Private Tired Eyes On Glittering Gems

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen paused as he looked at the ceiling, pausing as he muddled over what to say. Nearly getting assassinated makes you pause and examine your life choices. Maybe I should just forget all of this lightsaber and Jedi stuff. I could just go into Wild Space and make a living on the fringe. I have enough money in that stock market that I could live off of it. No... Just getting up and leaving... I can't... It's like giving the middle finger to a person being dragged away into slavery and I can't do that... Not now atleast...

Reaching across the bed, he grabbed up his datapad, turned it on, and started recording a message to Valery Noble . He could only imagine how he looked. The unshaven stubble dotting his face, his disheveled hair looking like it was straight off a homeless man, and the bags under his eyes made him look like they had just come off some smuggler who had been running from the police day and night without sleep. After a second, the clone raised his hand and tiredly waved toward the camera. "Hey Val... Long time no see. I hope your family and you have been well. The reason I was contacting you was that I was wondering if we could persuade that crystal into my hilt if you have the time within the next few days. I also have had... some fun happen to me recently that we can talk about it when we see each other. I hope to hear from you soon. Bye."

After turning off the datapad and tossing it onto the side table, he collapsed onto the bed and curled up with his hand on his knees. He was just so tired but he had to keep pushing for the galaxies' sake. Or at least that's what he used to justify his existence. It was all he could do until he just... couldn't....

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

Valery raised a hand up in front of her mouth and yawned while she looked over some reports on her datapad. Ilum was usually a very uneventful world, so being up this early was even more painful. But it also gave her plenty of time to focus on her own training, some meditation, or just planning and personal work. It was definitely a lot more relaxing than being at the front constantly, and she needed the time away.

About an hour into her day though, she suddenly received a message and after opening it, she was surprised to see Omen that way. Had it just been a long day for him or was something up? Either way, she sent a response rather quickly.

"Hey Omen, I've been doing well, and I hope you have too. I'm currently on Ilum as well, so if you'd like to go through your gathering, feel free to visit. The coordinates to the Temple will be attached to this message," Valery said with a warm smile, "I'm curious to hear what this fun thing is all about too, but we'll talk about it soon. Safe travels."

With that, she sent the transmission and attached the coordinates he'd need to reach the NJO Temple on the planet.

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen was just waking back up when he heard the ping from the side table. Groaning softly as he reached his hand across and grabbed the datapad and turned it on. Valery's message made it feel like he mattered. She always did. It's what he liked about her. Looks like it's time to head out.

After getting up and getting his freighter's engines burning, Omen made his way towards Ilum. Within the next week, the Clone traversed the galaxy, jumping from place to place buying and selling goods while keeping a low profile in case any more hunters were trying to pick up his trail. Eventually, after a week of time, he jumped into the Ilum system and descended through the icy air towards the NJO base, hoping his ship was well known enough to Val not to be misidentified as a Maw ship and shot down. As he locked in on the temple's signal and started thrusting towards it, he activated his transponder and sent out two words for the temple to pick up. Three Stripes.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon/Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

Before his arrival, Valery had already made sure that his ship's registry had clearance to land on the Temple's landing pad. So his descent proceeded without any obstacles, and soon he was down on the icy surface. Valery had picked up on his message too, and with quite a big smirk, she stepped outside in her usual form-fitting, sleeveless outfit, seemingly unphased by the extreme cold. There were other methods to shield against the cold, and she clearly was using something.

Once she reached the ship, she waited for the ramp to lower before stepping closer to greet him with a kind smile, "Welcome to Ilum, Omen. I hope the trip was alright?" she asked, knowing it was quite a remote world, and definitely, not one people enjoyed visiting because of its extreme weather.

"Let's head inside quickly, it's a bit warmer there."

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

The cold gnawed Omen's bones as he walked out of the old-style of freighter and put a hand up in greeting to the Jedi. The harsh wind made his cloak whip around his figure "It was alright, I was able to get some small-scale trading in. It gave me time to recover from almost being assassinated for the information I gave you. Having to blow up your own kitchen really takes it out of you."

As the Jedi gestured to the beckoning entrance of the temple, the Clone took off his helmet and gave Val a smile that seemed to be falling off his face from exhaustion. "Seems like the best plan. If we stay out here for hours, one of us will be frozen and it won't be you."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

"Glad you're doing alright, and nope... I definitely won't be freezing," she flashed him a smirk and turned around to guide her friend into the Temple, which was a fairly quiet place to be. Unlike some Jedi Temples, there wasn't much staff here, and Jedi rarely used it as a stop along the way, so it was very peaceful most of the time. Which is probably the only reason Valery didn't mind being here, considering the extreme cold.

"Can I get you a hot drink before we get to business?" she asked as they moved through the halls that were decorated with large statues, beautiful fountains, and other decorations, "There was something you wanted to tell me about, so might be a good opportunity for that as well."

Oh yeah, she hadn't forgotten about that part — she was quite curious.

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen stopped and stared at the Jedi for a moment in bewilderment before sighing and catching up to her. "I thought Jedi were supposed to be good listeners but I know you probably just only have the thought of Kal's face in that brain of yours and nothing else. Then again, I guess surviving bounty hunters that want to murder my face mean I'm alright..."

The Clone nodded in the affirmative for the hot drink. Given that he already told her his news twice, he waited to see if it would actually sink in this time or if he would have to explain the full story again.

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

Valery blinked and stopped as well when she realized what she had been saying, "I'm... so sorry, Omen," she frowned and gestured for him to take a seat, "I've just been tired, that's all," she admitted, clearly a little embarrassed about the whole situation. But she planned to make up for it and quickly made her way over to get them some hot cocoa.

When she returned, she set the cups down, plopped into her seat, and let out a soft sigh, "I'm glad you did survive, though. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know. I know what it's like to be hunted and to lose important things... I'm here for you if you need me."

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen frowned as Valery's facade cracked just a little. As she gestured for him to take a seat, he reached out and gave her a surprise hug. "Stop overworking yourself. You aren't a springy little padawan anymore. We can take as long of a break to talk as you want if it means you get some of your pep back." Releasing her, he would quietly take a seat as she went over to get the cocoa ready. Had she been taking on too many missions? He did imagine Valery would be one of those people who didn't know their limits and try to help everyone but could also be something else. Well, it wasn't his business and so he wouldn't ask. He had already gotten in enough trouble as it is.

Omen shrugged in response to her words as she sat down. "It was just a maniac with more toys than sense and a C-list hunter. They weren't that much trouble and the damage should be repaired within the next few months. As for what you can do... well you could take care of yourself so I don't have to. In all seriousness, there isn't much you can do except for accepting me into your order so I can use it as a shield. But that should be a last resort. I've also been hunted before. I know the police won't help and even if they are searching for the two hunters I doubt they will apprehend them. They will probably have dived into their mobile boltholes aka their ships and blasted off into space in search of new prey." Taking his helmet off, his hands gripped the cup of cocoa and he took it to his mouth for a sip. It tasted as if heaven was wrapped in a hot tub and the happy hum from his lips said as much. "The only thing I have that's valuable is the information I gave you so either Ingrid put a direct contract on me or one of her lackeys did. Or maybe it's someone else... I don't know..."

The Clone gave a small sigh as he glanced at the snowy Winterland outside through a viewport. "Too many questions and not enough information to answer them. The only two people that can give me answers are probably at the other end of the galaxy by now. Guess I'm just out of luck." Turning back to the Jedi, he gave her a small smile as gently put his hand on hers. "But at least I'm lucky enough to have you as a friend."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

The surprise hug caught her off-guard a little, which he'd likely notice because her body stiffened for just a moment. But she didn't resist and quickly relaxed again, "I know I'm not, but there's always a lot to do," she pulled back from the hug and offered him an appreciative smile. A small break to chat and drink some hot cocoa wasn't going to hurt, so she accepted the offer with a nod and moved to prepare their drinks.

When she returned and sat down at the table, she listened and this time she made sure that she really paid attention. She was still feeling a bit embarrassed about missing what he was trying to tell her earlier.

"That's... troubling, to say the least," Valery said after she let him finish the story, "You seem positive about your place getting fixed, but doesn't it worry you that you're not even really sure who is behind it all?" She frowned and thought back to her own experiences with people coming after her. Every single time it was either obvious who sent the Bounty hunters, or she figured it out quickly enough. Not knowing seemed a lot more stressful.

However, Omen remained fairly calm and focused despite it all. He turned around and placed his hand over her own, which got her to offer him a friendly smile, "You're a good friend, Omen, and I'm sure things will turn out alright in the end. Your bar will get fixed, and after today, you'll be closer to building your lightsaber as well. Once you're used to wielding one, it's going to be a lot tougher to find Bounty Hunters willing to go after you." She smirked a little and raised her cup of hot cocoa up to her lips for a careful sip.

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen raised an eyebrow at her statement before sitting down. "Just don't run yourself ragged. It is all I ask. Besides Vera wants her Mommy to come home." A guilting a parent by putting their child in the subject line. It was a very effective tactic and hopefully would be effective in persuading Val into not getting killed.

The Clone stroked his chin thoughtfully as Val questioned if he should be worried. "Of course, it worries me but I have no information to go off of. It could be anyone. Hell, my own countrymen or woman could have sheltered one of the hunters for all I know. But as I said, both my people and their informants plus the police are looking for them. If they get caught, then we will get the information out one way or another..." He pulled out his datapad and shoved it across the table, the screen shoeing two wanted posters. One was for a tall human male in his mid 30's with brown hair and blue eyes with a lightsaber burn on the right side of his face. The other was of a blue-haired teenager with a crazy grin on her face who looked like she had starved herself half to death. "The girl scares me more than the man... I've only met one or two sithspawn in my life personally but if I was to say she was anything, I would bet she is one of them... Bloodthirsty the lot of them though some are more controlled than others... She wasn't one of the controlled ones..."

Omen gave an eye roll and a smirk in exchange for the Jedi's supportive words. "Things will turn out as something alright. I guess we will see what exactly it is at the end of the line. I disagree about the lightsaber though, it won't scare the boogeymen away. It will probably only attract them in order to have it. Still, it will be nice to have an elegant weapon in these trying times. Maybe it can teach me civility."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

Valery blinked — was he guilt-tripping her into being more careful? Her eyes narrowed but after a few seconds, she sighed and realized that it was actually working, "You're right..." she admitted as an image of her little girl flashed into her mind. Nothing was more important to her than her family, and she couldn't risk Vera losing her mother just because she didn't understand when to take a break.

Luckily though, the conversation shifted and Valery nodded along, "I'm just glad you stay realistic and patient under the stress. You're doing what you can, even if it means having to wait for police reports." She knew how difficult that could be, but trying to take matters into his own hands would only complicate the situation, and put him at risk. He was thinking this through quite well, in her opinion.

Omen then showed the wanted posters, and while she didn't recognize them at all, it was quite obvious what kind of types they were, which he further confirmed, "Have some hope," Valery said when he wasn't entirely convinced about things turning out alright. "But I agree, the lightsaber teaches a lot of things to its wielder, and punishes those who aren't ready for it. Even the journey to construct the lightsaber is a test in some ways."

"You'll see soon, in the caves."

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"Wow, that's a first. I don't think I have ever been right before. Anyway, just keep it in mind." Omen chuckled as he realized he probably should have just let it drop. She was an adult, a Jedi, and didn't need a scolding. If she didn't know her own limits by now, she was really in trouble.

The Clone shrugged as the conversation shifted back to the attack."I have to. No good stressing out about..." A sudden pinging from his pad caught his attention. As his eyes scanned through the information, Val could probably feel the room become cold. "I was right... My people visited the hospital and apparently, the blue-haired girl visited another girl named Hilal Vizsla. The same young person that protested you being at the meeting on Kestri. I bet she fits on the web somehow... Probably she is just harboring the Sithspawn till she can get her off-world... Harboring the person who extinguished two lives and hurt many more..." As his eyes started to turn bloodshot as rage filled his body. The pad's screen began to crack as his metal hands gripped it in a vise. It was clear if the Jedi didn't change the topic, that he would soon be smashing the pad against the wall.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

She rolled her eyes a little at his first comment, but she wasn't going to argue it. The advice was appreciated, and she knew he said what he said because he cared about his friend. So she just let the conversation shift and watched quietly while he seemed to receive some kind of message.

It was only when she listened and felt the powerful emotions rising within him, that she leaned forward and placed a hand over his, "Easy there, I know it's hard but it'll be okay," she said with a slight frown. Valery hadn't just encountered Hilal at the meeting on Kestri, she had actually talked to her later that day as well.

To think she knew someone involved in these attacks...

"Let's focus on the crystal gathering for now. I can take you to the caves and explain a little about how it works?"

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

The Clone started to vibrate with rage just as the Jedi tried to calm her down, his free hand turned into a fist. "Oh, it will be okay when I'm strangling her. Two people are dead now because Hilal let an uncontrollable sithspawn in. They were my patrons... They were my responsibility... And now their families and friends have to watch them get carted out of my pub in body bags." All he could do for them now was try to avenge them however he could.

Closing his eyes and taking a few deep breaths, Omen's mind returned to clarity as Val suggested they start to head out to the caves. "Please... Lets go before more bad news comes in..."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

"Just be careful, okay?" Valery asked, having noticed and felt the anger within him. Every part of her being wanted to warn him about these feelings, and the desire for revenge, especially with him tapping into his Force-sensitivity more and more, but this wasn't the right time. He was already frustrated enough.

Omen then closed his eyes and after taking a few deep breaths, he seemed to be more composed. Valery nodded and got up from her seat before she began to guide him through the stone halls of the Ilum Temple, all the way until they reached a large open room with a massive door of ice. It looked beautiful in the light that shined through the windows and cracks, and just beyond it, Omen would likely feel a very peaceful, calming presence calling out to him.

"When I open this door," Valery began as she turned around to face him, "You'll go inside and you must follow the guidance of the Force. There are countless crystals in there, but only one is meant for you. Only one will bond to your being, so remain calm and follow your senses."

"Along the way, you're going to be challenged, but don't let it stop you from making it through." She smiled and held up a hand to telekinetically change the mechanism in the far back, which got a huge lense to focus sun rays on the door of ice, causing it to melt rapidly.

"Are you ready?"

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

As Valery stood, Omen would follow. It was what he could do in this situation. He was a guest in her temple and he had already caused one scene. Better to not cause another. As they got closer to their destination, he started to hear the siren's call. It was a strange feeling that told him that he was going the right way.

When they got to the door, the soldier's body grew rigid as he looked at the reflection of himself on the ice. After Valery explained what was going to happen and melted the door, Omen couldn't help but give a little smirk. Into the secret cave to be murdered by a Snow Wampa. How fun. When Valery asked if he was ready, he nodded and turned on a headlamp built into his helmet, its bright light shining into the pitch blackness. "I'm ready, lets's see if my body and mind is too."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

"Follow your senses, and I'm sure you'll find your way," Valery said with a smile while she watched Omen get ready. Then, after stepping inside, he'd feel something deep within the caves — there was a presence that called out to him. It was faint but calm and with enough focus, it could help him find his way through the various hallways that were all covered in ice and snow, and most of them were lit by countless small crystals.

This place felt strong and unique in the Force.

​

But as he ventured further into the crystal-lit caves, he would feel something else as well. A familiar presence that likely could provoke anger in the man — a whisper carried along the currents of the Force, and when it reached his mind, the image of the blue-haired woman flashed into his mind again.

A vision perhaps, about the hunter who had caused him so much trouble. But the details were vague, and if he wanted to learn more about it, he would have to take a different path, and follow these whispers instead.

Sergeant Omen ​

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen surveyed the Cavern with both his eyes and the force. It felt ancient and untouched unlike so much of the galaxy that seemed to be turned over and over again. I guess that's what happens if you have Jedi as your protectors. He was aware that each of these crystals was a sentient though calling these crystals living beings was a stretch. A living being could protect itself or at least try to hit back. These fragile crystals could do no such thing, they only could be broken into smaller pieces or worse, corrupted by the darkness. He shivered as he imagined the screams one of those crystals would give off. At least they would give the Sith earache.

The Clone's hand felt the damp cave wall as he tried not to lose his footing as the only light of the crystals in front of him. It was a miracle he hadn't tripped on one of the little buggers by now. As he had walked maybe 10 to 15 minutes into the cave, he had reached a fork in the road his mind started to grow hazy. In his thoughts, a Gatling gun started to spin up with that... blue-haired monster's evil laugh in the background. Blaster bolts whizzed out of the weapon's barrels and hit against two beating hearts, breaking them into bits. The laughter then faded away, bouncing off the walls of the left path. He started to run after it but stopped after only a few steps. What was he doing? Only one statement rang through his head. There is no anger, no fear, only the force. Besides, what would Val think if he had run after the first thing that challenged him with a chainsaw. After taking another breath and relaxing his body, he moved to the right path and keep traveling, wondering when or if more tests would come.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Ilum

"Omen? Something's wrong. Where are you?"

After he had distanced himself from the strange distraction that had reached him through a vision, he had been able to follow the path towards his crystal undisturbed for a few minutes. But the familiar voice of Valery was one he could never mistake for another, and while still distant, she seemed to be in distress.

"Please don't run!"

Her exhaustion and fear echoed as a wave through the Force, drawing his focus away again, this time behind him. Did something terrible happen, forcing her to come after him? It was difficult to tell but if he knew what his friend felt like, all of this would be extremely difficult to ignore.

"Omen...?" the voice echoed again.

Sergeant Omen ​