Private All In

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Another world, another cantina. This space port was like any other. The booze was as cheap as the companionship, and the people were as fickle as anywhere. It was the life which Riggs had made for himself, trading in on the last name and reputation of his father. Inquisitor’s Revenge was an old piece of junk at this point, but Marcus kept in decent enough shape to make a living. At some point he would have to trade in for something newer and more reliable, but for now…

…it was home.

The night would be like any other night. Marcus found himself at the card table looking to cash in on the unaware. His force sensitivity was hidden, greatly, thanks to the New Way creeps his half siblings had gotten themselves involved with somehow. Still, with the backwater worlds Marcus ventured into, there was no reason to be concerned about their reach. The anonymity, however, did provide for one benefit.

Riggs could use the force to win. Especially when none of the tables were equipped with the standard force use detection or suppression devices for games that were at every table in the core.

This was going to be easy pickings.

Of course, Riggs could not win all the games. He had to lose some to make his winnings look believable. That did not stop him from bleeding every participant at the table dry until it was just him and one other. It was how he liked it. The stakes were high. There were a lot of credits on the table. Enough that it would keep the Revenge going long enough to make his way back to check in on his sisters.

Marcus looked at this opponent, almost as if he were staring him down. He was reading him instead. What was in his hand?

Suddenly it popped into his mind.

“All in…”

He pushed his credits to the center of the table. His opponent did the same, way too confident.

Riggs won on the flop.

“Well it was nice playing but as it seems I’ve got all the credits… it might be time to call it a night.”

He slapped a few chits on the bar.

“Round for everyone on me!”

The cheers and the booze often softened the loss and kept his neck from getting broken by angry losers.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

Valery stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest and watched the game with a perked brow. The people here were too drunk to realize that even basic statistics made this guy an anomaly. Sure, he was losing a few games, but never the ones that mattered — the games that would have others withdraw their earnings and call it a night. No, if anything, he lost the games that made others want to keep playing and betting away their credits.

Then, there was his aura.

She couldn't quite get a grip on what she felt, but his presence in the Force was much stronger than of those around him. That's when it struck her — he was using it to read the game somehow. Did he read their minds? did he manipulate the cards in his favor? Valery wasn't quite sure, but she knew that something was amiss. In the grand scheme of the underworld, it wasn't really that interesting. She dealt with slavers, spice trade, and criminals who killed people for sport. This was innocent in comparison, but she felt drawn towards him.

She also wasn't returning to her infiltration of the local gangs until tomorrow.

"So, what do you plan to spend all those credits on?" Valery asked innocently, as she walked up to Marcus and lingered close to his side. "I can't say I've seen someone earn that much in one night before."

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

“Whatever I want,” the quick answer quipped back.

His eyes moved to get a quick glance at the woman which approached him. Typical. Riggs had just won a lot of credits and some gold digger was already approaching him. Sure, he had used that excuse a few times to get a pretty woman in his bed, but the predictability of it was getting annoying.

He turned to say something when he suddenly felt her aura through the force.

It was strong.

POWERFUL.

Riggs knew of only a couple of force users that exuded that level of power and none of them were smugglers or even remotely dressed like them. Whatever this woman was, it was not what her first impression wanted everyone to believe.

“I’m going to fix my ship so I can get back to my sisters.”

This time the answer was more forthcoming. There was no reason to get snippy with someone so powerful, especially since the woman could likely rip whatever information she wanted out of his head. Marcus did not sense anything sinister about her, nor was there any sign he needed to worry. Rather she seemed… genuine. It was a refreshing sensation as the rest in the room, including himself, all pretended to be someone they were not.

Sure, she might be undercover or something, and doing the same thing, but Marcus was less concerned about that. It had been awhile since he felt as though he was around someone that he did not have to pretend, and by the strength of her aura, Marcus was pretty sure she already knew his secret anyway.

He picked up the chilled bottle of Corellian Ale. It was a go to drink in places like this as whatever was in the bottle was hard to mess up, and it tasted a little like home. At least the Sal-Soren’s tried to make it. Naboo would always be more home than Corellia, but he did not want to think about that world, Hapes, or any other connected to his past. The booze was just dependable, even if it came with damned memories.

“So… you after another round or something? Name is Riggs.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"Whatever I want,"

Valery snickered at the response — she should have seen it coming. If he earned credits this easily, she was certain that the wrong kind of people loved to be near him. Not because of him, but because of his money. It was an awful and dangerous way of living, especially for someone who ran solo. She wasn't sure if that was the case for him, but if he had others he cared about around him, they surely would have been here to support his earnings, right?

No, he was here alone.

Valery was about to speak when she watched him turn and felt a change. Out here, she usually suppressed her presence in the Force, but she had made an exception, hoping he'd pick up on it and be more willing to talk to her. The way his expression softened told her that her little plan was working.

"Oh, that's a nice goal to have. I hope they're not too hard to find," she said with a genuinely warm tone, "But no, I'm not here for games. I just wanted to talk to you about how you won yours," Valery said with a smirk, knowing it would likely draw his attention away from the bottle very quickly.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to share it." She extended a hand and offered an infectious smile, "I'm Valery."

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Valery… the name sounded familiar for some reason. Riggs had to think about it for a moment. Valery… strong in the force… three scars on her eye… okay… this was possibly the Valery that Briana had told him about in one of her holos. It was odd that she would be here now, after he had just cheated at a game of cards using the force.

Coincidence?

"So... are you the Valery my sister has told me about... Jedi Master Valery?"

Riggs shook his head. There was never any coincidence when the force was involved. Whether she was there on purpose or just happened to be there, the force had something to do with it. Marcus had tried to escape its grasp, but he had never been able to shake it. It was always a point of contention he had within himself. Why could he have not been born as a Non-Force User like his father. Instead, he was gifted, as some called it.

More like cursed. Well… until it came to getting credits.

His eyes did grow wide when she mentioned how he won the credits. Relief came as quickly as the shock when she suggested she would keep his secret.

“Good. Because I really do need to get the ship repaired.”

That had not been a lie.

Riggs finished off what was in the bottle before letting the glass thunk on the counter top. He started to leave, forgetting his manners. Marcus had them, but often forgot them. Just because he was a scoundrel, smuggler, salvager, and whatever it took to make a living, it did not mean Riggs did not have the touch of nobility on him. It could be seen in the way he walked, his posture, and even the fact his speech tended to be near perfect in grammar compared to most.

Many thought it had been the fact his father was former military. In this part of space more knew his father, and the brunette pilot that used to fight for the Alliance. Riggs and Russo had been a common name among the Outer Rim until they parted. Then it was Riggs and Teyla. Until his dad went missing and his mother moved on. She had to move on with some noble… that made his childhood a lot more complicated than it needed to be.
His head motioned toward the exit.

“I’m heading to the ship if you want. We can talk more openly there while I make repairs.”

Just because everyone else was enjoying themselves, it did not mean he could. There was always work to do.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"It seems my disguise doesn't work as well as I hoped it would," Valery said with a playful smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. In this case, she hadn't really been trying to hide her identity. She wouldn't have given her real name if she was. No, she understood that if she wanted to reach him about his use of the Force, she'd have to be honest herself. A name was a good start, but she needed to earn his trust just a little more.

Not revealing his trickery was hopefully one way to do that.

"I won't stop you from repairing your ship, but I do want to warn you about using the Force the way you have been." Perhaps it'd be absurd to him, that some random woman had this much interest in 'helping' him with his use of the Force. But Valery had seen what could happen if people with great potential abused it. This was worth getting sidetracked, especially now that she had some time to spare from her ongoing investigation.

"If we could talk on your ship, that would be appreciated." She assumed he'd want the privacy, in case someone overheard them discussing his methods, and she didn't really need everybody here to know who she was either.

His ship would be the best place to talk about it.

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

“It’s not that,” he said, dismissing the statement about her disguise. “That is actually pretty good. It’s just that my sister is a student of yours. Briana Sal-Soren .”

No one was around so it did not matter that names were mentioned. Otherwise they were being pretty generic in the subject at hand. Still it was a wise idea to get out of the cantina, which was why Marcus made his exit as soon as he found the right moment to transition to one. His ship would afford the privacy they needed to be open and candid, especially if she was about to lecture him on why using the force to win credits was bad.

Oh, he had gotten the speech before. Briana and Caerina were both very insistent that he keep it all under wraps and just not use the force at all if all he was going to do was use it to cheat. It just came second nature to him. He knew who he was, and why not use the force if it gave him an edge or advantage. He was not some Sith hellbent on power, nor was he a Jedi who thought the force should be used to bring about the greater good in the galaxy.

Marcus was Marcus, and it was probably true what he heard all the time.

All he truly cared about was himself.

He stayed quiet until they got to the ship. The docking bay where he had his ship was not far from the cantina. That was the beauty about getting drinks at the port rather than going into tow. He was never far from a fast getaway if he needed it. Provided the ship was in working order, which the Inquisitors Revenge was not.

The bucket of bolts looked as though it was ready to be decommissioned. It likely should have been. Marcus was not sure how old it was when his father bought it, but Riggs sure knew what it took to keep the old thing alive now. Marcus was sinking so many credits in keeping it running that the red stripe which had been painted on the freighter was barely distinguishable in most places it used to be.

Nostalgia was the only reason to keep flying it now.

“Make yourself at home… and uh… sorry for the mess.”

It was cluttered. Parts and wires were strewn about the section of the ship Riggs was working on. Naturally it was the light speed engine, which required space to set things.

“I can start patching things up, and the final part I need… well I can get that in the morning when the shop opens.”

Marcus took his jacket off and put some coveralls over his clothes.

“So… I take it you figured out how I was winning then?”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"Former student, but yes," Valery said with a warm chuckle. Briana Sal-Soren was quite special to her. With most Padawans, she developed an almost familiar relationship. Briana had been older when she became her student, so their bond had been different from the start. Master and Padawan — Mentor and student — at the very beginning, but now they were best friends. Equals who spent a great deal of time together, even outside Jedi duty.

Now, Valery wondered what Briana had already told him.

If these were his connections, he had likely gotten chewed out for using the Force like this in the past. Briana wasn't one to shy away from that kind of confrontation. Obviously, it hadn't turned him away from abusing the Force to cheat in games, and why would he stop? He had just earned enough credits in one night to fix his ship and go wherever he pleased.

No, she needed to approach it differently.

After quietly following Marcus to his ship, Valery looked around and chuckled. It was exactly what she had expected from someone living on their own, who spent time in places like this. It was a bit of a mess, but an organized mess, she assumed. He knew exactly where he had placed each component, and as long as she didn't move anything around, he'd know how to piece it all back together.

"No worries, it's quite the renovation, hm?" She turned her gaze from the stray wires and parts back to him. "But yes, it wasn't that hard for me to notice. If you know Briana, I'm sure she has talked to you about it before too, so I'll spare you the lecture about not using the Force to cheat." Something she assumed he would appreciate.

"I'm more interested in talking about what you've done to refine your use of the Force. If anything at all."

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

The repairs were more extensive than Riggs had wanted them to be when the project first began. With an old ship like he was flying, there was always something to uncover once the guts were exposed.

He shrugged as he slid into the manhole where he was going to do the work.

“Well… I mean you know what you were seeing. I’m fortunate that no one else really noticed.”

Riggs ignored the Brianna comment. Naturally she had already told him about it, and Valery was going to give her opinion regardless. Yes, he needed to be careful. He did not disagree. Marcus was surprised when she let the topic go, and turned her attention to the only other worse topic they could talk about.

What had he done to refine his skills?

“Nothing.”

It was short and simple, and it was the truth.

“I mean other than what you saw tonight. I’ve played around a bit on how I can use it to my advantage. If you're asking about training it’s nothing.”

He peeked his head out from the engine.

“The Sith… I’d like to avoid. And the Jedi… no offense, but they are too restrictive.”

In other words, Marcus valued his freedom above everything else.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

Nothing.

Even down in the manhole, Marcus would likely hear her sigh. She had hoped that Briana or someone else in the family had given him some training, but it seemed like he wasn't interested at all. The only thing he knew, was that he wanted to avoid the Sith, and that he pretty much tried to avoid the Jedi as well. He didn't word it that way, but she knew what it meant for someone to call the Jedi too restrictive.

They didn't allow you to cheat in Saabac with the Force.

She smirked at the thought but decided against being snippy, "Don't you think you should at least learn some basics? Even if you're only using it sparingly and for smaller applications, your connection can grow and it can cause trouble if you don't know how to control it." Babies and toddlers often caused things to break during emotional outbursts, and even Padawans or Knights with a potent connection could cause incidents when they lost control.

Even Jedi Masters were not immune to it.

"It doesn't hurt to make sure you're always going to be in control of yourself. Isn't that what freedom really means?"

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Freedom… it was a notion and a value and notion which Marcus held very dear and close to his chest. There were few things in life which were actually worth fighting over, and being free was one of the greatest of them all. It was a wonder that Valery would use it to try and sway him to her way of thinking, and her line of logic. The only problem Riggs had with it was he had no real argument against it.

She was right.

A sigh was the only response she would get as an answer, at least at first. His hands worked at the components that needed to be put back together, and the sound of the hydrospanner was the only thing between them for a while. Of course, Riggs assumed the woman had learned to be patient with silence a long time ago, or that she was good without getting her answer.

She already had it.

When he emerged from the work pit, half of the mess was put back together, his eyes found hers for a moment before turning to the galley.

"You drink caf?"

Again it was not the answer she likely wanted to hear, but Marcus was dead certain she already knew he thought she was correct. For the moment Riggs was not going to give her the satisfaction of admitting, and even less so asking her for help. He did not want to be a Jedi. As far as he was concerned the Jedi had failed his half brother, his mother, and the fact they still had not arrested anyone connected to the New Way…

Baros Sal-Soren was lucky enough to be dead.

Perhaps if Marcus would have been there, Brandyn would not be in the trouble he was in. Riggs would have killed the man himself, and it would not have to be something to weigh on the Sal-Sorens. After all, wasn't Baros the reason his mother did not wait for his father.

Marcus shook his head. It was all moot anyway. Everyone made their own choices in life, as he was making now. His decision not to learn how to use the force was his own burden to carry, even if there were those around him that encouraged him to do so. Any training would be because he wanted to do it, not because his family begged him to. He was not about to do anything for anyone other than himself.

Riggs was a selfish creature that way.

"Hypothetically," he began, "assuming I agree that you're right… how would I even go about such a thing without actually joining any kind of order?"

He turned to look at Valery again after starting the caf.

"Call me a cynic, but the propaganda is half right… not everyone who uses the force is evil… but all these different orders sure find themselves in the middle of every conflict this galaxy seems to experience."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

He didn't need to say anything. As soon as she heard the sigh, Valery began to smile even without him able to see it. She knew that he understood what she meant, and either he had no argument to bring in against it, or he knew that she was stubborn and that any argument was futile as a result. Whatever the case, Valery waited for him to emerge from his little mechanical pit, and looked at him with just a faint smirk that hinted at what she thought.

He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of telling her she made a decent point, so she'd show him that she didn't need it.

"I don't, but some water would be great." She preferred tea over caf, but she didn't want to be bothersome and ask him to make something else, just for her.

As he made his way to the kitchen, Valery followed him and leaned against some cabinets behind him. She crossed her arms underneath her chest and watched him prepare his coffee. Until he mentioned a hypothetical scenario. Once more, she met his gaze and began to smile, "Well, you don't need to be in any Order to learn. Especially not if we're just covering basics." Jedi usually didn't teach people outside the order because that could be as dangerous as an untrained Force-sensitive.

But there was no harm in teaching things that couldn't directly be used to harm people.

"I would still avoid the Sith, but I could teach you a few things and I'm sure other Jedi would be willing too. Without you having to join the Order."

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

“So tea then,” he said with a nod. “Just because I am not a fan of organized forcey stuff doesn't mean I haven’t worked with a Jedi or three. Usually when caf is a no, tea is the go to.”

Everyone got their caffeine somewhere.

Riggs pulled out the electric kettle and turned it on after filling it with water. Just because she asked for water did not mean he was not going to be a gracious host and see to whatever it was she needed or wanted. There was enough etiquette training in the scoundrel that he couldn’t ignore it if he tried. It wasn’t that Marcus always followed everything he’d learned when he was younger. Intrinsically he was still a good person, and that came out no matter how rough he appeared to be, or truly was.

HIs life was difficult in some ways, and every one of those ways had been because of the decisions he had made. There was no denying he was the major contributor to his woes. At some point he was going to have to face it all rather than continue to make things worse. Currently an opportunity to start doing that was staring him right in the eye in the form of an undercover Jedi in a rather low cut shirt.

Yeah he noticed…

…any scoundrel would have noticed.

“Basics sure… maybe I’ll even craft my own lightsaber one of these days,” he said, quickly averting his gaze from where it should not have been.

Turning back he poured the hot water into the cup of tea he had prepared. It was not the best tea in the galaxy as he did not really drink it, but it was something. He offered her the cup before pouring his own mug of caf. He drank it black, just like his father. At least that is what Teyla had always said. Marcus had no memory of how Damon drank his caf. He avoided everything to do with his family unless Briana needed him for something.

She was the only one he had stayed close to aside from his twin sister.

“You do not have to worry about me joining the Sith. I am sure Bri told you about how one of them experimented on my mother. My sister and I… we have some residual effects of that. I am not everything I seem.”

Why he trusted the woman with that bit of information he did not know. Truth be told other than Bri and Car… no one else alive knew, well unless Damon knew. Riggs had K’paur genetics in him and what that meant, he did not know exactly. All he knew was that was the reason he was stronger in the force than he should have been.

There was a tone of disgust, maybe even hatred, when he spoke of what happened to his mother. It was likely a good thing Marcus did not train, and that he avoided the Sith. He was certain to be easily exploited by them. The right Sith would turn him easily.

“How is the tea?”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"Some tea would be lovely," Valery said with a rather warm smile when he offered. For a scoundrel who made his credits by cheating in Sabaac games with the Force, she felt relieved to see that etiquette hadn't been thrown out of the window entirely. She didn't need a gentleman to treat her like some high society lady - men a little rougher around the edges were often far more interesting - but she did appreciate decent behavior.

Valery watched him turn around to start preparing some tea, and hummed in thought while she looked at him with a curious eye. Handsome, strong, determined and open to a Jedi's suggestion when it made sense - he sure was a unique scoundrel. She smirked a little at the thoughts that formed and focused on what he said, "Build a lightsaber? Well, that is certainly possible." She looked at him as he turned to face her, and there wasn't a world where she wouldn't notice his gaze dipping.

He averted his gaze, but as soon as he met her eyes again, Valery's grin had spread just a little further across her lips.

She had noticed.

"I've heard, so I don't worry you will end up with them. But the Sith are not the only source of evil in this Galaxy. Be mindful of who you call teacher." She offered a more gentle smile this time, and slowly raised the cup up to her lips for a sip of tea. Her eyes remained fixed on Marcus, so when she lowered her cup, she could show him that she enjoyed it with her smile alone.

"It's perfect, thank you. Not a drink that fits the look, maybe, but it's nice not having to play a role for a bit."

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

“Undercover then…” Marcus asked, already knowing the answer. It was not like he figured the Sword of the Jedi ran around wearing such low cut clothing all the time.

Then again… Marcus did not really know anything about the Jedi. His life was filled with decisions made on a lot of assumptions. He knew they were his to own, but suddenly Valery was making him curious about testing the assumptions he had. Briana never could have. They were too close, and while he should have been able to listen to family, he always assumed Briana had an ulterior motive to her sermonizing.

Well it wasn’t even that she was preachy. Briana wanted what was best for him. They just did not agree on what was best.

Marcus could appreciate Valery’s perspective though. There were other evils than the Sith out there. He had seen it himself. The New Way were among them. Baros Sal-Soren had been among them. Slavers still roamed free despite the millennia long effort to eradicate them and the practice. Genocide was not something the dark side had a corner market on either. Riggs supposed his cheating could be considered evil too, but was it really when he was just taking away from those that were robbing poor people blind?

Maybe. He wasn’t giving it back.

He sipped his caf.

“If you wanted something stronger all you had to do was ask,” he popped off.

His head canted to the side trying to remember which cabinet it was in. It wasn’t. It was in a drawer. Marcus pulled about a bottle of his dad’s old brandy. It had served as a reminder to never drink again. How that worked for the old man he would never know. Not that Marcus should touch the stuff considering his dad had been an alcoholic, but it was going to waste.

“I got some Corellian Brandy… but uh… that would mean you’d be playing the role again. And I am honestly intrigued by what you think about all this. If I were to agree to some training…”

He sipped his caf again.

“Would you do it?”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"What gave it away?" she asked with a smirk. In daily life, Valery was often in Jedi gear but whenever she found herself with some free time, it never stayed on. Outfits like her current one were perhaps a little much, but she wasn't afraid to show off and present herself in pleasant ways. She did the same during undercover missions, both to fit in and to have an advantage over people who were easily distracted and persuaded.

Something she had learned to exploit as a Jedi Shadow.

Valery's eyes turned to him when he mentioned something stronger, and her right brow began to arc up, "Stronger, hm?" She watched him pull a bottle from a drawer and smiled despite feeling just a little nervous. On occasion, Valery drank a glass of wine at dinner or when there was something to celebrate. Even those singular classes already had an effect on her, so she knew that anything stronger would make it impossible for her to work.

"Alright, then," she said after a moment, "I'll take a glass. I'm also willing to offer training if you choose to take it, but only if you have a drink with me." She wasn't going to drink on her own — that was far too boring. A deal to share a drink and begin training when sober seemed like the perfect solution.

"You wouldn't have me drinking on my own, would you?" She flashed him a smirk and looked him up and down, while she waited expectantly for his answer. Training him would be a good change of pace from the underworld assignment, and she had the time for it. As long as he was open to it, she'd even enjoy teaching him.

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

What gave it away? Did she really want him to answer that question? Her outfit was the obvious reason. Though the fact they needed to leave the cantina in order to talk openly was another indicator. It was not just the subject matter that put Riggs at stake. If she was trying to keep her cover, she would blow it if they had gotten caught talking about his methods of winning.

"Ummm well... all of that..." Riggs motioned a general circular motion around the outfit.

He nodded, and continued to pull a couple of glasses out. Naturally she was going to ask him to have a drink with her. No one liked to drink alone, though Riggs was pretty convinced the kind of alcohol which his father had hidden was the exact kind that should be drunk when no one was around. There was something about the bottle itself which made him think it knew a lot of his dad’s war stories.

Riggs shook his head.

“Not gonna have you drinking alone, but uhh… maybe we keep it to one drink hmmm?”

His eyes dipped again, though this time he was not aware they had done so. Riggs was worried that his behavior might be a bit untoward if they had too much. It was not like Marcus knew what kind of drunk he was anyway. His father’s alcoholism ensured that Riggs kept his drinking to a one glass minimum. Even at that the glass was never too full.

He offered the first glass to Valery, then took the second in hand for himself. His head motioned to the couch in the center lounge which was common on the modified YT-1300. Yeah Riggs needed to get a new ship desperately, but this was all he could afford. It was in the family, and it had been free.

“So this training… gonna make me camp out at the temple, or we gonna do it between jobs and what not. And let me guess… no more using the force to cheat at cards.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"Ummm well... all of that..."

Valery didn't say a word but merely looked at him and smirked. She knew what she was doing by asking the question. A lot of men would have started sweating but he hadn't crumbled and still talked himself out of it by telling the truth. That only made it even more amusing to her. He then quickly decided to join her for a drink, which meant he had an easy shift of topic, as he turned to pick up two glasses, rather than one.

Off the hook, for now.

"One glass is fine. I'm not a big drinker." Even the single glass, unless she cleansed the alcohol from her blood, would likely loosen her up more than it should. He'd definitely notice if it didn't affect her at all though, so she had little choice but to drink and hope it wouldn't hit her too hard. Her only saving grace was that she wasn't drinking on an empty stomach.

"I don't think the Temple is the right place, especially now. People are a little paranoid with the enemy so close to Coruscant. No, I think between jobs is a good idea, and I can offer training wherever makes sense. Perhaps on a different Temple, or just in an open stretch of land." For most of the basics, she didn't really need dedicated training rooms or fancy equipment. Just some privacy and silence, so he could focus on the Force and deepen his connection.

Learn to control it.

"I'll need a way to contact you, though. So we can arrange these training sessions."

Marcus Riggs ​

 

[Marcus Riggs]

Wearing: xxx
Tag: Valery Noble

Marcus did not really care what Valery thought about his comment on her dress. In this instance he was being honest about what was giving away her undercover status. Again, Jedi did not seem the type to draw attention to certain assets for the sake of being want for attention. Riggs could have been wrong, but he had not met any that made attempts to intentionally seduce with their dress or any other method. If they existed he was meeting the wrong ones.

A nod.

One glass.

Riggs did not need anymore then that either. Fear was the wrong word, but he was certainly cautious. Too much alcohol could lead to the behavior which his father had gotten into some trouble for. Then again, he knew the story behind his name. Marcus was not a random sound nice kind of name. He'd been named for the XO and best friend that had saved Damon's life.

Marcus would have drank a lot too.

At least it was easy enough to switch the conversation to his training. Valery agreed the temple was a bad idea. Even more, Riggs had not stopped to consider that the Dark Empire was so close. He knew they'd taken up a stronghold within Alliance space, but apparently he didn't think about how close it had been.

He could only guess that Valery was more worried about it than she let on. Riggs just nodded.

"Right, well I suppose we should exchange details."

Marcus took a large gulp of the booze. That was likely a mistake as it hits head faster than it needed too. Still he was clear enough to pull his personal comm from his back pocket and motioned for Valery to do the same.

"Link up?"

They could easily sync their devices and just trade information. Besides he was a smuggler and she was a Jedi. They didn't just need contact information, they needed location information. Should they decide to meet up for training purposes that is.

Wow the booze was stronger than he thought. It must have been the age.

"Could always start now… if I'm gonna do this you better get me while I'm amiable."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"I guess we should," Valery grinned and produced her comm unit from her pocket. The Jedi one, since she carried around one with fake contacts to maintain her smuggler persona as well. She held the device alongside his, entered her security codes, and waited for the transfer of details to be finalized. Once it was ready, Valery checked to make sure it had gotten through, and pocketed the device she understood very little about.

Handling technology was not her strength.

"There, that should do it." She took a swing from her drink and immediately regretted it. She closed her eyes to fight away the tears that were starting to form, but she couldn't stop herself from coughing once. Perhaps twice. Her gaze turned to him with an embarrassed smile, but she wasn't quite giving up just yet. Now that she knew what to expect, Valery sipped from her drink again and handled it much better.

Crap, this stuff is strong.

"Start now? Really?" Valery snorted, "I'm going to need you focused and without slurred speech for proper training. I don't think being tipsy on your first lesson will be smart." She then paused and looked at him from behind her glass, "You've been amiable enough without the booze, too. I don't think you need it."

Marcus Riggs ​