Private Stars In Their Eyes

[Aris Noble]

"Did you ever go camping before? At the university?"

Aldhani was quite the natural world, compared to Coruscant. Niv Hani had it's own natural beauty certainly, but the recreation of the Epicanthic culture had spiraling buildings already forming at the heart of the new capital city. Aris turned his gaze down to the orb in his hand, smiling faintly. The map had led them here to Aldhani. After what he saw with Vera Noble on Glee Anselm, he wanted to see more. He needed to see more. Whatever it was Solomon had taken on, he needed to understand if only so he could ensure his people could evolve past it. To never need it again.

But the orb was dormant now. It'd led them here, but it seemed to no longer function at all. He couldn't even reactivate it to point them somewhere else. He could still feel it though, the Force in it. It was pulling him here. To wait in this field. How long, he wasn't sure, but he was going to stay here however long it took.

And camping was fun, right?

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

"At the university? No," Zaiya replied, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand as she paused to catch her breath. The air here was so cool and fresh, carrying the earthy scent of peat and moss. Everything was just so… green. After spending years moving between the Prosperity, the rebuilt temple on Coruscant, and the Jakku Enclave, it was almost surreal to be on a world that wasn't dominated by durasteel and endless cityscapes. Here, there were rolling hills, meadows that stretched far and wide, and rocky cliffs that loomed in the distance.

"I spent some time on Corellia, but even then, we mostly stayed inside," she elaborated, pausing to take it all in. "Not like this."

"Oh wow, this is pretty," she murmured, her rosy golden skin tinged with soft blues and teals, her delight evident in the gentle shimmer of her bioluminescence. A quick swing of her arm and she swung the thick mass of her hair she'd braided over her right shoulder. They had both come a bit more prepared than last time, so each of them was wearing heavier packs full of gear. Of course, it was easier for Aris but Zaiya was determined to make sure she could pull her own weight.

"My first real camping experience was when we went to Selvaris to help Master Farr," Zaiya added, glancing over at Aris. He was focused on the orb, trying to sense what else he could pull from it. They'd set aside this time to do some research, seeing if they could find anything useful about Aldhani -- a planet Aris felt drawn to.

"What about you? Camping much?"

They'd pitched this little expedition as training to their respective mentors, trying to keep things above board, especially after the mess on Naalol. Zaiya didn't want a repeat of that. If she and Aris were going to work together, they had to be better -- smarter.

Especially if she wanted to prove she was the best to be Aris's Knight.

"No other interesting tugs to icy doors??" Zaiya teased, flashing pearly white teeth as her eyes shone with a mischievous iridescent glint. "Golem snakes?"

Zaiya had yet to learn that Aris had indeed told Vera Noble about the orb and that they'd gone on their own adventure. In the wake of everything, there hadn't been time.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Dad takes us camping a lot. And hunting. It's a big part of Epicanthic culture to be able to survive." And given who Kahlil was, who his family was, he wanted to ensure all his children knew how to protect themselves. Aris let out a sigh though s he tucked the orb away. Right now, there was nothing. Just the feeling of needing to be here. So, he unshouldered his pack with a chuckle. They were going to be here for a bit, weren't they?

"We'll set up here. Not sure what, but I get the feeling we need to wait." Tents, firepit, perimeter. There weren't any dangerous animals on world, but it never hurt to be ready just in case. He paused though, glancing to Zaiya. Then hummed.

"Vera and I found the key. Solomon was holding it. He's the first king of the Zambrano line. He was uh, a skeleton. But aware. It was.. Kind of weird? He fought us, and we beat him up together. We're here because it's something with catalysts needed to make the Forge work. I guess it comes at quite the cost though, so we're a little warry on it."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya nodded at the confirmation.

"Camping here, then." She slid off her travel pack, letting it drop to the ground with a soft thud as she took in the area. It wasn't much, just a little clearing in the middle of nowhere, but it would do.

"Alright. I'll get us set up. Can you set up the firepit then?" Zaiya asked as she knelt down and started unpacking, pulling out the essentials. Then, they could deal with securing a perimeter. They had everything they'd need for the night, but Zaiya knew they'd still have to keep an eye out. Even out here in the wilderness, it never hurt to think about security.

As she rummaged through her pack, Zaiya's skin shifted into hues of amber and orange, her spots flickering with curiosity when Aris casually mentioned telling Vera about what they'd found.

"So, what did Vera think about it all?" she asked, tugging the case of her two-person tent free from her pack. It was the same one she'd used back on Selvaris -- reliable, if a little cramped. But hey, it beat sleeping out in the open.

Then Zaiya paused, processing his next words.

"Wait, a skeleton? Like, a person made of bones that's still… moving around?" Zaiya's brow furrowed, her skin flickering into a more confused, uneasy shade.

"Okay, so the Force can do that now? Was it really the Force?" The questions started coming faster than she could sort them out in her head. "Did the Force make him that way? And these catalysts -- how many worlds are there? How do you even know what a catalyst is supposed to be?"

She blinked, a hint of silver and amber creeping into her skin as her mind raced. "And is he still there? Where you found him?"

Zaiya stopped herself, realizing she was starting to fire off questions like a blaster on stun, flushing coral tones over the mottled spots and stripes on her face. But she couldn't help it -- the more she thought about it, the weirder it got. And in their line of work, 'weird' usually meant 'dangerous.'

 

[Aris Noble]

"She's suspicious, as she should be. But we want to make sure we get all the information and make sure whatever this is that's tied to our family isn't going to hurt any of us." Aris started to dig out the firepit by hand, which was easy enough for him. Rocks were placed about the edge, though they were rocks he specifically broke into the sizes he felt was appropriate. When he can shatter a bolder by a single punch, why not? It was almost obsessive how much he was trying to make sure it looked level, but at least he wasn't making the rocks the same shape.

This time.

"I'm.. Not sure exactly. Vera and I walked through a door at the bottom of the ocean and ended up in the facility that Solomon was in. When we finished there, we woke up back on the submersible we were on. With the key. Was it a vision? Was it actually there? I don't really get it. But dad used to work with undead, so, I know that it's definitely possible to have skeletons and the like walking around through the Force."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

Nakbe
Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

-

With a push of the button, Zaiya's tent sprung to life, blooming open with a soft hiss as the shelter unfurled. But her eyes weren't on the tent -- no, her curious attention was fixed on Aris, who was busy setting up the firepit.

"Well, it makes sense she's suspicious," Zaiya admitted, crossing her arms and watching him work. "We were too. But you were so excited to finally feel something with the Force, and, well... we kinda jumped in before looking." Or more like fell in, Zaiya mused, flashing Aris a crooked grin, her skin flickering with a soft pale blue, a tiny ripple of amusement reflecting her thoughts.

She couldn't help but smirk a little as she watched him. When they'd first met, Aris had been all about perfection -- every task executed with the precision of a droid. But now, he'd eased up, more focused on getting things done than making them flawless. It was good to see him relax a bit.

That was until he started talking about the key.

"So, do you have the key now?" she asked, leaning forward slightly. "And what does that mean we're looking for then? If this Solomon guy ended up… undead?" She was getting used to the weirdness of the galaxy, but undead skeletons still felt like a leap.

Her brow furrowed, trying to wrap her head around it. "Wait, does that mean the Forge makes people into eternal skeletons?" Zaiya crossed her arms and gave Aris a long, hard look, her skin darkening to a concerned shade of grey and amber. She couldn't imagine him as a skeleton -- no warmth, no Aris, just… bones.

"Yeah, uh, sorry, but I'd rather you not turn into an eternal skeleton. I like the way you look now," she blurted out, "You know, with the princely perfect hair and green eyes."

She froze, the words tumbling out faster than she could think, and she immediately cringed at how silly it sounded.

Great, Zaiya. Real smooth. She quickly glanced away, hoping her embarrassment wasn't as obvious as the shifting colors on her skin. Right! Aris's tent was next. She promptly grabbed that one from the pack and deployed it.

"Anyways, so is Vera going to join us to look at the different places?"

 

[Aris Noble]

"Falling without looking, really."

He voiced it himself as he settled by the firepit. Aris took up some tinder and his hand immediately started to glow the red needed to heat it up and cause it to burst into flame so he could get a proper fire going already. It didn't hurt to, especially if they were going to eat. Which, well. Aris wasn't against eating now while they waited.

Aris did blink though, glancing up from the fire to Zaiya as she mentioned him not being a skeleton. He said nothing on what she said though, instead just smiling as he looked back to the flame. "I don't think it makes people skeletons, don't worry. I think that's just how he ended up. And yeah, sort of. Vera has the key, so we're going to look for more catalysts together too. We need three, but I'm not sure if there's even going to be one here, you know?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya perked up at the mention that Vera had the key now. A sudden thought popped into her mind, and she turned to Aris with wide, curious opal blue eyes.

"Oh, did she have a vision then? From the key?" Zaiya asked, her skin flickering with hints of bright orange, a sign of her piqued interest. She remembered Vera's visions from when they'd first met at the Ukatis festival, but she still didn't fully grasp how they worked.

"And what were the other planets?" Zaiya continued, eager to piece together the mystery even if she couldn't tag along on every adventure. She knew she couldn't be with Aris all the time — Jedi duties and all that — but it still felt good to be involved, even if she wasn't a Noble.

"Also, how do you know you need three? Did Solomon say that?" she pressed, her skin shifting to a thoughtful amber. Relief washed over her knowing that neither Aris nor Vera was going to turn into a skeleton. That would've been… awkward.

Aris finished setting up his tent just as a gentle breeze swept through the valley, carrying the earthy scent of peat as he got the fire going. Zaiya breathed in deeply, the cool air refreshing against her skin. It was peaceful out here, with the soft crackle of the fire and the faint glow it cast on their tents. For a moment, it felt like the weight of their quest had lightened, just a little.

She glanced over at Aris, watching the flames dance over his face, and couldn't help but smile. Whatever mysteries lay ahead, they'd figure them out — together or apart. And maybe, just maybe, she'd get the hang of this whole Jedi business along the way.

 

[Aris Noble]

"She did. And the other planets are the ones on the star map? We were on Glee Anselm where we found the key. And yeah. Find the three catalysts to make the Forge work. My guess is there's as many as there is planets on that list. What they are, I dunno. I don't know what they're even used for, but, I'm excited to figure it out." He kept his gaze on the fire as he spoke, just smiling as he watched the flame flicker to and fro. There was peace in watching the fire. Aris eventually pulled his gaze away to look over towards Zaiya.

There was something calming about watching her too.

"You good with the tents? Or are you too distracted with all the questions?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

"So, I guess it all comes down to checking out the planets and seeing if there's anything there — like more stone serpents or, you know, walking skeletons," Zaiya mused, still finding the idea of it all completely surreal.

She rolled her eyes playfully at Aris's comment about her tent-assembling skills. "They're both done, Your Highness," she shot back, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. "We all know how much you value efficiency."

With a satisfied nod at their makeshift camp, she added, "I just need to set up the bedrolls. Then we can inspect the perimeter." Even out in the middle of nowhere, it was wise to be cautious. Besides, there had to be a reason why the orb led them here, right? Something was out there, she just didn't know what yet.

As she moved to grab the bedrolls, a thought crossed her mind. "So… are you going to tell your parents now that you told Vera?" she asked, glancing at Aris.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Who knows what else. It was a facility that the skeleton was in, one I've never seen before. Alien." He still didn't know what to make of the machines that seemed to operate on their own. Floating. Without wires or connections or any visible power source, at that. Aris blinked though, before nodding his head once. He did absolutely appreciate efficiency, but it was clear Zaiya was teasing him in some way.

He squinted, but shrugged it off.

"No, not yet. It doesn't seem to be anything too big. We'll involve a Knight or even a Master as we need to, but mom and dad have enough going on with the war on two sides."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya had been teasing Aris, and his squint at her direction only prompted a mischevious ripple of Cyan to paint over her mottled spots over her cheeks. The flashing grin sealed it, but by then the Lovalla was done with the bedrolls and organizing their gear neatly so that wild animals would not be able to get into them.

"Hrm... that make sense. Having another Knight or Master that could help is good. I wouldn't want any of us to get into a situation that will place us in over our heads," Zaiya said with a nod, straightening to her full height and placing her hands on her hips. Alas, she was still about 25 centimeters shorter than Aris. Life and the Force, were not fair.

A thought came to her.

"Does it ever bother you? That your parents are prominent figures in the Order? They seem to be constantly busy, either traveling on missions or doing one thing or the next. How do they even make time for you and your siblings, much less each other?" That just seemed so strange, especially to a Lovalla. When Zaiya thought of her parents, they were hardly ever apart, and if then, only for a few days max.

It brought back the conversation about being a Jedi and about being constantly on the move from the cavern. How did one have a healthy relationship or family then?

"Or is it because of their dyad that it works?" Valery had mentioned about a special bond that rarely occurs. Something that just happened and didn't grow into being. You either had it or you didn't.

Was that the same with how Lovalla mates could always feel and sense where the other was at, even from great distances?

 

[Aris Noble]

"The Dyad means they're never part, that's true. And they do their best to always make time for us. No matter how tired Dad gets from all the paperwork he has to do, for example, he's always there to take care of us. Play. Mom's the same. I know things have gotten really serious after Tython, but they never brought that home." Not that they couldn't tell. Aris could see the exhaustion in his parent's smile, but it didn't mean they weren't trying to keep the war away from them.

Grant it, now Aris was fighting the war himself.

Fire started and running healthily he got up to help start with at least securing the perimeter. Setting down some sensors to keep watch while they slept. Seszil would as well, though the sword was currently asleep in his sheath.

"Why?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Why?

Zaiya blinked a few times. She hadn't expected Aris to ask why she was pondering about his parent's relationship.

Well, he had answered that she had been correct at least; their Dyad meant they were never really apart, and she was glad that it seemed both his parents were doing their best to spend time with them.

"Oh, I mean, you mentioned how they have much going on. Then I remembered that they both have important positions, so their time wouldn't be as flexible." Zaiya admitted that after mulling it over a bit, the hues and colors of her rosy golden skin were constantly in flux as she was thinking it over.

"I guess because they are the only other mated couple I know. Besides my parents, " everyone else was either some sort of orphan that fell into the care of the Jedi or were not much older than her and were not in any relationships she knew of. Well, she knew Lossa had Zerianna, so she had to have been with someone to have her, right? So maybe she did? Lossa hadn't mentioned anyone, and there hadn't been anyone waiting for Lossa or Zerianna to see if they were okay.

"And well, my parents worked at the University together, but they had different responsibilities, so they rarely were separated," well, that was more due to the regulations on preventing Lovalla mated pairs from being separated too long. That's why they had been tenured at the University of Commenor together.

"I don't know much about how other families work." She admitted, walking over to Aris to plop herself beside him. She adjusted her legs until she was in a crosslegged position, the fire's flickering glow over her face.

"Or Jedi families, either." Zaiya confessed, her uncertainty about Jedi families evident in her voice. To be honest, Zaiya had begun to wonder how things would work out for her once she was older. What Aris had mentioned before had stuck to her on several layers, not just witih him, but also what it would mean for her if she ever did want to have a family. That is, if she could ever find a mate at all once she was an adult.

 

[Aris Noble]

Oh.

Aris blinked as he looked at Zaiya again. He never thought much of it, mostly because he didn't want to treat her as fragile, but the loss of her parents really robbed her of a lot. She didn't seem down about it either, not at the moment, but she didn't have the experience to think of it herself. He smiled softly. He wouldn't have known either if not for his parents.

He really was the lucky one.

"I don't know if everyone is the same. But my parents are pretty great. I'm very happy they found me."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

"Yeah, I'm glad too," Zaiya admitted, her voice softer than usual, genuinely grateful that things had turned out this way. Not just for Aris's safety, but because it meant she got to meet him. The thought of him still stuck in that cold laboratory with nothing but his instructor droid was too awful to dwell on. And even worse, if he'd never entered her life at all.

"Well, I can't have His Highness be the only one setting up a perimeter!" she teased, her tone light as she tried to shake off her deeper thoughts. Bringing up family and the future would just make Aris think she was overthinking everything again, or worse, that he'd have to tiptoe around her feelings.

All the typical teenage angst of a girl with a slight crush on her best friend -- emotions she wasn't all too clear about but knew she couldn't act on. No, it was best to focus on how be the best Knight possible.

Hopping to her feet, Zaiya took a deep breath and walked over to Aris, grabbing a few of the sensors from his hands so they could finish setting up the perimeter faster.

"So, training," she began, trying to sound casual.

"What else should this Knight learn so you don't become a bleeding hot mess in a cave next time?" She tried to keep her tone light, a joke, but the hint of guilt was there, edged in her voice. She couldn't help it; the memory of what had happened to Aris back on Naalol still lingered. Her skin flickered with pale yellow and orange flecks, pulsing with that guilty remembrance.

"What could we have done better?" she asked, looking up at him, her expression earnest as the colors on her skin settled into a calmer blue. She really wanted to know -- not just for him, but for herself, too. They were a team, after all, and she never wanted to let him down again.

And they might as well do some training while waiting to see just what they were supposed to find on this planet from Aris's starmap.

 

[Aris Noble]

Aris just smiled. Rather than linger on the saddness that this topic could bring, Zaiya chose for the brighter path instead. It was that brightness, that strength, that had her always on his mind. Seeing how she could brighten the world around her and not just literally, he couldn't help but think of it fondly. More than fondly.

He shook his head, mostly to stop staring after her as she took more of the sensors to set up the perimeter. He finished setting up his own before he blinked and looked back to Zaiya. Training? From him?

Oh. Oh. Guilt, for what happened to him. For how she had to run, not fight. There wasn't anything they could've done better in his mind with what they had. But next time?

"You need to be stronger. Physically. You cam use the Force now, so, let's get you to strengthen your body with it."

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya moved a few meters ahead of Aris, kneeling down to place another sensor before activating it. She glanced up at his comment about needing to strengthen her body with the Force, her brow arched and a light ripple of pale blue amusement spreading across her face.

"Strengthen my body with the Force?" she echoed, half skeptical, half curious. Easy for Aris to say. The Lovalla could muster bursts of strength in desperate situations -- like when protecting a mate -- but generally, they weren't built as tough as humans, and definitely not as solid as the Epicanthix.

"Shan taught me how to turn my body from soft-to-solid so I can take hits with less damage, but not how to actually strengthen it with the Force," she explained, her thick, colorful braid swinging past her shoulder as she bent down to set another sensor, almost brushing the ground.

"Okay, Master Noble," Zaiya teased, tossing him a smirk as she playfully knighted him with the title of 'Master' for this impromptu training session. She straightened, raising her chin just a notch, a spark of mischief dancing in her gaze as if she was daring him to take on the role of Force mentor. "How exactly am I supposed to strengthen my body with the Force? Are we talking endurance here, or more like how much I can lift?"

All the while, Zaiya watched him with a mix of anticipation and challenge, her skin shifting to hues of bright orange-flecked teal with faint gold streaks -- a mix of curiosity and mischievousness. This was going to be fun.

 

[Aris Noble]

"Soft to solid is part of it." Aris smirked briefly at the 'master Aris' bit, but he was serious. Mostly. He was still smiling because, well, he loved training. It's just how he was. The physical tole a proper workout put felt great and just made him feel that much better in general. "But it's all of it. From what I figured out, I'm using a lot of the Force just passively to be as strong and fast as I am. My dad uses runes to do that for himself. I figure if that's the case, you should be able to do it too. Once you learn how, you know?"

Zaiya Ceti

 

[Zaiya Ceti]

​

Outfit: x x x x x | Equipment: x x x x x | Weapons: x x x
Interacting with: Aris Noble

Zaiya took a few more steps, setting down another sensor before glancing up at Aris with a faint grin, amusement dancing over her face in soft cyan hues edged with amber in understanding. Okay, so what he said made sense. She could admit that.

"Alright, fair enough. So, let's practice then. How do I start with strengthening my body with the Force?" she asked, moving on to place the last sensor. A soft buzz followed, and a faint blue light connected each relay, quickly shifting to ultraviolet to make it less visible. Zaiya's keen eyes could still pick up the violet glow, a perk of her Lovalla heritage.

Clapping the dust off her hands, she strolled over to Aris, her thick braid swaying slightly with each step. She stopped a few feet away from him, eager for the next steps while they waited for the orb to reveal anything useful. The landscape around them was rough -- strewn with rocks, gullies, hills, and valleys. Honestly, it was hard to tell if anything significant had ever been here. The wear of time and the elements had likely eroded whatever traces remained of the past, especially since this site seemed to date back to pre-Gulag times.

"So, what do I need to do?" she prompted, her skin flickering with curious hues as she watched him. She was ready for whatever lesson came next, whether it was channeling the Force into her muscles or something more complex.

The prospect of honing a new skill filled her with a quiet thrill. Training with Aris was always a mix of challenge and camaraderie, and she was determined to keep pace, even if her approach to the Force was different from his. If anything, that made it all the more interesting and fun.

"Plus, you should tell me more about those runes your dad uses. Would be fun to get to talk to him more, too, if he ever has the time."