Private Way of the Jedi

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

With how busy her life had become, it was increasingly more difficult to find time for long training sessions alone. But today, her Padawans were off to do their own thing, her daughter was with a babysitter and there were no new incidents that required her attention. So she took the time to retreat into one of the Temple's main training rooms and went through a long list of exercises. From simple lightsaber form training with probe droids to more intense movements and exercises that combined her use of the blade with use of the Force.

But after a few hours of such intense training, Valery was sweating, breathing heavier, and starting to feel her muscles ache. So with her double-bladed weapon ignited, she transitioned into some slower patterns with the weapon, focused on fluidity, elegance, and calming the body and mind together. It allowed her to end this training session calm and collected, and ready to take on whatever came next during the day.

What she hadn't picked up on with the inwards focus, however, was the Jedi Knight who was approaching her training room. She stood with her eyes closed and moved around the center of the room as if she was the only person in the Galaxy. Everything had been cleared away from her mind, so she could center herself within the Force and prepare herself for her future duties.

 

[Luric Ee'everwest]

Coruscant Temple

Gear: Robes, Lightsaber
Tags: Valery Noble

​

A rare moment of respite. This was what Luric had found this day, and it was very odd for him indeed. No classes to attend, or teach for that matter, no routine training to be done. No studies in which to lose himself in, a rare thing to be certain. So, the young Atrisian Knight walked aimlessly throughout the Jedi Temple, simply letting the Force guide his path. He had no destination in mind, and in this regard, he let his mind empty itself. He simply ceased to think on things, a rare ability that took him years to achieve. He let his mind wander, to go where it may, with no influence other than that of the Force.

Hands clasped behind the small of his back, his ebon black hair untied and fluttering freely in the light winds that blew throughout the halls of the Temple, he walked. His pace was slow, and he took the time to admire the architecture, the various statues and poignant imagery that it had to offer. Most never noticed, too busy with where to go next, what they might be late for, whatever appoint they needed to keep, or emergency they perceived. Sometimes, a simple walk was all that one really needed in life.

Soon, however, he felt a strong presence in the Force. One of immense strength, yet tempered by great compassion. He knew this presence, as he'd been within it's influence a fair few times by now. Moving along, he found himself in a doorway, watching as the Master Jedi practiced her saber forms, entranced at the fluidity and grace of her movements. She reminded him of the great Atrisian master swordsmen, her command of the blade near perfect. Then, just like that, her session with the blade seemed to come to a close. Her eyes, from what he could tell, remained shut, and he could feel her within the Force, focusing on it, harmonizing with it.

"Greetings, Master Noble. Training alone today, I take it?" he said softly as he stood just within the doorway to the training room. It quite reminded him of the dojo he frequented with his half-brother Ardin years ago. It gave him a sense of familiarity, and a welcome feeling as well. "I do hope I am not disturbing you."

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

The long routine of fluid movements slowly began to fade out after a long display of various techniques in different styles. Her breathing had become steady once again, her mind, body, and the Force were all attuned to each other, and so with a long, peaceful exhale, Valery's blade arched around from one side, back in front of her. She tapped its ignition switch with her thumb, and the moment the violet blades disengaged, she was open to the world around her once again.

Her senses took note of another presence, one calm in the Force and one familiar to her mind — they had stood together in battle against Kyrel Ren, but she had gotten very little time to get to know him better. Perhaps this was a good opportunity after a long day of training.

"Knight Ee'verwest," Valery said with a respectful bow of her head. "It has been a quiet day, so I figured I'd go through some training alone, yes," she added with a smile. "You came right as I was finishing up as well, so you were certainly not disturbing me." She paused and looked around the training room for a moment.

"Were you wanting to make use of the room? Or is there something else I can help you with?"

 

[Luric Ee'everwest]

Coruscant Temple

Gear: Robes, Lightsaber
Tags: Valery Noble

Luric nodded slightly as she spoke to him about her training. Indeed, the day had been very quiet thus far. If one took a moment to stop and really listen, they could hear all manner of things floating about in the silence, he found. Still, he watched her with curious eyes as she stopped too look around the room for a moment.


"Perhaps, perhaps not. The Force guides my path this day, and so I find myself right where it intended me to be." he said, with a smile as warm as a sunlit day, his temperament like a blue sky with nary a cloud to be seen. Truly, for one who had as much turmoil within their soul as he, it seemed he handled it with a certain type of poise and control. He was, after all, only a human being like any other. He had his ups and down, joys and sadness, pain and peace alike. "I do not know, Master Noble, but perhaps it is the will of the Force that we might walk and talk?" he said, gesturing to the hallways beyond the dojo-styled training room.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

For a moment, Valery studied the Knight quietly. Both now and during their encounter with Kyrel Ren, she could see and feel an aura of calmness surrounding Luric, but now that she had a moment to truly focus her senses on him, she felt there was a lot more to him. Much of it was deep beneath the surface, but faint tremors reached her through the Force, reminding her of herself in many ways. Despite her demeanor, Valery held great turmoil within her at bay constantly. A product of her past, of loss and events she could never truly overcome entirely.

She wondered what was behind his exterior.

"Walk and talk?" She looked at the door for a moment, then nodded with a smile. Valery then raised her hands to fix up her ponytail and straightened out her clothing a little before she gestured towards the exit with a hand. "Right this way," she told him before she began to walk, hopefully with him joining her. "We haven't really gotten a chance to talk much. How have you been settling into everything?"

She paused and glanced at him through the corners of her eyes, "Anything you need help with?"

 

[Luric Ee'everwest]

Coruscant Temple

Gear: Robes, Lightsaber
Tags: Valery Noble

As Valery began to fix her hair and straighten herself out a bit, Luric himself took the time to do something similar, brushing his hair back behind his ears. As she motioned toward the door, he turned on a heel, and fell in-step with the Jedi Master, walking beside her. "True, we have not, not since that business with Kyrel Ren, and even then..." he mentioned it only because he found that his actions, while just and true, surprised him. He had tapped into areas of the Force he did not realize he was capable of, and it came as a bit of a shock. Not that anyone would have known as much, as he always kept himself focused when in such situations. He might broach the topic a little later, should the conversation veer that direction.

"Ahh, I am finding it to be slow going, but I am settling in as well as expected. My cousin Briana has been most helpful in that regard. Although, some of her friends surprise me. She's always been a good judge of character, but they are nothing like those we grew up with back on Naboo."

He paused for a moment, turning his head ever so slightly, his pale blue eyes looking to Valery with a bit of concern as she asked if there was anything he might need help with. That was a bit of a sensitive topic, at least to his personal pride. "Actually, there is something which troubles me. I have been training as a Jedi since I was a small boy, as you are aware of, no doubt. Before the events upon Naboo that forced my family to uproot themselves to Hapes, my Mentor and Aunt, Teyla Sal-Soren had conferred upon me the title of Knight..." his gaze went back to looking ahead of the pair as they walked among the corridors of the Temple. His hands clasped together, resting upon the small of his back, as his lightsaber hilt swayed rhythmically at his side.

"...but I am unsure just how 'official' that title is within the Order. I feel as if I am one of the ancient Samurai of Atrisia, with no Master to speak of. A Ronin, if you will."

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

As they began to walk and started their conversation, Valery's expression visibly brightened even more at the mention of Briana Sal-Soren . The young woman was clearly special to her, and Luric likely already knew why. "I'm glad to hear that she has been able to help so much. Briana and Iris were my first two Padawans after I got out of stasis, and she has grown a lot. I'm very proud of her," she said with a soft smile.

"And yes, some of her friends can be... interesting, but they're all good people."

Valery chuckled softly but her expression grew a little more serious when her fiery eyes shifted to meet his. She could feel that something bothered him even before he openly said it, so she listened intently. After he explained his situation, she dipped her head and offered him one seemingly simple question to answer, but one with a lot of purpose behind it.

"What do you think it takes to be a Jedi Knight? What separates one from a Padawan?"

 

[Luric Ee'everwest]

Coruscant Temple

Gear: Robes, Lightsaber
Tags: Valery Noble

As they continued to walk throughout the Temple, Luric stopped, and looked out onto the courtyard beyond the massive stone pillars. All manner of Jedi wandered about, some meditating, others practicing saber movements, while a small group of younglings were being trained in how to levitate objects with the Force. Taking a few steps forward, he lamented upon his own training, thinking back to all the times he had tried to learn something new from his Aunt Teyla, and how she would always push him harder to succeed. He thought about all the times he simply could not 'get it' with certain abilities, and how he would fail over and over again. He was always trying to do better, to become better, to learn how to move past his shortcomings, and to gain a better understanding in the Force. He pondered all of this, and then looked up into the sky, drawing in a deep breath, before letting it out slowly.

"There is no truly right or wrong answer to your question, Master Noble. Some might say a Jedi who has passed the Trials separates the Padawans from the Knights. Others might tell you it is the courage to face adversity without relying on their Master to guide them. Others yet may say that a Knight has a better grasp upon the Force and how to commune with it..."

Looking back down, over the courtyard, he turned to Valery, and spoke plainly to her, with an even yet still respectful tone.

"I would say that the day I realized that the greatest teacher I would ever have would be my own failures... that is the day I was no longer a Padawan, but a Jedi Knight."

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

In response to his comment about her question, Valery nodded in agreement and smiled kindly, "It's why I asked what you think it takes to be a Jedi Knight," she said calmly. There wasn't really a right or wrong as long as certain base criteria were met, but each Jedi had a slightly different perspective on what aspects of the Jedi life they valued the most. If he wondered about how official his rank of Knight would be, all she cared about was that he believed he had earned it.

So as they walked, Valery listened intently and dipped her head in response to his final statement.

"Then, as far as I'm concerned, or the Order, you're a Jedi Knight. You've been trained, you know what it means to be a Jedi, and you believe in it yourself." If there had been any doubt, she would have pushed on it a little more, but he seemed convinced that he was a Knight, and she had seen nothing that made her doubt it. He was calm, collected, and embodied the values of the Jedi. He had it in him to be one of the finer Knights of this order.

"If you're concerned about the paperwork regarding this, though, I can make sure to check that for you," she added with a slightly amused smirk.

 

[Luric Ee'everwest]

Coruscant Temple

Gear: Robes, Lightsaber
Tags: Valery Noble

He had to smile at that. The Force was there, teaching him yet another lesson in life as it always seemed to do. "Paperwork, hmm? The rest of the Council will make you fill out all those forms in triplicate, I expect?" he said with a hearty and genuinely joyous laugh. "While I jest, it is true that I am a trained Knight, but even as a Knight, should I not still have a Master from which to learn?" he asked as they began to walk once more down the corridors of the temple.

Luric knew that Knights tended to be given much more freedom, and had certain responsibilities, which he would gladly undertake with nary a complaint. He even had a new Padawan apprentice joining them here at the Temple soon in the form of his old childhood friend, Artemis Lu . Still, he wondered about furthering his studies with someone to guide him, as his recently acquired ability to seemingly generate Force Light had raised some serious questions in his mind. It was not bad, not at all, but he was always the inquisitive type.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

"I try to get out of having to do too much paperwork, but sometimes it's unavoidable," Valery said with a soft chuckle while she followed him through the hallway to go nowhere in particular. They could choose to head to the mess hall, outside for fresh air, or nowhere at all, and just wander around. It didn't really matter to her — she had nothing else planned and enjoyed some calm conversation like this.

It wasn't often she had the time for it.

"Well, my Master once told me the path of a Jedi is that of an eternal student, so it doesn't hurt to still learn from others. But it's different than what you've done as a Padawan — you're not under one Jedi's wing anymore, and your own responsibilities are higher. But if you believe you can learn something from a fellow Knight or a Master, then always take that chance." Even now, Valery was learning new things herself, and she was one of the more experienced Jedi at least within the NJO, which largely consisted of Padawans and young Knights.

Learning never stopped as a Jedi.

"Is there anything, in particular, you think you should learn, or something you want to learn?"

 

[Luric Ee'everwest]

Coruscant Temple

Gear: Robes, Lightsaber
Tags: Valery Noble

​

As they strolled along through the Temple, Luric would nod quietly as Valery spoke more on the subject of learning. She was quite right, and he thought her to be very wise indeed. After all, once you've not only had a chance to fight alongside someone, but to truly just talk with them, you begin to understand them. Much can be said without the need for words, but it was always a good idea to try to see the larger picture before you. A group of younglings came running past them, waving and smiling brightly, a couple even calling out 'Hiya Master Noble!' as they did. It brought Luric much joy to see that the war did not permeate everything in life.

As they continued down the corridor, he pondered her words for a moment, and then spoke with a questioning tone. "I would like to try to understand what happened in the battle with Kyrel Ren more. That Light I brought forth through the Force, I have no idea how I achieved it. It seemed to affect the Sith Lord in ways I've not seen the Darkness revolt from before. I would like to try to learn more about it if possible."

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Luric Ee'everwest

Valery's focus had entirely been on Luric throughout their conversation, but a group of younglings running passed her did briefly pull her attention away. She offered a smile and a quick wave to the couple who called out to her, "Watch where you run!" she called after them, but she knew they probably didn't hear her. Or they simply chose not to. Either way, she looked back at Luric with an amused smirk and continued the conversation.

"You used it unintentionally?" Valery asked after he explained something that clearly surprised her. "Well, what you used seemed to be Force Light to me, an ability that weakens a dark sider's connection to the Force or even purges it completely. It can be extremely useful to neutralize corrupted artifacts but it's also potent against Sith or others tainted by the Dark Side," Valery explained and allowed that information to sink in just a little.

"It's one of the more important skills I've had to study and progress when I still worked as a Jedi Shadow, so I can answer questions you might have about it."