Private The Zone

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

"Oh my," Valery commented when the two soldiers went flat against the ground. No, three soldiers. Valery blinked and looked up when she realized a third had been in the woods on the opposite side of the road. This scorcher, as they called it, continued to scramble her mind, so she hadn't even noticed the soldier. If she had been here with any other Jedi, it would have been a far bigger problem.

"We're clear, love!" Valery called out a moment later, as she crouched down and began to look through one of the soldier's items. Besides his weapons and tools, he carried paperwork as well. A simple survival guide all soldiers were given, but also a small journal with a strange symbol on the front.

"Hmm, they almost feel like religious fanatics. This journal talks about a holy wish granter they must find and keep from others. They believe it's at the plant that had a meltdown. Do you think that's why they might be patrolling here? To stop others from reaching the plant?" Valery stood up and looked at her husband to gauge his thoughts.

"I think our first step is to take down this scorcher, though." She paused and looked around once more. "Do you want to inspect any of them? Or ready to go?"

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

"It would make sense. Religion is often the basics people in crisis turn to when things can't be explained." And often how people were taken advantage of. Kahlil frowned deeply in thought, not even sparring much mind to the people he was keeping flattened as he looked out towards where he figured the Scorcher would be. It was the next step, that was for certain.

But these people. He glanced to them, frowning. There was no law here, no way to keep them detained without leaving them to the beasts that would devour them. But to leave them free would mean they could go back to harming others, or perhaps even trying to go after them.

"Should we kill them? I can't see a way to keep them safe while also keeping others safe from them."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

"Kill them?" Valery looked at the few he kept flattened and frowned. She knew why he proposed the idea. Leaving them unconscious or restrained meant they were potentially easy prey to the mutants. But letting them go meant they could harm other people or come after them and cause more trouble. Still, she didn't like the idea of taking their lives. It didn't feel right, even with what they were doing.

They were already defeated, after all.

"What if this scorcher is also affecting them somehow? Maybe all of this isn't their fault?" Valery proposed as another angle that only complicated the idea of taking their lives. But she brought it up for a reason. Even now, killing could never be something they'd take lightly, so they needed to consider all options.

"I don't like the idea of killing them, love. We could knock them out and tie them up, or perhaps Mind Trick them into walking back towards the military camp? They'll be able to defend themselves on the way there, and once they make it to the soldiers, they'll be detained?"

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

"I can't control people that well, love."

And they didn't know how to get back as it was. The complication only made it worse as he glanced to the pinned soldiers. Eventually he let out a sigh. The easiest solution?

"You stay here with them, I'll go handle the Scorcher. If they are being affected and this clears them up, they'll be very helpful."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

This wasn't even close to the most dangerous situation they found themselves in together, but even now, there was that shimmer in her eyes. That brief moment of worry at the idea of splitting up. Separating. Without realizing it, Valery had taken his hand and gently squeezed it, while her mind worked to catch up with what he proposed. It wasn't a bad idea at all, especially since proximity to the scorcher made it harder for her to focus.

But she saw herself again, standing in the rain that night in Imperial space, when he told her to go. She hated splitting up when they were supposed to be together.

"Alright," she said with a somewhat pouty expression. "A kiss before you go?" she asked almost nervously. Even if she didn't like splitting up, she was able to set aside her own feelings and do what was right.

"And be safe, okay?"

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil glanced to Valery for a moment before letting out a faint chuckle. He stepped back to her side, leaning down to kiss her forehead gently. He understood why, but he wasn't going to make it something bad or depressing. The wound would always be there, but lingering on it wasn't going to help it heal. Smiling would. He ruffled her hair as he stepped away, turning towards the woods.

"I'll be back soon, don't worry. Just don't get caught again so I have to save you, mm?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Valery closed her eyes and smiled when he leaned down to kiss her forehead. She could steal a lot more from him later, but letting him go after seeing him smile and feeling this kiss would help her more than anything. Though, as he reached up to ruffle her hair, Valery grumbled and quickly planted a gentle punch in his gut.

"My hair," she said with eyes squinting at him.

"Just go already, and try to learn more about all of this," Valery huffed playfully. "I won't get caught, but you better not either." She would go to hell and back a thousand times for him if she needed to. But she hoped she never would have to feel that kind of pain again. For now, she focused on his smile and waited.

Once Kahlil departed, the forest around him would be much the same. Dead trees, branches, and no sign of anything alive. The animals that once lived here were either long gone or had been mutated into beasts far beyond what anybody could imagine. But despite this, something far worse waited up ahead.

The scorcher looked like it had once been some kind of antenna complex, likely built to transmit long-range messages. Now, the invisible waves it sent into the environment lashed out at the minds of anybody who dared get close. Around the scorcher was a tall fence with two gates opposite of each other. Guard towers stood on each side of these gates, and several soldiers patrolled the terrain.

This place was heavily defended.

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

"I rarely ever get caught, don't worry."

Kahlil flashed a grin as he glanced one last time to Valery before wandering off towards the threat. He couldn't feel exactly where they were, but he could tell through his bond with Valery. Once he approached the compound he couldn't help but grimace, though. He was strong of course, but the stealthy side was more her thing. He wasn't going to be much for actually sneaking around, so.. He let out a sigh before stepping into view with his hands up. "Hey, friends. I think I made a weird turn at some point. Think you can help me find some directions?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

"Maybe I'll have to change that sometime, then." She could totally catch him if she tried. She was the Shadow, and he was the giant mountain of a man. Valery squinted but quickly managed a smile when he left to take down the Scorcher. Once out of sight, she turned to the few unconscious men around her and sighed.

This was going to be dull.

At the scorcher itself, guards were closing in on Kahlil with their rifles at the ready as soon as he approached. They seemed cautious more than they were aggressive. Nobody should be able to be anywhere near the scorcher and seem unaffected by it, and why hadn't their patrol found his man?

"Keep your hands where we can see them," the guard ordered immediately. "This is a restricted area. Turn around immediately." He seemed to try and look over Kahlil's shoulder, hoping to notice something of the patrol.

Up in the tower, they were already trying to reach the patrol over comms, but Valery didn't answer. Even if she did her best, she wouldn't be able to mimic a man's voice.

"What happened to our patrol?"

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

"Of course, of course. Don't worry."

Kahlil kept his hands up, giving a calm smile as he glanced between the soldiers. They were already aware of the patrol, huh? That was an easy thing for him to get around though, so he kept the same expression as he shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't see a patrol of any kind, just some bloodsuckers. Did they have a run in with them, perhaps? I was able to escape since they seemed pretty sluggish." Not entirely a lie. That was going to be his story, for now, though. He glanced about, letting the Force feel around for him as he took count of the number of people here.

He'd be able to take them all out if he had to, but he did want to learn all he could first.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Despite the scorcher emitting rays that scrambled the minds of most, Kahlil's senses pierced right through that veil. The installation was defended by two-dozen soldiers, give or take. Some were up in the towers with sniper rifles, others were in small groups to patrol the area.

None of them were just sitting around.

"Bloodsuckers?" The one that had approached Kahlil lowered his rifle and seemed more open to dialogue. "Can you tell us where you saw them?" he asked, but even though he seemed more receptive, there were still two snipers aimed at the Jedi Master constantly.

One wrong move and they'd open fire.

"If you show me on the map, we'll let you go," he told them, before dipping his head to a group of three guards. Without a word spoken, they began to move down the road.

Looking for the patrol.

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

Surprisingly, Kahlil pointed right where he and Valery had first run in with the Bloodsuckers. It'd normally be a bad idea to send them right for where Valery was, but she'd already be aware of what he was doing. Their bond truly was convenient. He was planning to bring down the whole camp anyway. "Actually, I'm here to see the Scorcher."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

<Sure, love. I'll do the hard work.> She knew this was serious and that they'd be coming, but she couldn't help herself. Teasing him was in her top 5 favorite things to do, even if he'd usually be better at teasing her back. Valery then tuned out and slipped into the Force to cloak herself. The people they'd send after the missing patrol would find the bodies, but there wouldn't be a trace of Valery anywhere.

That's when she'd make her move.

"You're here to see the scorcher?" the soldier scoffed and looked around. "This place is off-limits, so I-"

"Maybe he heard the call," another fanatic interrupted. "He's not affected by the scorcher, so it must be a sign." He looked at Kahlil and stepped closer to join him and the other soldier.

"Perhaps, he wishes to join us."

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

"So you can hear it too? Oh thank goodness I thought either I was going crazy or that- Oh it doesn't matter. The Scorcher is here!" And there it was. Fanaticism. Kahlil was long used to how that worked. He smiled quite the relived smile, even as he kept his hands up, glanced between the two before him.

"I do. Can I meet them?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

The man directly in front of Kahlil remained silent for a moment. His gaze, even obscured by his helmet, went over the man. Some fanatics were more blind than others, and he still wasn't sure how to feel about this stranger casually walking up to his outpost. The other soldier, however, seemed only thrilled that they'd have another in their ranks.

One more to protect the scorcher.

"Soon, we'll be ready to find the wish-granter," the soldier said. "We could use extra help to find it. Right, Draenev?" He asked the other soldier, who finally broke his silence and dipped his head.

"Very well. Join us at the Scorcher and tell me your name." He turned around and began to walk towards the large antenna towers with his rifle now down at his waist. Others seemed more relaxed and there were no more snipers following every move he made. They trusted him.

<Love?> Valery asked from within the forest. <I've handled the group here. They have some documents about the city beyond this Scorcher. I'll bring them with me.>

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

<Good. If you hear a call for the patrol let me know, they're probably going to turn on me once they don't hear back.>

The closer he got to the Scorcher before things went wild the better, in his mind. The last thing he wanted was this figure to end up escaping. "Bron. Bron Starfield." Inwardly he was cringing at the made up name, but he kept his expression somewhere between calm and clearly excited for meeting what they seemed to worship. Reverence, more or less.

He was unfortunately quite skilled at faking such an expression.

"Did they already tell you what the wish-granter is? I've only gotten vague feelings on it between a call here. I'm afraid I haven't been given too much yet."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

<I'll let you know, Bron~>

Valery snickered and made sure that he could hear that through their bond. Sure, he needed to be focused to maintain his fake persona, but he could easily do that while she teased him a little. He would have done the exact same thing if the roles had been reversed, so she was going to enjoy this.

Bron Starfield.

"What we know, is that the wish-granter is another artifact. Created by the first emission," the soldier explained, as they drew closer to the Scorcher. "This emission occurred over the plant itself and has been the most violent to this day. It's what created much of the Zone as we know it." While his helmet obscured it, he spoke with a sparkle in his eyes. This wish-granted was their everything.

"The Scorcher is a mechanism to keep others from reaching it. The device emits psy-waves that control the mind or can even fry it if someone gets too close. In a few cases, it has turned the living into undead." He laughed underneath his helmet and turned to Kahlil.

"It's vital for us to reach the plant before anybody else does."

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

Bron. He wasn't going to live this down. At least he wasn't keeping his expression under control. Right now, he was getting good information. Especially on the nature of the Scorcher. The fact that it wasn't a person made him honestly feel more relieved. A group of crazy folks taking advantage of a situation rather than a mastermind behind such a destructive power was a much better alternative.

"That's.. That's incredible! I had no idea it was this fantastic!"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

The Zone

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

He'd never live it down. Maybe she'd have to call him that at night too, whenever they-

Right, focus.

The soldier seemed pleased with Kahlil's enthusiastic response and gestured for the Jedi Master to follow him. The huge antenna towers were the emitters of the psy-waves, but they were not the source. If Kahlil truly wanted to follow their path, he would have to see the scorcher and understand the importance.

"As I'm sure you've learned, much of the Zone and its inhabitants rely on artifacts. People search them to make money or to use their properties, and machines and devices can be powered by them. The scorcher is just that." He pushed open a heavy, durasteel door and led Kahlil down a dark hallway deeper into the facility.

There, at the very center placed on a pedestal wired up to machinery around it, sat a glowing, purple rock. While he could not feel it himself, it echoed dangerous waves into the Force, so strong that even capable Jedi Masters did not resist it easily.

"Isn't it magnificent?" He asked with a satisfied look behind his helmet.

<Babe?> Valery asked via the Dyad, <They are trying to call the patrol. Are you almost ready?>

Kahlil Noble
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[Kahlil Noble]

<Yeah, we're good. Take them out, and when you feel the pressure from your mind leave come to me.>

Kahlil marveled at the device with the others for all of three seconds before he raised a hand and outright crushed the machine through sheer weight of the Force. This further confirmed that they had a power they shouldn't. So, he simply destroyed it. "No one should have this level of strength. This is done, now." He glanced to the soldiers, hand settled on his lightsaber. He didn't strike them immediately, mostly because part of him assumed it was the machine that was messing with their minds.

They had a chance now, to be free. Hopefully they were.

Valery Noble