heavily fortified district the Sith reserved for their most trusted operatives. Slipping past security patrols was child's play. Cameras flickered as she phased through the glass balcony door like a specter, her body melting through the material before solidifying on the other side.

She did not knock. She did not speak. Instead, she let her presence ripple outward, a slow, deliberate wave rolling through the Force — silent to all but one. Allyson would feel her. A message carried in the pulse of the Force..

A need to talk.

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Valery Noble //:
//: Jutrand Apartments //:
//: Needs thicker walls //:

Hours Prior…

Was she supposed to feel different?

Allyson had thought about this as she was shown her quarters where she was to be stationed. She was to learn and understand what the Eternalists were and their meaning. Why do they believe what they believe? She was to become a monster. The thought of it all confused her, despite always knowing that the longer she lived, the closer to being the villain she became. A thought that had often crossed her mind, but keeping a mind busy meant that its worries were ever so far away.

Luckily, her day was winding to an end; she was tired, and her forearm screamed for a bacta treatment. Allyson moved about the apartment, light-footed and quiet when she accidentally stubbed her toe. The noise scared her more than the pain. Was this karma biting her in the butt? The Emperor's words lingered in the back of her mind. Going against the current was unnatural, and she was what it felt like always going against the stupid current.

The Corellian washed up, fed herself, and caught up on her latest holodrama. Nothing felt different; it all felt the same as the day before and the day before that. When was that feeling of being free supposed to kick in? "Kark it all, man…" Her hand held her comm devices, and a few numbers flicked through as loneliness crept up. A few numbers of the dead followed as she got lower on the list; what would they think of her now? "Ugh, she tossed the device on the floor and fell into the large soft bed. Her body sank in the middle, and there she remained in her mismatched lifeday PJs and one sock - because who knows where the other one was.

---

As Valery comes through the WALLS​

The Corellian was plagued by the usual nightmares. There was never a night without watching someone die or the cackling faces of former allies. After a while, she got used to it enough to keep her asleep. Soft snores escaped her room as she curled into the fetal position, holding onto a stuffed derpy Garza plush that was missing an eye.

Suddenly, that ripple through the Force pierced her mind. The woman's brow furrowed as her nose twitched, and her socked foot kicked slightly. "V-Valery." She mumbled the woman's name, showing her frustration from whatever was happening in the dream. "I-wafadjdoasmf last taco, mmmermmmm." Allyson continued to slumber peacefully until the Force began to feel like tiny needles on the back of her neck. An eye shot open as she stared at the opposite wall.

Someone was here. Allyson was on high alert; Empyrean had promised she was safe from harm. Maybe someone didn't like her being here, but how could they not like her. She was such a likable person. Allyson scooted across the bed as slowly as she could till she slithered over the edge and hid behind it. A hand patted under the bed where she usually kept her bow, but in her tired state earlier, it was left in the living room.

Allyson shook the Garza plushie in frustration as she tried to pinpoint where the ripple came from. She waited, and looking towards her door, she stood up and threw the plushie towards whatever, whoever, or even open space. Then, she ducked back down, quickly shrouding herself in the Force.


One would ask why she didn't do that in the first place, but Allyson was rarely the one being snuck up on. "W-What do you want?! I'm armed and sometimes considered dangerous!"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery stood in silence, watching, listening. Through the Force, she felt the familiar presence of the woman who had once been her closest ally — restless even in sleep, deep in dreams, or perhaps nightmares...

"V-Valery… I-wafadjdoasmf last taco, mmmermmmm."

A small, unexpected smile tugged at the corner of Valery’s lips. The last taco. She still remembers that? The image flickered in her mind — late nights, stolen food, laughter between missions when the war hadn’t yet taken so much from them. The warmth of the memory pressed against the ache of reality, and for just a moment, she let herself feel it.

Then, she noticed the plushie.

A… Garza? Missing an eye, well-loved, clearly clung to in sleep. Valery exhaled quietly, shaking her head. For all the chaos, for all the choices that had led Allyson to this moment, some things hadn’t changed. A soft chuckle escaped her, barely audible.

But then — Allyson stirred.

She watched as the woman rolled out of bed, half-sliding, half-falling onto the floor, fumbling for a weapon that wasn’t there. A quick, desperate pat under the bed, but nothing. Valery raised a brow, sensing the exact moment realization dawned on Allyson’s still-half-asleep mind.

And then, the plushie came flying at her face.

It smacked against her with a soft thwap, but before it could fall, Valery caught it, fingers curling around the worn fabric. She blinked down at it, then slowly lifted her gaze toward the bed where Allyson had disappeared.

Silence stretched between them for a beat.

Then, Valery took a slow step forward, Garza still in hand, her voice quiet, edged with something she couldn’t quite name. “Is… this your weapon?” She turned it slightly in her hands, lifting a brow. A faint smile played at her lips, but there was something softer behind it.

She took a breath.

Then, after everything — the battle, their fight, the lingering ghosts of what they used to be — Valery finally spoke, voice quiet, just a little awkward.

“…Hi.”

A pause. Then, softer.

“I needed to see you.”

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Valery Noble //:
//: Jutrand Apartments //:
//: Needs thicker walls //:

Allyson had been looking over the edge of the bed, protected and withdrawn within the Force. She wouldn't admit to it, but the cloak nowadays was more like a security blanket. A way for her to feel safe and invisible. The moment Valery stepped into the light, the Corellian cursed her instincts to sacrifice her only friend in the galaxy. Poor Garza, may he find his eye in the nether. Silently, she said a little prayer for Garza, but then Valery's voice confirmed it was her.

Gripping the side of her bed, the sheets scrunched, relaying exactly where the Corellian was. Her head tucked gently behind the edge, and her eyes narrowed. What drove the woman to head to Jutrand, of all places? Was it really just to talk? They could have spoken on Woostri! Allyson's half-asleep brain functioned faster than her wits. The cloak dropped, and a very bedhead, Allyson Locke, slapped her arms on the bed with a look of confusion and disbelief at what Valery had just said.

"NOW you wanna talk!?" Allyson hit the bed several times, looking more like a child and throwing a tantrum. "After you chased me down, tried to step on me, kick me, then your husband tried to BLIND me." Allyson covered her face and dragged her hands down, pulling her face with it as she groaned. Today could not get any worse; she just wanted to sleep while trying to forget that Kahlil literally stabbed her in the back.

After her meltdown, Allyson stood up and dragged her feet towards Val.

"Well, I can safely assume you're not here to kill me cuz if you did, you would have done it already." She paused as she looked at the stuffed animal in Valery's hand. "Unhand Juan Pedro, you fiend." Allyson humphed as she took the toy and placed him on her dresser as she walked past her former partner. "Want a drink? We'll need it for this talk you finally want to have." She kept walking, expecting Valery to follow. The Empire seemed to remember her love for a particular brand of Corellian whiskey; she grabbed the curved bottle and continued walking with a slightly awkward sway. She wasn't drunk, but the woman still tried to wake up.

Allyson sighed as she reached into the cabinet and grabbed two tumblers. Carefully, she poured the amber liquid and placed one at the end of the marble countertop. She took another deep breath and sighed while she watched Valery.

"You could have just called, but I guess you missed - the hunt, the chase, the whole shebang?" Allyson brought the whiskey to her lips as she tasted the smooth liquid against her throat. The glass lowered, and Allyson raised her brows slightly as she remembered someone missing from this equation. A cheeky little grin as she leaned forward slightly, her arms crossed. "Does your husband know that you needed to see me?" There was a hint, a tease that bleed into what she emphasized. A typical back and forth between the two, Allyson having always pushed her luck with just about anyone.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery stood there, quiet for a moment, watching as Allyson threw an understandable tantrum. The sheer dramatics of it, however — slapping the mattress, dragging her hands down her face — would have been hilarious under any other circumstances.

But Valery didn’t laugh.

Not this time.

Because she felt it — the exhaustion, the frustration, the mess of emotions tangled up in old and new wounds and choices neither of them could take back. And she had been the one to show up, breaking into Allyson’s apartment in the middle of the night like some kind of Force ghost with unresolved feelings.

In her head, it sounded a lot worse, all of a sudden...

Her lips parted slightly, then pressed together again as she exhaled through her nose. “...You did shoot at me first,” she pointed out, voice softer, a little hesitant. “Explosive arrows, and then more arrows.” A brow arched slightly, a flicker of her usual teasing cutting through. “If I recall, I didn’t start trying to kick you until after that.”

Her tone was light, a subtle nudge toward something easier, but the weight of it all still lingered. She had come to talk. Not to argue or fight again.

And, apparently, to return a kidnapped prisoner.

With an amused little smirk, Valery lifted the plushie in her hand and extended it back toward Allyson. “Juan Pedro?” she mused, tilting her head. “Very cute." There was definitely a hint of teasing there, but it was warm. Familiar. A small step toward something that didn’t feel like war.

Then, as Allyson moved toward the kitchen, Valery followed. Because, yeah. She was going to need a drink for this.

She watched as Allyson poured, the scent of Corellian whiskey rising into the air, rich and smooth. The glass slid across the marble, stopping right in front of her. Valery didn’t hesitate — she picked it up and took a sip, letting the burn settle in her chest.

Allyson’s voice cut through the moment with a question only Allyson could have asked in that way.

Valery froze for exactly half a second.

Then, warmth rushed to her face, a deep flush creeping up her neck as she swallowed and very pointedly did not answer. Instead, she took another, larger sip, eyes briefly flicking anywhere but at Allyson.

A quiet sigh left her as she set the glass down, her fingers still curled loosely around it. Her fiery gaze flickered, meeting Allyson’s across the counter, “…I’m sorry for kicking you.”

It was simple, but honest. A first step. Because despite everything, despite the fight, despite the war raging between their worlds — Valery still cared.

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Valery Noble //:
//: Jutrand Apartments //:

Allyson couldn't help but laugh. She should have guessed that Kahlil had no idea where the wife was, but one didn't tie the Grandmaster down. Or maybe? She wasn't privy to their private life. Her laughter quieted as she took another sip of her whiskey; she could only imagine the look on the man's face if he knew where she was and why. They had been partners, and that kind of relationship between people was almost as strong. Her glass found its place back on the countertop; she spun it slightly as her laughter faded.

The Corellian caught the woman's blush and how she nearly inhaled the whiskey along with the glass. It was almost like the old times, finishing a mission - Allyson most likely almost getting herself killed and Valery grabbing the woman by the collar and dragging her out. That was always the key difference between them, Allyson was prepared to die, but Valery always seemed to know how to get out in one piece. The good old days were the only time Allyson ever felt comfortable working with someone else.

Allyson winked as Valery worked up the liquid courage to speak while tipping her glass towards the woman. "I won't tell you if you don't." The woman's apology came after, and Allyson's smile faded slightly as she held her glass on the counter once more. "I'm sorry for shooting you two and that damn dog." Her would-be comrade had saved her from the facility; she could only jest in his direction - but she owed him. Allyson let her gaze fall, watching the two cups of caramelized alcohol sway with each moment they made with the glasses.

Nostalgia had come and gone as reality settled in. "Kick packs a punch, I will say. You're such a bully, you know how much I hate fighting upfront." Allyson groaned, trying to find that light-hearted moment they had just moments prior. She knew now that everything had happened, and the pieces were beginning to fall into place—those moments of joy between them would be less and less. Allyson felt her head tilt as she let her mind wander.

"I was just there for the files - I didn't expect you two or Gerwald." She grinned sheepishly, "Well, I knew about Gerwald mostly because I rode his shuttle down towards the base." Allyson mused over how she managed to hold on to the bucking rancor of a ship without getting her head blown off. In almost a comedic way, she raised her brows and tightened her lips, "Uh, I do not suggest riding on the outside of one of those things - very stupid." Another broad grin, one that elicited a smile in return or the urge to throttle the Corellian."But you know, working with me, I tend to not think things through." She grabbed the bottle and topped them both off quickly.

"I highly doubt an apology was something you traveled this far for," she said, her eyes searching the woman before her, trying to get a read on what this surprise visit was for. Was Valery longing for the nostalgia of their younger days? Or was she here for something more? Despite being versed in reading people, her fellow shadow was always difficult to parse.

"No one travels this far to just talk to someone that just betrayed them…" ​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery’s blush lingered, the warmth of it only deepening as Allyson laughed. Force help me. It was that same teasing, insufferable-but-irresistible Corellian charm that had always managed to unravel her. She shook her head slightly, but when Allyson tipped her glass toward her with that playful wink of hers, Valery exhaled a soft chuckle, finally letting a little of the tension ease from her shoulders.

Her lips curved into something small but knowing. “My lips are sealed,” she murmured, lifting her own glass in a quiet toast before taking another sip. The whiskey burned less this time, warming her from the inside out, loosening the parts of her that had been wound so tight.

Allyson’s apology came next, and Valery shook her head, waving it off. “It’s alright,” she said, voice softer now. “The arrows, the fight... it’s done. Let's just...leave it in the past.” To keep their minds from lingering too long on what had happened on Woostri. She hadn’t come here to hold onto the past, to reopen fresh wounds.

But, apparently, she had come to be called a bully.

Valery snickered at the accusation, shaking her head. “I was forced to take the fight up close,” she countered, amusement flickering in her gaze. “You and that karking cloak of yours — how else was I supposed to stop you? Besides…” Her smirk turned just a little sly. “I just wanted to roughen you up a little. Not cause serious damage."

Even when the fight had been at its peak, even when she should have been looking at Allyson as nothing more than an enemy — she hadn’t. Every instinct had kept her from going too far. The connection they’d had, the trust, the understanding that had once made them a perfect team — it was still there. Twisted, but not gone.

So when Allyson admitted she hadn’t even expected to see her there, when she grinned and mused about yet another reckless decision — this time, riding on the outside of a Sith shuttle — Valery could only sigh, shaking her head. “You definitely don’t always think things through,” she murmured, but there was no real criticism behind the words. She never did. Allyson had always been like this. Wild. Untamed. Living entirely in the moment.

That was what had drawn Valery to her from the start.

She let her gaze linger, watching the way Allyson’s lips quirked with that stupidly endearing grin, the way she so easily slipped between humor and sincerity. The way she made Valery feel like no time had passed at all.

But then the question.

Valery was quiet at first, her fingers tightening around the glass as she took another slow sip. She could feel the whiskey settling deeper into her muscles, loosening something in her chest, giving her just enough of that liquid courage. Slowly, she exhaled and set the glass down.

Her fiery gaze lifted, meeting Allyson’s across the counter. Her cheeks were still rosy — whiskey, totally just the whiskey — but there was something else in her eyes now. Something softer. “I didn’t want things to end like that,” she admitted, voice quieter now. “On a bad note.”

She hesitated for only a moment before stepping forward, just a little closer, closing the space between them by a fraction. "If our paths don't cross again why not at least with good memories instead?”

A small, teasing smirk flickered across her lips, but her gaze held something deeper — something unspoken, lingering between them in the charged silence.

Maybe it was just nostalgia. Maybe it was just the whiskey. Or maybe it was something more.

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Valery Noble //:
//: Jutrand Apartments //:

Forgiveness came easy, something that worried Allyson about it all. Though she did her best not to show it. Valery could need this with how deeply woven parts of their past had been. Leave it all in the past. The words lingered in the Corellian's mind as she nodded, smiling and drawing the celebration cup to her lips. She heard the Emperor's voice bringing her back down with each burning splash. It lingered, clawing deep into the recesses of who she was. His warning repeated as if to keep her thoughts sober; she would be a monster just like him.

"At least take me to dinner before you rough me up; you know the rules." Allyson chuckled and shook her head. The darkness in her future could wait for a moment longer. Despite everything, the forgiveness - there was no going back. So, for now, she was going to enjoy the evening. Something had shifted, and Allyson wondered if her thoughts had bled through, creating the shift in the atmosphere. Her gaze settled softly on the Keshian Jedi. Allyson couldn't put her finger on it, or maybe she was just fighting putting her finger on it. The road that Valery was walking down was one that they both knew she should avoid.

"Valery," Allyson said as she smiled softly at the woman; the vulnerability was something she hadn't seen in some time in the Jedi. There was a weight to be perfect, which was why Allyson had always struggled with the title of Jedi. The galaxy looked to you to be good and honorable, and Shadows didn't always have that luxury. Yet Val was able to obtain it and maintain it. They were two sides of the same coin as far as Allyson could put any understanding of the concept of fate.

Her movements lingered between hesitation and fueled by the alcohol. They hadn't shared a drink in some time, and the Corellian forgot how lightweight the taller woman was. "I would have rather we ended on better terms, of course, but we don't always make those choices." Her voice tried to bring some sense to Valery as she drew closer. Even when drunk, the woman continued forward - an admiral trait for a Jedi Master, even a Jedi Grandmaster. Her glass found its place as Valery was now closer than they had been since the battle - even then, Allyson had done her best to keep the woman at arm's length. "Valery," Allyson repeated her name, softer, gentler, knowing that her betrayal hurt Allyson herself and someone she had allowed in as a friend.

Out of everyone, Valery was one of her last friends; the others had moved on, grown up, or died. Allyson chuckled, flustered, as she hadn't expected this from anyone, especially Valery. From what the Corellian knew, the woman was happily married with a barnyard of kids and another trough of adopted kids. She had the perfect; everything was perfect - but why was she here and then standing in front of her close? Allyson exhaled as she regained her composure. Looking up slightly at the taller woman and meeting her gaze, the Corellian sighed softly into her usual smile.

"Are you sure about this?" Allyson didn't push her away. She felt guilty for everything that she was going to go through. Allyson knew what it was like to lose something. This may be the last time they're able to reminisce about what had been and what could have been.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery exhaled softly, the warmth of the whiskey lingering in her chest, but it was nothing compared to the heat of Allyson’s words, the way she looked at her with that quiet mix of knowing and hesitation.

"At least take me to dinner before you rough me up; you know the rules."

A chuckle escapes Valery’s lops before she could stop it. She lifted a hand, running her fingers through her long, auburn hair as she shook her head. “So I can take the last taco again and give you more nightmares?” she teased, her voice dipping just enough to let the amusement settle between them. Then, with a slow, deliberate wink, she added, “I heard you dreaming about me, you know.”

Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was the years of distance melting away in real-time, but she loved the way Allyson’s expression shifted at that. She always had a way of getting under her skin.

But the laughter faded.

Because now, standing this close, with only a breath of space between them, Valery felt it again — that pull, that old, dangerous familiarity that neither of them had ever been able to shake. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry, her fingers tightening around her glass before she slowly set it down.

And for once, Valery struggled to meet her gaze.

She exhaled sharply, staring down at the space between them, like the words she wanted to say were just out of reach. As much as she wanted to get Allyson out of here and bring her back, she knew it wasn't that simple. So, was she sure?

"This could be the last time we see each other," she said softl in response. She searched Allyson’s face for a long moment, something unspoken lingering between them. Right now, Valery just wanted to make the most of it.

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Valery Noble //:
//: Jutrand Apartments //:

The damn tacos. It was a terrible core memory for the Corellian that she had often. Valery knew where to tease and when just like back then. But they couldn't live in that time anymore. There was no going back, and Allyson knew it, and Valery would have to understand.

She wanted to be free. Someone had held the Corellian's leash for too long, and Allyson wanted it gone. Memories, the SIA, the Shadows, and the Alliance - they all had a hand in holding her leash, prepared to let go when she had gone too far. Maybe things were different now, but Allyson couldn't let go - fearing what was on the other side. Allyson continued to smile through the turmoil and through what fate she was chasing because she knew it was the right one.

Because SHE chose it.

"Ahaha, that's unfair I need to remember to get thicker walls." A flash of Allyson's usual charm and confidence appeared as she watched Valery feeding off the courage blessed by the Corellian whiskey. "Wouldn't you like to know what I dream about," she commented in a playful tone as she reached for her glass to create a small pocket of breathing room. In one quick swig, the liquid disappeared, and Allyson winced slightly. That kind of whiskey was not one you shot, but Allyson just needed it to give a moment to breathe.

This was not the position she assumed she'd be in - part of her would have bet Valery was here to finish the job. Maybe that was her training talking, the old way of things.

Her mind swam, trying to process everything. She could feel the sadness in Valery's voice as she repeated what she said. "I know," Allyson answered, void of her playful nature. It was the truth of Allyson's choices. "Sometimes I wish it wasn't too late." Another laugh, one in disbelief at the childish notion that there was a way to go back in time to fix things. Life couldn't be retconned. They had their paths chosen for them.

A shadow always died or fell to the dark side - Valery being the outlier. "But we knew this was inevitable, I stepped too close and was finally burned." Allyson pressed her lips together in thought as she nodded, "It is the last time we'll see each other." It was hard to swallow a pill, but they both knew it, and one needed to say it. "I will be your enemy the next time you see me; don't hold back." The Shadow, remembering her words, Val believed something was still there and only wanted to stop her friend from harming her. "Can't take those chances; you have people depending on you."

Allyson knew what Valery wanted; she wasn't stupid or dense. She just couldn't get Kahlil's sad puppy dog face out of her head. It was annoying and only made her want to kick him in the face more. "Here, probably something long overdue for how long we've bantered over the years." Grabbing the open lapels of the jumpsuit, Valery would constantly haunt her for the rest of her cursed life; she pulled the woman the last few inches in and pressed her lips against hers.

Years of bantering and watching each other's back had been overdue, a friendship ending in a bitter betrayal. At least there was one good thing.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

For a moment, there was nothing else. No war. No betrayals. No whispered doubts clawing at the back of her mind. Just the warmth of Allyson’s fingers curling into her jumpsuit, the sudden pull forward, and then lips met lips.

Valery inhaled sharply, but she didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned into it, her hands instinctively settling at Allyson’s sides, fingers curling just slightly into the fabric of her shirt. The years of tension, of unspoken words, of something that had always been there but never acted upon — it all melted into this one moment, a fleeting collision of past and present.

A long time ago, if Allyson had done this, things would have been different. Valery knew that. They both did. Maybe they would have been more.

Maybe they could have had something beyond the battlefield, beyond the missions, beyond the push and pull of duty and desire. But that was a different lifetime, and they had made their choices. They had walked too far in different directions, and now… Now, all that remained was this. A final moment. Valery would return to her own life, happier than she ever could have imagined herself, being with her family. But Allyson...?

The kiss broke, but the moment lingered.

Valery released a breath, her forehead barely brushing against Allyson’s before she leaned back. Her lips curled into a faint, sad smile, the weight of the moment pressing against her chest like a stone. Her fiery gaze met Allyson’s, and there, in the silence that followed, was everything she didn’t say.

She could still feel the echo of it on her lips — the warmth, the taste of whiskey, the quiet ache that settled deep in her bones. The temptations.

Her fingers uncurled from where they had clung to Allyson’s waist, and she exhaled again, softer this time. “Goodbye, Allyson, and thank you for everything you've done for me,” she murmured, voice laced with something heavy, something final.

"I won't forget it."

Allyson Locke ​

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Valery Noble //:
//: Jutrand Apartments //:

Valery left just as quickly as she had entered. Leaving Allyson where she stood. Sighing, Allyson reached for the two glasses and washed both out quickly. The water burned her hands as she washed the glass used by the Grandmaster over and over again. Each time the glass turned over, she scrubbed harder until it shattered in her grasp. Shards of glass cut against her wet palms. Cursing under her breath, she began to clean the glass out; each piece was large enough to see and remove. The water ran a soft hue of red as she cleaned up the rest of the mess and hovered her hands one over the other, healing them with the Force.

Already, she could feel the light beginning to wane. The healing took longer than usual, and she returned to her bedroom after drying her healed hands. Allyson stopped at the small BB unit that rolled in to check on her. "I'm fine, Bait." she smiled gently towards the droid - the one companion that had been along for the ride since she had run away from Corellia. Kneeling down, she saw the droid comforting it like a pet. Once satisfied with Allyson's mood, it rolled away and began its patrol of the apartment. She would have to increase security or even move if necessary.

She still lingered.

Moving to the wall panel, she cycled the air in and out of the room as often as possible. Everything was now back in its place, as it had been moments before. The lights dimmed, and only the artificial lights of the city planet seeped through.

The shadows always felt more comforting.

While the Grandmaster of the New Jedi Order had come with the need to see the Corellian, Allyson didn't have the same sentiments. Already, she had accepted the nature of her actions. Her freedom and autonomy over her life were far greater than the sacrifices he would have to make.

She was content with her choices and fine with the consequences of her actions. She would welcome the transformation the Emperor offered so that she could change her fate.

Allyson continued to stand in the middle of her room. While she could feel the weight of everything sitting on her shoulders. It was the opposite of what the Shadow wanted. Breaking away from the Alliance was her first step, but why did she feel she had gone backward? She reached up and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

Was this all another trick?

The Corellian's eyes darkened as she wiped her mouth again and looked down at her hand. Even if it wasn't a trick, did the Jedi not fully comprehend the weight of what Allyson had done? Didn't she understand that the person she left here would cease to exist? Allyson looked up; a faint glow of corruption crept the edges of her irides.

It faded as soon as it came as she looked in the direction of where the Jedi had entered. A calm exhale as she tilted her head.

"I will." ​