Private The Masquerade

[Alicio Organa]

"That sounds like a good life."

Alicio looked down at his new wineglass, swirling it a bit in the glass. It was Alderaanian, maybe even from one of the Organa vineyards. Another piece of home, found here on Coruscant. He took a long pause, to examine the blood-red coloring.

"Helping people as a Jedi, and saving time for those you love, it sounds nice." He thought about what she'd said. Where did he find joy?

"I do enjoy my work," Alicio said, quietly. "I really do. Not all the time, of course. But there are moments, where everything just falls into place." He cracked a smile. "One of my first projects, I made some bio-domes to simulate other worlds, including one of Csilla. There was a family from the planet that went and saw it, and..."

"It's one of those things you'll never forget."

Alicio lost his smile. "I was born into one of the most influential families in the galaxy. It feels selfish of me to not use what I was given to help others, as much as I can." He looked at Valery, a hopeless expression on his face. "Even now, talking with you, instead of working, I feel a bit... guilty? I don't know."

"You can tell me if that's weird. I won't be mad."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Wearing: Link
Necklace: Link
Mask: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

With the wine glass raised close to her lips, Valery listened to Alicio and finally met his hopeless expression with a warm smile, one that she hoped would bring some comfort. "I don't think it's weird at all," She began.

Setting aside the wine glass on the table for a moment, Valery took a small breath and raised a hand up through her hair, allowing her a moment to think about what she wanted to say next.

"I can see the way you smile when you talk about your work, and that really says it all. We don't all get happiness from the same things, but it is very difficult to help others be happy when you are not," she continued, and she really hoped this didn't sound like some kind of lecture.

"For me, my family made a big difference, for others it's friends they'll never forget and to some, it might be the work they are so passionate about. It doesn't matter, as long as you don't neglect yourself entirely in life."

She picked up her wine glass again and took a small sip before the corners of her lips curled up into a gentle smile.

"Jedi were always taught to be selfless and to value the lives of others more than their own, but I believe it's something we should be careful with. Some joy in your own life will give you the strength and motivation to keep going when it becomes difficult to help others be happy and protected in theirs."

"So if work brings you that joy, never feel bad about spending so much time working. But if you feel there is something missing, also don't let that guilt you feel hold you back from pursuing more in life."

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio scrunched his face in thought, genuinely trying to reflect on Valery's words as she spoke. He loved what he did. But the stress was often too much for him to handle, and even a moment's break left him with a pain in his stomach. An ache that persisted until he found something productive to busy himself with.

He had always felt self-sacrifice was not only good, but necessary. If a Jedi Knight, the selfless defenders of peace in the galaxy was telling him that wasn't always the case...

Alicio would have to ponder it more.

"I suppose that's some of that peerless Jedi wisdom I hear so much about," he said, after a moment of thought, with a cheeky grin. "Thank you Valery, you've given me a lot to think about."

"Uh, my guilty pleasure is... learning about the Force? My place in it. Self-discovery, if you could call it that." He grew that guilty look again, as if it were wrong of him to even suggest he should focus on himself. That mindset would take a while to retrain. "I know very little, and everything I learn, every new way I interact with it... It fascinates me."

"It's like learning a language. I'm beginning to see the letters forming words. But, ah, I'm nowhere near fluent yet."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Wearing: Link
Necklace: Link
Mask: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

Valery chuckled at his thanks, and offered a nod of her head, as well as a smile, to show that it was her pleasure. Talking about these things, helping others, and sharing some wisdom when possible — she enjoyed it all. The path of a Jedi was that of an eternal student, but those with experience naturally became teachers as well.

"It's not a bad thing to focus on yourself a little as well. To be selfless, to self-sacrifice and focus so much on others; you have to make sure you have your own life under control first. It's why Jedi go through so much training and always seek to learn more," she said, having noticed the guilty look on his face when he brought up his guilty pleasure.

"So learn about the Force, explore and grow yourself as a person as well. It's only going to make it easier for you to help others and focus on them when it matters." She chuckled and took another sip of her wine to finish up her glass. Now she was really starting to feel like a teacher, so she figured

"But don't let me bore you to death with too much of that Jedi wisdom," she smirked, "I'll save that for tomorrow when we go over some basics. For now, I think I'm going to head back to the hotel and get some rest. It's been a fun evening and I look forward to the lesson."

 

[Alicio Organa]

He genuinely enjoyed his time with Valery.

Alicio had been dreading this party, primarily due to the fear of history repeating itself. But having a Jedi to talk to made him feel safe. And she listened to his fears, his anxieties, and offered advice. And she was going to help him learn about the Force, and how to use a blade...

It was a lot to do for a stranger, and Alicio respected her immensely for it.

"This could never bore me," Alicio chuckled. "Although I freely admit I might overanalyze it for a few hours longer."

"Go get some rest. New Cov, right? I will be there." He had to stay in the party, talk with a few key figures. Get his face around, per se. "Again, thank you so much."

He bowed deeply, before filtering off into the crowd, wine glass untouched.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Wearing: Link
Necklace: Link
Mask: Link
Tag: Alicio Organa

"Just don't lose any sleep over it," she joked in response to his comment about overanalyzing what they had talked about, "There is plenty of time to talk about it tomorrow, and ask questions if you have any."

Valery then nodded in response to his question, "I'll send you the exact coordinates after I get back to my hotel room. The Temple is somewhat hidden, so it's difficult to find otherwise." She smiled and set aside her glass before she bowed her head in return for his own bow.

"It's been my pleasure — thank you for the great company, and I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, Valery turned around and left the party a bit earlier than most would. She didn't really have any business here, and if she went to bed early enough, she could be up in time to travel back to New Cov and get herself ready for a day of training.

She looked forward to it.



......

Back in her usual outfit and with her lightsabers strapped to her belt, Valery stepped into the training area at the back of the New Cov Temple. It was still very early in the morning, so she didn't expect him to arrive already — especially not if he had been up for longer to talk to politicians and other people with great influence.

His exact arrival time didn't matter too much though. Until then, she'd simply go through her own routine of training and perhaps even meditate for an hour or two if time allowed it.

This was going to be an interesting day.

 

[Alicio Organa]

JEDI TEMPLE
NEW COV​

Alicio's shuttle arrived at noon sharp.

Valery had never specified a time for them to meet, so the nobleman figured the middle of the day was unobtrusive of the morning, but left plenty of time for whatever the Jedi had in store.

The most difficult part of the journey was convincing his entourage to let him go alone. It was an uphill battle, but after promising his bodyguard Ivarra that he would be safe, he was left to pilot the ship to New Cov alone. Alicio wasn't incredible behind the wheel, but it wasn't much of an issue; New Cov's hyperspace lanes are well-traveled, and the biggest obstacle in reaching the Temple was it's remote location.

The shuttle touched down on the Landing Pad, releasing a line of steam as the exit ramp lowered. Alicio picked his way out of the ship, cane tapping against the ground lightly every other step, wearing a serviceable black turtleneck instead of his full regalia.

Locking up his ship behind him, the Count overlapped his hands on his lightsaber's hilt, and cast thirsty eyes over the area. This place looked ancient. A piece of stalwart civilization, carved out of the chaotic jungle. He imagined what history it might hold. What great Jedi had cut their teeth on this holy ground?

The side of his mouth ticked down. Now what?

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

"You look a little lost,"

Valery approached Alicio with a smirk on her face — she had requested the ground grew to let her know when a ship would arrive. That way she could greet him there and guide him to where she intended to start his training. To find his own way in a large Temple like this would have been difficult.

"And welcome to New Cov. This Temple was originally built thousands of years ago but only rebuilt recently. So I think it'll be quite an interesting place for some training, hm?" She seemed a little proud about the whole thing. It was where she grew up, went through both the good and bad times in life, and was even the leader of the Enclave that used this Temple for a few years.

Until the day she ended up in stasis, anyway.

"So first things first, does your lightsaber have the ability to lower its output power? It's quite important if you don't want to accidentally hurt someone else or yourself in training," Valery said as she gestured for him to follow her with a motion of her head. She'd take him into the main temple hall and walk past all the statues, the Serenity Springs, and up the staircase that took them to the large bridge.

"I'll be taking you to the training grounds at the back of the Temple. It's a quiet day, so we'll be able to train undisturbed."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"You look a little lost."

"I am a little lost," the nobleman returned, smiling. He was happy to see the familiar scarred face of Valery. It banished any stray thoughts he might be in the wrong place.

And what a place it was. As Master Noble led the way through the temple, speaking to some of it's history, Alicio seemed engrossed, reading each cracked stone wall and worn statue like an ancient scroll. "Yeah, interesting is putting it lightly. You can tell someone put a lot of love into this place."

Alicio's eyes traced down to his cane as Valery brought it to his attention. "It does," he said, spying the knob on the side. The lightsaber was an old design, only holding the most basic of attachments, a variable power setting being among them. "Would hate to cut off my own arm while training."

As they passed over a bridge, Alicio nodded appreciatively at Valery's last remark, fighting the urge to look over the edge. He valued his privacy, and while he trusted the Jedi to hold their tongues, he didn't want any more trouble headed Alderaan's direction on his behalf.

"I love old structures like this. Places that hold a story." Not for the first time, he was jealous of his cousin Rianna for her psychometry. If only he could sense it for himself.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

"I love old structures like this. Places that hold a story."

His words brought a smile to the woman's lips, while she continued to look around the Temple grounds herself. On one side of the bridge they crossed, the two could see the large waterfalls and on the opposite side, their view extended for miles into the valley. It was incredibly beautiful and felt peaceful, despite the fact that New Cov's jungles were some of the most dangerous in the Galaxy.

"Generations of Jedi were trained here, and there was a time when I helped lead the Enclave here. After my long time stuck in stasis, I came back here and found its ruins," she said, right as they moved past two buildings — the archives and barracks that stood on opposite sides of the path.

"One Jedi I met in the city was with me and helped me through it all..." she looked at Alicio and began to smirk a little, "Ended up marrying him and as a surprise before our wedding, he brought together a lot of Jedi to rebuild everything. Of all the years I've spent here, of all the countless stories I've lived through within the walls of this Temple; that's my favorite."

Finally, the two seemed to be reaching the training area, because Valery stopped and gestured towards a large structure of stone ahead of them. It was a dueling ring, with racks of training blades at its sides.

​

"So, as for your training, I figured I'd run you through some basic Shii-Cho drills. It's the first lightsaber form that we traditionally use to help young Jedi learn the absolute basics of wielding a lightsaber. If you catch on quickly, I might be able to cover a little more as well."

"Sound good?"

 

[Alicio Organa]

"'Stuck in stasis'?" Alicio peered at Valery, trying to decide if she was joking or not. "If you were here before it was ruins, that means..."

That she was likely hundreds, if not thousands, of years old.

"Woah."

Alicio was sure she was being honest, especially when she brought up her husband. The emotions were too sincere, and the story was too fantastic to be false. But he most certainly was not going to ask her age. His etiquette classes had taught him that much, at least.

The training area held just as much history as the rest of the temple. Worn stone henges encircled a brick training area. Alicio stepped hesitantly up to the small pillars, and rested a hand on the grained rock, before pulling it away, and looking at the Jedi.

"Works for me. I'll try to exceed your expectations," Alicio said, a determined expression on his face. He grasped his walking stick in both hands, flipping a catch and twisting the top off, releasing the black hilt of Introspect.

Leaning the vacant cane against the stone, Alicio stepped into the training circle, fiddling with the variable power knob at the side of the unlit weapon.

"Alright. Step one?"

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

"If you were here before it was ruins, that means..."

"That I'm thousands of years old... technically," she said with a smirk. Valery understood people weren't too fond of trying to guess her age, but her actual age didn't really matter. She didn't physically change a bit during her time in stasis, so all those thousands of years didn't mean that much. She certainly didn't feel that old...

Valery then stepped into the training ring and raised her hands to tighten up her ponytail before she removed one of the two lightsabers from her belt.

"Step one is your stance." Valery shifted her feet a shoulder-width apart, drew her right foot back, and positioned the hilt around hip-level in front of her. With a flick of the ignition switch, the purple blade ignited, and she kept it angle up and forward at a 45-degree angle.

"Now, I'm going to spare you all the theory and philosophy, unless you are interested in it for some reason, and we'll go over what is called the Ideal Form of Shii-Cho," she continued, "In the Ideal Zone, the strikes and blocks are all made at simple horizontal or verticle angles, and the blades always clash at a right angle."

Valery then stepped forward, raised her blade, and if he stood ready, she aimed a very telegraphed and slow sweep vertically down to the top of Alicio's head to test his reaction.

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio watched on in interest as Valery ignited her blade, marveling at the deep purple color. His grey eyes seemed to drink in the scene, bathing in the moment, and soaking up every detail of the Jedi Master's stance.

The nobleman looked down at his own lightsaber, and ignited it. The blue and black blade blazed to life, humming low and dangerously. Alicio stared into Introspect's colors, and it sung to him, delivering the taste of sea salt and incense to his tongue.

He mirrored Valery's stance as best he could, drawing a foot back, and bending his legs slightly. He was a bit tense, but his body was positioned correctly as she explained the First Form.

Alicio saw Valery swing towards him. Alicio moved his own blade up to intercept.

Then, he saw it again. The Master's purple saber clashed into his awaiting blue and black one, in a sloppy parry.

Alicio had peeked into the future, but hadn't stuck the landing exactly right, per se. He frowned slightly, but didn't let his concentration waver for a second.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

"Very good," Valery said as their blades clashed for the first few times. Even if his technique wasn't perfect yet, she complimented him for the fact that he was listening to instructions, and that he was doing his best. She didn't expect any student to go through the routines perfectly, but she knew that with his focus and dedication, he'd pick it up quickly.

"This Ideal Form is incredibly simplistic, and not overly practical in real fights," the woman continued as she fluently transitioned into a wide, horizontal sweep aimed at his right side, hoping to lure out a vertical block in response. This way, she was guiding him through the six body target zones, and helping him develop muscle memory.

"It's meant purely to help you develop blade control and get through these routines without having to think about all your reactions or your stance constantly. It has to become fluent and deliberate," Valery said with a calm tone that hopefully wouldn't draw his focus away from the ongoing sparring session. Her hopes were to really get into the velocities with him, and further push his use of the Force in combat as well.

But no matter how well he did, she would adapt to his technique and to his speed, before pushing him just outside his comfort zone. He had to be kept on his toes, so he'd always be forced to get better.

"Does it all make sense?"

 

[Alicio Organa]

When Valery congratulated him, Alicio couldn't stop his mouth from twisting in dissatisfaction. He knew he shouldn't expect himself to be perfect his first go around, but he couldn't help but feel he should.

Still, he tried to keep his head up, and keep focused on the moment. Introspect's blade growled in dark tones, muted slightly by the weakening of it's power. Still, it obeyed his commands as he moved it through the air with both hands, beginning to feel the cadence of the Ideal Form of Shii-Cho.

With each strike of Valery's blade, slowly growing in intensity, Alicio quickened, although tension still held his shoulders like a vice-grip. Despite that fact, and despite his frustrations, his eyes sparkled with recognition.

"It's like a dance," he said, trying to adjust his stance as he blocked another swing. "Practicing something until you can move without thought."

"I think I get it."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

"It's like a dance,"

Valery smirked, "Told you it was similar." It made her smile that he recognized the similarities between dancing and lightsaber dueling. How he was adapting and picking up the pace of the spar was also good to see. Shii-Cho's basics weren't incredibly difficult, but one still had to be focused to read the flow of a duel, especially when it was getting faster.

"And I think you got it as well," Valery said after they had gone through the zones again, this time far more fluently than before.

She stepped back and with her lightsaber still ignited, she watched him hopefully settle back into a stance as well, "Now, the Ideal Form is about the right angles and just practicing blade control. Shii-Cho also has something called the Live Combat Form, which is more angular in its strikes, and the blades no longer have to meet at a right angle. But it still follows the Form's philosophy of being rawer in nature, and the sweeping strikes are wide." she explained before she adjusted her own stance.

"If you'd like to give it a go, I'll give you the first move."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Yeah, yeah," Alicio teased, half of his face obscured by blue and black light. "You were right. I was wrong."

He couldn't deny he was picking it up quickly. At least, to the point he could likely practice on his own. It did feel strikingly similar to the dance classes he'd been subject to as a young child, with the subtle difference of holding a weapon that could sunder durasteel.

There was a break in the movement, as Alicio pivoted to his back foot, and stepped away a moment. He took a hand off the blade to massage his shoulder, as he listened to Valery speak about the next step in their training, and offer him the first strike.

"Alright. I can try," he said slowly, settling down into his stance, saber extended in front of him. He eyed Valery, trying to will himself to swing.

He found the courage after a few seconds, executing a series of slow, shy strikes, devoid of any kind of aggression, easily blocked or dodged. "Sorry," he commented, after a moment. "I know it's training, and completely harmless, and I certainly couldn't hurt you even if I tried, but... it still feels weird."

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

"You were right. I was wrong."

Valery rolled her eyes but with an amused smirk, "Didn't mean it like that," she said with a chuckle, as he adjusted his stance and rubbed his shoulder. She had requested for him to take it a step further, and while he moved back with more angular strikes, they lacked the persistence one expected from a Shii-Cho duelist.

So with relative ease, she parried and blocked his strikes, until he explained how he felt.

"I know it's training, and completely harmless, and I certainly couldn't hurt you even if I tried, but... it still feels weird."

"It can be strange the first time, even if it's just training," she tried to assure him. To fight and throw attacks at someone who you view as a friend, an ally, or just someone you respect — it goes against your nature. So Valery didn't blame him at all for the lack of speed and aggression in the attacks he threw at her.

"But don't worry, and allow the Force to guide you. A Shii-Cho duelist is fluent and unpredictable, raw in nature," she said as she stepped forward and aimed a series of sweeping strikes at him that gradually increased in strength and speed. If he was shy about throwing attacks her way, she was going to try and get a bit more out of him herself.

"Be confident in yourself and your control over the weapon."

 

[Alicio Organa]

"'Worry' is my normal state of being, Master Noble," Alicio mentioned, flashing a smile. "It feels like panic is what flows through my veins instead of blood, sometimes."

Alicio was thankful for his support structures in his life. It was because of the friends and family he was comfortable with confronting that dark truth. Yet, loved ones to talk to was not a panacea for his anxieties, merely a lens to look at them with.

He took Valery's advice, despite it all, letting his cares slip like water through a sieve, calming himself for the moment. He relaxed his shoulders.

Let the Force do as it will.

Alicio tried to keep up with the Jedi's intensified barrage of attacks, immediately pressed on the backfoot. Still, his blocks were certainly improving with his worries relinquished to the Force, catching on to the thrill of the dance far quicker than his bout with the Ideal Form. He even found the courage to strike back once, a clean overhead chop before he could think to stop himself.

None would describe Alicio as unpredictable or raw, but he managed nonetheless.

- Valery Noble -

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Lightsaber
Tag: Alicio Organa

While Valery flashed Alicio a brief smile in return when he joked around a little, she said nothing and allowed her actions to speak and guide him instead. The pace of the spar had picked up, the unpredictability of her attacks was growing and in the rhythm of that dance, he was still able to adapt and defend himself.

Perhaps he lacked the confidence or balance to properly counter-attack, but the steps he made today were going to be with him forever. It created a strong foundation he could build off of later to learn other Forms or develop his own, personalized style.

"That's it,"

Valery grinned a little as she caught his overhead strike with a horizontal block. But rather than swinging back at him, she kept their blades still for a moment before stepping back to get some distance between them. Then, she finally disengaged her lightsaber and returned the hilt back to her belt — they had gone through enough for now.

"I believe you've gotten the hang of the Form quite well. Now it's mostly just consistent practice that you need. Or do you feel there's still something you're missing? I'd be happy to answer any questions you have."