Private So Far Away

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Life was an ever changing whirlwind, you never know where you'd be next.

A few weeks ago Kahlil Noble had fallen to the hands of the empire, protecting his wife from certain death. It was a sacrifice only a true Jedi would make for the greater good, a heart that was pure and selfless. Kahlil was the personification of those very ideals, keeping to them until the very end of his life. If there was one way to go out, it was to keep safe the ones you loved in order for them to live a happy life. When the time came, he'd do the same.

The halls of the temple were ghostly silent as he quietly walked towards the training hall. Everything seemed so much solemn as if the structure itself was suffering from the loss of such an important figure, similar to Silas himself. For the short time they had been together, Silas looked up to Kahlil like a father. Without the man, he wouldn't be where he was today. Kahlil taught him the best of himself; Sorosu, attitudes, and aspects of living were going to be ingrained into his soul for the rest of his life. Soon enough, he'd pass on the same knowledge to the next generation of Jedi.

It was safe to say he was never going to be forgotten

Silas made it to the room on time and slowly sat himself down on the mat cross legged. Master Noble wasn't here yet, so it gave him some time to relax until she came. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes and peacefully reminisced on the happy memories both of them had. To wind down they always used to do this together, but in more ways than one he was always there all along.
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant | NJO Temple
Tag | Silas Westgard

"Good morning, Silas," Valery said as she entered the training room. She then turned around, closed the door, and stood still for a moment. Kahlil had been very important to him as well, so the thought of talking about it to him crossed her mind, but the pain she felt rising quickly made her decide against it. Unless, of course, he felt a need to say something or ask questions.

Rakaan and Valery were the only two witnesses of what happened that day, after all.

"I hope you're well-rested because the training today might be... intense," Valery continued before she stepped in front of him and lowered herself into a sitting position. Her usual smile, charisma, and warmth were gone, replaced by a somber aura. For someone like Silas, it would feel as if he looked at a completely different person.

"To prepare you for Dathomir and what we might find there, I want to teach you how to properly shield your mind. Have you learned any techniques for this before?"

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

​

"Good morning, Silas,"

The voice of his master by the doorway hesitantly made him reopen his eyes, a frown crossing his lips as he almost instantly felt the somber aura Valery was radiating. She was trying her best to hide it, but it was just too palpable for the boy not to notice. For now, he didn't answer, instead choosing silence when she approached and sat in front of him. He just didn't know what to say, both of them were closer than most to Kahlil.

Just from the way she acted her once calming and cool Chamisa had been put on the sidelines. The death of her husband must have hit her hard, as it did with everyone. Silas himself was deeply upset by the news. Rising guilt fell on him from the fact he didn't see him as often as he did once their time together was over.

That was time he was never going to get back now.

Valery's brief of the training seemed to be muffled to his ears. He didn't care about that right now, all he wanted to know was that she was going to be alright too. Before she could even finish her last sentence he shot up to his knees and opened his arms wide, drawing Valery into a tight, reassuring hug that indicated he was going to be with her every step of the way. Silas dared not cry at this moment but instead stayed strong for his master who had probably seen enough tears for a lifetime.

"I just want to say we're all here for you alright?" he said with a slight tremble, doing well to hold it together "Please Master... please just take all the time you need"
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

The death of Kahlil had hit many very hard — Padawans who he taught classes to, Knights and Masters who had met him. Silas was even closer than them to her husband, so she knew it was hard on him. But of course, nobody was hit nearly as hard as Valery and Vera by the sudden loss. The bond she had with him went beyond anything either of them had shared with anybody else, and the fact they had a kid just made it all so much more difficult.

It showed in every step she took, as the weight of such a burden brought her down completely.

For this reason, she tried to put it away and just focus on teaching Silas and taking him to Dathomir to look into his family. A distraction she hoped would help keep her mind from going in endless circles about what happened. But Silas was rather quick to shift away from the lesson and moved to offer her comfort through a hug.

Valery blinked, paused for a moment, and wrapped her arms around him. "I will, don't worry," she assured him with a soft, but somewhat pained tone of voice. "Everything will be alright."

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas was cautious in saying he was sorry to Valery, she had probably heard enough of that recently. Instead, he offered her comfort and reassurance that they were here for her. At the same time Valery was also trying to reassure him, a selfless side of her that was there for anyone no matter what "I know you're hurting Master, we all are" he said, tightening his hug slightly "We've got to continue his legacy, for him" the boy said calmly just before pulled himself away and put two hands on her shoulders.

"Like he was a husband to you, he was the closest thing to a father for me. The things he taught me to stay with me forever, and so will the love he gave to you and Vera" He said with emotion thick in his voice, his eyes staring back into Valery's with a hard determination.

"Wherever he is now, I'm sure he's watching over you with a smile. The fact you're still willing to help me and others fight their own worries is beyond kindness itself" he said with a brief croak before composing himself.

"He will forever be proud of you..."
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

Valery remained quiet while Silas spoke, and smiled softly at his encouraging words. The hug she held him in tightened for a moment before she finally pulled back to look him in the eyes. The pain of her loss was still there, but strength burned in them as well. She had so many reasons to keep going and enjoy life — from her Padawans to her daughter, and even the thought that focusing on herself could bring happiness again.

There was a path forward, and she was going to find it.

"He will forever be proud of you..."

She smiled and finally let go entirely, "Thank you, Silas. The support means a lot and has helped keep me going. But we also have to keep you going," she said with a soft chuckle.

"Unless you want to take some time off, which is perfectly fine, I think our focus should be on our next stop — Dathomir."

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas let his master pull away from his embrace, leaving him to fall back to the floor and slowly fold his legs comfortably again. Wise as always, Valery seemed to talk more sense than ever "Yea, you're right Master..." he said with a slight frown and clearing of his throat. They needed to focus on the task at hand, words for Kahlil would have to wait till later until they achieved what they had come here for.

"No Master, I'll be in a good state to listen to your instruction" within that moment his demeanor seemed to turn back to the serious and ever-listening boy that she knew well. If he were to truly know and understand himself better, he'd need to be at his best. The emotions were going to be hard to hide away, but it needed to be done in order to keep moving on in his training.

There was also a burning question he needed to ask her regarding his former master, but it was probably best to leave that for a better moment.

"Before I rudely interrupted you, I believe something was said about protecting your mind. I'm afraid I haven't learned anything on that just yet, but I presume it will be a key guardian in helping me protect myself from the dark energies that reside on the planet" he said in a more concentrated tone, the boy's undivided attention on the lesson being taught and nothing more.
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

"You weren't rude," Valery assured him with a smile that resembled those she always had for her Padawans. Weaker, sure, but genuine nonetheless. "But that's right, I'll teach you how to shield your mind," Valery continued to explain. As a former Jedi Shadow, it was arguably the most crucial thing she learned along with burying her presence in the Force. Other abilities helped as well, but none were as vital as those.

"The Dark Side is a very corruptive force, and both its wielders and objects tainted by it can seriously damage the mind or even control it if not resisted. Where we're going, there's no telling what we'll run into, but you're going to feel those darker energies beating against your mind."

"You either keep them out, or they will wreak havoc deep inside," she warned him with a serious tone.

"Any questions before I explain how you can shield yourself?"

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas shyly smiled back at his master's natural warmth and listened closely to what she had to say about Dathomir. To say the least, it was a long way from home when they got there, and if they got into trouble there would be no help to save them. The ability he was going to learn was going to be key in keeping alive out there. Going to such a dark and hospital place without any kind of security was foolish.

"I know from experience of what the Dark side can do to you, I don't plan on letting it happen again" Silas had his fair share of troubles with the Dark side, and very much still did. His ancestor's past was tainted with it, his own blood wasn't even safe from their mistakes.

"The last time I faced such a thing I was unprepared and still fresh from my training to become a Padawan. Now that I'm more experienced and older, I know I can face whatever the dark side puts in front of me, no matter how twisted it may be" he said with confidence to his Master "Especially with your guidance"

Silas trusted Valery with his life ten times over, she knew full well Silas needed the mental strength in order to be safe in his so called long lost home "Yes master, I need to ask you about the necklace" he said firstly, looking over to his master with a hint of concern "Are we going to bring it to guide us, or will it be too much in an atmosphere full of darkness already?" The teen knew what he'd do if he had the choice, but if Valery was against his own opinion Silas would have no other choice but to accept her decision.

Yet, at the same time, it did have every right to return to where it was created...
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

"I admire the confidence, but be careful," Valery warned him sincerely, "Jedi Shadows and even Sentinels spent many years training themselves in these techniques, and exposing themselves to Dark Side artifacts and Sith just to develop something that Jedi have referred to as Force Immunity — an almost passive invulnerability to effects of the Dark Side."

"This is why I rarely struggle with it, but it took me a very long time to get so resistant as well. Never underestimate the Dark Side, and even with it being called Force Immunity, never consider yourself actually immune. Always consider the fact that you can be taken by surprise, and that you might have to withdraw or find some other method to complete the mission."

Valery then paused for a moment, before shifting into the question he asked about the necklace, "We'll bring it along in case we need it to guide us, but perhaps it's best you don't wear it. Just as a safety precaution, because we have no idea how it'll respond to being brought to Dathomir."

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

"I promise I'll be careful master, the Darkside is no joke" the said in response to her warning just before she carried on talking about how long she had trained to really make the most of its abilities. Valery was only in her thirties, 4000 years old if you count the years she was asleep. She probably knew most of the old and new ways more than anyone else in the order, and that was from countless hours of training and studying to be the best Jedi possible. Compared to her, Silas still had a very long way to go.

Force Immunity was one of the most key assets a Jedi could have. For those who mastered the ability, it could protect them from the ever present Dark side energy that always tried to twist their minds. It was never guaranteed that it could protect against everything, but it did a world of good in a place full of such darkness.

"That's why we are taught to never overestimate an opponent, no matter how harmless they could be. The Dark side can come in many forms, so that's probably why it can sometimes catch us off guard. But like you said, we must always find that plan B to keep us going. If there's a will, there's a way"

Compared to other words, Silas seemed to react differently to what she had to say about the necklace. His head tilted slightly in confusion from not being able to wear it. Why? why couldn't he wear what was rightfully his? there was no evidence to point to the necklace causing him problems, a fact that Valery may have been wrong by. All he wanted was to take it back and place it around his neck, to feel comfortable again in a galaxy full of shit. Was that not hard to ask for?

"But master... tha-" before the words could slip out his mouth to argue with her he stopped himself in his tracks. It was incredibly hard not to argue with his master, but with every bit of patience left in him, he pushed it back for now.

"That's right master, we can't take any risks..." he said in a lowered tone, a look of worry flashing across his face to Valery before him.

"When it's all said and done, it will return to me. Right?

​

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

While she offered a slight dip of her head to acknowledge what he said about shielding the mind, Valery focused far more on the latter half of his questions and statements — those things that revolved around the necklace. Even though he interrupted himself, she knew he cared a great deal about the item, and any hint of it not being around his neck provoked an agitated or aggressive response from him.

That's all she needed to know.

"You might not believe it affects you poorly, but look internally. Why do you care so much about having it? Is it really because of its ties to your family or do you feel something else when you wear it? If you can't even be honest to yourself about that, then how do you expect anybody else to ever help you?" Valery asked, her tone a little more confrontational. This mission could become incredibly dangerous, so she wanted to avoid a situation where his attachment to the necklace stops him from thinking something through properly.

"This necklace, right now, will serve a purpose, the same way a lightsaber does. But it should never control you." She paused a moment and looked at Silas. "I'm sure we'll learn more about it on Dathomir, so only when we have all the facts, I'll decide whether or not it's safe to keep."

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas stared at Valery with enough annoyance to show she was bothered by how she was talking to him. He was sure himself that it didn't do anything to him other than comfort him in the most stressful of situations. It was almost as if she treating the family heirloom as a cursed object rather than a gift "Master... I assure you I do not feel any different when I wear it!" the boy snapped suddenly, his eyes widening slightly from his uncharartisic behavior. In all honesty, he didn't know what had come over him "It's... it's just important to me alright?"

Until now no one had really forcefully separated him from the necklace before, this kind of ordeal was all new to the boy. Putting a hand through his hair, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Silas felt guilty for snapping like that at his master, especially since the death of Kahlil was so raw "You're right though, the necklace serves a purpose. I can't be greedy right now, which I have been" he said with a sorry tone "I didn't mean to do that Master, the item is just a very personal thing for me" the teen admitted as he fumbled with his hands to somewhat distract himself.

"I do want to know more of what the necklace knows. I hope, once the time is right, my mind will be at peace and acknowledge that I'm far different from them. I know I can control my future, it's just that I need reassurance"

Silas looked back to Valery with a new found determination that was far different than his defensive attitude. She was right, how was he expecting anyone to help when he didn't trust them?

"I will do what is required of me master, you have my word"
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

There was barely a response from her when he snapped and raised his voice again. When she made her comments about the necklace, she knew she was probing that side of him, and while he wasn't able to feel or acknowledge that this item was indeed affecting him, Valery knew more than enough. Even if it wasn't an artifact with a presence in the Force, such a response from a Jedi about any object would not be acceptable.

"During our trip, I'll be keeping the necklace in a special container, and we'll only access it if we need it," Valery said with a tone that made it clear there was no room for questioning this decision. "I believe it very much is affecting you, whether it's through the Force or not, and it keeps you from being yourself. It keeps you from wanting to consider all options. You saw what it did when I connected with it."

"So, until you show that you can control these emotions, it's not going to be in your possession."

Valery watched him quietly for a moment, hoping he'd be a man of his word when he said that he'd do what was required of him. But finally, she decided to move on to the lesson again. "If that was all, let's focus on the mind. What I'm going to teach you is called Thought Shield, and it forms the basis of being able to keep out external influences on the mind," Valery explained. "It's not impenetrable and requires you to passively keep it up, but it's your first layer of protection."

"Does this all make sense?" She asked, before going too in-depth on how to do it.

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas could hear through Valery's tone that she was serious about her words on the necklace. Even though the necklace belonged to him, Valery had every right to hold it away from him. She was his master after all, and something didn't sit well with her measures like this had to be taken. Silas didn't see it yet, but the things she was doing were keeping him safe. Without such an intervention who knows what could have happened to him?

"I-I understand master..." he muttered back with his head lowered "I should have never questioned your motives" His mind was still fighting against the decision to keep the prized item away from him, yet up until now, Valery had always done things that were in his best interests. There was no more time for dispute, he had to trust her no matter what his inner feelings were shouting at him.

One day, there was a possibility he would get it back. He just needed to prove he was capable of not giving in to temptation.

Allowing Valery to move on without another word, he finally looked up and listened properly to watch what she was going to teach him. Thought shield was going to be the difference in helping him take a step in the right direction "From the sounds of it the power has the same fundamentals as Force Meld. You must be in a good frame of mind in order for it to work effectively" he said thoughtfully with a small nod.

That was something he'd have to deal with when the time came

"But yes, Master. I understand"
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

The fact he didn't fight the decision got her to smile a little again, and she nodded. In the end, he always showed reason and logic could prevail, and it was something she appreciated a great deal. Hopefully, with time and if the necklace could be cleansed or altered in a way where it wasn't connected to the Dark Side, he could earn it back. Because even though she believed it to be dangerous, it was important to him for other reasons as well.

It was tied to his family, and while that could be an unnecessary distraction, she didn't want to keep it from him.

"Very well. Thought Shield relies on tapping into the Force as it flows through you," Valery explained. "It's what makes it a Control ability. You take control of its strength and guide it up to the edge of your mind to form a layer or barrier against anything that attempts to invade your mind. It can be as simple as blocking someone from using Telepathy or tricking you with illusions, but it can also shield you against Dark Side artifacts attempting to manipulate you."

Valery paused and took a small breath, "Start by closing your eyes and focusing on yourself, on what flows through you. Be calm, be in control and allow the Force to guide its strength up to your mind."

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas, even through his spell of confusion towards the master still trusted every word she said. From the very start, she had not told a single lie to him, he had no right to call Valery Noble a liar. He'd just have to buy his time and wait until he was mentally strong enough to use it properly. Although, that was easier said than done when temptation leaked back into his soul.

The padawan quietly listened to the master explain the groundwork of the thought shield, a simple power that did the trick in terms of protecting an individual from many things. Darkside energy, illusions, manipulations, and even objects that were shrouded in the Darkside itself. It could prove vital in allowing him to wear it again if he managed to get to grips with the whole thing. But like she said before, it took time to be where she was now.

Nodding to the instruction, he slowly but surely closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The tense emotion that was there before had almost gone now, all it needed was some peace to fully shove it away. Silas steadied his breathing and let his body go loose so the force could flow freely without barriers to stop it. Everything was going well so far, especially now that the necklace wasn't close to him.

This was the Silas he wanted, calm and at one with his mind. Not being stressed all the time and feeling like he was at war with himself everyday...
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

While Silas focused on the instructions and attempted to follow them, Valery kept her own focus on his mind. The connection between a Master and Padawan was smooth and open, making it easy for her to telepathically reach him even across great distances. But with a thought shield, he'd slowly be closing the gates into those deeper parts of his mind, even to her. When she finally noticed it, Valery began to faintly smile.

"That's it, Silas," she complimented him. "Now, maintain it. This ability is very easy to use but harder to maintain. Especially when..." her voice trailed off and her mind suddenly reached out to his, creating an initial shockwave to test his barriers against invasive forces.

But once that initial pulse subsided, Valery didn't ease off entirely — she kept scratching away at his shield, not at full force yet because he was only just starting, but enough to make it uncomfortable.

"Don't let me in," Valery said sternly while she continued to barrage his mental barriers.

​

 

[Silas Westgard]

Location: Coruscant Temple
Objective: Wait for Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Silas nodded calmly to the comforting words of his master, his body still nice and loose for the force to pass through. It was only when Valery tested his mind with pressure did he start tensing up again. For now, he kept strong and fought back against his master's test, taking steady and comfortable breaths. Master Valery wasn't making him uncomfortable right now, and he doubted she'd go very far just so she could avoid missing that possibility of making her student that way.

Her mental attack kept scratching away at his walls yet Silas kept strong. His face twitched now and then, but that was only natural when your mind was under attack. Silas had experience with his opponents going into his mind, most times he was only able to hold them for so long, especially when they were more powerful than he was.

"I won't let you, master," the teen said back in a determined tone, not letting himself falter even after the wave of emotions from earlier "No one will get into my mind again, not today, not ever"
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Coruscant
Tag | Silas Westgard

"Never believe yourself immune," Valery warned him again, knowing that he was probably just excited or determined, but she wasn't going to give him an inch when it came to arrogance over these things. With the basics of this ability, he'd be able to shield himself against artifacts, and some Sith, but more powerful wielders of the Dark Side could still shatter these defenses and do irreversible damage.

"You will not be able to keep everything or everybody out. It can be because they are more powerful or better trained than you are at the moment, or consider the situation where you might be injured or exhausted. What I'm trying with you now is nothing compared to what you can face out there."

Valery eased off on her attempts to breach his mental barriers and watched him closely for a moment, "Do you understand?"

​