Private Abduction on Naboo

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"We're working with half the information, and I'm worried that's gonna cost us."

​

It seemed even Valery was stumped as to the Sith's motives. Everything about this situation set off alarm bells in his head, but they didn't have the time to sit around and play detective. Especially now that Valery had pinpointed the children's location, and she was right: there was no way they'd be able to just sneak off with a handful of slaves, not when everyone's attention was on the stage.

Gatz had been trying to brainstorm how they were going to pull this off, without starting a massive brawl, when they came to the bottom step of the staircase and entered the lowest level of the room. They were at the back of a crowd of a thousand people, mostly malnourished slaves, along with some slave owners, a handful of guards with electro-whips and blasters, and a few other malcontent's who wanted to be at the heart of all the action.

And up on the stage, behind a number of microphones, was Kragan Garr.

He hadn't changed much, from Gatz's last encounter with the man. Kragan was an aging Quarren, thin and almost feeble, but with bright eyes that shone with intelligence. He dressed in an extravagant robe: black, with gold lining, looking like a king among pirates and slaves. Two of his facial tentacles were missing, having been replaced with prosthetics plated in gold.

He dragged a slave onto the stage, a Togruta male, barely dressed but more muscular than most. Either a labor slave who'd been surprisingly well-nourished, or a very new slave. The old Quarren forced the man to his knees, and one of his guards came to hold the man down.

"Another fine specimen right here," Kragan spoke Huttese, something most scoundrels were fluent in, "Togruta, thirties. Plenty of muscle and..."

Kragan reached down with a finger, hooking the man's mouth open, revealing his teeth.

"and fantastic oral hygiene! Very well maintained! Let's start the bidding on this one."

Disgusting. Seeing this sight, close up, and knowing that his son had been every bit as evil... well, maybe Gatz could forgive himself for taking Kreth's life. He wanted to take Kragan's, right about now. But, instead of acting rashly, he forced out a long breath. He wasn't here for Kragan, or even for these slaves. And as much as he wanted to help them, there was nothing they could do right now.

They had to snag the children and leave. And to do that, they either had to fight every pirate, smuggler, and droid in this massive station, or...

"I... have an idea," Gatz said slowly, reluctantly, and quiet enough that only Valery could hear, "I think I can keep Kragan and his goons occupied for a minute, but you're gonna have to move quick."

And so would he, if he wanted to make it off this station, but he didn't mention that part.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery had grabbed Gatz's arm to stop him and change directions, but she hadn't let go. Now, with Kragan and the Togruta slave visible up on the stage, her grip on his wrist tightened and her jaw clenched. There was a lot of anger in the Jedi Master, a dangerous amount, but she was able to control it this time, even though she didn't seem to realize that she was squeezing down on his arm.

"Oh uh, sorry..."

She blinked and smiled sheepishly before letting go, but after that brief second of her confusion, the flash of anger ignited in her fiery eyes all over again. Valery desperately wanted to stop all of this, and just run up stage to free ever single slave, and fight whoever dared to try and stop her. Perhaps, she'd actually be able to manage it too — most of these thugs were cowards who would never risk their lives by attacking a Jedi, and especially not one with her status. But she knew better than to take these risks right now, and sighed deeply.

Then, when she seemed to be a bit lost, Gatz proposed a plan.

"I can move quick, but Gatz..." Valery knew there was a catch to this plan. "Please be safe, alright? I'm not here to get these kids back and leave you behind in the process." She gave him a bit of a glare now, and poked his chest. "You better catch up with me soon."

With that, she turned and began to move up towards the stage as quietly as she could, all to avoid being noticed.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"Valery, I can't feel my fingers," Gatz whispered, and once she had let go of him, added, "thank you."

By the time Valery was done with him, his arm was likely to be in worse condition than his back. It wasn't that Gatz minded being her stress ball, but he was going to need both his arms for what he was about to do. At least, he'd need them if he had any chance of bailing himself out of the situation he was about to get himself into.

He was touched that Valery cared about his safety, which made him even more reluctant to leave her side. But he was resolute in his choice of action, even as it terrified him to his core.

"I'll do my best not to become a martyr, but I can't promise I'll be safe. Could you?" Gatz shook his head, "these children have their whole lives ahead of them. I've already screwed up mine. If we have to choose, better we get them out than me."

With his piece spoken, Gatz drew in a long breath, and let it out in a sigh. Then he removed his cloak, and let it drop to the floor, and pushed down the aisle toward the stage. It was funny: there was a very real chance that these could be his last moments. He'd never thought he'd spend them trying to do the right thing. Yet here he was.

Maybe men like him could change, even if only at the end.

"KRAGAN GARR!" Gatz bellowed, doing his best to sound more confident than he was, "I WANT A WORD WITH YOU!"

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Valery, I can't feel my fingers,"

Well, now she certainly felt embarrassed. Valery looked away, avoiding eye contact while her cheeks turned a rosy color. She didn't mean to hurt him, but everything about this place made her feel like she needed some support. It... probably wasn't right of her to lean on him so much, not considering they hadn't even met that long ago, but she just couldn't help it. This place brought back too many devastating memories.

When he spoke again after she let go, Valery looked up and sighed, "No, I can't make that promise either. But don't act like your life isn't worth anything," Valery said, that fiery attitude returning a little again. She really liked Gatz, but that was something she clearly didn't like. "You're young and have more than enough time to make the most of yours, and so will these kids." With that said, she turned around, not open to further debate on it at all.

Stubborn? Maybe, but she was a little high on emotion at the moment.

Valery then only looked over her shoulder to watch him disappear, and immediately did the same. She focused on the Force, and stepped into her Force Cloak, which concealed her completely to anybody around them. Invisible to the eye, and impossible to hear, she walked through the crowd and approached the cages, right as Gatz began to make a show.

Seeing him step up Kragan like that, confident and willing to give it his all was... Valery blinked and shook her head.

She had to focus, and quickly rushed towards the cages while just about everybody in the room stared at Gatz in disbelief. But while some people froze up and stared, others were moving their hands towards their weapons. Valery wanted to step in and help badly, but turned around and suddenly reappeared in front of the kids. Their reactions were understandably a mixture of shock and panic, but once she opened the cage with a wave of her hand and shushed them, they understood.

"I'm getting you all out of here."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

The crowd went silent, and in a room this large, that was downright miraculous. Everyone turned their attention to him, which was the point, but damn did it give him stage fright. Or maybe that fear came from not knowing what was going to happen to him in the next few minutes. Oh well. He’d already come this far.

At least if he died, he died knowing there was someone who had believed in him.

Kragan turned his gaze to Gatz, twisted eyes widening ever so slightly. Several of his guards turned their weapons on him, and Gatz did his best to make note of all of them, just in case he actually got a chance to escape this situation. The smuggler prepared himself for the crime lord's rage, ready to be shot on sight, or bound into slavery like the rest of the people around him. But instead, Kragan’s facial tentacles curled, and his expression became almost… gleeful.

“Gatz Derrevar…” he said slowly, “how interesting. I wasn’t expecting you for a few more days… and I thought you’d be restrained.”

Wait. What?

What was that analogy he’d made before? That they’d been putting together a puzzle, all while missing an important piece? Gatz had the feeling that they were about to find out what they’d overlooked.

“I was wondering why you hadn’t rolled out the red carpet for me.”

“Where is Isadora?” Kragan asked.

“Who?”

“The Sith Knight who brought you here. Where is she? Why is she letting you walk freely?”

Gatz had about a million questions whirling through his mind: like why Kragan had been expecting him, why he’d expected the Sith to bring him here, and how any of that was supposed to have played out, but now really wasn’t the time to ask.

“So that was her name,” Gatz plastered on a confident smile, “I didn’t get the chance to ask: what with her laying in a pool of her own blood, and all.”

With that out in the open, many of those who had been reaching for their blasters suddenly let their hands drop to their sides. Even a few of Kragan’s guards seemed taken aback, though they kept their weapons trained on him. But that was fine: better they point blasters at him than at Valery, wherever she was at. He’d lost track of her the moment they separated.

It was better that way. He wouldn’t be able to betray her position by glancing in her direction, if he didn’t know what direction she was in. He just hoped that, whatever she was doing, she was doing it fast.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Isadora, huh?

Valery managed to pick up on that when the crowd went silent, and ended up a bit surprised. Most Sith had their self-made Darth titles or at least something other than their real name to introduce themselves. Usually names that sounded dark as well, to make sure people knew they were 'scary'. But her thoughts couldn't linger on it for too long — Gatz seemed to have it under control for now, and she had children to save.

Kragan's lack of surprise about his presence was a bit concerning though. Had that Sith's task also been to capture him, perhaps? If so, at least he wouldn't be expecting Valery to be here.

Turning to the cage with kids, Valery opened it up easily and shushed them all. One by one, they stepped outside and got closer together, so Valery could start moving them as a group. It was only a matter of time before someone would notice, but at least she'd have them all shielded against whatever could happen.

Only once she felt the kids were at a decently safe distance, she decided to reach out again. Her presence gently nudged against Gatz's mind, and her voice came through calm and soothing, <I've got the kids, but getting them out will be tough. Once they notice the kids are gone...> There was going to be a chase, and she'd have a bunch of people to protect. Not that she couldn't, but it wasn't going to be easy without a little help.

It was time he'd get himself out as well.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

There was a presence at the back of his mind, alien—quite literally—but somehow familiar. For a moment he was concerned, but was relieved when he heard Valery's voice. The fact that she had touched his mind so easily still concerned him, and later he'd have to ask her to teach him how to resist such a thing, but he had other priorities at the moment.

<Right. Time to vacate. I'll, uh, figure something out…> Gatz wasn’t sure if Valery could actually hear his thoughts, but he tried to project them anyway.

"You killed her? I find that hard to believe, but here you are…" Kragan trailed off, "I suppose it doesn't matter one way or another. Either you're lying, or somehow Isadora managed to uphold her end of the bargain even after death. Either way: I win."

Bargain? This rabbit hole just kept getting deeper, but the young smuggler really didn't have time for an explanation, no matter how much he would have liked one.

"You hired a Sith Knight just to capture me? I'm flattered."

"I'm sure you are," Kragan turned to one of his goons, "restrain him. I have a very special cell in mind for him."

There was one thing Gatz had neglected to tell Valery about his plan: there was no plan. He was winging this. He hadn't secured himself an exit, and really hadn't expected to survive this. Hell, he still might not.

But Kragan Garr had allowed him to get awfully close to the stage. And, yeah, there were about a dozen blasters pointed at him, but the Quarren was really just one good jump away from Gatz. Plus, the alien had walked onto the stage from somewhere right? A door behind the stage, perhaps?

He could do this. Sure, ripping a bottle off a shelf had left him tired, but a Force assisted jump couldn't be too much worse, right? He only weighed about twenty times more than a bottle of wine. He could probably clear the stage, and not immediately collapse under the strain.

As one of Kragan's guards approached him with an electrostaff, Gatz decided his only option was to try.

He leapt, pulling on the Force, and let it guide him to where he wanted to be. Blasters were fired, and a spray of wild shots missed him: either hitting the ground where he'd been standing, or flying through the air into the balconies above them. Gatz landed on unsteady feet, inches from Kragan, whose face held a mixture of shock and fear. Before the man could react properly, Gatz threw his arm around him in a choke hold, held the Quarren out in front of him as a human—err, Quarren—shield, and drew his blaster and jammed the barrel against the side of Kragan's head.

Kragan's guards, the slaves below, and all the scoundrels up on the balconies stared at him, dumbfounded.

"so,” Kragan spoke timidly, "I believe you said you wanted a word?"

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery had to force her senses to drift away from Gatz and the stage, purely so it wouldn't distract her from the children. She wanted to help him, and she wanted to stop every single slaver in this room, but she knew she couldn't. Not without further risking the lives of these kids, and she could never do such a thing. They had to be brought to safety first and then maybe, she'd somehow be able to stop what was happening here someday.

She just feared it'd all end up moving somewhere else.

"Alright, out the door here, and follow this path until you reach a black ship." She gave them the instructions in case something happened, but did actually move along with them until she knew they were safe. They'd be able to hide away for now, because as easy as it was to take off and just bring the kids out, Valery wasn't leaving Gatz behind. Not after everything they had gone through to save these children.

Well, that and he was a lot more than just an acquaintance now.

By the time Valery returned and stepped into the crowd, she spotted him up on stage, holding a blaster against the side of Kragan's head. Her eyes widened, and without wasting any time, she began to push herself forward. She had to reach him before something terrible happened because one way or another, this was going to escalate. They'd never let him leave this place with Kragan at gunpoint.

<Try to get him off stage. I'm coming for you.>

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

It occurred to Gatz, standing here with every hired gun on the station pointed at him, that taking a crime lord as a human shield might not have been the best idea he'd ever had. It was better than being bound in chains, at the moment, but where did he go from here? All it took was for one mook to circle the room and shoot him in the back while he was focused on everyone else. And they certainly wouldn't let him go far, not with Kragan with him, and not now that he'd attracted literally everyone's attention.

He had to act, and fast. A quick glance behind him confirmed his suspicions: there was, in fact, a door on the rear wall behind the stage. A good exit point, and probably the only one he could realistically reach at this point. But he had no idea where it went. No idea if it would eventually lead him back to the ship. Still, it was better than standing around here, waiting to get shot.

But first...

"Your Sith friend," Gatz started to slowly inch toward the steps at the back of the stage, Kragan's goons keeping pace with him, "you said you struck a bargain with her. What was it?"

"She wanted something on Naboo, and so did I," Kragan spoke softly, as if not trying to irritate his captor, "she was abducting children for her Order, and needed a place to store them. I agreed to... accommodate them, and in return, she would bring me you on her final trip here."

"And where are these children?" Gatz obviously knew, but needed to know if Kragan did.

"Somewhere on the floor," he admitted, and that told Gatz that the old Quarren had no idea what they'd just accomplished, "I'm not sure where exactly, but they're here."

"You were going to sell them? Betray a Sith Knight?"

"Of course. By the time she found out, she'd have already delivered you to me, and I would have no more use for her. Any objection she might have had would have been silenced by my men."

Ironic, really, that Kragan thought his men could handle a Sith Knight when they couldn't even handle a smuggler with a half baked plan. But then, Gatz supposed that the old Quarren had always had grand ideas. This very room, and its opulent and pointless furnishing was proof of that on its own.

By now, Gatz had made it down the stairs, and was only a few dozen feet from the door he was dragging his hostage to. His plan was going smoothly, or at least as smoothly as it could. All he had to do was get past the door, hope nobody was back there waiting to shoot him, lock the door, deal with Kragan somehow, and hope he didn't get lost on his way to the ship.

That was a lot of things that had to go right. Suddenly, "winging it" didn't seem like such a good idea. Thankfully, that was when his guardian angel decided to chime in again. He still didn't know if she could hear his thoughts if he projected them while she was in his head, and he didn't really know how to do that anyways, but tried nonetheless.

<There's a door back here. I don't know where it goes, but I figure it's the only way to separate us from all the men pointing guns at me.>

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

As fast as she possibly could, Valery was making her way through the crowd. Gatz was dragging his hostage away, so they were slowly starting to follow after him, and more and more of them began drawing weapons too. It felt like a ticking time bomb to Valery, but as long as he held onto Kragan, she doubted that any of them would make a move. If they did anyway, well, Valery would be there to stop them.

Or so she hoped.

<Take the door,> Valery told him in response, which hopefully confirmed that this way of telepathic communication worked both ways. As long as she maintained the mental bridge, and he wasn't actively trying to force her out, it'd be very easy for her to keep it up. But only moments after telling him to take the door, she suddenly felt a tremor of danger in the Force. At first, she believed it to be the crowd of people around her moving forward, but then she realized it wasn't targeting her at all.

<Wait, Gatz!>

Jumping up on the stage and over towards him, Valery closed the distance rapidly and shoved him aside the moment he was opening up the door. Because the very second that he touched the handle, a blaster was fired from behind the door, sending the bolt right through. Valery's bash had knocked Gatz and Kragan out of the way, hopefully without a way for Kragan to escape, but there had been no time for her to defend herself. A gasp for air followed, and Valery's body hit the ground like dead weight.

She had been shot.

The crowd screamed, and people began to run, trampling over each other in a desperate attempt to get away from the gunshot. Some remained, ready with their own weapons, but the entire room turned into pure chaos.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

So it did work both ways. Good to know. If they'd been in a situation where levity was acceptable, he might have made a joke about not thinking of anything inappropriate while a Jedi Master was in his head. As it was though, he was a little busy extracting himself from a perilous situation. Badly timed humor would have to come later.

Gatz had almost made it to the door when Valery screamed a warning in his head, and then suddenly he was bowled over. Kragan slipped from his grasp, as did his blaster, and the smuggler and crime lord hit the ground hard. Confused, he craned his head upwards to catch sight of what had just hit him, fearing the worst.

Just in time to watch Valery hit the floor, smoke trailing from her body.

All hell let loose, and what was originally a tense situation delicately balanced on a knife's edge turned into utter chaos. Slaves, seeing a chance at freedom while their masters were occupied, ran for each and every exit. Those that were brave, and more recently enslaved, tackled their abusers and guards. Suddenly, the smuggler with a hostage and Jedi Master were no longer the most dangerous people in the room, and blasters were turned upon those bound in bondage.

Those in bondage, who had been quick enough to subdue their captors and snag weapons, fired back. A bolt passed over Gatz, nailing the man who'd nearly killed him square in the chest, and blowing him back into the corridor he'd been waiting in. In seconds, a dozen people were cut down, slave and slaver alike. In the chaos of it all, Kragan scrambled to his feet, and disappeared beyond the door behind the stage.

But to Gatz, it was all just white noise. All he could see was the Jedi Master laid out on the floor. All he could hear was the blaster that had downed her, all he could smell was burnt tibanna gas. It just... it couldn't be real. Valery Noble was the Sword of the Jedi, the greatest Jedi Master in the galaxy. She couldn't have been shot. Couldn't have been dead.

She'd jumped in front of a gun for him. Been shot for him. Sacrificed herself for him.

No! No he didn't know that yet!

Gatz, still prone, threw himself across the floor to her, covering her body before she could be trampled by the riot they'd incited together. People rushed by him: slaves on their way to freedom, guards who had decided Kragan's auction wasn't dying for, and Gatz caught his fair share of knees and elbows as they brushed past him as if they weren't there. But those pains and bruises didn't matter one bit to him.

"Valery!" Gatz gripped her shoulders to roll her over, "be alive. Please be alive!"

His voice was more desperate than it had been in years, maybe ever. He didn't have time to care about how embarrassing that was, not when someone who meant so much to him, who had given so much to him, had just hit the ground like a corpse. A woman who had a family, a husband, an unknown quantity of children, and who might have just given all that up for him.

Smuggler trash. Criminal scum. Irredeemable. Someone not even worth her time.

But she'd taken the bullet for him anyways.

"Come on!" Fear turned his voice into a gravely shout, and Gatz felt tears prick at his eyes, "please say something!"

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

None of the chaos that happened around her registered anymore, and even the pain from having been shot had faded far into the background. Her consciousness was somewhere between life and death now, in a place that almost felt like a dream. Or perhaps a nightmare, knowing what she might have given up on. A Jedi's life was full of selfless self-sacrifice — from dedicating so much time to duty in service of others, to a required willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice for something that mattered more than the individual. To many Jedi, this philosophy felt like the distant past, and even Valery felt more hesitant about it.

She was a wife to a husband who relied on her, a mother to beautiful children with long lives ahead of them, and a friend to so many who turned to her in good and bad times. Why would she give up on all of that, and hurt all these people to save just one life? Valery herself didn't really know the answer to that question herself anymore, but if she could stand in front of that blaster to save someone she cared about all over again, she would.

It was just in her nature.

Gatz, having thrown himself over her body, was able to keep the chaotic crowd away from Valery, but she still remained unmoving. It was only after most of the crowd had passed by, and Gatz rolled her over, that Valery slowly opened her eyes to look up at him, silent and with that fire in her gaze dimmed for the first time.

"It's okay," she said, her lips tugging up into a gentle smile, "Get... out of here." Her voice was weak, and her mind was working hard to keep her conscious. Now that he had rolled her over, the wound on her chest was visible too, revealing the badly burned skin and open wound that bled over her body and tunic.

"Get the kids out."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Valery spoke, and even though her voice was weak, it filled Gatz with relief.

It didn't last long: with the edge—and only the edge—of panic wearing off, Gatz was finally able to focus on the wound itself. And it was not a pretty one: flesh burnt and cracked under a tunic that was now ruined. She needed medical attention, but first, she needed to get her ass up so they could get off this damned station.

But of course, she couldn't. Why would she be able to? She'd just taken a blaster bolt to the chest. And to top it all off, now she was urging him to just... leave her here. The worst part was that she was right: the children were back on the ship, frightened and scared, and with no way of flying themselves home. Hell, even if Valery hadn't just gone down, she herself had admitted that she wouldn't be able to get the freighter out of the hangar, not with the way he'd had to park it.

If those children had any chance of living, then he had to live as well. It was the logical choice, the choice most likely to yield success, and the choice that would save the most lives.

And it was the coward's choice.

It was perfectly suited to him then, wasn't it? Because when had he ever been anything but a coward; when had he ever done anything besides run? He ran from the Order, ran into space after Dad died, ran away from Naboo after Mom died... And even when he tried to man up, do the right thing, he still had to have someone hold his hand. Valery had fought that Sith, not him. Valery had gotten the children out, not him.

Now Valery had gotten injured, not him: the person who should be laying here dying. Because of a reckless plan of his making. She'd never run away, not even when it was literally going to kill her. Valery had placed her faith in him—him of all people—and he'd gotten her shot because of his own rash actions. Now here he was, getting off scot-free, not a single consequence to his name. All because the consequences of his actions had fallen on her instead.

The fault, the responsibility, was his. And it was time to stop running from it.

"Valery, you need to stay awake! You need to put pressure on that wound," Gatz gathered up her hands, and tried to press them over her injury, "keep your hands there, and keep pressing down no matter what!"

Gatz was exhausted after a long day of bullshit, and his body was running on fumes after abusing the Force so many times in one day, but he still tucked his arms under Valery in order to pick her up. It probably wasn't appropriate to carry a married woman bridal style, but Gatz really didn't have time for propriety right now.

He looked around the room, now half vacant. Then back at the door Kragan had fled through. It would be easier now to get back to the ship the way they came, Gatz decided. Quicker too. And with everyone scrambling to get out, he wouldn't have to worry about being shot if he went that way. That probably wasn't the case if he tried to brave the corridor behind the stage.

The crime lord would live to slave another day, it seemed. So be it. Gatz had greater concerns.

With his decision made, Gatz jogged for the staircase, carrying the greatest of the Jedi in his arms.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Station

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Even in this dire situation, Valery managed to crack a smile when Gatz took her hands and placed them over the wound. She didn't have much strength to apply pressure after taking such a hit, but somehow his unwillingness to give up on her provided exactly what she needed. Hope. For perhaps a moment, she had accepted that this was going to become a one-way trip for her, and she was going to signal just that to her husband through the Force Bond they shared.

But she didn't.

"Gatz..." she managed weakly, as he lifted her up into his arms. Whether it was 'proper' or not didn't matter — she smiled, and closed her eyes while she drifted away again. Her head came to rest against his chest, and her body felt unresponsive once more. But she was alive, and there was this feeling, or perhaps a tremor in the Force that made her believe she'd survive this. All that remained was for her to get the help she needed.

As quickly as he could, Gatz rushed away from the auction room, down the hallways, and towards his ship, both to bring Valery to safety, and to finally get those kids out. But as he entered the Hangar room, a familiar face would be waiting for him. With a pistol drawn and leveled at Gatz, Kragan stood ready to finish what he had started. His face was bloodied from the stampede, his eyes were filled with anger, and his finger was already on the trigger.

He was going to shoot.

"This is for my son-"

Kragan's entire posture suddenly tensed up, as a stun round struck his body and sent him to the floor, leaving him alive but unconscious. Behind Gatz and slightly to his left stood the Togruta slave they had seen earlier, his own eyes filled with anger but he still chose not to kill. He looked at Gatz then, recognizing him as the man who had held Kragan hostage, and nodded his head before running away again to help others make their escape.

The path to freedom was right in front of Gatz now.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Valery went limp in his arms almost instantly, and it was only knowing that he was her best chance at survival that kept him from panicking. He grabbed his fear in a stranglehold and shoved it down, before doubling his jog into a sprint. He flew up the stairs three steps at a time, knocking aside anyone who stumbled into his path.

Did that make him a jerk? Absolutely. But Valery was all that mattered to him right now.

So he continued down the corridor in much the same fashion, elbowing and shoving people out of his way. He'd probably feel guilty about that later, but his need was more dire than theirs at the moment, as selfish as that might sound. They weren't injured. They didn't take a blaster bolt to the chest. So they could wait a few seconds more to get to their ships.

Gatz took a sharp turn around a corner, and spied the door that led to their hangar bay. They were almost home free!

He barreled into the hangar nearly as fast as a speederbike, only to come to an abrupt halt as he spotted Kragan. Waiting for them, for him, with a blaster in his hand. And all Gatz could do was stand there, unable to defend himself with Valery still unconscious in his arms. He didn't have his blaster, and while Valery's lightsaber was on her belt, he didn't have a free hand to reach for it. But that was just as well; he wouldn't have been able to do anything effective with it anyhow.

That left only the Force as an avenue for defence. So Gatz sucked in a breath and reached out, farther than he had in a long time, farther than he even thought he could.

And grasped nothing. The Force slipped between his fingers, his grip too weak to hold anything. He'd exerted himself too much with that leap to the stage, and now he couldn't even defend himself. Or Valery. With a sigh of defeat, Gatz accepted that Kragan had them dead to rights. He'd almost gotten Valery out of here, but it just wasn't meant to be.

At least he'd tried.

Then Kragan went sideways, as a stunner caught him in the chest. Blinking in surprise, Gatz turned around to see the Togruta from earlier nod at him, and then run out of the hangar. Had... had that man been following him the whole time, putting his own life in jeopardy just to save him?

But Gatz didn't have time to ponder how karmic justice worked. Shaking his head, he sprinted past Kragan and up the loading ramp, and then elbowed the control to close it. He jogged into the cargo bay, and slid to a stop when he saw sets of small eyes peering at him from behind boxes. The children cowered, unsure if he was friend or foe.

But then they saw Valery—who was just as much their savior as she was his—in his arms, and their eyes widened in understanding and concern.

"This way!" Was all he offered them, before running down the hall.

The children followed him, and Gatz stopped to nudge open the door to the Sith's personal chamber. He set Valery down gingerly on the bed, before turning to the gaggle of would-be Jedi younglings. He spotted the oldest one, a twi'lek girl probably around twelve years of age, and beckoned her over.

"W-what happened to her?" she asked.

"She was shot," Gats answered, before moving to the Sith's wardrobe, grabbing a clean tunic, and returning to the bedside, "and she needs medical attention. But I have to get us out of here first."

Gatz took the child's hands, as gingerly as he could while in a panic, and placed the tunic in them.

"I need you to press down on her wound with this," he explained, "it'll staunch the bleeding. I need you to keep pressure on it until I make the jump to hyperspace. Do you understand?"

The child looked at him, fright clear in her eyes, but nodded and did as he asked.

"The rest of you, stay in here and keep an eye on her. If something happens, you need to come and get me from the cockpit."

Gatz didn't wait to see if they understood, instead running toward the cockpit at breakneck speeds.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery's perception of time had been completely disrupted, so when her eyes finally opened within the Sith Lord's bedroom, she had no idea just how much of it had passed. A young child was sitting with her, keeping pressure on the wound that wasn't bleeding anymore, and she could feel others nearby as well. Then she felt the gentle hum of the ship's vibrating hull, and heard the engines working hard — they were on their way, and no longer in danger.

She groaned, reached up for her own chest, and gently placed her hand over the Twi'lek girl's hand. Her eyes widened, and without saying a word, the young kid ran away towards the cockpit.

"She's awake!" she called out to Gatz, who had been getting them the hell out of there, and likely back to Naboo to drop off the kids and get Valery some more professional help.

But within the bedroom, Valery already felt a little better. The Force was accelerating her natural healing, allowing her body to at least push away the pain she'd have otherwise felt. It wouldn't be enough to actually heal her from her injuries, but she was confident that she'd survive. So, expecting Gatz to enter the room again soon, she placed the tunic over her chest, just so the injury and her chest weren't so visible anymore.

"Gatz?" she asked after hearing some footsteps again. "Did we get all of them out?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz slammed himself into the pilot's seat, hard enough that he'd probably have a bruise back there later. His hands flew over the console, flicking switches and throwing levers. It was dangerous not to perform a pre-flight check before flying a space worthy vessel out into a vacuum, but much like with the rest of this situation, he lacked the time to do things properly.

So as soon as the engines had started to power on with a whirl, Gatz brought the ship to a stuttering hover. Before he could punch it out of the hangar, he noticed just how jittery his body was. Adrenaline and panic still surged within him, and if he didn't address them, he was bound to make a mistake sooner or later. Maybe even a deadly one.

He stopped, sucked in a breath, and let it out. With it went most of his anxiety, and most of his energy. But his hands stilled, and that was what he needed.

He grabbed the controls once more, steady instead of jittery, and guided the vessel out of the hangar. He spun them around, putting the stern to the station. All around them, he could see ships pulling out of their own hangars, fleeing Sovereign Station. Gatz smiled. He didn't know how many slaves had managed to escape onboard those vessels, but maybe they'd done something good after all.

Time to follow in their footsteps, then, and get the hell out of this system.

He had just aligned their ship with the Nubian system, and started the jump into hyperspace, when the Twi'lek girl came stumbling into the cockpit to announce that Valery was awake. He nodded at her with a smile, and she ran back down the hall into the Sith's chamber. Gatz stood with a groan, the wear and tear of the day finally catching up to his body, and sauntered down the hall.

Gatz spied Valery through the door, awake and sitting upright, and he felt relief so palpable it made him want to cry. But there were frightened children present, and a Jedi Master who still needed medical attention, so he blinked away his tears. Someone had to remain composed until the children were back with their parents, and Valery had more than done her time.

"They're here, Valery," Gatz leaned up against the door frame, more out of necessity than a desire to look casual, "they're safe."

And so was he, because of her sacrifice, but that was a conversation he wanted to have with her in private. If only because he didn't want to sob in front of all these kids.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery let out a breath of relief when he confirmed that the kids were all safe. Every bit of worry and nervousness she still had within her faded because of it, and despite her injury, she managed a warm smile. "Thank you, I... really needed to hear that." Valery then raised a hand up through her hair, which had the tunic fall in the process, but she didn't care too much.

The injury looked worse than it felt now, and adrenaline was really keeping her going too. She would just need some time in a bacta tank to fully recover.

But that could wait.

"Are uh, you okay? I can feel..." She knew how he felt about her, and what this whole situation had done to him. Her own feelings for him were... Similar, even though she hadn't really voiced it much to keep things from getting weird. But right now, she visibly showd just how happy she was to see him.

He was alive, and he had really shown his true colors, as far as she was concerned.

"Do you want to talk alone for a moment? I feel good enough for it."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"I'm glad you're alive. It would have been a real awkward trip home otherwise," He tried for a joke and a smile, but the levity didn't reach his eyes.

Gatz let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. The kids were safe, Valery was... well, on the road to recovery, and they were mid-jump. They were, finally, past this crisis. All they had to do was land back at Theed. The RSF would get these children home to their proper families, and if it was still determined that they would go to the Order... well, Gatz would volunteer to fly them to Coruscant himself.

The shirt fell away from her grip, but with how alert Valery seemed to be, it didn't worry Gatz as much as it maybe should have. She probably had more medical training than he did, even if she wasn't a seasoned Force healer. So he chose not to push the issue.

Gatz hadn't considered that his emotions were probably a whirlwind in the Force, and of course a Jedi Master would pick up on them: fear, anger, and self-loathing. Self-loathing most of all. What would he have said to her family, if she'd died because of his mistakes? How was he supposed to explain to her child (child? children?) that mom wasn't coming home because a two-bit smuggler got her killed?

Maybe they really ought to have that talk now.

"Kids, there's a pantry at the end of the hall. Why don't you guys go and raid it?" The children needed to eat, and the adults needed to talk. Some things worked out perfectly, every now and then, "just... don't go turning on any burners, please."

Once the children had vacated the room, Gatz pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down. How did he start this conversation? What was he supposed to say?

He supposed he should start with the obvious.

"Thank you," he hung his head, "and I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to do that for me."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"I can imagine," Valery said with a soft chuckle before her gaze lingered between him and the children around them. She was happy that they were safe, and would have loved to spend some time with them to reassure them about what was going to happen next. But having felt and seen how difficult the last hour or so had been on Gatz, she first wanted to have a private conversation with him. Luckily, he agreed and offered the kid something they couldn't possibly — free access to all his food.

She smirked, chuckled again but winced at the pain that shot up her chest because of it. The Force was doing a magnificent job suppressing the worst of it, but she had to sit still or she'd be getting some painful reminders that her chest was still pretty badly messed up from that shot she took for him.

A shot she'd gladly take again if she had to make the same decision twice.

Once the children left the room, Valery watched Gatz grab a chair and sit down by the side of her bed. She let out a soft sigh, rested the back of her head against the headrest, and looked him in the eyes, "Maybe, but you're not surprised that I did, I hope?" she asked with a gentle smile before reaching over to place her hand on his knee to squeeze it. "I'll always try to help the people I care about, no matter the cost."

"I'm just glad you're okay."