Private The Unblessed

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

"I hope he has answers."

Valery glanced at Kahlil while they walked through the Temple halls together. The recent attacks targeting the Nobles had put her on high alert, and for a few days, she hadn't left the house at all and kept her children close. She didn't know who to trust on Niv Hani anymore after what happened, and feared how deep this infiltration had gotten. Worst of all, these people didn't seem to be above hurting or threatening their children, just to get to them. It was both infuriating and stressful.

They needed to be stopped.

"Brandyn has worked to stop these types of people before - The New Way - so I hope he knows more." She awkwardly rubbed the side of her arm and looked up at him with a worried frown. She could face off against the likes of Kyrel Ren and Carnifex, defeat the Mandalorian's war leader in battle, but when something concerned the safety of her loved ones, she always worried.

She was afraid.

"He's being held in a cell currently. Briana actually had him arrested," Valery said with a sigh. "But I think he'll still help us. It's the right thing to do, and I trust him." She offered Kahlil just a little smile, and stepped into the room with holding cells.

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Introspection seemed the order of the day. He had been partaking significantly. Everything he had done in the name of justice in the last months had been done in such a way as to assuage his conscience. That was until he held the man that had created the substance used to kill his mother. It was supposed to look like a mugging gone wrong. Brandyn had set it up that way, stirred the scientists paranoia, but then Briana had arrived. It was not her fault. What he did. But it would have been different had she not interfered. He would have been able to section off his actions as reasonable, or at least excusable. Now, he could not.

The more he thought about that moment, where the blade flicked on and Paraclet Marr’s eyes died before him, Brandyn found himself regretting the decision. He had initially proclaimed no regrets, but the had been fomenting. Marr deserved death, there was no doubt. But the way Brandyn had passed judgment had broken something inside the Jedi. He had killed before the day, but now he was a murderer.

Sitting on the cold slab of metal that was called his bed, Brandyn could do nothing but think. Think about his sisters, about his Cybelle, about the promises he had made and broken all in that one moment. He no longer deserved to be called a Jedi. He probably never did.

With word that the Nobles were coming to visit him in his confinement, Brandyn assumed that this was the day he got what he deserved. Long term incarceration. Removal from the Order. All of it made sense. All of it and more would be justified.

There was one thing that he struggled with most, and now consumed his thoughts. If he was there again, would he do differently. No. No, he would not. He would avenge his loved ones no matter who or what it made him. This scared him the most.

| Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble |​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"She was right to have him arrested, and yet.."

To kill in revenge was an action a Jedi should never do. But Kahlil was in a similar place, at times. What made what Brandyn did any different from what he'd done to get Vera back? Valery? He gave the people in his way a thinly veiled excuse for him to execute them. Telling someone to walk away when you knew they wouldn't, when you hoped for it, was it truly something for a Jedi to do?

The easiest realization was that when it came to his family, he wasn't a Jedi.

"We'll speak to him. And we'll find answers, if he has them. But there will be something to speak about with his actions and choices."

Brandyn Sal-Soren | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

"I know." Valery reached down to squeeze his hand and offered a smile. When she had been captured and tortured, Kahlil hadn't exactly been merciful to those responsible. To an extent, there had been no other way — Danton and his followers wouldn't have surrendered to anybody. The Sith especially had lost his mind completely. Still, they both knew a Jedi shouldn't strike for revenge or out of emotion, and neither of them could help that side of themselves.

If someone threatened her husband or her kids, Valery became something truly terrifying.

"He's very much like us, but I agree, we should talk to him." Both about what happened and about something he could do to help others from being hurt. In this case, the Nobles, but there was no doubt about it — if these people managed to kill or capture the Nobles, they would find new targets.

This was just the beginning.

"Brandyn," Valery said once she entered the room and looked at him. "It's good to see you again. We have a lot to talk about, and... we need your help."

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

The door slid open and the Noble’s entered. Brandyn sat on the other side of a shimmering blue force field. It was more a reminder of his status as a prisoner than for fear of his doing anything untoward. The young nobleman dipped his head mournfully towards his former master, and offered the same to her husband. They seemed…aggrieved. Beyond just what his actions may engender.

”Masters,” he said in a respectful tone tainted with sadness.

“It is good to be seen,” he said, offering open palms and a half-hearted shrug.

“If you have come to…”

He paused. Help? Standing, Brandyn made his way to close to the barrier. His eyes shot a concerned glance at Kahlil.

”…what has happened?”

| Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble |​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"The Unblessed infiltrated the Epicanthix refuge and targeted our family." There was no reason to beat around the bush. Brandyn was already aware something was up, after all. He gave a smile to the Knight, but it wasn't really much. There was too much going on for him to truly feel happy at the given moment. His family had been targeted, after all.

Valery Noble | Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

Valery couldn't muster a smile at all anymore when Kahlil laid out the problem plain and simple — their family had been targeted. Valery rubbed along the side of her arm and almost had a pleading look when she met Brandyn's gaze again. Having to come here, asking him for help while his own situation wasn't the greatest... it didn't feel good.

But she knew her cause was just. It hadn't just been her husband and herself who were targeted. No, these people had tried to get into her home and reach her children.

The triplets.

"I know you have a lot going on yourself..." her voice cracked and for just a moment, she reached down to squeeze her husband's hand for comfort.

"But I really do need to ask for your help right now. I can't let these people hurt my children."

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

His jaw clenched, and hands balled into fists. “Your…family?” He said rhetorically.

The new name for the New Way was merely a rebranding. Its new leadership sought to distance itself from the terrorist acts pinned on Brandyn’s late father. But Brandyn knew better. They had not changed. In fact, they had doubled down. Rumours were rife with their latest project, one that was designed to confront the Jedi head on.

He glanced between the Nobles. They had come to him, someone that had stepped over the line for his family. Were they asking him to do so for theirs?

Brandyn shifted uncomfortably, but felt himself solidify. He would do what they needed him to do.

“What do you need me to do?”

| Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble |​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Tell us about the unblessed. Who they are, how they're organized. Anything you can we want to know." Kahlil found a spot to sit outside the cell. There wasn't a lot he wanted to ask of Brandyn, especially after the turmoil he must be going after. But this was their family. There were few lines he wouldn't cross.

Valery Noble | Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

While Kahlil sat down, Valery remained standing and had her gaze drop down to the floor. The world around her was spinning, as they talked about an evil wanting to hurt their family. Their children, even the little ones, just because of how they were born? It made her blood boil and it was incredibly hard to think straight.

The things she'd do for her family...

Normally, she'd have tried to take a step back and perhaps allow others to help. But this threat targeted her as well, so there was simply no escaping it.

"I... understand we're asking a lot of you, given the circumstances. I will not ask you to step out of line for us, or do anything that you shouldn't. But if you can share anything that could help us protect our children, I'd be forever grateful." It would be the Jedi thing to do as well.

She wasn't asking this for selfish reasons — lives were at stake.

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

Disappointed crossed Brandyn’s face. They didn’t need him to do anything. They just wanted to know what he knew. He was as good as useless to them, when he could have been a weapon at their disposal. He shook his head, just briefly, to ward off the encroachment of these more violent urges.

”I have nothing on at the moment…besides awaiting my fate…”

He said with a shrug, and a sad attempt at a smile.

“…the Unblessed are simply a rebranded New Way. Nothing less…but certainly something more. My father lost control of the New Way near the end. Contrary to all the HNN reports…he wasn’t actually the one pushing for violence in the name of the cause. This doesn’t absolve him…nothing can…”

His voice betrayed a deep bitterness.

“…the one who took control of what is now the Unblessed…was codenamed Bartholomew…no one knows who they are…but they do seem to have deep pockets…and deep political ties…to Coruscant…rumours say the Unblessed are seeking to put pressure on the Alliance from within and without…their first goal being the ousting of the Jedi Order as protectors of the Alliance…anything they can do to undermine…or eliminate…Jedi…they will do it.”

Brandyn rubbed his chin.

”The two worlds that keep cropping up in all my investigations were Enarc and Chandrilla. But it has spread since then. Coruscant itself is a growing hotbed for Unblessed sentiment…”

He glanced at Kahlil.

”…since the release of the so called ‘Force Cure’ on Naboo there have been no more incidents. But if you come in contact with an Unblessed agent…assume that they have the ability to infect you…protect your wife…”

He glanced at Valery again.

”…and know that they are working on something big…two projects that would combat Jedi and Sith alike…killing or nullifying completely…they mean to eliminate us all.”

| Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble |​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Brandyn."

There was a lot of information. A lot of useful information. Part of Kahlil just wanted to accept that knowledge and ignore the feeling he'd gotten as he listened for all their sakes. They were all tied into this personally, they all had reasons to want to stop these Unblessed that went beyond what a Jedi's duty was. But he couldn't ignore the disappointment.

"I can't tell you if your choice was right or not, the one that brought you in here. But we are asking for your help because we trust you. As a person and as a Jedi. This is more than enough help."

Brandyn Sal-Soren | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

This was troubling.

Valery listened to all the information he had to offer and soaked it in. The names of two planets dropped, and she made a mental note to perhaps visit them. Find the source, and trace it down to wherever they were. She doubted that all of their efforts were focused on Niv Hani, after all — only the Nobles lived there.

A big target, but not their only one.

"Once your own situation is resolved, I'd be honored to have you help us. But it wouldn't be right for us to remove you from this cell for what's happening now." It hurt to say, knowing she would have likely done the same thing if she had been in his situation. Or, at least, the temptation would have been very strong.

"Maybe we should start with Enarc or Chandrilla? Or even Coruscant..."

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

”If you start on Coruscant…look no further than the Senate itself…”

He felt a chill run deep within his core.

”…like I said…they wish to eliminate us, from without…and within.”

The kind words and condolences were much appreciated, but also left him feeling a little hollow. If two of the senior Jedi could not tell if his actions were warranted…or were they saying they may have done the same thing?

”I came here willingly. I knew the consequences. And I know…I would do it again. The only thing that worries me…is that none of that scares me. I am resigned to follow my fate.”

| Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble |​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"And what exactly is your fate?"

They had a plan now, at least a starting point. If the Senate was filled with even more corruption, then something was going to have to be done about that. He'd been watching for years now at just how corrupt the Senate could be with it's members. Perhaps it was time to take a stance on that.

And yet, that wasn't his focus. For all his desires to protect his family, the Sal-Soren's were just as much a part of it. He couldn't ignore Brandyn's own trouble any more than he could Vera's.

Brandyn Sal-Soren | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

"Sometimes we do the wrong things for the right reasons," Valery said, having picked up on how Brandyn felt. They hadn't seen each other as much in recent years, but she had spent a lot of time around him and his sister. She still knew how to pick up on subtle hints, and in this particular case, it had been on her own mind as well.

What would she have done?

"But that's why we should accept consequences as well. In your case, I'm also curious too about your fate. But I don't want you to feel as if we're not wanting to help either." She tried her best to offer a smile. Sometimes, Jedi were sent away from Coruscant to other Temples to assist, or even did some type of community service.

In more serious cases, there could be prison time as well.

 

[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

“My fate…”

Brandyn thought long and hard. The words of his sister echoing within. Words of a prophecy that she seemed to believe with all that she was. It sounded like foolishness to Brandyn. If recent events had proven anything about Brandyn, it was simply this: he was no one special, and there was no great destiny in store for him.

“…will be whatever whoever decides these things…decides…I guess…but we pretty much have a quorum here…”

He gestured towards both of the Nobles.

What Valery said though, caused Brandyn to pause. It was a decidedly…un-Jedi…reaction. It was certainly not in line with Briana’s stalwart insistence on arresting him, nor on Cybelle’s predetermined pacifism. It was much more pragmatic.

”I assumed at minimum that I would be expelled from the Order…prison time…seems appropriate…or are we above the law?”

| Valery Noble | Kahlil Noble | fyi, Briana Sal-Soren |​

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Far too many of you are eager to just be expelled from the order." Kahlil let out quite the annoyed sigh as he reached up to pinch his brow. No Jedi was perfect. They were burdened with choices and tasks that no average person had. A burden that weighed far too heavy on their shoulders. It wasn't something he wanted them to have to carry, but they did.

And when something like this happened, their first instinct was to be removed.

"We're not a business, Knight Sal-Soren. You are a Jedi until the day you decide to leave yourself, whether openly or in your heart. I do not see that you've lost that heart. Whatever fate you're handed, if you think you're going to be facing it alone you are solely mistaken."

Valery Noble | Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers
Tag: Kahlil Noble Brandyn Sal-Soren

Valery's hand instinctively shifted to her husband's lower back when he reached up to pinch his brow. She was close to Brandyn, perhaps too close to be an honest judge, so she appreciated Kahlil's wisdom even more than she usually would. Even if it had been another Jedi, she would have found herself in agreement what he said.

This was no time to turn their backs on him.

"He's right," Valery said with a soft smile. "I'm not sure yet what the best course of action will be. But I promise that we're not giving up on you, as long as you don't give up yourself." Knowing how hard it might be for him to go through this process here, perhaps an idea was to reach out to Jakku or Eadu and have him work there for some time.

There would be oversight and she had a feeling that being away from Coruscant would do him good, too. The Nobles, meanwhile, had their own issue.

"Love? Should we go investigate into this group? I can't rest easy before we have."

 

[Achan Jaikavi]

---

Achan Jaikavi was not one that you crossed lightly. But that was typical of any sort of politician that had been in the game for keeps. He was not an idealist. He was a pragmatist. At least, this is what he told himself. The good of the galaxy was all he wished.

As the only Senator speaking out on behalf of those ‘regular folk’ that made up the masses of New Way protests, Achan had drawn a lot of attention towards him. His rhetoric had been towards encouraging people to hear the complaints of the people, and not just label all the people terrorists. Those were just the fringe minority, he had implored. The masses just wanted justice and security, freedom from the tyranny of Force-wielding maniacs - whether they were Sith, Jedi or other.

Of course, his willingness to speak out on behalf of the poor beleaguered souls of the New Way had seen him the target of numerous conspiracy theories. Theories that were quite accurate, to be fair. No, he was not the one behind the New Way. Baros Sal-Soren was dead. Achan had made sure of this. But yes, he was behind the Unblessed, and the absorbing of New Way resources was nearly complete.

So, it was little to know wonder that his office might be one of the ports of call for two concern Jedi Masters. How they would approach him would be telling. Would they assume his innocence or guilt? Would they buy into the baseless conspiracies? Treat him as guilty until proof otherwise? Of course, they would be correct in doing so - but that was the game now wasn’t it.

He stood from his desk, and ran his fingers over the sculpture of a lizard type creature on the edge of his desk. It bore a striking resemblance to a Ysalarimi - though with some artistic license. He had been informed of his guests arrival, and of course they would be trusted to enter unaccompanied by his security. They were heroes of the Alliance…after all.

”Masters. To what do I owe the honour,” he said warmly, hands held open to them.

Kahlil Noble Valery Noble