Private Tactical Retreat

[Aldric Laurent]

"Then allow me to take back what I said," Aldric smirked, and joked back. He listened as she continued, conceding, "Seems like good experience to have for our purposes. And fair enough. I'd rather not get possessed by any ancient Sith ghosts or whatever, anyway" He raised his palms in surrender, leaving his plate for only a moment before digging back in.

"Sounds like a good time," Aldric said, standing up as he finished the last bit of food, "Once you're all done, I see no reason to waste time. Got some gear ready in case we need it," He picked up a few flashlights and protective gear to show off, "And we should be good to go."

A beat passed, before his curiosity got the better of him, "If you don't mind my asking, how exactly did you get hurt? You say it was bad."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"I'll never let them get to you," Valery said in response to his comment about Sith ghosts. It was part in jest, but she was also quite serious. They protected each other in different ways, and she wasn't afraid to admit that she probably relied a lot more on his support and strength than he would on hers. But when it came to the Force, Sith, and other entities related to it all, she would always keep him safe.

Nothing made her more powerful and determined than her love, and protecting those she cared about.

After quickly finishing up her own plate, she looked at him and grinned, "I'm ready for this, but I do want to get changed into something else..." she said, before she ran off into the tent to put on a clean tank top, and even some booty shorts. She strapped pistol holsters to her thighs and a bandolier over her torso. It was quite useful, to an extent, but she was definitely trying to tease and be a little playful for him too.

A moment of silence then passed, and he asked a question she didn't really expect. "Oh uhh, we got hit by some heavy artillery, and it nearly killed me. I was stuck in a kolto tank for longer than I remember, and I was forced by the Healers to take it easier." she paused a moment and considered her next words. "It might happen again... that I get injured badly. But I promise that I'll get through it and do what I can to be safe. I don't want to ever lose you, but I also don't want to leave you or Vera behind."

Her tone was a little more somber, as this was a genuine fear she had after Kahlil's death, but it was important to say out loud at least once.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"I know ya wouldn't," Aldric said with a glimmer in his eye. He trusted Valery to have his back in the old days. With where they were now, he trusted her infinitely more. She wouldn't let him down.

Provided he didn't let her down, and kept a semblance of common sense when investigating ancient, possibly cursed artifacts.

Aldric stretched a bit more, limbering up for the journey ahead, pausing briefly as Valery disappeared to get changed. When she came back out, his brows raised, and a knowing smirk grew on his face, getting a sense of what she was trying to do, "Is that standard issue Jedi gear?" He joked.

The discussion turned more dour, though, as Valery recounted her past experiences. He nodded solemnly, hiding some of the surprise he felt under a stalwart veneer; Particularly, that is, as she assured him of her safety, and her fear of losing him or Vera. It wasn't something Aldric fully expected, as heartfelt as it was, though perhaps he should have. They both had dangerous lines of work, yes, but more importantly, it was the kind of tragedy Valery already went through. For as much progress as their relationship had made, it was still an undeniable part of who she was. It was a natural fear for any loved one to have, but doubly so in her case.

"…Then you won't," Aldric assured. Nothing was ever that simple, but he hoped the conviction of his words would be enough to reflect back onto her. He stood up and moved closer to her, placing his hands on her arms, "We'll both be as safe as we can. For each other. Deal?" After a beat, he leaned down to give her a brief, gentle kiss.

"…Ready to go find that cave?" Aldric asked quietly, the faint twitch of a smile creeping back across his lip.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"I never liked standard issue gear," Valery said before she stretched one leg out and rotated it a little before turning her hips from one side to the other. She was definitely showing off just a bit for him. "And I gotta keep you on your toes a little, hm?" she winked and began to grab some of her own gear together, putting it in her backpack while they talked about a somewhat more depressing topic. But one that, especially after Kahlil's death, had been on her mind more than she cared to admit.

Aldric was quick to ease her worries with some comforting words, though, and stepped closer to place his hands against the sides of her arms, holding her close. She looked up into his eyes and felt herself melt again, this time purely because of the safety and comfort she felt within his grasp. "I like that, it's a deal." Valery closed her eyes, leaned in close, and met his lips for a more gentle, loving kiss.

"I'm ready."

With her worries settled and all their gear ready, Valery led the way to the entrance of the caves — a fairly narrow hole in the mountainside that ensured very little natural light could get in. "I don't need them myself, but I have flashlights for you. It'll get pretty dark," Valery explained before she took off the backpack and squeezed herself through the crack. It wasn't the easiest with her figure, but once she reached the other side, she turned back. "Come on. There are a few straight-down drops here as well, and I didn't bring climbing gear. I can lower you safely down, though."

"Just need to trust me," she said with a devilish grin. Of course, she'd never actually mess around when it came to safety, but right now, she enjoyed teasing too much.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Good." Aldric affirmed, and before long, they were off to the cave. He chuckled at her apparent lack of need for a flashlight, "This another Jedi trick, or…?"

Watching Valery squeeze through, Aldric got a bit nervous about his own chances, but pushed onward all the same. With both his height and his broad, athletic frame, it was a struggle, even ignited a twinge of claustrophobic panic in the agent. But he suddenly popped through after a few anxiety-inducing moments, and the panic was swallowed down, "Whew. Almost stopped before we even got started," He chuckled to defuse his own tension.

After a bit of fumbling in the dark, Aldric pinned a mounted flashlight to his shoulder, bringing light into the cave around them, "That's better." He studied Valery's request carefully, unable to help a smirk at her more fiendish expression, "Alright, Noble, I'll play along." He raised his palms up in mock surrender, "Just don't drop me."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"Nahh, just a Val trick," she winked and moved to squeeze herself through. But when she turned to watch Aldric attempt the same, she noticed that he didn't just struggle because of his physicality, but that there was a slight mental block too. Not enough to stop him, but he clearly disliked the tight spaces and having to force himself through.

"If it gets too uncomfortable at any point, let me know. Getting stuck can be very dangerous in caves." The only benefit he had was that he had a Jedi with him. One who could carve him out with a variety of tricks and tools. But still, she didn't want him to go through all of that.

As he turned on his flashlight seconds later, Valery squinted and looked away, as her Keshian eyes needed to adjust all over again. There was a slight bit of grumbling, but she was quick to look at him for some more playful teasing. "Gooood, and me? Dropping you? Pfft~" she mocked in jest before she began to move forward. The first stretch didn't involve any climbing or dangerous descents but instead consisted of a somewhat narrow path that slowly took them down as well.

There were already scribbles on the wall, as well as symbols of the Jedi and unrecognizable groups or orders. Not too strange, considering the planet's history.

"You know what's kinda odd?" she asked after a moment, "This place was supposed to be abandoned and mostly uncharted. But for some reason, I feel life up ahead. I'm not sure who or what, but..." she shrugged and seemed to be in thought for a moment. "I don't know. Probably rodents or something."

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric nodded, "I'll live. Just not a big fan of cramped spaces," More so than most. And in that sense caves weren't exactly his favorite, but provided things didn't get particularly bad, he could push on. Valery's joke made him squint, "Uh huh," Then chuckled, as they continued onward.

It didn't take long before ancient cave paintings confirmed this formation's past uses. Aldric ran his hand along the cool stone, over a worn Jedi symbol that had likely been there for far longer than he could imagine. Valery spoke suddenly, and he flicked his head back around to face her, "...Really?" He asked hesitantly. There were likely smaller life forms that lived in caves like these, but the fact that there was enough of a presence for her to pick up on made him a little suspicious, "Probably…" Aldric assured all the same, but kept extra-vigilant just to be sure.

"So, is this stuff before your time? Contemporary?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

While she joked around and tried to keep the mood light, she couldn't help but worry a little that this idea of hers wasn't such a good one after all. The caves were undoubtedly going to get narrow a few times along the way, and if he disliked it, she feared that he just wasn't going to have a good time. But for now, he seemed content to push on, so she wasn't going to question it and just kept moving forward.

At least, until she felt something through the Force.

"Yeah... it should be fine," she smiled faintly, but she didn't seem too certain about it. With a little bit of focus, she could sense small animals without a problem, but what she felt had popped out to her quite a bit. "Bit exciting, isn't it? Maybe it's some kind of creepy cave monster~"

Yeah, real funny, Val...

She looked away to hide her embarrassment and focused instead on the wall paintings, "During my time, Jedi were here as well, but what you're seeing now is from way after my time. Likely a few decades before the Clone Wars," Valery said before she stopped again, this time because they reached a hole in the ground that led into a large cavern.

"Ready for the first drop? I'll set you down slowly," she said, this time without joking around at all. Only if he was ready, she'd begin lowering him, making Aldric the first in probably decades or even centuries to get down into these depths.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric barked a laugh, “You and I have very different ideas of ‘exciting’.” Funnily enough, though, a creepy cave monster was a less anxiety-inducing concept to him than being trapped in an underground tunnel. Though with Valery around, he wasn’t particularly afraid of either.

As she studied the cave paintings, he stayed silent for a few long moments out of concern. Not about their surroundings, but about a comment he was daring himself to make, “...So, how does it feel knowing you’ve been around longer than a few thousand year old cave paintings?” Aldric immediately pursed his lips to hide a shit-eating grin. He’d even chosen his words carefully, avoiding the more direct statement of calling Valery old, but he had a feeling it didn’t matter. Just a bit of teasing to diffuse any worries about what lay ahead. If he was gonna get killed by anything in these tunnels, it might as well be Valery.

So of course, not long after that joke, they stumbled onto the first decline. Off which he needed her help to get down safely. Suddenly, Aldric was expecting the calm in her voice to be more of a threat than a reassurance, “Hopefully our definitions of ‘slowly’ aren’t also very different…” One last smirk, and he readied himself with a nod, and was gently lowered in. The grandeur was not lost on him, with how old these caves likely were. Aldric dropped onto his feet, and gave the immediate darkness around him a scan with his light, “Not dead yet!” His voice echoed back up, and unintentionally, further into the caves.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

At least he could laugh about her dumb joke.

Valery was just smiling sheepishly and decided to leave it there before she really felt like she was making a fool out of herself. The paintings on the walls and ancient symbols were far more interesting, anyway. Although that quickly changed too, when he decided to take a jab at her age again. She could tell he was carefully choosing his words with it, but nevertheless, those fiery eyes slowly turned to him, carrying a killer glare that lasted for a second or two.

"You know, this cave could also become a tomb if you're not careful, mister," she warned him, but there was no hiding the twitch of her lips into a smirk either.

The two then reached the hole in the ground, and Valery immediately looked at him again, waggling her eyebrows with a devilish grin to playfully scare him a bit. "My definition was the same until you started about my age again," she said before she chuckled and waved it away to make sure he wasn't actually going to fear for his life. Valery gently lowered him down using the Force and watched his light shine around — the cavern was so big that it hardly illuminated the walls around him. It was like shining a light down a bottomless pit. "Coming down!" She called out soon after before she hopped into the hole and used the Force to cushion her fall.

"Going down is always easier than going up," she commented idly, but it was likely another bit of poking fun. "I sense something up ahead there, you want to go check it out?"

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

“No one to blame but myself, then,” He resigned with another chuckle, before being let down. She may have chronologically been around for thousands of years, but biologically she most certainly had not left her prime. A point which he had already made plenty clear before, and that hopefully, their time together had only reinforced.

Once down in the cavern, Aldric gave a low whistle at the intimidating blackness around him. Valery joined soon after, making its immensity a little less lonely. “Don’t remind me,” He smirked, before daring a step further in, “Let’s.”

Aldric treaded carefully, shining the light on each deliberate step over the slick, rocky surface, “What is it your sensing? Same thing as before?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

This time, Valery just winked and blew him a kiss, rather than jab at him more for his jokes. She didn't actually mind them all that much, but she loved to mess with him as much as he enjoyed teasing her. "Alright, stay close," she said before she began to walk forward with slightly less precaution in her gait. With her Keshian eyes, it was a little easier to see the outlines of the rocks underneath their feet, so she wasn't as likely to trip.

"Yeah, and it's at least not intelligent life. It's... I don't know," she shrugged her shoulders and approached the edge of the cavern, from where they'd have to continue through a much narrower tunnel, but one where they could still easily walk beside each other. However, right as Valery approached, she suddenly stopped and leaned forward, her eyes squinting as if she saw something.

"I think I AHH!" she yelped, her voice pitched higher than he had probably ever heard it before, as a swarm of bats flew out of the tunnel and over their heads, before disappearing. Valery had meanwhile wrapped her arms around her head for cover and pulled up her shoulders to brace herself. When she realized they were only bats, though, she slowly settled back down and turned her eyes to Aldric with a nervous smile. "Not what I sensed, but yeah..."

Awkward.

She cleared her throat and began to move forward again, but the deeper they went, the more it felt as if they were being watched. Faint, rapid steps followed them closely, but determining its source was hard. Especially with all sorts of smaller tunnels covering the walls and ceiling.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

“Silver linings, I suppose,” Aldric actually wasn’t sure as to which would be preferable in a place like this. Intelligent or not. Guess it depended on if the latter was really a creepy cave monster. Still Valery couldn’t quite identify it, and so his curious uncertainty remained. That was, until she seemed to squint at something ahead, “...What?”

"I think I AHH!"

The sudden flurry of sound and movement made Aldric emit a less than dignified yelp of his own. The agent flinched back, raising one hand over his head, and the other in front of Valery. Nothing came of the event, though, beyond that brief scare, as the perpetrators were little more than a swarm of harmless bats. Aldric tugged at his collar, and cleared his throat awkwardly, as the both recomposed from the momentary rush of adrenaline, “Yeah...” He echoed. Deep down he wished that’s all it was.

They descended further, but the uncertainties never quite let up. That indiscernible sixth sense tingled between them both, sparking the hackles on Aldric’s next to rise as the thought of being watched or even pursued by something else in the dark, “You’re getting that, too, right…?” His hand rested on the holster of his pistol as they continued, “Let’s just make sure we don’t get too comfortable…”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

The protective arm stretching out in front of her when the bats appeared didn't go unnoticed and paired with his own shock, it helped her feel a little less embarrassed about the way it scared her. "Just bats," Valery said before she moved forward and looked up at the way the walls and ceiling were covered in tunnels.

Perhaps where these bats slept? They were awfully big tunnels though...

As they continued, the feeling they were being watched grew quickly, and occasionally Valery seemed to pick up on something in the dark with her Keshian eyes. "Yeah... something is stalking us," she whispered. Another small series of tunnels followed with that same tension until Valery abruptly stopped and stepped back, "Watch out!" she called out, having sensed something through the Force. A web struck her foot, pinning it against the rocks, but another was launched at Aldric's torso in an attempt to capture him entirely.

From one of the ceiling tunnels, a large spider-like creature showed its face, as well, ready to impale and siphon its prey of energy. It slowly began to make its approach.

"Ughh...'' she muttered, as she tried to free her foot from the sticky web. "Aldric? You okay?"

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Not quite the thing Aldric wanted to hear out loud, but they had both expected it all the same, "Great." The warren of tunnels was massive and complex, making it all the harder to track whatever it might have been that was creeping about. Still they trekked onward, further into the depths, when Valery suddenly cried out a warning.

Aldric spun around, drawing his pistol and firing a shot off. The shot echoed, and the bolt briefly illuminated their surroundings, giant spider included, in a menacing red glow. It struck, but with no effect, and at that same time, the agent found himself pinned against a nearby wall by sticky webbing, "What the-?!" He struggled against it to little avail, and soon realized the predator was heading for the Jedi.

"Val…" Aldric's arms were stuck to his sides, but his hand was free enough to tug at his leg, "Don't… panic…" He tried to assure half-heartedly. A combat knife was strapped to his thigh, and after a tense struggle to get a grip around the hilt, he eventually took hold, pulling it up and slicing through the web. "Eugh," The agent mumbled, as he pulled himself free with a few strands of silk still attached to his body.

Aldric looked to Valery again. Then to the spider. "Dammit…" He grimaced, spinning the knife around in his hand. He wasn't excited about the prospect, but it wasn't exactly like there were many other alternatives. He charged forward, and with a yell, stuck his knife in the spider's side, hoping to divert its attention from Valery, "C'mere, ya big ugly bastard!"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"Val…"

She looked his way while she was trying to free her foot, her eyes just a tad wider but not showing any signs of true fear quite yet. Spiders were nasty things, but she wasn't one to start squealing or screaming over it either. She was a Jedi, and it was important that she kept herself-

"Don't… panic…"

Those words drew her eyes up enough to see the spider coming her way, and she felt a surge of emotion rushing through her core. She began to pull on her foot harder and gritted her teeth, "I'm stuck! I can't get free!" she called back, knowing that drawing a lightsaber for this would be far too risky if she tried to cut herself free too fast. The web was very tightly wrapped around her leg and foot, after all.

Luckily, Aldric was able to free himself with his knife, and wasted no time — he rushed the spider and stabbed into its side, drawing out a loud screech before it swept a powerful leg towards the Senior Agent in an attempt to knock him off his feet. The bottom of its legs were sharp, and it had many other spikes to impale its targets with as well.

And now, it had a new target.

With great speed, it rushed towards Aldric and while Valery couldn't get herself freed quite yet, she lifted a hand and sent the creature flying up against the ceiling to hurt it, hopefully, scare it off, but at the very least keep it from attacking her boyfriend. "Aldric! Careful! It's coming back!"

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

His plan worked.

Oh. His plan worked.

Which meant Aldric now had a giant energy-sucking spider monster coming for him. “Shit-” He immediately tried to move away as the leg swept up, still catching the edge of a spine across his arm. The agent grunted, and spared the red cut across his flesh only a momentary look before the beast was back for a second round.

It charged forward, the mass of legs skittering across the ground asynchronously, while Aldric stood as bait until the last moment, rolling away to let it ram directly into the cave wall. At that point, he began slashing at one of its legs repeatedly to try and sever or at least weaken the limb.

“You about done over there?!” He called back to Val.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"Careful! It's coming!"

Captain obvious.

But warning or not, she watched Aldric get hit by the spider's leg and it instantly changed everything. He ignored the cut to focus on survival, but she felt heat rising within, as well as discomfort. She trusted his skills, but that irrational fear of losing another partner just stuck with her, still. In this case, though, it was overpowered by her burning desire to help him.

The spider meanwhile lashed out again, but Aldric was quick enough to roll and dodge.

"You about done over there?!"

"Don't get snippy with me!!" She called back, a flash of anger or annoyance slipping through by accident. It wasn't really targeted at him though, but at the beast trying to kill her man. Valery's eyes were practically glowing at this point, and she tapped into the Force to ignite the webs that had kept her pinned down. They were quickly destroyed, and Valery exploded towards the spider, lightsaber drawn, and with a quick sweep, she severed one of its legs.

The beast staggered and distanced itself with a loud screech until it backed up against the wall. Now hurt, it decided to retreat through one of the tunnels.

Her irritation faded instantly with the beast disappearing, and she turned to him as quickly as she could, "You okay?" she asked after rushing over to take a better look. "That cut looks nasty..." She was clearly very worried.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric's brows ticked up at the sudden (though arguably understandable) outburst, "No snip, got it," He cracked, still with a bit of sass in his tone. Things were dangerous, yes, but he didn't have the same level of fear as Valery did, and thus was a bit more casual about it all.

Thankfully, the Jedi was able to free herself, and the spider soon retreated from the injury that followed. Aldric used the opportunity to slump against the wall and recover his energy, raising his arm as Valery mentioned it, "I've been through worse," He looked up at her with a strained smirk, only to quickly realize just how worried she was. He then spoke a little softer, and more assuringly, "Val, I'm-- I'm okay, really. Nothin' a nice patch up won't fix."

"...What about you?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Tank Top | Camping outfit
Location | Kamparas
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"I've been through worse,"

"Shut up you."

That didn't help at all — her heart was racing and there was genuine fear in her eyes. His injuries weren't all that bad, and could easily be patched up, but she had gone through so much loss, that she needed more to be reassured. This kind of worrying would likely fade with time, but right now, she needed comfort.

Aldric was quick to pick up on it though, and with his voice softening, the more aggressive look on her face disappeared, and she crouched down to carefully hug him. "I'm okay and sorry for worrying so much..." she said as she buried her face into his shoulder, careful not to hurt him.

After a long moment, she pulled back and brought her hands to his cheeks. Her eyes were a little watery but she sniffed the worries away and leaned in for a very gentle, loving kiss. "...also sorry for snapping at you." She felt bad about that, and he was likely going to deal with her stubbornness and irritation more often, but she always wanted to make up for it.

"Why don't we head back to camp, patch you up, and just... relax there for a few days?"

​