Private The Vacuum

[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"How are you feeling about this, Cailen?" Valery asked from within the pilot seat of the Bastion. This wasn't the first time they left behind the Temple and Coruscant to travel out into the Galaxy, but this would be the first time that it was for something extremely serious. Something that potentially put them in dangerous situations that they could never underestimate. Perhaps Cailen was a bit young for it, but Valery believed that Jedi Padawans should learn what the Galaxy is truly like early on.

Of course, with their Master carefully watching over them.

"I'm not sure how much you've read or seen on the topic, but the Eternal Empire has largely collapsed. It's a little further out there, but we've received numerous distress calls from the region. It has gone unstable, and we believe that the Maw strikes into their territory are the cause of it," Valery began to explain while the ship continued its path through Hyperspace.

"Right now, there's a power vacuum there and whatever it is the Maw left behind, there's nothing to stand up against it." Except, of course, for a Jedi Master and her Padawan who had sworn to protect life in the Galaxy. It didn't matter that these people lived far beyond the borders of the Alliance or any other allied faction. These people called for help, so they were going to respond.

 

[Cailen Corso]

THE VACUUM

Location: Aboard the Bastion
Tags: Valery Noble
Soundtrack: New Worlds

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"I'm okay," Cailen said as he watched the mesmerizing slipstream outside the ship.

The Eternal Empire was a mystery to him, hidden away behind an iron curtain all this time until the Maw decided to snatch it off the rod. The whole thing made him rather uneasy, but he kept those feelings on a tight leash. Between remnants of the Empire scuttling about and potential threats from the Mawites, Cailen needed to be calm and collected.

He absentmindedly caressed the hilt of his newfound lightsaber as Valery explained what they were up against. It was a simple thing, and even though the weapon didn't function, Cailen still enjoyed the small comfort it brought. When she'd finished, he turned to her with curious eyes.

"What do you think they want?" he asked.

Considering how close their territory was to the northern border of the Alliance, it seemed an odd thing for the Mawites to attack another state so far away - even one that was on the brink of collapse. What resources they'd gain from a dying nation seemed paltry compared to what they'd spend carrying out the campaign. There had to be something here they wanted.

Or worse, needed.

 

[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"It's hard to say," Valery replied with a frown. "The Maw has lashed out against weaker opponents to gain resources for the war, but I'm not sure if we're up against military forces this time. When they attacked Coruscant years ago, they left behind Sithspawn in the lower levels just to wreak havoc."

Her gaze shifted away from her instruments to look at her Padawan instead. "It's possible that we're not dealing with a new assault, but something they left behind."

Either way, she knew it would mean trouble. If the Maw had sent new raiding parties into this now largely unprotected stretch of space, it would be very difficult to protect everybody. But if they weren't present themselves and they were dealing with Sithspawn or other monstrosities...

For now, she decided not to make assumptions.

"We'll be going into the Pacanth Reach shortly, and respond to distress calls in the region. There are... a lot of them." Valery frowned and soon enough, pulled the ship out of hyperspace. They entered the region nearby the destroyed Panatha, but still at a safe distance away.

Immediately, their comms started blaring, as swarms of distress calls came in from all around them.

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Bastion | Soundtrack: New Worlds

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"A Sithspawn...?" Cailen repeated, a jolt of fear surging through his chest. He'd read about them in his studies, of course, but had never seen one in person before. The thought of encountering one on their mission was deeply unsettling.

The Padawan steeled his nerves, turning his attention to the barrage of distress calls that suddenly battered their comms.

The Bastion had only just dropped out of hyperspace, and already they were met with a grim reality; Whether the Maw were still in the Reach or simply allowing their minions to wreak havoc, the people here were in trouble. Cailen tried to focus in on each signal as they came in, but there were too many to wade through. He turned to Valery with defeated eyes.

"How do we choose?" he asked, the realization of their limited capabilities settling in.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

The Bastion

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

Valery nodded at his question, "If we encounter Sithspawn or the Maw, don't worry. I'm going to be there with you, and I've seen how much you progressed in training. You're ready for this," she assured him, hoping that her words would give him some confidence. Of course, she knew that there were things out there that he likely wasn't ready for, but that's exactly why she wasn't sending him to handle anything alone.

She'd be with him, and this would be an opportunity to see more of the Galaxy. Both the good and the darker sides of it.

After their arrival, they were met with a storm of distress calls, but Valery quickly began to shift through all of them. Some were far away, and others were older and going off on repeat. She filtered away a lot, and eventually settled on something closer to where they were, and recent enough to where the likelihood of being able to help was high.

"It's... not easy to choose, so all we can do is remain realistic and respond to what we can." Hopefully, there were others out there doing the same thing.

"There seems to be a call coming from Ravaath, likely from the city there." She looked at Cailen and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you take the controls and fly us there? Find a safe place to land just outside the city, and we'll go from there."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Aboard the Bastion | Soundtrack: New Worlds

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"I've seen how much you progressed in training. You're ready for this."

Cailen simply nodded at Valery's words, appreciative of her confidence in him. He wasn't as sure of himself as she was, but he'd never question her guidance; If she felt he was ready, then he was.

At her request, he took the Bastion's controls and punched the necessary inputs to begin their descent. The ship broke atmosphere with ease, and soon, they were cutting through the clouds above Ravaath. Cailen brought them around in a lazy circle, hoping to avoid suspicion as he landed the Bastion on the outskirts of the city proper. When the landing gear thudded on the ground, the boy disengaged the engines and sat back in his seat. His eyes cut to the flashing SOS on his wrist-mounted comlink.

"I'm ready. Where should we start?"

His voice was backed with newfound confidence. Perhaps it was his Master's assurances, or maybe his innate desire to save whoever was in trouble. Either way, Cailen was ready to do whatever it takes to help.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

While Cailen took over controls from her and brought them down through the atmosphere, Valery focused on expanding her senses outwards. Distress calls often came with very particular feelings in the Force, but this time... she felt nothing. A city was supposed to be crowded with life, and almost overwhelming if one tried to focus on the overarching feelings of its inhabitants. But no matter how much she tried, there was almost nothing.

As if what happened to Panatha also affected Ravaath, but to a lesser degree.

"I... don't think there's any real place left to start," Valery said before she looked out through one of the small windows at the side of the cockpit to see the ravaged city. There was still some life out there, but it was faint, and she worried that they had arrived too late.

"Let's start at the source of the distress call. It's coming from where a hospital used to be. Hopefully, it's still there..."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: Campus

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Even from the safety of the Bastion's cockpit, the ruins were an intimidating visage to behold. His senses were assaulted with a strong feeling of dread and helplessness, the sheer magnitude of the destruction weighing heavy on his heart. Aside from the Battle of Tython, Cailen had never seen the aftermath of a Maw invasion before. And even then, the ancient Jedi world was far less populated than Ravaath appeared to be... than it used to be.

The Padawan checked that his lightsabers were secured to his belt, then looked to Valery with seriousness in his face.

"The signal, it's coming from a hospital? Do you think they may still be there?" he asked, his voice full of naive hope. He turned his gaze back to the ruined city ahead, trying to fight the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. A bitter thought then crossed his mind as he envisioned what they may face in the ruins.

"Could it be an ambush?"

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"It's possible," Valery said before hitting the button to trigger the lowering of the ramp. "I doubt every building was destroyed in the attack, and it makes sense to seek refuge in a hospital if it's still standing." Of course, an intelligent enemy would also know that, so the chance existed that the survivors were discovered after their distress call, and no longer alive.

Much like Cailen, she kept her hopes high.

At his follow-up question, Valery nodded once more. "This could be a trap, or it wasn't intended as one but the survivors who sent out the signal were compromised. So keep your senses sharp, and don't let your guard down." The last thing they wanted was to run into any unexpected trouble. But since this was no training assignment or journey to a safe planet like Tython, she would also be watching over them.

This was no time for tests.

"Hmmm..." Valery hummed after stepping outside and taking her first steps down the ruined street. Buildings had been completely torn apart on both sides, their stone, metal, and furniture littering the pavement and road. But what stood out to her in this mess was something else entirely. "I don't think we're alone, Cailen," she said softly while she walked as if nothing was wrong.

"We're being watched."

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: Campus

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Cailen’s boot skidded on the cracked stone, but he quickly adjusted his footing. Act natural, move swiftly, don’t let them know you sense them. His eyes were glued to his Master, watching her carefully so as not to appear alerted.

“I… I feel it too,” he said quietly.

He kept close to her, risking a subtle glance to the ruined buildings beside them. A sinking feeling weighed on his chest as he realized the burned-out structure resembled an apartment not unlike the one he grew up in on Anaxes. He was quick to shake the thought, instead trying to focus on his senses.

They were still diluted, but his Force connection seemed to strengthen each day since finding @Tarus Undara’s lightsaber. Cailen’s hand subconsciously found its way to the weapon’s hilt. He tried to hone in on the stalkers who eyed them, but the background noise was too loud to trace anything meaningful.

“How far are we from the hospital?” he asked, trying not to let the eyes get to him. He hated feeling like he’s being watched.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"Several more blocks," Valery told him, and they likely both realized that it was unlikely they'd make it there before running into some kind of trouble. Too much tension lingered in the atmosphere around them, and that feeling of being watched only grew stronger. Occasionally, either one of them would be able to swear that they'd seen something pass by behind the ruined buildings, but every time they turned to look, there was nothing.

Only whispers.

Faint and subtle, almost like it was the wind blowing through something that produced noise. The words that were spoken couldn't be distinguished, but they sounded foreign, and there was something dark about it.

Suddenly, there was a rush of wind, and Valery could feel something passing by overhead. She stopped, looked up, and immediately drew her weapon when she saw it. A strange beast had flown over them and was now coming straight down with immense speed to claw at the Jedi Master.

Luckily, Valery was faster and jumped out of the way to evade its strike.

"Cailen! We've got trouble!" she called out, as 2 more of them appeared and began to circle the Jedi, looking for an opportunity to attack.

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: The Hunted

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Cailen felt a chill on the back of his neck before he saw the creature itself, as if the Force was trying to alert him to its unnatural presence. His reflexes took over as he darted to the edge of the street. He had just enough time to ignite his lightsaber before realizing that the demon wasn’t alone…

“Cailen! We’ve got trouble!”

“What are they?” he called back as he rejoined his Master, both hands wrapped tightly around the hilt of his blade.

He’d never seen anything like this before.

Stories. Only in stories had he heard of the horrific creatures that called the Eternal Empire home.

Cailen watched the trio of spirits circling overhead, keenly aware of their razor-sharp talons. He stood bravely beside Valery, ready - or as much as he could be - to ward off another strike.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

"I have no idea," Valery admitted, her fiery eyes following the three entities as they circled around the Jedi. "I've never seen them before, so be extra careful." With almost any Sithspawn or dangerous creature, she had so much knowledge and experience readily available to help determine a plan, but now she had none. This meant a different approach — a focus on defense and figuring out how these things fought.

Then she felt it-

"Watch out!"

With surprising speed, two of the creatures flew towards Valery while the other charged at Cailen, and all of them lashed out with claws capable of cutting durasteel. The coordination in their attack immediately gave Valery the impression they were far more intelligent than the average Sithspawn or underworld creature.

These were something else.

Jumping back, Valery dodged the two who attacked her, before moving forward to pressure one into retreating with a sweep of her blade. She then turned to the other and clenched her hand into a fist to gain telekinetic control over it. With a downward motion of her hand, she slammed it against the ground, before it moved once more.

"We have to figure out their weaknesses, Cailen!"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: The Hunted

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The third demon swooped in fast, but its razor-sharp claws found no purchase; Cailen leapt into a sideways roll, dodging the incoming slash.

He got to his feet and turned on his heels, catching the creature in its back with the edge of his lightsaber. It let out a horrifying screech as the hot plasma scorched its flesh. Cailen winced at the sound, tightening his grip with one hand and launching a Force Push with the other.

The impact wasn’t as powerful as he’d hoped, but it still put some much-needed distance between them.

But even after Cailen’s counter-attack, the demon spun around with demoralizing ferocity.

“Come on!” the Padawan taunted, his defenses ready for the next strafe.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

After slamming one down against the ground, Valery quickly charged after the other while Cailen dealt with one of his own. Suspecting that these could be creatures created by the Dark Side, Valery raised her hand and allowed her innermost power to manifest itself as a burst of light that expanded out from her palms. The creature screeched in agony, but Valery felt nothing change about its connection to the Force.

It wasn't Sithspawn, but somehow her use of Force Light was still harming it.

What she failed to notice in time, however, was that the one she had slammed against the ground was back up. But it wasn't coming for her at all — while Cailen was already being attacked by one, the second creature suddenly moved around to flank down his left side, and together, the beasts swept their claws at him.

"Cailen, watch out!" Valery yelled, as she turned and began to move, hoping he'd be able to fend them off.

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: The Hunted

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There it was again, that peculiar sensation on the back of his neck. Cailen held his ground, risking a glance over his shoulder— he saw the second demon just as its claws slashed his arm.

He managed to doge the worst of the creature’s strafe, but the intense pain and hot blood that seeped through his sleeve confirmed that it cut him deep. His muscles screamed as he raised both arms overhead and brought them down in a powerful strike, his cyan blade connecting with the first demon’s chest. When the tip struck the strange metal casing near the bottom of its torso, the beast shrieked.

Its fingertips began to peel, the skin wisping away like ashes in the breeze. Cailen took a step back, trying understand what he saw before him. It was as if the demon was dissipating, crumbling into ash and dust. It was only a matter of moments before there was nothing left but embers.

Resting upon the pile were the two halves of cauterized metal, the only discernible remains of the monstrosity.

“Master!” Cailen shouted, spinning to face the second creature. His eyes were wide with realization.

“The casing! That’s their weakness!”

The demon swooped from the boy’s right this time, appearing suddenly and rearing its talons. Cailen brought his lightsaber up, ignoring the searing pain that coursed through his arm.

This time, he was ready. His eyes were locked on the metallic frame on his body, the sinister glow inside his target.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

Valery could feel his pain.

With every one of her Padawans, Valery had a Force bond that allowed her to feel their emotions, as well as their pain. She knew instantly that he was hurt, and it ignited a fire in her. There was no stopping the Jedi Master now, and with Cailen calling out a weakness he discovered, she was on the move. She dashed straight for the beast attacking her, but right before they connected, Valery's bond to the environment changed.

She phased through the creature, which seemed surprised that its claw had seemingly passed through her like she was a ghost. Before it could turn around and realize what happened, Valery's blade swept around and struck the casing to instantly send the foul beast back to where it belonged.

Only one remained now, and it was coming for Cailen.

With an outstretched arm, Valery extended a telekinetic grip and took sudden control of the creature's body. It could no longer move at all, and with Cailen so close, she knew he'd have enough time to finish it.

"Take it out!"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: The Hunted

​

The Padawan steeled his nerves as the demon swooped around for another attack. He gripped his lightsaber tightly, the pain in his arm channeling into his emotions. He knew to keep these things in check, but after seeing all the destruction around him, feeling the echoes in the Force, being wounded by this… thing - it made him furious.

Cailen was preparing to dodge and follow with an underhanded counterattack, but the demon suddenly froze in place a mere meter or so away. He didn’t need much time to process though; His Master’s command hit his ears, and without hesitation, all his hatred for the creature was unleashed in a powerful thrust that pierced its torso through and through.

Just as the one before, the demon crumbled to the ground, it’s flesh peeling away and floating into the breeze. Cailen stood still over the ashes, his lungs crying out for air. He’d never done anything like that before. It felt so amazing in the moment, but now, he felt odd.

Breathless, but not in a good way.

He turned to face Valery, a triumphant look in his eyes despite the visible streaks of blood that ran down his forearm.

“We did it!” he said through labored breaths. He stepped toward his Master, stumbling a bit at first.

“Now we just— need to get to the hospital,” he told her, a slight slur in his speech. He’d lost a good amount of blood, but he wanted to keep pushing.

The thought of those people being trapped inside with demons lurking around kept him from stopping.

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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[Valery Noble]

Ravaath

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cailen Corso

Valery frowned.

As Cailen's blade pierced through the creature to end it, she could feel his emotions surge through the Force. Hatred — it was a powerful sensation that she recognized instantly. For Sith, it was a tool and a weapon they relied on, but for a Jedi, it was poison to the mind. For a Jedi Padawan to experience such things was far from uncommon, but she knew that it wasn't something she could ignore.

She'd never allow one of her Padawans to fall down that path again.

"We did it!"

His voice snapped Valery out of her thoughts and finally got her to lower her weapon. She disengaged the weapon, clipped it to her belt, and moved over to check on him. He had gotten hurt, and she could tell that the loss of blood had drained some of his energy. "We'll get there and patch you up," she told him, clearly a bit worried. "If you feel too weak, let me know and I'll carry you there if I have to."

She then reached for a pouch attached to her belt and offered him an energy bar. They didn't taste great, but there was a reason they were passed around on the battlefields so much. It would be a boost after losing some blood.

But as they walked towards the Hospital, Valery kept thinking about the fight and decided to speak up about it. "Cailen?" she asked, her eyes shifting down to him. "When you killed that last beast, I felt strong emotions in you. What caused those? Is it because they hurt you?"

 

[Cailen Corso]

Location: Ravaath | Soundtrack: The Hunted

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Cailen munched on the bar as they walked, occasionally looking over the wound on his arm. The blood had stopped but the stinging pain in his muscles was constant. He’d begun to imagine what perils await them ahead when Valery broke the silence.

The Padawan pursed his lips as he thought about his outburst. Truthfully, he wasn’t entirely sure why it happened; The creature did injure him badly, but that wasn’t exactly angering. If anything, it brought his wild emotions together into a concentrated desire to banish the demon from existence.

It was the resemblance this world had to Anaxes that upset him.

“I guess…” he said tentatively, not wanting to worry or upset his Master.

”This place reminds me of home. All the apartments, and the streets… seeing those creatures, thinking about how scared the people must have been if they faced them—“

He kicked a loose stone with his boot, sending it skidding down the road.

”It made me so angry,” he finally admitted.

“I was angry, and I wanted it to die so that it can’t haunt this place anymore.”

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Tags: Valery Noble ​

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