Private Storm the Citadel

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield

There were details of a fortress on Vyrnara, said to house Imperial Remnants. The dense forests and bushlands made it ideal for hidden encampments to thrive, acting as a hideway for the said troopers. It was only picked up when an alliance starship flew by the planet's surface and got shot down that it was raised to the alliance's attention. The original force sent were men and women equipped for scouting and reconnaissance, gleaming as much information as they can from the fortress, a metal structure that spanned out a large span of the forest. Almost undetectable unless one looked closely enough to the ground, which costed the pilot in the patrol starship their life.

The Alliance Troopers are camped in a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees and thick underbrush. They have set up a series of tents and makeshift shelters in a clearing, with a small perimeter of guard posts and sentries to watch for any signs of enemy activity. The troopers are constantly vigilant, knowing that the forest is home to a variety of dangerous creatures and that Imperial forces may be lurking nearby. They managed to gather an impressive amount of details; a fortress holding at least around two hundred men, starfighters on patrol from morning to night on rotations, only coming around back to the fortress every two hours along with some walkers, AA guns and other heavy armaments. In other words, despite their lower numbers, they have the weaponry and guns to hold out the fortress for a long, long time. Instead of the alliance sacrificing quantity, they decided to send some of their best in quality to handle the situation.

One of the selected squads to reinforce an assault on the fortress is the Rainbow Shocktroopers, men and women in eye-catching colored armor, intended to catch eyes. Even in the dark of the night, it's hard to ignore the bright colors. A number of other squads were selected from other units, battalions and garrisons. The scouts numbers were only fifty, but with the approaching reinforcement? That number was reaching close to three hundred, and still growing.

​

Campfires were rampant across the tents, with a select few made outside of the inwards camps, people on shift for watching the forests, ensuring that no dangerous animal life or imps would sneak up on them. One of these people were Corbin on the patrol, feeling out of place with his colored plated armor in comparison to the other soldiers. The rustling of the bushes in the area saw the Private nerviously picking up his blaster and aiming at the bushes. Some of the soldiers allowed the rookie to act on impulse, while Corbin's armored hand pressed on the blaster, pushing it down. "At ease rookie. It's just a nocturnal animal." afterwards, the soldiers laughed in unison. The rookie sat down in a huff, turning around to face the forest, taking his watch a bit more seriously than the others sitting comfortably around the campfire.

"Did you hear the news? Jedi are coming to reinforce us. The big guys must really want this fortress flushed out, huh." and they all looked at each other, the body language of all of them mixed; some of them looked more hopeful, confident. Others were doubtful. "They're good, but they still have to play by the same rules like us. They can't take on a fortress by themselves. As long as they follow orders like the rest of us, we will come out on top." Corbin spoke up, he wouldn't deny the positive effect that the Jedi have on morale, but he wanted to keep the soldiers expectations realistic since he felt like half of what he heard about the Jedi were a bit exaggerated.

"Wasn't there one hanging around the campfires?" and some of them looked over to several of the other campfires, the vast majority of them consisted of soldiers just like them.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

Valery rolled her shoulders and walked through the encampment at a steady pace, while her fiery eyes scanned her surroundings. She had been at the front so many times, and while this wasn't quite like that, considering they were hunting down remnants of an Empire, it still felt close to it. Because rather than being among other Jedi, she found herself surrounded by soldiers instead, all with varying opinions on the Jedi, the war and its aftermath. None of it bothered her too much, but whichever unit she ended up supporting, she hoped to get close to.

It was a relationship that she had always been able to form and maintain so easily and naturally. She treated the soldiers with the respect and gratitude they wanted, and made sure that through her own efforts, more were able to make it home. That in turn developed a kind of respect and bond that went beyond just friendship.

She was willing to die for them, as much as they were willing to do the same for her.

After a few minutes of walking around, her Keshian eyes finally spotted the shocktroopers with rainbow colored armor, relaxing by a campfire for now. It was definitely something she needed to get used to a little, seeing such vibrant colors on military outfits, but she wasn't going to question their choices if they worked out in the field. That said, she wasn't planning on wearing anything like it either, and instead opted for the usual — the more formfitting tunic she was known for throughout the Galaxy. On her belt, she had chosen for her double-bladed weapon this time, hoping that it could help her provide a better shield against incoming blaster fire.

The Alliance soldiers were well-armed, trained and outnumbered their enemies, but the Imperials had a very strong defensive position. She'd be able to provide cover and help break right through.

"Lieutenant Valor?" Valery asked when she made her approach. "I'm Jedi Master Noble, and I will be assisting you and your men for the upcoming assignments," she said with a polite smile and a dip of her upper body.

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

Well, speak of the Jedi. The moment they were talking about it, one popped out from behind. Was that intentional? Regardless, he heard his rank, name and stood up, his tall, armored figure looking at her, only nodding in response. "Glad to have you with us. I've heard many things about you in particular." Sword of the Jedi? A lot of deeds behind that one name. He knew Jedi weren't the boastful sort, so if a Jedi is well known the way she is, then it means they're doing something right. Good. It looks like the Galactic Alliance aren't messing around with this operation.

"Sit down with us, have a bite or two. We have uh... what's it called again?" he nervously shifted to one of his men, who saved him from the embarrassment. "Kethian Meat, from a Kethian Boar. Natural plating, hard as steel tusks, and yet has a rich, gamey flavour with the right herbs and spices." and with that, Corbin raised a thumb towards his general direction to the guy who just explained what they're eating. "We call him Spark. He's our electronics expert, and he's the cook." Spark himself wore rainbow plated armor but more on the light side, with a distinct bias towards the color of blue amongst everything else. His hand held on tightly to the wooden sticks that held the animal up, cooking it slowly.

As if to properly invite her, he sat down on one of the logs, shifting to the left and patting down next to him. The moment that she did, Spark would use a specific angle to delicately cut the meat, piercing it into a smaller stick that he handed over to Val. If she were to reject it, Spark would have it instead.

"What's the Jedi interest for this fortress? We appreciate the help and all, but if someone of your level is down here with us..." most of the heads turned towards Corbin as he said that, if stares could hurt, Corbin would be a dead man right now. "Then there's something more that they're not telling us." Referring to upper command. He expected it to not be anything at all, but if he works closely with people, he liked to test their character. He did it with all of them, every single one in his squad. Whilst she may not be necessarily be joining them, she'll still be working closely with them. He's curious how she responded to a bit of verbal poking.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

"Oh?" Valery asked with a bit of a smirk, while she looked up into his visor. "Hopefully only good things," she joked before she followed him and greeted the men around the campfire with a dip of her head. Most were either eating, waiting for their food, or just taking a moment to relax and rest before the eventual battles started. She wasn't going to interrupt that, but she was more than happy to join them.

She just wondered how they felt about her presence. Soldiers tended to react in... interesting ways.

"Hmm, that sounds delicious," Valery finally said in regards to the food, and after sitting down besides Spark, she accepted what he offered her. Valery had always loved cooking, so trying new things was something she loved as well, and this smelled fantastic. To think he prepared it with very minimal equipment was just amazing. "It tastes just as good, too. Maybe I'll have to bother you for recipes sometime." She shot spark a quick grin, but turned her fiery gaze back to Corbin when he spoke up.

It was a question she had expected at one point or another. Valery was usually at the front of the most critical battles to the war, so it often made people who she was assisting nervous. She wasn't sure if that was the case here too, or if he was just genuinely curious, but she had no problem answering the question.

"It's important to us that we help the Alliance clear out enemy remnants if they're not willing to surrender or negotiate. I keep a very close eye on all these efforts, and this fortress stood out to me." She paused for a moment and lowered the food away from her lips. "I've seen what the Imperials are capable of, and their position worried me. I have no doubt in your abilities and I know that all of you can take it without my help. But..." she glanced around, meeting their eyes individually for a second or so. "I also know that I can make sure a lot more of us make it back alive."

"That's why I'm here."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

Spark gave her a nod in response to the recipes. "I'd be glad to share." he then unmasked himself, showing himself to be a young, human male with curly black hair. He seemed a bit flustered from her compliments to his resourcefulness, and ability to cook. "Only the best for the bottomless voids of stomachs that is the Rainbow Squad." Hammer gave him a light whack on the shoulder, which erupted in a light chuckle from the young Spark.

His helmet would hide it, but a smile appeared on Corbin's face. A natural response of a leader. No denying what her presence entailed, but still spinned it in such a way that she handled the question like a champ. "Good. I'm glad we got that sorted out. You're one of us now." a light laughter spread across the campfire, but in a positive sense. "It's best we get you introduced to the rest of us." the entire squad mostly wore the same make and model of armor, but slightly different tools, weapons and gadgets based on what they specialised in, and started going down the names.

"Hammer, Scout, Hole, Grue, Coil, and Accord." the one with the least armor that came forward is Accord, with more black patterns on his armor. He used his holodevice to start projecting plans over the side of the fire. "Master Jedi. Good to meet you." his voice is deep, unnaturally deep... and yet cordial and respectful. His body language showed one that was reserved, calculating. With the lack of gear on his person and tools leaning towards information gathering, it became quickly eviden that he's the "brain" of the squad.

"Our most obvious plan is an all-out assault. The next day or so, we'll be getting as many reinforcements as we can for the siege." the hologram then shifted and zoomed in at the front of the hypothetical fortress; Rainbow Squad at the front, whilst other similar shocktrooper units and heavily armored droids, soldiers also followed closely behind them. "We'll lead an assault on the front, losing as many as we have to until one of us gets to the walls, and plant detonators on the walls to make way for everyone else. We'll place them with our most durable units. Then we'll head inside, and take out key objectives. The AA guns, shield generators, power generators, you get the gist. The point is to make the fortress inert. If it gets too hairy, we can pull our troops out and if most of those objectives are complete, our air support can bombard the place. Nice and simple." the hologram changed shape and zoom density constantly as he talked along.

"There is... a second option, but not recommended. We say that because right now, we have the element of surprise. We're led to believe that the Imperial Remnants have a second base in the system, which means reinforcements. If we don't do this in a timely manner, this can turn bad very, very fast if they send out reinforcements, and we don't know how many. It's why time of the essence is important and even with the all-out assault, the idea is to clear out the fortress as quick and clean as possible."

And with that, Accord disabled his own holoprojector and let Spark take over, showing a vehicle that's a mix between a tank and a tunnel-boring machine. "This is an old alliance model that was found a while back. Defunct a long time ago due to a lack of scenarios to actually use it for, but we have a few in stock. We call it the Digger Hawk. The drill at the front can cut through rock, soil and other obstructions, allowing us to create tunnels underground... and right into the heart of the fortress."

Corbin was quick to step in, stopping him in his tracks before he went any further. "The real reason why it went defunct is due to how unreliable the navigation system are. The systems don't account for every worlds terrain, and can give inaccurate readings that could very well cost our lives in the worst case scenario. It's a good idea if the tanks are reliable. We ran some tests with it already, and the readings for this world are mostly accurate. But I don't run major risks like that on "mostly accurate." So I say we stick with the first plan." he left that last part intentionally in, wanting the Jedi Master to pitch in and decide what she thinks is best.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

It wasn't difficult for her to notice that Spark got a little flustered, but she was going to resist teasing him or joking about it. She knew the dynamic within squads of soldiers, and a woman joining up sparked enough interesting reactions already. If she took even just a playful jab at him now, the whole group could possibly laugh at him. So instead, she offered a quick wink and a kind smile, before turning to the others.

As with other more elite squads, they all had their specializations and ways to distinguish themselves, so as Corbin went down the list, she tried her best to remember. "A pleasure to meet you all, and thanks for having me," she told them with a confident grin. Accord was then the one to step forward, and the second he began to speak, she blinked and seemed surprised to hear just how deep his voice was. Valery then cleared her throat and listened quietly to his briefing.

The first plan was straightforward and what she expected to hear from shocktroopers, but she knew it'd be costly. Perhaps not for this squad if she was able to provide them with extra protection, but there would be a lot of casualties. Spark and Corbin also explained the alternative, which had its own risks and was perhaps even more difficult. Valery, however, had an idea to take into account as well.

"If the risk with the drills is navigation, perhaps I can help. My senses could guide us to where we need to be, but it does mean you need to put all your trust in me. So if you'd rather stick to the first plan, then I'll be there at the tip of the spear to shield you against enemy fire, and maybe help you break through. I have plenty of tricks up my sleeves," she said, a slight grin taking over again before she took another bite from her food.

"Either way, you can count on me."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

Most of them went quiet when she mentioned her way. They all looked each other, and they knew what she's talking about, the thing that the Jedi were known for using. The Force. A topic most didn't understand or couldn't rationalise, and yet Jedi were one of the few people who can utilise it. Corbin broke the silence. "How reliable are your senses? If we were to go down that route, as you said, we'd need you at the front of the formation of the tanks, leading the way for the rest. Just know that a lot of people would be counting on you." based on her natural response before, he can only assume she already considered that but for his own sanity and need to ensure she knew the risks, he wanted to fixate on that particular bit.

Spark raised his hand. "I say we go with it. She's a Jedi Master, like one of the best, right? She can't mess this up." and the rest of the camp were mixed. Some in agreement, some in doubt. Corbin himself actually leaned towards wanting to agree, but he needed something to rationalise on. He wants to trust her, but maybe with what she says next, she can seal the deal.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

Valery looked around after listening to both Corbin and Spark, and understood where both the support and hesitation came from. Jedi were known to have 'special' senses that allowed them to understand the world better. But to someone who couldn't see or feel such things, it was hard to fully grasp just how potent it was. It varied from one Jedi to another, and these enhanced senses manifested itself in different ways as well.

They needed to be reassured.

"My senses are sharp enough to feel each and every enemy in the distance, even from here. I can tell what's going on inside their heads, how they're feeling and whether or not they have aggressive tendencies." She looked around at the soldiers and offered a smile, "Through their distinct presences in the Force, I know where to go and without bringing us in danger. The Force can warn me, and even show me glimpses of the near future."

"I know that I can do this, and I can promise that I'll bring you all there safely."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

They listened to her reasoning. A lot of trust in her own abilities. It'll have to do, and the votes were quick to change. "Well... with that in mind, it looks like our plans are changing. Accord, can you pass the information around? And get a squad to bring out the rest of the Diggers. Tell me how many people can fit in them, since that'll be our frontline for this." frontline is a bit subjective here, since if this plan really works, the Imps lose the advantage of being in a defensible fortress. Accord gave a nod, and then he looked at Valery. "Good job. In just one conversation, you changed the tide of our battle." he gave credit where it's due. Granted, a lot of trust is being placed on her but he'd refer back to his initial thought; Jedi weren't the boastful sort. If they say they can do something, it means they can.

"I'm going to get some shuteye. Big day for preparation tomorrow, and then if all goes according to plan, we can attack in two days time. I recommend the rest of you do the same. Especially you, Master Jedi. Don't know much about the force, but all of that sounds like it might be taxing on you." and with that, a thought occurred to him. How recent did she come here? He wondered whether or not she's been assigned a tent yet. "Do you have a place to sleep? When you arrived, someone should've given you a letter and number. That's your tent." If need be, he can lead the way. The tents were organised by columns and rows, the columns being the letters, the rows being the numbers. The usual rank and file often slept in the same camp, whilst more high priority individuals had their own, or only shared with one other person.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

"I'm just glad I can help make a difference. This battle is going to get tough, so every bit helps." She smiled and turned her attention to the other soldiers once more, as Corbin encouraged them to get some rest. They were all going to need it in the upcoming battle, because even with Valery covering them and offering a safer path to their target, it would become an intense struggle. She could just feel it.

The plan of getting some sleep, however, also sparked a question that got her to blink.

"I uh, actually don't think I have a tent at all. I never got any letter." Valery then chuckled and look at Corbin with a smirk. "Maybe they thought Jedi don't sleep, or they have nothing available for me." She shrugged and turned her fiery gaze to the encampment not too far away from them.

"If there's a free spot, I'd love to get some rest though. I don't need privacy or any special treatment - just whatever is available, whether it's with the troops or alone."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

He nodded. "Understood. If you'll follow me, we'll get that sorted out." and with that, he brought out his holocommunications device and pinged for someone, a man in a fancy uniform appeared on the projector. "Logistics Officer Daniels. We got a Master Jedi here that didn't get assigned a tent. Want to tell me how that slipped by you guys?" the voice shook up a bit on the other end. "Oh, Lieutenant Valor! Eehhmm... one second!" and some of the troops in the campfire chuckled amongst each other. It seemed to be a common occurrence for Corbin to poke at the organised structure of well... anything. He did it intentionally to make people pay attention to detail. "Okay, um... there's one at FF26, a good view of the forest-" "No. One near the dining tent and open area. It feels only fair considering how inconvenienced our Master Jedi is, right?" all the troopers were watching intently, like watching a show go down.

"Umm... okay. There's one at AA04. Is that fine?" and with that, Corbin closed the channel. He looked at Valery, motioning for her to follow along. "Best tents in the camp. Come on." and with that and if she followed through, they'd start to walk through a scenic route of the camp. A lot of soldiers chatting, equipment clanging, and sometimes the roar of several machines, speeder bikes were the most common. A lot of them looked over to see the duo walking past, and the path itself seemed... unnecessarily long, almost like Corbin wanted them to see her. A sight of a Jedi. He wasn't good at reading body language by any means, but even he could tell the sense of calm and reassurance that she brought just by being seen. A symbol of hope. Something he aspired to be one day, the same hope for him back on his home planet.

When they arrived, it's as promised. The tent was open right next to a large, open area and a dining tent where food could be smelled. The tent that Valery would be using herself is constructed of durable, weather-resistant material stretched over a sturdy frame. Inside, the tent was surprisingly spacious, with enough room for a narrow cot, a footlocker, and a small table with a lamp. A camouflage net hung from the ceiling, allowing for some privacy and shielding from the eventual sunlight that would come. "This is you, Master Jedi." he only gave a sigh, his body composure becoming more relaxed, less tense. More easygoing around her. "You need anything else, you just ring me on the holo. Glad to have you with us."

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

"Sounds good," Valery said curiously as she watched him open up a comms channel to one of the logistics officers. The men around them seemed to get ready for some kind of show, so Valery was very interested to see what would happen. The way he poked at the man got Valery to chuckle, but she quickly offered a more grateful smile when he seemed to have arranged her a decent tent.

She wasn't demanding at all, and wouldn't have minded a bunk bed among the troops, but perhaps it would be better for them to not have her in the same room.

"Lead the way," Valery then said, before she began to follow him through the camp. Soldiers all around them stopped what they were doing to look at her, and she knew why. A Jedi inside their camp meanr the battle was close, but it also meant the battle would be intense. At the same time, it seemed her presence was inspiring, so she carried herself with confidence and greeted as many as she could with small gestures of her head or hands.

"Sometimes it still feels strange how people look at me," she said with a chuckle. "But everybody seems ready for it." Her eyes then shifted to the tent he had arranged, and she blinked hard. "Oh wow, this is very nice. I hope this won't get you in trouble. I would have settled for anything." Luckily, it didn't seem that way and Valery just nodded at his offer for help if she needed it.

"Will do." A pause followed. "Oh and Lieutenant? Do you always wear your helmet?" She asked with a bit of a playful smirk. "The others didn't seem to mind showing me their face as much."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

He only strived to be the symbol that she naturally is, so when she said it felt weird to be looked upon in appreciation... it felt like someone dying of thirst wanting to be a symbol of hope watching someone else drown in it. "When tensions are high and lives are at stake, people want idols to look up to. Heroes, one would say. It's just how people are." he understood it well enough himself, only wishing he knew the identity of the man that sacrificed himself for Corbin.

Up until this point, he only treated her with the respect she deserved and with a professional manner. When that question came about his mask, he didn't quite know how to... explain it. "It's a bit personal, but I like to keep the helmet on. Let's just say... I was saved by the alliance when I was young, and a soldier gave their life to save me. The helmet acted as a hope for me, and something I wore most of my life when I eventually joined the army. I want to be that symbol for people, just like how people look at you in awe. To be a symbol of hope one day." he didn't know why he wanted to be that so badly... maybe he felt bound to the man that gave his life, or maybe he has an inherent, selfish desire for glory? He's not quite sure.

"I can put it off if you want, but it's nothing exciting." there were a number of reasons why he kept it on, one being the reason he just gave her, another reason being the practical side to it; he never knew when enemies would attack, and seconds wasted to put on his helmet are seconds that could be better used elsewhere. All sorts of rationale to justify himself into keeping the helmet on.

If she truly wanted him to show her, he wouldn't object. With both of his hands gripping onto his helmet and sliding it off, he revealed himself to be a Zabrak. Tattoos with intricate designs over his face, horns protruding from his head, and the skin being a beige colour. His facial expression seemingly cold, or at least minimal. His voice wasn't as muffled and much more softer now. "Everything you're expecting?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

"I know, but it's hard to get used to it." Especially because she didn't always know why they were really looking at her, and what they thought. Not that the views of others really mattered to her on a personal level, but it could be important on a professional level. Luckily, everything seemed to be alright here, and the troops actually weren't bothered by her presence.

Valery then asked the question about the helmet, and smiled at the answer he gave her. "That's a very nice way to honor the soldier, and I know that if you continue to lead the way you have, that it will become that symbol. It is as you said, people everywhere need others to look up to. They need someone they can trust and what I saw in your men is that they all trust you with their lives."

That said, Valery was still curious and dippes her head. "I would like to see." She smiled and when he took off his helmet, it looked as if she was studying his face for a long moment. Then she chuckled and nodded, "A little bit," she said, before she blinked and realized that all of this might seem weird to him. "I could feel the two beating hearts, so I knew that at least. But, yeah - I'd say you look more or less how I expected." She shot a teasing smirk and held her tent open.

"See you tomorrow morning, Lieutenant?"

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

He hoped that will happen. Put in the work, and he'll become that symbol one day. But for now, he just had to keep going at it, operations like these to help the alliance. He only gave a light chuckle, those lips going upwards to give a light smile. Weak in the overall structure of his face, but still there. "They're all ambitious men just like me, in truth, I'd say half of them are better than me. I'm just the one that keeps the knuckleheads in line. That's why they choose me as the leader." at least, that's how he interpret it. He knows that if his men were nearby, they would object it. Hard.

He looked a bit puzzled at the way she worded that. A part of her Force thing? "How... do you know that?" it felt like he already knew the answer, but his curiosity got the better of him. If she guessed his race on these senses of her, it gave him a more practical hope for her leading the Diggers in two days time. Regardless of the answer, he acknowledged her question towards the end. "Yeah, I'll see you then. Sleep well, Master Jedi." and as if to mimic what she did at the start, he did the tiniest bow towards her, before placing his helmet back on and heading towards the southwestern part of the camps. A high density of tents upon tents, unfortunately not being as lucky as Val is.

The rest of the night wasn't too exciting, with Corbin simply unarmoring himself, and heading straight into his bedroll.

The following morning? It was a different case altogether. Constant boots were on the ground, shouting in the distance. Anyone that wasn't awake yet would've heard the voices overlapping, as if something were happening. Corbin was woken up to, armoring himself in the most unlikely scenario. However, the same logistics officer from the holoprojector last night appeared behind the curtains of Val's tent. "Ma'am? Master Jedi? Something's happening. Colonel Valt is requesting all important personnel to the briefing tent, at AA02." and indeed, Corbin would come across the same set of instructions.

Corbin would make his way, making his way inside the moment that he got to the entrance of the briefing tent, a large dome of curtain compared to the average one. All sorts of people were wondering around a holotable, constant chatter filled the place. Most people seemed to be in the know, while a minority like himself has no idea what's happening. Would Val be here? Maybe she'd have some idea.

​

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

"Don't sell yourself short. Being able to keep them in line and focused is a good trait to have, but nobody looks up to someone as leader if they don't carry their own weight at the same time. I'm sure you're not lacking in skill or ambition, and they see and respect that." She offered him a smile and then chuckled when he looked surprised that she knew his species. It was to be expected but she couldn't help but laugh a little.

"The Force works in mysterious ways, Lieutenant," she began with a stupid smirk on her face, "It also helps that my closest friend in the past was Zabrak. I've been around them a lot." Sometimes she really missed him and others from her time prior to being in stasis, but everything that happened after made her happy that it had happened to her.

It was meant to be.

"But sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow" Valery finally added, before she retreated into her tent, got changed and went to sleep herself.

Valery was already up, and putting on her boots when she heard a voice outside her tent. She recognized it as the man from the holo-call, and quickly opened the curtains to step outside, "Well, let's join him there, then." Valery smirked, clipped her weapon to her belt, and began to move to the much larger briefing tent, where important figures had already gathered around a table.

Corbin Valor was there too, and she greeted him first with a dip of her head and a friendly smile, before turning to the others. They seemed to be discussing something already, so she remained quiet until she had an idea as to what it was all about.

"Any idea what's going on?" She whispered to Corbin, after making her way over to stand beside him. "I only just got here."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

Corbin tried to understand what's going on himself, so when he eventually saw Val and she whispered to him what's going on, he was met with disappointment. "No idea. No one's sat down to really explain what's going on-" but just by the timing of that alone, a large feminine voice thundered across the tent. "Everyone, shut up. The meeting is starting." it came from a human female in what seems to be her fifties, by her uniform and the commanding presence that she held; it became quite obvious that it's Colonel Valt. A few Jedi and a great number of commanding officers and high-ranking soldiers in plated armor filled up most of the tent, looking to each other until they started to finally go more quiet, and all faced towards the direction of Colonel Valt. "You may have heard some rumors or misinformation, and I'm here to set the record straight. Veridius is the other planet in the system that has an imperial presence. I don't know how, but they've learned that we're here, and they've informed the fortress. Enemy reinforcements are enroute and expected to arrive in a number of hours, by our estimates, five." whispers ran amok, all looking amongst each other before returning their attention back to Colonel Valt.

"We are deciding now if this assault is worth pursuing. If we were by some miracle able to storm the fortress and take it over, we'd have to defend against a second wave of Imperials. If we call for our reinforcements, it'll either be too late or it would turn into a full-scale war with too many causalities on our side due to the short notice and lack of preparation. In short, we've lost the element of surprise, and we've got no time to waste and if we push it, the victory isn't worth the cost." and with that, it led to a chain series of reactions that pushed officers and high command into arguing with each other; one side wants to continue the assault, trusting in the alliance that they can win this. The other side is trying to act on the more logical side, that even in the best-case scenario, it's not going to turn out well in terms of loss.

Corbin... is mixed. He only watched the bickering at the moment. He can see the argument of both sides, and he whispered to Val. "This isn't good. While they're bickering, we're wasting time that can be spent either evacuating or attacking. I say we go ahead with the plan. Trust in us, trust in the soldiers to do our jobs. They knew what they were signing up for. We knew from the start that this wasn't going to be easy regardless of how much planning we do and soldiers we bring. The soldiers themselves know that too." he added his two credits, but he'd also push Val for her own.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

Sadly, Corbin didn't know much about what was going on here either, so Valery remained quiet and tried to pick up on it by listening to the various ongoing conversations. But most of it was just noise, and it wasn't until a woman spoke up to silence the room, that things began to get streamlined just a little bit. The Colonel got to the point quickly, and laid out the issue they would be facing one way or another - there was no escape from it, but a decision had to be made about how to confront it.

Corbin had his own thoughts about it, and while the room got really busy with arguments again, whispered it into her ear. "I agree. Sitting still will cost us the most casualties," Valery said before she stepped forward and slammed her fist onto the table to draw attention to her.

"Quiet!" She shouted, her own voice strong and easily able to cut throug the noise.

"We're wasting what little time we have here. The plan that we set up still exploits the element of surprise, because we're not going for a frontal assault. With my guidance, we can and will take this fortress before their reinforcements arrive," Valery said, her fiery eyes shifting through the room to project her confidence in the mission and the troops having to carry it out.

"If we take the fortress, we have a much stronger position to defend ourselves against their second wave as well. Out here, we'll be caught between two advancing groups of enemies, and that will cost us." She paused for a moment and looked at the Colonel in particular.

"We will make this work, Colonel."

 

[Corbin Valor]

TAG: Valery Noble
GEAR: Heavy Plated Armor | Arsenal of Blasters and Explosives | Personal Forcefield
​

The Jedi Master's voice rung across the tent, which forced an immediate silence from everyone. It took a moment for the colonel to register what she meant, until she looked towards Corbin. "The Diggers again? We already established-" Corbin then raised a hand up, which surprised a few people. Shushing up someone higher ranked than him. "Jedi Master Valery here said that she can use her senses to guide our formation of Diggers underground, to make up for the unreliability of the navigation systems." The colonel gave a raised brow at that one. "You're trusting the lives of thousands of soldiers on one Jedi. They're good, but they're not that good." All though it was subtle, a handful of Jedi in the crowd very subtly shifted in their body language from that one. They didn't like that one bit. "It's easy. The navigations systems are good enough to follow a linear path. She will be on the spearheading Digger, and the rest will follow the path we make. If you want to run away colonel, then you can. Just let the rest of us who are willing to lay our life on the line do our jobs." the colonel raised a finger at one, as if she were about to bite Corbin's head off until a Cathar stepped in, uniformed, piecing yellow eyes with slits for irises, furred skin. Lt. Colonel Orin. "That's enough Lieutenant. But you raise a good point. Anyone who wants to stay and fight, you can. Anyone else who wants to evacuate, now's your chance as well." and with that, perhaps one or two soldiers stepped out, but the majority stayed, much to the dismay of the colonel.

​

The next hour was comprised of every soldier and Jedi rushing to get prepared. The orders were clear; the heavy hitters and those who could take a hit would be at the front, everyone else would come behind. The ones at the front were shocktroopers, Jedi and battlers, a unit good in close quarters combat with search and destroy tactics. That meant Rainbow Squad is at the first tank, with Valery Noble. The tanks were already at the designated point to be driven, right now, Rainbow Squad were waiting outside of their Digger. Spark was playing with a holoball, which he threw and the program interpreted it as bouncing off the wall of the tank. The rest were sitting outside, holding tightly onto their blasters and armaments, ready to go.

Corbin would be waiting inside, stocking up and counting on all the power cells he has in his inventory. He's holding a massive backpack; custom built to supply his weapons and personal shields at the same time, similar tech to most of what his squad has. He hoped to see Val inside as well and if she was, he'd simply grab a sidearm blaster from stock and offer it to her. "I know you Jedi have those... swords of yours, but I get a strong feeling you guys are scarier with a blaster. Ever considered it?" something to kill the waiting with, curious questions of why Jedi don't do certain things, since he's noticed that no Jedi uses a blaster.

 

[Valery Noble]

Vyrnara

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Corbin Valor

The Colonel's comment about the Jedi sparked no real reaction from Valery. She simply couldn't be bothered by the opinions of the uninformed who relied on their own assumptions. But she was about to defend the plan in an attempt to get things moving despite her being so hesitant about it. At least, until Corbin interfered and defended her and the plan alongide another Lieutenant.

She offered both men a grateful smile, before she watched people make their own decisions about the upcoming battle. It was no real surprise, but Valery still felt a little relieved when the vast majority remained to continue with the plan. To her, it really was the only way to gaurantee survival for the troops and the military efforts out here.

They had made the right decision.

After eventually leaving the briefing tent behind, Valery walked through the camp once more, this time actively looking to inspire hope. Soldiers and Jedi were all getting ready for the mission, and she knew they drew their strength not only from the plan, but mostly from each other. Once done, she ended up at the very front, and joined Corbin alone inside the leading tank. "Glad that meeting went well. Thanks for the back-up," she said with a soft smile before she watched him step over to offer her a blaster.

Valery blinked, then chuckled and held up a hand to reject the offer, "A lot of Jedi these days use blasters too, but I was raised and trained very traditionally. Besides, you're going to need the cover of my blades more than my skills with a blaster... They are lacking a bit." That was an understatement but he didn't need those details just yet.

"I do want to learn to shoot better though. So if you're offering lessons..." She flashed a smirk. "I might have to take you up on it."

Valery then paused and glanced around the interior of the tank for a moment. "So...you feeling ready for this mission? Nervous or just focused?"