Private Trouble Focusing

[Sergeant Omen]

As Valery nodded to the mother, she would receive a shy half-smile before the woman pulled the alien child into her lap and cuddled her close to her own chest. Omen of course knew what the young meant to the Mandalorian culture. They would know what had come before and adjust plans for what would come after he was gone. They were Enclave's greatest asset and if thrown away, would be the Enclave's greatest loss. "I'm glad. We aren't the Mandos of the past. We don't want to ransack the galaxy anymore or at least... not all of us. It is those that straddle the line between protector and destroyer that you have to look out for.

20 minutes later, a chime sounded as the intercom announced their arrival at his home. "Now arriving at University District Station. Please keep away from the doors until the tram comes to a full stop. Thank you and have a nice day." The Clone stamped his foot to try to get it to walk up after the short journey. "Stupid nerve sensors... Come on, my pub is just across the street." As the car's door opened, he pretended to hold the door apart for her. "Ladies first."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

She just smiled at the mother and their child hugging — it reminded her of home. Of Vera, and that would always make her feel even better, "I'll make sure to be careful, but most Mandalorians I've met seem to be just fine," she chuckled and looked around with a brighter smile. Slowly but surely, she was getting used to the planet, even if she was still receiving the occasional strange look from people.

It was easy enough to look past that, and enjoy the planet for what it was. Home to a lot of people.

"A pub?" she raised an eyebrow after she stepped off the tram and watched him, "As in, you live inside or above a bar?" Maybe she was just not that clever when it came to these things, but that definitely sounded a little strange to her.

"I'm sorry if I'm asking a lot of stupid questions," she quickly added with a chuckle.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"As in I own and operate one. I live in the basement where all the evil experiments go on. The main level is the bar which includes booths, a fighting pit, TV monitors all over the place, and a full menu. The two levels above are guest rooms." He was surprised he hadn't told the Jedi about his bar during their lessons. Then again, they had talked more about the force than their personal lives on that trip. Well, they did, just more of hers than his. Not like he had a lot to talk about.

"It's fine, stupid questions are what make us more aware as people. Even a Jedi can't know everything. The Sith wouldn't be able to infiltrate the Senate two times otherwise." As came down the station's steps, he pointed to a plain brick building with a sign that showed a sleeping Mythosaur in a cave with the lettering underneath the picture saying "The Mythosaur's Den". "Ah, home sweet home"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

"A fighting pit, hm?" There was a brief fiery spark in her eyes, but it was replaced by just a smirk from the woman, "I didn't know you had all this, but it sounds very interesting. Not the type of place I find myself a lot, but I'm sure it's good business here?" Knowing Mandalorians even just a little bit, it wasn't difficult to guess that bars and fighting pits were extremely appealing to them.

Valery then looked back at Omen, and rolled her eyes at the comments that followed, "Mhmm...." she hummed along, "Your place looks great, though. Maybe we can grab a drink and meal before we contact my family? Or would that be a bit difficult?"

"I don't want to be a burden."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

A gentle chuckle left Omen's lips as he saw the sparkle in the Jedi's eyes when he mentioned the fighting ring. "Yes, a fighting pit that you can try out tomorrow. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you before this. I just haven't had the chance between running this place and my other adventures. And yes, the funds from the bar are enough for me to cover a lot of the operating costs for things like my ship." Opening the door for her, he let the Jedi into the open-air space with all it contained. The Clone gestured for her to find a seat as he went into the kitchen to get her a meal fit for a king or atleast a Jedi Master.

The world around her would swirl as armored people of multiple came in and left out the front door. A waitress did come over with a glass of Tihaar for her and said that Omen would be out soon with her meal. After 10 minutes, the double doors to the kitchen would part open as the ARC strode out and turned towards her, moving towards her with a plate of seasoned Gihaal and Tiingalar. Setting the plate down in front of her, the man huffed as he sat down. "Sorry, its a mess in there... The Dinner rush does strange things to people. I think you'll like it though. It is just like my imaginary mother used to make. Oh... and just in case you say you are a burden again..." He grabbed a roll of something off of his belt and unrolled it in front of her, revealing a t-shirt with a picture of the front of a Mythosaur's skull with blue firelike eyes gazing out of the cave towards the viewer with text around the picture saying. "You aren't a burden in the Mythosaur's Den. Only a Snack" The word snack looked to be drenched in blood, almost as drenched as the joy on Omen's face. "Ah, don't you just love T-Shirt Machines?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

"Oh it's quite alright, I get being busy," she said with a soft chuckle, "I probably shouldn't try the fighting ring tomorrow either though, I don't think my family will like that very much." She doubted Kahlil would really stop her, but she'd definitely get a 'look' for it, and she didn't want to come home to her daughter with bruises either.

The two then stepped inside and after she sat down, he went into the kitchen to prepare them a meal. A drink was placed in front of her and just a single sniff made it obvious how strong it was. Luckily, as a Jedi, she could outdrink men twice her size and not feel a thing if she focused on filtering the alcohol from her system.

So with only some hesitation from it being a strong drink, she took a careful sip and looked around at those inside the room. It was always interesting to see what types walked in and out, and the looks she was getting from some were amusing as well, to say the least.

"It's a nice place you got here," Valery said with a dip of her head when Omen finally returned, and presented their meals. It wasn't something she tried before but Valery didn't mind trying new things, even if her diet was very strict so she could maintain he physique. Her eyes were then drawn to the t-shirt and she began to chuckle, "A snack, hm? Don't often get called that, but it's a great shirt."

She paused a moment, then smiled softly in his direction, "Thank you, Omen. I appreciate all this."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"Hey, your family has to let you do the things you like on your own once in awhile. You'll lose your own identity otherwise. I won't talk." Even a Mom had to have a girl's weekend sometimes to do the things she loved to do without anything stopping her. Whose to say Val stepping in the fighting ring wasn't that. "Besides, you probably dump most of the people here."

Omen gave the Jedi a nod of thanks as he sat down at the table. His establishment was great in its own way and showed all of Kestri through its displays where the Mando culture had come from and hopefully where it could go. He pushed the T-shirt to the side before returning to the conversation. "To be honest, I'm surprised Kal hasn't called you that. Seems like a suitable pet name for you."

As the Jedi showed her gratitude, Omen just shrugged. "You let me into your life so I'm letting you into mine. Nothing more than that. If you want, I can bag two t-shirts up, one kid's medium and a..." The Clone eyed the Jedi up and down, considering her size. "I'll say small to be polite."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

"I'd dump them all," she said, somewhat smugly and with a big smirk, "And my family lets me do things on my own. Just... I'd rather not risk any injuries when I don't have to. It's something I don't want to worry Vera with, not yet." One day, she'd learn a lot more about what her mother did as a Jedi, but right now Valery wanted her kid to live a somewhat normal life.

Valery then turned to her food for a moment, and the smile she gained made it clear that she enjoyed it. But when Omen spoke again, she looked up and blinked, "Called me a snack?" she chuckled and almost choked on her food, "He calls me plenty of things, but I'll keep that behind closed doors."

She began to smirk to herself a little and looked at the t-shirts, "Small? I don't know how each size fits, but I'm not that small..." she blinked and looked down at her own body. At 5ft9, she wasn't the shortest and she definitely wasn't skinny or flat whatsoever. "I'll take what you think fits me best, though."

"I appreciate it," she added again with a smile. "Oh, and the food is delicious — I can see why you draw quite a crowd."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"Okay, Mrs. 8-Pack. I think we need to dial those testosterone levels back a bit or you might make the other guys nervous. And who said Vera had to see them. You could always use makeup to cover them over so she doesn't ask what Daddy does with Mommy in the night." Omen shook his head as he sipped his tea. As Valery said, what a couple did in its private time wasn't any of his business. At least he made her laugh. That was an achievement in itself.

The Clone reassessed the Jedi's size for a moment before answering her. "Large it is then. Sorry, I always think you are smaller than you actually are. I guess I've been talking with too many women who are 3 feet tall. As for the food, it takes a lot of experimentation to get kaminii as tasty as that. I'm just glad I got the right amount of spices and seasonings to make the long necks palatable."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

Valery snorted and waved her hand a little, "They should be nervous," she joked with that same smirk, "But my testosterone levels are just fine, and well... I'd rather not have to use make-up to hide anything from her. But I'll admit that it's tempting — I love myself some good sparring, and it's not often I get to practice with Mandalorians."

Still, though, she knew better than to give in to those desires.

The woman then chuckled again as he corrected the size of the shirt, "Medium might work too, I like my clothing to not be overly loose. But if the large falls tightly enough around the body, I'll go with that." She smiled a little to herself and took another bite of the food, "You've done a great job with it. Unless it's some kind of secret, I'd love to get the recipe."

"I enjoy cooking, so maybe I can try making it for my family."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"I guess you'll just have to bring the family here on vacation then so little Vera can see how badass you are in person." Omen just smiled happily as he wolfed down his own meal. If Valery didn't want to fight, she didn't have to fight. Either way, the Clone definitely knew by now not to push a Jedi around.

Shrugging at her comments about her shirt size, Omen explained the reason why a large might work best."Oh, a large will be alright. You can use the force to grow to the size you want to be in order to fit it, can't you? Besides, you'll probably be wearing it as a nightshirt anyway. The rest of the time you'll be wearing the bed sheets of your little sect and you definitely won't be wearing it into combat. Though it probably would confuse the Maw to no end. As for the meal..." He raised his pinky out like he was a normal kid in school and he and his besties were about to make a promise to never break apart. "You'll have to pinky promise me you won't give it over to anyone else or the entire galaxy will know it and I'll be out of business. After that, I'll write it down for you."

The man included one last spear in his words as his pupils met the Jedi's bright orange eyes. "Besides, I thought Kal did all of the cooking in your household because of the fear that you would set the whole dome aflame if you tried it."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

"Maybe one day. I think Vera would love seeing it — she gets very excited when I train already," she chuckled to herself and listened to his comments about the shirt. "Well, I can't make myself grow to fit it better, but you make some good points. It'll be nice for a nightshirt or if I'm just relaxing at home after working or training hard."

She offered him a smile but blinked when he raised his pinky. There was a look of confusion for a moment from the woman who wasn't all too familiar with pinky promises, but when he explained it, she began to smirk, "Alright, I pinky promise that I won't give the recipe to anybody else," she said while she interlocked pinkies with him.

Hoping he'd write it down for her now, she looked at him expectantly... only for him to comment on her cooking skills, "Heyyy..." she feigned offense and rolled her eyes, "I cook all the time as well, I love doing it," she added with a nod, "And without setting the kitchen on fire."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"I think Vera just loves being with you period. You are her mother after all." Her daughter probably loved her too much and she would probably live up to her mom... too much. She could be Val or Kal and the sooner she realized it the better. Hopefully, it wouldn't mean she would be permanently stuck in her famous Jedi parent's shadow her whole life. But of course, Omen didn't say that to the Jedi's face. Just like how she wore her shirt, it was Val's decision how to parent her daughter. He would be damned before he crossed that line

Omen gave the Jedi a grateful smile as she took his pinkie into hers and shook it, only for her to cringe at his comments and protest. "Then why didn't you cook for me then while I was on New Cov? I don't remember you feeding me anything. But anyway..." Reaching into a pouch onto his belt and brought out a notepad, writing out the instructions for how to make his fishmeal and fluffy bread. "Here you go. I hope Kal and Vera enjoy it."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

"Oh of course, but you should see her when I train or spar someone. Few things get her as excited as that," she chuckled but did agree with his point. Vera was still very young and in that phase where her parents are her everything. The plan was for her to be going to school soon, which was going to eventually change the dynamic a little.

Although, with how close their family could be, she hoped Vera wouldn't get too rebellious.

Valery then rolled her eyes a little at his comment, "I didn't cook on New Cov because someone else was there to help with it. But I promise that next time I'll cook you one of my favorite meals. Deal?" she smirked and watched him take out the notepad so he could write down the recipe. Some of the ingredients were a bit new to her and maybe required her to find suitable replacements that were easily accessible where she lived.

But it was exciting to try something new.

"Thank you, Omen, I'm sure they will love it."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"Nothing gets people pumped up like a spar, especially when the little one gets to watch her mother kickass." The Clone could imagine the little 3-year-old Vera punching the air as she watched her mother dual in the fighting ring while shouting out encouragement. Yeah, he could definitely imagine that scene.

Omen nodded as he pulled his hand away, accepting her reasoning without question. "Deal." With a rip, he tore the note out of the notepad and handed it over to her. "I can source all the ingredients and ship them over to you. Just will take a couple of days to get them to you. And hey, as long as you and your family are happy, I'm happy. Now finish up so we can call your daughter before it's past her bedtime."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

Valery smiled warmly at the idea of Vera watching her kick ass. She was always a ball of excitement when she sparred with her husband already, so a proper fight where she didn't hold back to avoid bigger injuries would be something else entirely. But perhaps it was best to keep it for when she was just a little bit older.

Besides, returning to Kestri wasn't exactly the easiest thing either.

"If you can help me get the ingredients, that would be fantastic. I'll have to definitely pay you back somehow though, either by cooking next time or if there's anything more I could teach you or help you with, just let me know," she chuckled and turned to her food. Luckily, Valery was a big eater and she got through it really quickly.

"Alright, time to make that call and call it a day after, hm?"

 

[Sergeant Omen]

"Just your friendship is enough, that's priceless. But I'm sure we could figure out more lessons once I get that dang saber ready." The Clone tried to match her speed but found it difficult to keep up as she inhaled her meal. He was just barely finishing up 5 minutes after she was done with her meal. "Now, I had my suspicions but now I really know what you are. You aren't a Jedi, you are a trash compactor in human form."

Sliding out of the Booth, he gestured for the Jedi to follow him. He would lead her through the kitchens and to a small room that looked like the entrance to a supply closet. On the inside though, was a working elevator. Pulling a simple lever, he would release the car from its moorings and send it clanking down down down into the deep.

Eventually, the car would hit bedrock and Omen would pull on the lever again, opening the doors to a lab with sectioned-off areas with various homegrown experiments. In the middle of the room stood a large holo table showing various news updates and stock information. "Here we are. We just need your home comm codes."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

When he commented about how fast she could eat, Valery blinked and felt her face turning red from embarrassment, which was likely an unusual thing to see from her, "I uh..." she chuckled and nodded, "Well, I have to eat quite a bit to maintain my current body weight and remain healthy while I train and work so much. So... yeah," she smirked and moved out of the booth herself to follow him.

The two made it down using the elevator and when she stepped up to the holo-table, she put in the comm codes to reach her home. The call started, and after a moment, Vera's happy little smile popped up — Kahlil had helped her figure it out so she could talk to her mother, "Hey sweetie, it's good to see you."

"Mommy!" she grinned but quickly turned her dyad-eyes to Omen, "This here is Omen, you met him once when you were very little. Say hello," Valery said with a soft chuckle, and Vera immediately began to smile in his direction, "Hello Omen!" she called out, and Valery just watched with the proud smile of a mother.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Jedi Master Valery Noble embarrassed, yeah that was worthy of him getting his helmet on and taking several screenshots of the red cheeks before moving on. "Mhm, we will go with that explanation."

Omen gave a gentle wave to the little combination of her mother and father. Little ones really did grow up quickly. Or maybe he was just growing old. "Hey, Vera. You've grown up fast. Just keep eating your parents out of house and home, I'm sure you'll even be a better trash compactor than your mother when you're grown. Seeing how effective a trash compactor your mother is, it will be quite the accomplishment." Did Omen need to twist the knife in more, no of course not. But the Clone didn't really have anything else to say to the young tot so he went with what first came to mind, embarrassing Valery even more.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Kestri
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Sergeant Omen

While Omen continued to make fun of Valery's eating habits, he'd likely notice the death glare from the woman to his side, but she meant it in a fun way. Vera, however, was all giggles and smiles, "Mommy is the best!" she exclaimed happily, which instantly got Valery to smile brightly again. It was only natural that she loved her daughter, but it seemed impossible for her not to smile.

"You are, my little star," Valery said as she looked back at Vera.

"Have you already brushed your teeth and gotten ready for bed? It's getting late."

"Yes mom..." Vera said, clearly not as excited about the idea of going to bed, "Good, I'll be back home soon and then I can read you stories again. But maybe you can bug daddy for one too," she chuckled and Vera nodded, "I miss you, mommy," she admitted, to which Valery responded with a smile that had a slight hint of somberness to it.

"Don't worry, tomorrow I'll give you a big hug and we go for a walk in the forest, okay?" Instantly, Vera was all happy again and grinned, "Okay!"

"Now, say good night to Omen and we'll let you go to bed."

"Good night, Omen!" Vera exclaimed.

"Love you, little star," Valery said before blowing her a kiss. The signal then finally broke, and she turned back to look at Omen, "Very funny, Omen. But you know I'll have my payback now, right?"