Private Abduction on Naboo

[Gatz Derrevar]

Force sensitive children were going missing in Theed, and nobody, not even the Royal Security Force, seemed to have even the slightest inkling of how.

Gatz stood in one of the many precincts of Theed, Naboo, looking down at an assortment of datapads. Four of them held pictures of different young children, the abductees in question. A few more held statements taken by parents, or legal guardians. Others held information on when and where the children were last seen. One final data pad held yet a another picture: a blurry image of one of the children taken, a young girl no older than five, with a figure wearing a black hood. Yet Gatz, and the rest of the RSF, seemed to be unable to glean any useful information from them.

"Uncle, run it by me one more time," Gatz spoke for the first time in a couple of minutes.

He was met by a groan from an aging RSF Lieutenant, whose features were similar to Gatz's own, if Gatz had been thirty years older and fifty pounds heavier.

"Kid, repeating it twelve times in fifteen minutes isn't going to make it make more sense."

"Just one more time, please."

Uncle Klein gave a sigh, before he did as his nephew requested, "four human children, three male and one female, between the ages of three and six, have been reported missing. All four children are reported to be... well, they're... different. Like you, kid."

"The term is 'Force sensitive.'"

"Right, that. All the kids are supposed to be future Jedi. So their parents, legal guardians, whatever... they contacted the Jedi Praxeum to have their children taken in. A woman in black robes shows up, takes the kids. Then, a few days later, someone else shows up for the children, except the kids are gone, and everyone is justifiably confused. Turns out, parents have been giving their kids to the wrong person. This happened four individual times."

Uncle Klein was right, Gatz mused. Hearing it again didn't make it make anymore sense. Someone was stealing force sensitive children right out from under their parents' noses, with their blessing even. Someone in black robes. Gatz hadn't said it yet, as he didn't want to scare folks, but anyone who was interested in children with budding Force powers, and wore a black robe, was probably Sith. Maybe he was reaching with that conclusion, but his gut told him he was right.

But having an idea of who didn't help answer the question of how. Or why. How in the world did this person find out the children were Force sensitive, and how was it they always seemed to strike right after the Order had been contacted. And if they were Sith, then why come all the way to Naboo to snatch children?

"Did you request assistance from the Jedi Order, like I asked?" Gatz turned back to his Uncle.

"We did, but... well, we're not part of the Alliance. You really think a Jedi will show up?"

"They showed up for the children, even if they were slower than our suspect. You named me in your request, right?"

"Yes, and I asked for that one Jedi by name. Master Noble. Gotta admit, kid, I didn't think you'd want to reach out to the Jedi. Certainly didn't think you'd still know one by name." Uncle Klein paused for a moment, frowning, "what's your stake in all this, anyhow? Last I checked, you spent more time on Nar Shaddaa than here on Naboo. Why are you suddenly so interested in our problems."

It was a fair question, and one that Gatz found difficult to answer. He was a scoundrel, though admittedly a poor one. Even so, the thing that motivated him the most was credits. Or, rather, it had been. Until a few months ago, when a confrontation with the Dark Side of the Force had made him rethink everything that he thought he knew. Now... now suddenly he was sticking his nose where it didn't belong, just to lend a helping hand. Hell, he spent more time delivering humanitarian aid than he did smuggling spice these days.

He didn't know how to feel about that, but he knew it was Valery Noble's fault.

"It's hard to explain," Gatz said quietly, still staring at the datapads on the table, "but the Jedi Master I had you address your request to... she made me wonder what kind of man I could have been, had I chosen to put others before myself. I guess I'm trying to find out."

"Huh," Uncle Klein looked almost flabbergasted, "must be one hell of a woman."

"She is," Gatz confimed, "but she's also married, so do me a favor and don't hit on her."

"So you're saying she's a looker?"

"I'm saying you have a bad habit of acting like a creepy old man."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

Missing Force-sensitive children.

There were few things that could instantly make Valery turn away from whatever she was doing in favor of something else, but that's certainly one of them. As a Jedi and especially as a mother, the safety of children was one of her highest priorities. So when she received a call about kids potentially being in danger, she boarded her X-wing and left Coruscant behind immediately to travel to Naboo. It didn't matter that it was outside of Alliance Space, or that others might need her as well.

This was more important.

What also sparked her curiosity, was the man who had reached out to her. It had been a while since she last saw Gatz, but she remembered their conversations quite fondly. Someone with the heart of a Jedi, who had walked a very different path in life. It would be good to meet with him again, and see how things might have changed for him. She just hoped that whatever happened, he was doing well.

Soon enough, Valery's X-wing came down through the planet's atmosphere, and landed on the surface within the city of Theed. The Jedi Master then climbed out of her cockpit after the engines had shut down, and removed her helmet to let loose her long, dark-brown hair. It cascaded down behind her back, and with a quick toss of the helmet back into the cockpit, she was on her way to meet up with her contact.

"Gatz?" she asked, as she made her approach with a gentle smile. "It has been a while." After greeting him with a warm smile, her fiery eyes turned to his uncle, who she greeted with a dip of her head as well.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Ah, come on kid, it's all in good fun," Klein scoffed, "are you telling me that you've never flirted with a married woman?"

Well, his uncle had him there.

"I haven't flirted with this married woman," was the best defense Gatz could muster.

There was fine line between flirting with a waitress wearing a ring, and flirting with a Jedi Master married to, presumably, another Jedi Master. Gatz didn't actually know anything about her husband or wife or partner, but Jedi intermarriage was a regular thing these days within the Order. So he figured it wasn't a stretch assume Master Noble was married to another Master Noble. But it didn't really matter. Regardless of whomever she was with, Gatz seriously doubted that flirting with her was a good idea.

Jedi were pretty serious about their vows, after all.

"Well, then one of us ought to try, don't you think?" Uncle Klein wouldn't relent.

"No, I really don't. If I thought it was a good idea, I'd have already-"

Before Gatz could finish his argument, he... well, the best way to phrase it was that he "felt" her. But it wasn't something physical, like a hand on his shoulder, or accidentally bumping into her in a crowded room. It couldn't have been, because she wasn't actually anywhere near him yet. It was a feeling beyond feeling; a premonition of something yet to come.

It was like a cool breeze blowing on a hot Summer day, offering a moment of respite. It was the flow of a new current in a gentle river, reaching places it hadn't before. It was the sound of a heart beating to the tune of the galaxy.

But mostly, it was warm.

Gatz turned to see who had entered the room, but he hadn't needed to. There was no mistaking the Sword of the Jedi's presence in the Force. She wore a comforting smile, as she always did, at least in his experience. The scoundrel offered a smile of his own, feeling both the tension of the situation and the weight that seemed to rest on his shoulders recede.

Valery Noble was here. Things were going to be alright.

"Master Noble," Gatz couldn't keep the relief out of his tone, "it's good to see you again. I-"

"Master Jedi," Uncle Klein bowed, and Gatz braced for the worst, "it's an honor to have you in my precinct. My nephew told me you were lovely, but I see now that words simply cannot capture your beauty."

Well now his uncle was just lying. Valery Noble was gorgeous, of course, but Gatz had specifically omitted that truth when describing her to the old man. Because he'd known the bastard would pull something like this.

"I'm... really sorry about him," Gatz had to force himself to meet Valery's eyes, embarassed as he was.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"It's good to see you again too, Gatz, and just Valery is fin-" she paused and turned to the older man who greeted her as well. She offered a smile at first, and bowed her head in return to show mutual respect. But through the Force, she felt that Gatz was a little tense all of a sudden, and the reason for it became clear pretty quickly. His uncle mentioned her beauty, but with a tone and look in his eyes that Valery understood immediately.

She chuckled, and still offered a friendly smile, "That's very kind of you, but I don't believe I caught your name?" She asked with a bit of a smirk, before turning her fiery gaze to Gatz. A hand came up through her long hair, tucking some of it behind her ear, while she shot him a toothy smile.

Clearly, she was in quite a good mood, but how couldn't she be after everything that happened? She was finally able to be a Jedi again.

"It's quite alright, Gatz. But uh, I hope you've been well?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Gatz stayed silent as he let Valery handle the situation that was his Uncle. As much as he hated to admit it, Gatz couldn't really blame the man for trying. Hell, he'd wanted to try when he first met her, but his lingering respect for the Jedi prevented him from making a pass of his own. And that was a good thing, he'd later come to see. He'd spent the past six years living a life of felonies and debauchery, and it took coming face to face with what he could have been to realize that there was so much more to life. More to him.

In another life, he'd have been her peer. Maybe even her student. And when Gatz thought about it, making a pass at someone who could have been his mentor was pretty weird.

"How rude of me," Uncle Klein gave a bow, low enough that Gatz wasn't sure he'd get back up from it, "you can call me-"

"This is Lieutenant Klein Derrevar," Gatz cut in, afraid of letting his uncle continue, "currently acting Captain of this precinct, and my uncle, unfortunately."

"Yes," Klein agreed, "the kid's my nephew. Sometimes that's even a good thing, when he's not breaking every law in the sector."

"You should be glad I have experience with the criminal underworld," Gatz countered, "who better to catch a smuggler than a smuggler?"

"How about the Jedi Master you invited?"

"No," Gatz countered, "she's here so that I don't get cut in half by a Sith Lord."

"A WHAT?!"

Gatz sighed. Then he turned to the Jedi Master in question, "I've been just dandy, as you can see. How have you been?"

As exasperated with his uncle as he was, Gatz was almost looking forward to a confrontation with a potential Sith. At least then his suffering would be quick and painless- Oh. Right. It would probably be the exact opposite of that. Damn sadist Sith. Why couldn't anything in his life be easy, just once?

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

Looking between the two, Valery could still feel a little bit of the tension in the air. The uncle's feelings towards her were obvious, but surface level. He didn't know her at all, so she didn't really take his attempt at flirting all that seriously. Gatz, however, she had talked to about deeper subjects, and she knew it had changed at least something in him. Maybe it was just the way he looked at her and other Jedi, or perhaps it was some kind of self-reflection.

Either way, she made no effort to hide how she felt about him. She trusted him, which is why she answered the call for help immediately.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant. I've worked with your nephew once before, so I look forward to doing it again." She shot a wink and a smirk in Gatz's direction this time, just to tease a little bit. The subject of Sith caused a more serious spark to ignite in her eyes, however.

"I'll make sure neither of you are harmed by one. You have my word." It was quite a promise to make, she knew, but after what happened to her, she wasn't going to allow a Sith Lord to harm anybody under her watch. "As for me, I've had some ups and downs recently," she told Gatz in honesty, but there was clearly quite a lot to it, judging by the brief frown on her face. But those were details she wouldn't bother him with.

"Either way, I'm ready to get to work and bring those kids back."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Valery told his uncle that she trusted him, and while he shouldn't have been surprised to hear it, especially coming from her, he was almost dumbfounded. He didn't let it show on his face, of course, and made sure to catch the Jedi Master's smirk with one of his own. But his mind was whirling. Gatz had worked hundreds of jobs with hundreds of people in Hutt space, and damn near everyone of them distrusted him.

And they were right to. There was no such thing as honor among thieves, no matter what people might claim. He could have easily stolen from, cheated, or killed them, and they could have done the same things to him.

For a scoundrel, trust was a luxury that couldn't be afforded. To be shown it... well, it felt better than any score of credits ever had.

"Well," Klein sighed, looking between Valery and Gatz, "if a Jedi Master has placed her trust in you, then you're probably doing just fine, kid."

Was that a compliment? From his uncle?

"But a-" Klein looked around the precinct, and then lowered his voice to hushed tones, "a Sith Lord, Gatz? What do you think you're going to do to a Sith? Shoot 'em? This is way out of your league."

"Uncle, I'm going to reintroduce you to my friend here, because clearly you weren't paying attention the first time," Gatz gestured to Valery, "this is Jedi Master Valery Noble, member of the Jedi Council, Jedi Battlemaster, and the Sword of the Jedi. And she's just sworn to safeguard my life. I'm reasonably certain that at her side is the safest place in the galaxy. And I'm talking from experience."

The Jedi in question mentioned having some "ups and downs" recently. Gatz wanted to ask after that, but he wasn't sure if it was his place. That, and there was sort of a larger problem to deal with currently.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"if a Jedi Master has placed her trust in you, then you're probably doing just fine, kid."

Valery perked a brow and looked almost as surprised as Gatz did for about a second or two. But she could tell that despite his flirtatious behavior and attitude, he did care about his nephew. The words were spoken with sincerity and that turned her surprise into a smile. One that lasted even when he poked back at Gatz again about shooting Sith Lords. This time, she wasn't sure if he was just worried or poking fun at first. Considering the hushed tone, however, she placed her bets on the former.

Gatz then went on to praise her to his uncle, and Valery felt extremely flattered. She couldn't even hide it either, and just smiled warmly between the both of them before dipping her head in agreement, "I don't mean to brag, but handling Sith are my specialty." Quite literally because she used to be a Jedi Shadow, and one that focused much of her duties on hunting down Sith and their various creations.

"That said, shooting them is a valid strategy if you're clever about it." A more playful smirk touched her lips again before she turned to Gatz, ready to get things going.

"I do suggest we get started. The quicker we act, the higher the chances of returning those kids. Maybe we can start where the kids are taken? Unless you have other clues? I can sometimes see glimpses of the past, so I might be able to learn more about who we're dealing with if I visit the homes where these kids were taken from."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"I can get you the addresses of the homes if you need them," Klein spoke, "we've already been there to take witness statements, but if you can do some of your Jedi mind trick stuff there, by all means."

Gatz had heard of Jedi seeing the glimpses of the future before, and technically most Jedi did possess precognition: the ability to sense things right before they were about to happen. But he'd never heard of someone who could witness the past in the same way. He supposed it shouldn't be surprising, considering it was really the same thing but in reverse. Even so, Gatz thought that they might have an alternative lead, one that could turn out to be more lucrative.

"I think we can do you one better," Gatz scooped up the datapad with the hazy picture of the robed individual, holding it out for Valery to see, "this picture is the reason I thought we might be dealing with a Sith. I mean, anyone can wear dark robes, but someone wearing dark robes and kidnapping Force-sensitive children? Anyways, you see that building behind them? That's a local dive bar, it's sort of on the edge of town. Someone might have seen something. And maybe our kidnapper will have left an... imprint for you to go off of."

Gatz wasn't sure how Valery could sense bits of the past, but if a Force-sensitive child and a potential Sith passed by that area, then their presence in the Force must have left something behind. Maybe she could use that? He didn't know. The more Gatz was around Valery, the more he realized his knowledge of the Force was but a single drop of a vast ocean.

Maybe that was why Jedi Masters always insisted that learning never stopped.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

It wasn't exactly a Jedi Mind trick she'd be using to tap into the past, but she didn't feel like correcting people about specifics. Instead, she smiled at their willingness to help. Not too many people would stick their own necks out when it came to issues that potentially involved Sith. So all of this said a lot about their characters, and no matter what they were involved with in the past, Valery truly believed Gatz had so much good in him.

Today, it would hopefully help save the lives of kids.

"Hmm," Valery then muttered when she looked at the picture he presented, "Alright, I think we're going for drinks, then." She smirked and dipped her head in agreement, before she raised a hand to tuck some dark-brown locks behind her ear. If the Sith passed through that place with those kids, Valery would find out one way or another. Either through more security camera footage, or through an imprint in the Force.

"Before we go, though..." she turned to his uncle now and looked a bit more serious, "I don't know if anybody has seen you two looking into this, but please be careful. I don't know how much influence this Sith has, but I don't want you to become a target. It's better if they come after me."

Valery then turned back to Gatz and nodded once more, "I'm ready to go when you are."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"I wouldn't get your hopes up," Gatz warned, "the alcohol here is basically ninety percent water. Unless you like wine."

Gatz was always interested in a drink, but Naboo just didn't have any of the good stuff. Nor the strong stuff. Theed in particular was full of bureaucrats and the upper crust of the elite, all of whom liked their wine tastings much more than things like whiskey and rum. It was a good thing, he supposed, that they weren't really planning on drinking then. Hunting a Sith Lord was far more interesting than sipping Alderaanian red all night.

Valery voiced her concerns for their safety, and insisted that she be the one to carry the burden of danger, which was just like her. Gatz had heard an old adage once: a Jedi's life is sacrifice. Master Noble certainly lived up to that. Even so, Gatz didn't like the idea of unloading their problems onto her shoulders and just walking away. Once, maybe he would have done that without guilt.

But not to Valery Noble. He owed her more than she knew.

"I know when something's above my paygrade," Klein easily agreed to Valery's request, "I'll keep my nose down. You just keep an eye out for this troublemaker."

"I was perfectly happy looking out for only myself before I met you." Gatz turned to the Jedi Master, with a mirthful smile on his face, "if you wanted me safe, you should never have inspired me."

Gatz grabbed his red jacket off the back of a vacant chair, and pulled it on. His blaster was, as always, safely strapped to his thigh. Satisfied that he was ready to go, he halfway turned toward the door.

"Come on, the sooner we get going, the sooner I get to tell people that I took the Sword of the Jedi out for a night on the town."

And the sooner they saved those kids, but Gatz let that go unspoken.

"Don't get yourself killed, kid."

"Have some faith, old man. This isn't my first rodeo."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"I actually love wine. Alderaanian red is my favorite." She grinned for a moment, but when the conversation shifted to their safety in those whole situation, Valery was back to being quite serious. Jedi were known to be willing to sacrifice themselves to protect others, and Valery was no exception. Not that she feared at all that she'd die to this Sith — she wanted him or his people to focus on her to keep the others out of the line of fire, so she could take him out.

But she knew that people didn't really want or need her to look after them. Especially not someone like Gatz, who had likely been through a lot on his own in the past. It, however, seemed like Valery herself had also changed a bit about him.

"if you wanted me safe, you should never have inspired me."

Valery snickered and waved her hand a little, "Fair enough. Just be careful and stay close to me, alright?" She did trust him if he were to get in trouble, but she felt more assured if she was nearby while they were still handling this case. Until the Sith was taken out, he was going to have a hard time getting rid of her. She was very stubborn like that.

"Come on, the sooner we get going, the sooner I get to tell people that I took the Sword of the Jedi out for a night on the town."

Valery rolled her eyes but shot him a smirk while she followed after him, "Yeah yeah, have your fun with it. But you're paying the first round of drinks now," Valery joked to keep the mood bright. Deep down, she knew just how serious this mission was though. The lives of kids were on the line, and she'd never allow herself to lose her focus when it came to saving the lives of children.

"Lead the way."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

For all his bravado, Gatz knew he had no way of combating a Sith Lord on his own. So when Valery insisted that he stay close, he offered no argument. He had no intention of being diced by a lightsaber.

"Don't worry, I fully intend to let you do all the heavy lifting if there's really a Sith Lord involved."

Not that he actually had a choice in the matter. If it really came down to it, and there was a Sith Lord between them and the children, Gatz knew Valery would take charge of the mission. Technically, she was in charge of it right now. Valery was the one who the RSF had brought in to handle this case. He was just the middleman: a civilian with no jurisdiction who happened to have the Jedi Battlemaster's number.

Really, he shouldn't have been involved after the Jedi Master arrived. Still, the idea of washing his hands of this problem... it didn't sit right with him. He just couldn't turn a blind eye on these kinds of problems anymore, not the way he used to. Not for the first time today, he blamed Valery for his sudden compulsion to do the right thing. Things had been so much simpler a few months ago.

But far less fulfilling.

"Yeah yeah, have your fun with it. But you're paying the first round of drinks now."

"As if I'd make the lady pay. What do you take me for, a scoundrel?" Gatz stepped out into the cool Naboo night and his smile faded, as the importance of their job weighed on him, "I've got a speeder parked around the corner. We'll take that."

The speeder in question was an old thing, but well maintained. It was a darker shade of grey, spotted with rust, but otherwise operational. Gatz knew it spent most of its time tucked away in a garage, mostly because the garage in question was attached to his childhood home. So when he swung his leg over the side, and slid into the driver's seat, it was with a casual familiarity.

"So before we get too far," Gatz let the speeder purr to life, "I think I ought to ask: what exactly would you like me to do, in the event that we do come across a bona fide Sith Lord? I know I like to talk tough, but I don't want to get in your way."

He'd also like to keep all his limbs.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"A scoundrel with good manners?" She flashed a big grin while she teased him, but it faded with his smile the moment they stepped out into the cold night again. To most, she never really seemed to be dressed against the cold with her sleeveless tunic and lack of coat, but it hardly phased her when she focused on the Force to keep her warm instead. So, as comfortable as she had been inside, Valery followed him to his speeder and walked around it to sit beside him.

It wasn't quite like her speeder bike, in that it probably wasn't built just for speed, but the adrenaline junkie inside of her could still appreciate a speeder like this as well. "Nice ride, this should get us around easily," Valery said, as she took a brief moment to admire both the exterior and the interior.

She was ready to go.

"Uh..." Valery blinked as he asked a question, and turned to him. "Just keep your distance and use your blaster when you have a clear shot. Don't try to shoot me in the back, and stop shooting if he's redirecting the bolts back in your direction. Other than that, if you feel any sort of pressure on your mind or your head in general, immediately let me know. Some Sith aren't brute fighters, but they subtly try to manipulate the mind of others. Someone who can't use the Force typically can't shield themselves against it."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

“Well, she’s not as fast as my ship, but she’ll get us where we need to go.”

Gatz took them down the Theed streets at a reasonable speed. While they were on something of a clock, he didn’t need to add to their problems by hitting someone with his speeder and committing manslaughter. Having criminal charges levied against him would probably be a little counterproductive to his goal of being a positive influence on society, rather than a negative one.

That, and he didn’t need to give Klein another reason to nag him. Valery probably wouldn’t be too pleased with him either.

The Jedi Master riding passenger gave him a brief rundown of what to do against a lightsaber wielding opponent, but it didn’t give him much reassurance. But he hadn’t really expected the answer to make him feel better. If they really came up against some Sith Lord, the best thing he could do was stay out of her way, and hope he got a lucky shot in.

“Well, I can probably avoid shooting you. Other than that… I’m starting to wish I hadn’t left the Order until after my gathering.”

If he’d only stayed a short while longer, he’d have actually collected a kyber crystal and constructed a lightsaber, or at least have had the knowledge of how to do so. He’d probably fare a little better against a lightsaber wielder if he had a laser sword of his own. But then again, even if he had constructed one, he’d still be out of practice with it. He hadn’t exactly maintained his other Jedi skills over the years.

Gatz coasted around a corner in the speeder, bringing them to a slower pace as he spotted their destination: a medium sized stone and glass building, typical for Theed, that looked like it needed a good pressure wash. A single neon sign was mounted above the door, depicting a green wine glass.

“This is it,” Gatz pulled around the side of the building, and brought the speeder to a halt, “do you want to canvas the bar first? Or are you going to try, uh, seeing the past?”

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"Even if you had a lightsaber, it's quite dangerous to use it if you don't have a lot of training with it," Valery said with a chuckle while she quite visibly enjoyed the ride. The feeling of wind blowing through her long hair, the rush of adrenaline whenever they accelerated — these were the little things that made her love taking a speeder out for a ride. But as they approached their final destination, Valery was reminded again that this was no pleasure ride.

They had a job to do.

Once the speeder had fully stopped, she stepped outside and first fixed up her hair. For a place as beautiful as Naboo, this building looked a bit out-of-place, but she figured that every world had its lesser neighborhoods and areas. That said, a single glance down at her formfitting tunic, and she realized that she wasn't really dressed for a place like this at all either. Hopefully they weren't going to draw the wrong kind of attention because of that — Jedi weren't liked everywhere.

"Let's start at the bar and see if the bartender knows anything. It's easier to tap into the past if I can touch something our target touched. Or if it's something a little more connected to him somehow."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Yeah, with my luck, I'd probably lop my own arm off."

Gatz had always been more partial to a blaster anyhow. His experience with lightsabers was limited to the training sabers he'd held, over fifteen years ago now. A former youngling, and a rusty one at that, had no hope of matching a master of the lightsaber in combat. Honestly, he'd be more likely to get in Valery's way with a laser sword than he would with his trusty blaster.

Gats climbed out of the speeder, letting his feet touch solid ground once more. He looked up at the bar, took a step forward, and then stopped to look down at the blaster at his side. A guy like him walking into a bar in Theed armed? It would probably send the wrong message. He really didn't need to get himself booked because some jumpy patron contacted the RSF.

"Here," Gatz pulled the offending weapon from the holster on his thigh, handing it to Valery, "it's probably better if you hold onto this. No one should bat an eye at a Jedi with a weapon at her hip. They might not appreciate scum like me walking in armed, though."

Although, he didn't really know how the citizens of Theed felt about Jedi in particular. He didn't hang around the city often enough to overhear people talking about them. Gatz hoped he wasn't just adding fuel to the fire by handing Valery an extra weapon.

Only one way to find out.

Gatz stepped inside the building, to find himself in a sparse pub. There wasn't much to it: the bar itself was at the far wall, made of wood, with a few glass shelves holding bottles of alcohol behind it. A few individuals were sat at the bar itself. One wall held a few booths, with only one occupied. Then there were a couple of empty tables, that had clearly been used recently, going by the dishes that still needed to be bussed.

"I'll follow your lead," Gatz muttered to Valery, quietly.

He knew a thing or two about interrogations, having been on both the receiving and giving end of them. But the receiving end usually involved him being chained up or locked in a cage, sporting a couple of fresh cuts and bruises. He didn't think that experience was particularly helpful to the situation at hand. And as for the giving end of things... he didn't think Valery would appreciate his idea of "asking questions."

So, definitely better to let the Jedi Master do the questioning.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"Here,"

Valery blinked, and turned to him when he offered his blaster. She had recently been learning how to shoot, so she knew how to handle one and could even be reasonably effective with the weapon. But for him to offer up his was still a surprise, especially because it was his only real means of defense. If they ran into trouble while she still had his weapon, it could get a lot more intense.

"Alright, but stop calling yourself scum," she said, her voice awfully serious for a moment. She then strapped the blaster to her hip and finally entered the building. With just a single glance around, her fiery eyes scanned everything that was important — where people were, how they felt in the Force, and even possible escape routes. None of these patrons were a threat to her in any way, but she always wanted to be ready to make it out of a place like this.

"We'll start at the bar because you still owe me a drink," she joked with a smirk. Valery then made her way over, and leaned forward onto the bar until she made eye-contact with the bartender, "I'd like a glass of red wine, of whatever kind you have, and whatever he wants," she said, glancing to Gatz.

Before she'd ask any questions, she just wanted to have a drink and get a feel for this place, as well as the people inside. Was anybody looking their way? Maybe they'd respond differently to seeing her, now that a Sith had potentially been inside too. Or maybe they hadn't even noticed that at all.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Spice kills more people a year than you or I could ever count, Valery," for once, his voice lacked any sort of humor, "and I used to transport ridiculous quantities of it. Scum is what I am."

But then they were in the bar, and Gatz was glad for it. Because he hoped that meant the Jedi Master wouldn't insist on having that conversation. Valery struck him as someone who saw the best in people, and he appreciated that, but she didn't... didn't understand. He might not have been a murderer, but he was hardly much better. How many people had he indirectly killed over the years, enabling them by delivering their drugs to them?

He had to remember that, had to feel the guilt over it, and he had to be scum. Because if he didn't remind himself of what he really was on a regular basis, didn't agonize over what he'd done, then he'd end up going right back to that life.

Thankfully, the reminder that he owed Valery a drink broke him out of his self-deprecating pity party. He followed the Jedi to the bar, holding back a sigh as he saw the choice of drinks avaliable, and let her make her order. Gatz knew to avoid hard alcohol tonight, if he wanted to be able to see straight. Not that he particularlly wanted to order anything hard at such a tame cantina. If it didn't burn enough to put some hair on his chest, then what was the point of drinking it?

"Give me a stout beer, and put both drinks on my bill," Gatz said simply.

He turned around to look at the rest of the bar... and found the rest of the bar staring right back at them. Right. He supposed that made sense. Valery had just walked in with a lightsaber on her hip, and his jacket was obnoxiously red. They were probably the most interesting thing these people had seen all night. Or, maybe they were a poor reminder of someone else who had walked into this bar.

"What, do I have something on my face?"

Jokes. Killed the tension every time.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Naboo

​

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

"People can change. We wouldn't be standing here together if you hadn't," Valery said, her voice equally serious as his own when he brought up his past. She could tell that he didn't want to have the conversation though, so she decided to leave it there. But should it ever come up between them, she'd be ready to discuss it at length. Her own husband, after all, had once been a Sith Prince and now stood by her side on the Jedi Council.

No matter what happened in his past, Valery truly believed that it should stay in the past.

The two then silently agreed to move on for now, as they made it to the bar and ordered their drinks. Valery could luckily cleanse alcohol from her blood, so she didn't mind having a drink with some alcohol in it. That way, she also didn't stand out as much, or so she hoped...

Nope.

As she turned around, Valery blinked when she noticed a lot of people looking in their direction. The drinks they had wouldn't even matter, and she should have expected it with their appearances. Luckily, the joke Gatz made got a lot of people to mind their own business again, and forced a smirk onto her lips. "Clever," she told him before turning back to the bartender, whose eyes quickly shifted to Valery when she searched for his gaze.

"I'm sure you've noticed the lightsaber on my belt, so you know I'm a Jedi. I know that someone else recently entered this place, perhaps with a lightsaber as well. He's responsible for children gone missing, so I'd appreciate any information you have," she told him rather bluntly. There were plenty of tricks to get what she wanted, but this was the easiest if he was willing to share what he knew.