Private Back into Business

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"...Anything for you,"

She knew he was playing his part in their disguise, but she liked to think there was more to that statement. That he'd actually do anything for her because he cared about her. Either way, she blushed faintly like a shy schoolgirl, smiled like he had given her everything she ever wanted, and looked up at his emerald eyes as if they were already a real couple. Aldric just knew how to find the path into her heart somehow, and she couldn't hide it anymore or look away.

After dragging him elsewhere to talk privately, he only further affirmed these beliefs.

She was completely quiet while she listened to him and felt herself tearing up just a little bit. For months now, she had worried about exploring the more romantic sides of life again. Was it okay to fall in love again after the loss of someone she had been so close to? When would it be okay? They were questions she couldn't answer, as any attempt to do so just sparked fear of making the wrong decision. But now... she knew.

Kahlil wanted her to be happy, and nothing made her feel more hopeful for happiness than being with him.

"You deserve a bit of happiness as much as anyone else. A bit of… good. If this… If I… can give that to you… then that's just how it is. There's no shame in any of it."

"You can..." she muttered, her voice soft and emotional as she fought back the happy tears. He then extended a hand and asked her to dance, but before she accepted it, Valery stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, while she rested the side of her face against his chest. "Thank you," she whispered softly before pulling back from the hug and taking his hand. "Let's dance." There was no somber expression anymore — just a warm, happy smile and her eyes no longer showed the pain of loss. Instead, they were ignited with hope. This was only a start, and a more significant step would have to be made, but she was hopeful that they could succeed.

Valery then finally pulled him along to the dancefloor and stepped close to place her hands on his shoulders. A slower song was playing so she wanted to be close, and enjoy this dance with him. "Let's see if you're as good at dancing as you are with words," she teased with a smirk.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric had been down a similar path before. He loved once. It failed. And for a long time, it felt like that was it. The only chance he was allowed to have, squandered. But years alone gave way to years of introspection. Even still he wasn't certain there was anything else out there for him. Not until Valery came. Suddenly there was more. New and exciting. Time may heal wounds, but it was the people around you that really counted. That turn it from pain to strength. To opportunity.

Sooner or later, they had to start living life for themselves. Not everyone else.

Aldric thought his farm was just that. But he now saw the piece that had been missing.

Valery came in closer, into an embrace, and Aldric wrapped his arms protectively around her. Firm, but caring. She deserved more. He could give that to her. And she to him. "Any time…" He smiled, a softer, gentler smile than usual. But when she took his hand, that excitement returned. Her eyes burned, not as flickering embers but as a conflagration. And in return the patina of his emeralds had a sheen unlike which had been seen before. There was more here. So much more. They need only seize it.

After.

On the dance floor, Aldric slowly ran his hands down Valery's waist, settling gently as they began to sway. Her challenge brought back his smirk, "I'll have you know… the agency taught me how to dance. For just such an occasion," Perhaps not something just like this. But appearances were everything. The ballroom was a surprisingly common workplace in this job. "But I could also take us into a Dantooine square dance, if you like," A little something from his rural homeland. But this wasn't the song for it. And frankly, they'd need more people.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

The embrace solidified all the hopes and dreams she had felt deep inside ever since she picked him up on Azbrian. He could offer her strength, comfort, and protection when she needed it, and had a caring and loving heart. His own strength and confidence didn't falter, but when he'd need it, she knew he'd be open to her help as well. They weren't even anything official, nor had they verbally agreed to start dating or really try and make something out of this. But she knew it could be so much more than it already was, and Valery felt he knew too.

It was only a matter of time.

On the dancefloor, Valery blushed deep red when his hands slid down her waist, and unintentionally she gripped his shoulders a little more tightly in response. She was still a bit nervous, but no longer to an extent that kept her from enjoying this to the fullest. This wasn't part of the mission anymore — just a moment between them. "Mhmmm..." she hummed playfully in response, "Well, they did a great job," Valery chuckled and slowly began to loosen up, allowing her to move more fluently and show off a little as her body moved and swayed along with the music.

"I'll follow you into any dance," she said with a smirk and suggestive tone. Now, she began to dance around him a little more, swaying her shapely body as the music picked up. "Show me what you got~"

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

“I like to think so,” Aldric grinned, only to cock an eyebrow as the tempo raised. It seemed even the music was intent on making him prove it. “Careful Val…” He watched as the distance between them grew, as she loosened up. His hands slowly slid off to let her free, and their dance evolved naturally to the beat, “...or I might just take you up on that.”

At first he nearly forgot to keep going himself; The hypnotic sway of her hips, her body, kept his thoughts distracted. But as his eyes traveled back up to hers, Aldric picked up his slack. He shimmied closer, engaged in a little game of cat-and-mouse to catch up to Valery without stepping out of meter.

But as the music began to crescendo, Aldric suddenly reached out a hand to pull her back into a tango-like movement, bringing them dangerously, tantalizingly close. The heat of their breaths, near enough to intermingle, before he finally took Valery into an impressively deep dip, where he froze, eyes locking on hers, “...How’s that?” The sound of a few cheers and whistles from the sidelines pulled away his attention. Apparently they’d earned a bit of attention for their showing. Not something they really needed right now, but he smirked all the same.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"What makes you think that's not what I want?" she teased with a wink, moments before she allowed herself to fall into the rhythm and melodies of the music. Her body swayed, allowing her to use her alluring figure to draw him in and encourage him not to hold back, while her eyes were inviting him with a dangerously playful shimmer to the burning fires. He responded with similar passion, and closed the distance to the beat of the music, before reaching for her hand to take back the lead.

With a quick but elegant pull, she was spun around to face him again, and drawn back so close that she could feel his breath against her skin, and he could hear her own hitching briefly from excitement. A hand settled on her lower back, and together they dipped, still dangerously close, right as the music faded out, and all attention was drawn to their dance of fiery passion.

"...How's that?"

Valery was breathing heavily and looked at him with widened eyes for a second, completely oblivious to people around them watching, clapping, or whistling. She just smiled, closed her eyes, and pulled herself up just enough to allow her lips to brush against his own to give him an answer to his question. It provoked an even louder response from the crowd around them, but Valery didn't care at all and continued their kiss without any perception of time.

"That was... perfect," she finally said as they withdrew from the dip, and ended up standing almost glued together, eyes still locked like they had been all night and with the same passion burning. "What do you think?" she then whispered, no longer referring to their dance, their act, or anything but them.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

For all the steamy tension between them, Aldric still wasn't quite expecting that answer. His own eyes widened at the brush of her lips, the subtle taste of what he wanted so enticingly close. He let himself give into it, shut out the rest of the dancefloor for a few blissful seconds as they kissed. It was gentle, and teasing, a promise of something more yet to come. And when they stood up, still so dangerously close, he had never been more tempted to shirk everything else here in favor of a long night elsewhere. But they still had time. R2I training was coming in surprisingly handy for this occasion, a thought which made him chuckle to himself.

"That was... perfect,"

Aldric's eyes illuminated, "I aim to please…" He rumbled, his voice huskier now. Her question made him straighten up in thought. But really, there was little to think about. He grazed a thumb against his lip, before returning his gaze to her, "...Perfect." There was no doubt about that. He was all in. This. Whatever this was. He had a feeling just where it was headed… but he wanted to find out for himself.

Aldric leaned in closer, just beside Valery's ear, "What do you say we get upstairs, get what we need, and get the hell out of here?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

Even after the kiss broke and they stood together in the center of attention, Valery felt entranced in her little world that only he could enter. The tension from before the kiss hadn't faded, and the intimacy of the moment had only sparked the desire for more, but they both knew this wasn't the right time to give in yet. The temptation was there, but this is what she believed to be crucial for any Jedi exploring romantic feelings — the ability to still be in control of emotions.

There was more than enough time left this night to enjoy each other's company.

"Oh, you have..." Valery said, her heart beating faster at the way his voice was now suddenly projected. Aside from the way he comforted and strengthened her, she couldn't help but feel her heart burning from his manly strength and confidence. She was a sucker for it, and the way she bit her lip again after his thumb brushed against it did little to hide those feelings.

"What do you say we get upstairs, get what we need, and get the hell out of here?"

She heard the whisper into her ear, and let her hands gently trace up his chest while she tried to keep herself composed, "That sounds like a plan," she whispered back before a more playful smirk tugged at her lips, "Just... maybe get the lip gloss of your lips first." She winked and blew him a kiss before she finally stepped back. At this point, people had returned to their own dancing, drinking, and socializing, but some eyes did not leave them.

Even from the balcony, attention was drawn, and with a quick glance around, she noticed a pair of tall bodyguards approaching them, "The Nordanns, right? The boss wants to see you both," he said, referring to the big Hutt upstairs who owned this place.

Valery glanced at Aldric for an answer.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"That sounds like a plan,"

Aldric grinned.

"Just... maybe get the lip gloss of your lips first."

Aldric blinked confusedly, and reached up a hand to wipe at his lip, smearing off a bit of gloss on his finger. The grin returned. Only to yet again wipe away as a few armed figures approached the pair, "That's right…" The agent ran a hand through his hair to fix it, and regained his posture. "Something we can do for our host?"

"Just come along."

He shot Valery a look, then nodded solemnly, "...Very well." What this could possibly mean put him on edge, but they had to maintain their cover for now. Perhaps it would even play to their advantage, seeing as they were being led upstairs.

As they headed towards the Hutt in question, Aldric couldn't help but quietly comment, "Too good at dancing, I guess." He smirked, but kept his gaze held firmly ahead, so as to not draw any more attention.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"Just come along."

While this brought them upstairs on invitation, Valery still seemed rather nervous. If they had gone up there on their own, it would have been without detection, but now they had far too many eyes on them. So when Aldric shot her a look, she showed her hesitation with her eyes, but still nodded.

They simply had no choice.

The couple then began to make their way up and while they did, Valery clung to his arm again so she could hear his whisper. She expected something serious — perhaps a plan or way out of this situation, but instead, he joked, and she couldn't stop herself from grinning. "Way too good," she said with a smile before the guards led them up to the Hutt, who was surrounded by several more of them.

He quickly began to ramble in Huttese, but a translator droid stepped forward to help.

"Lord Muthasch congratulates you both on the fine performance," the droid began. "To keep his business thriving, he must always entertain his clients and it is for that reason, that he wishes to purchase the girl from you, Mr. Nordmann. She would, in our Lord's opinion, make a fine dancer for this establishment and please our customers. Of course, you will be very handsomely rewarded." The Hutt began to laugh and yoinked on a chain connected to several dancers that were close around him.

Valery, however, didn't seem so amused. Her face was bright red, either from pure anger or embarrassment or perhaps both. "He wants to what?" she demanded. "Buy you, Miss," the droid clarified dryly. "I heard you the first time but..." she stopped, clearly angry and annoyed, but forced herself to calm down again.

She looked at Aldric and sighed — it was a way for him to get in, as the payment would have to be processed and the attention would shift away from them. There was also the fear of what could happen if they rejected the offer. But Valery's pleading eyes made it very clear how much this bothered her. If he remembered their old conversations, he knew just how much she hated slavery.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Wha-" "He wants to what?"

Valery got in the first word, and the offense taken was immediately clear. Frankly, Aldric was rather offended, too. Blatant objectification, not to mention the blatant slavery. If only they knew just who they were actually talking to. The corpulent Hutt seemed to care little. Alliance laws meant nothing out here. This was his turf. Nobody ever told him no. He was invincible.

Aldric looked down at Valery, seeing the look in her eyes. It steeled his resolve, but in truth, the decision was never in question. "Respectfully, Lord Muthasch…" There was a bit of venom to the words, indicating his 'respect' was little more than that. A word. Aldric held Valery a little closer as he continued, "That's my wife, you're talking about."

"She's worth far more than your credits could ever afford."

There was a stunned silence from the Hutt and his surrounding entourage. He told him no. Muthasch seemed to jiggle in place, voice rising as he underwent a tantrum. "Lord Muthasch is... sorry to hear this." Not what the Hutt actually said, as evidence by his tone, but more importantly, because Aldric could speak Huttese.

Making him all the more prepared when one of the guards approached him from behind, ready to smack the butt of his gun against the agent's head. Aldric spun and grabbed the weapon, using his superior strength to bash it against the guard's face and steal it away. He then pointed the blaster at the Hutt.

The jig was up.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

There was genuine fear in her eyes when she looked at Aldric — it wasn't part of her act and she wasn't trying to downplay it at all either. Personal circumstances had developed a particular hatred for slavery, so even just the idea, or this proposal, really shook her to her core. So rather than making a move herself, she looked at him for help, for a way out of this situation, and that's exactly what he gave her.

"Respectfully, Lord Muthasch…"

She held her breath and...

"That's my wife, you're talking about. She's worth far more than your credits could ever afford."

Valery shifted closer to him when he gently tucked on her arm, accepting safety in his comfort, and looked at the Hutt and his guards to prepare for the worst. But all she really wanted was to embrace him again for that. She'd find a moment to thank him later, though — the first of his guards made a move but Aldric was much quicker and stronger, and thus able to not only disarm the attacker but level the weapon on the Hutt.

Without wasting a second, Valery lifted her dress slightly and pulled the knife from the strap around her thigh, drawing it into her hand to put even more pressure on them, "I can't get into their systems, so I'll leave that to you and keep these guys pinned down," Valery told Aldric, whose skills with tech were far superior to her own. The Hutt began to yell again, which was promptly translated.

"Lord Muthasch assures you both, that you will not get out of here alive."

"Heard that one before," Valery said before she looked at Aldric, "Come on, go and get what we came for. I'll be okay," she said, just in case he hesitated to leave her alone.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

The upper floor chaos quickly turned into a standoff. A couple other guards had raised weapons at Aldric and Valery, whilst the agent’s was still pointed at their boss. At the Jedi’s offer, he noticeably wavered in confidence. Leaving here to fend them all off while he hid away to extract some data. Something about it didn’t sit right, but at the same time, he trusted her. Valery was a Jedi master, after all. One of the best. A little spat in a Nar Shaddaa casino wasn’t going to be the end of her story.

At last he smirked, and nodded. Then, on a dime, he spun to shoot the guard aiming at Valery, fully entrusting her to go after the one targeting him. An unspoken bit of cooperation between the two. She wouldn’t let him down. The scene devolved into chaos, whilst Aldric leapt aside and ran for the server room.

Inside it was mysteriously unattended, something he took a mental note of before jamming a computer spike into the system. Downloading all the data would take a bit, which he hoped to hasten as he then began to clack away at the keypad, thus far unaware of the Hutt employee sneaking up behind him…

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

Even before Aldric turned to shoot the guard aiming at her, Valery could feel it happen in the Force and prepared herself for it. The blaster bolt brought the man down a second or two later, and almost at the exact same time, she extended a hand to send the other flying into the wall with incredible force to protect him in return. Right now, their cover no longer mattered, so she wasn't afraid to use the Force either, and turned to its strength for protection as the other guards opened up and fired into her Force Barrier.

From the corners of her eyes, she could see Aldric move into the server room and grinned a little — this was a lot less covert than they had wanted, and it was going to be one hell of a task to get out, but she felt confident they could do it together. Not only were they the best of the best when it came to their type of work, but they had something more to fight for now. Something they had only briefly been able to explore and feel, but something very powerful.

About a minute or two passed, and during that time Aldric could hear the chaos outside the server room fading away. Valery was taking out the guards and had stunned the Hutt with one of the pistols she snatched from the ground. It gave her some time to turn away and run after Aldric, as she felt someone else approaching him.

"Aldric!" she exclaimed, as she saw the one remaining guard sneak up to him with a Vibro knife. She couldn't reach him in time, but she hoped her warning would be enough.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric couldn't help but smirk as he heard the commotion outside gradually lessen. Valery was handling things, no doubt. And here, as the download had nearly finished, he found himself fidgeting with impatience. When suddenly-

"Aldric!"

Without even looking back he lurched to the side, just missing the vibroknife as it was thrust down, now whiffing completely and lodging into the console, which shot a shower of sparks as the screen flickered away. The attacker, a snarling devaronian, pulled the knife out and swiped again. Aldric backed away further, but not enough to stop the vibrating blade from slashing across his chest. Yet as he looked down instinctively, he saw… nothing. Little more than a crease in the armorweave material his dress shirt was made out of. He smirked, taking a mental note to send another thanks to the crafter.

The thug came in for another stab, but Aldric grabbed his wrist and fully redirected it back into his flank, before grappling the thug and slamming him face first into the malfunctioning console, sending up more sparks before he slumped to the floor. The agent snatched the data spike and waved it at Valery triumphantly before moving to meet her halfway, "So much for the quiet approach."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

Her heart felt heavy for a second, as the Devaronian approached to stab the knife into Aldric's neck from behind in an attempt to instantly kill him, but luckily he had heard her yell. With quick movements, he dodged the first strike but was caught across the chest by the second. Not realizing his suit would keep him protected, Valery suddenly exploded with speed and intensity in her eyes that made it clear he was about to be sent to the shadow realm.

But that ferocious glare lasted only a second, as the suit kept him protected, much to the Devaronian's surprise. With greater skill, strength, and speed, Aldric took the guy out, leaving Valery to just stand there and watch a little too excitedly. This situation was very serious, but that display of martial prowess... she bit her lip briefly as her mind raced to things it shouldn't.

Only when he held up the data card, she snapped out of her trance and grinned in his direction, "Sometimes I like to get loud," she teased with a wink, uncaring of how suggestive that sounded. "But I think our way out of here might be blocked now. We could reach the other side of the platform, though... but there won't be a taxi there. So it'll either mean jumping or hoping we can find a vehicle."

The idea of jumping down anything in this dress was terrible, although he'd probably like it.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"We'll see about that," Aldric blatantly replied, another smirk striking his face. It seemed subtlety was being thrown out the window in more ways than one. "And just what exactly would we be jumping to?" He trusted she'd have some sort of plan, but either way he was unconcerned, "With the ruckus we made, I wager the Hutts will bring in some reinforcements soon enough."

"Could always take 'em out on arrival and commandeer the speeder for ourselves, if you don't mind a bit more of a mess," Aldric continued as they stepped back out into the casino, which was now full of screaming patrons with no sense of what exactly had been going on, "Or we can hop out of here now. Just a matter of your style." As if on cue, an armored speeder passed by one of the windows, no doubt swerving around to the main entryway. He looked to Valery with a raised brow, leaving the decision to her.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"We'll see about that,"

"Mhmm..." she teased right back, as tension began to grow in more than one way. It was almost distracting, but the genuine desire to get back to the hotel alive prevailed in the end. "Onto a speeder or something?" She shrugged and began to move back through the Casino, passed the bodies of those they had taken out, and onto the main floor.

"We could..." she said in response to his suggestion of just taking everybody down, but her voice drifting off made it clear she was focused on something else — an armored speeder passing by. They could probably just as easily take down all the guards and reinforcements, but there was too much excitement with this idea of hers.

Having made up her mind, Valery snatched his hand, kicked out her heels, and pulled him along as she began to sprint towards the edge of the platform on bare feet. Right as the speeder hovered below, she let go of his hand and jumped down, which had the wind immediately catch her dress. She made an attempt to push it back down, but with him being so close...

A second or two later, she hit the top of the vehicle but slid over it uncontrollably. She rolled around onto her stomach, but couldn't stop herself from sliding down and away from the roof. "No!" she called out, her hands desperately looking for something to hold onto.

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Onto a speeder or something?"

That was all he needed to hear, "By all means," She would have to lead the way, naturally. He wouldn't trust his instincts and precision over that of a Jedi, certainly not when it came to such a daring feat. Besides, that armored speeder was looking awfully full…

Aldric grinned as she took the lead, pulling him over to the exit as they awaited an oncoming vehicle. She jumped down, and he followed, doing his best not to ogle too shamelessly. A bit of a view simply couldn't be helped, but he wanted to save some of it for later…

Their quick descent ended with them both toppling onto the speeder. Aldric grunted, rolling with the impact but bringing him dangerously close to the edge, "W-woah!" He slid, clinching onto the edge of the roof as best he could, his spinning vision just managing to catch Valery slipping off. He lurched forward, outstretching a hand to take hold of her arm, "Gotcha!" His grip slid up to her wrist, and they both were struck with a bit of a jolt as her fall was abruptly put on hold.

Aldric groaned again, but managed to solidify his hold on the vehicle as he steadily tried to pull her up, "Trying to get away from me already?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | Dress
Location | Nar Shaddaa
Tag | Aldric Laurent

"Gotcha!"

Valery groaned in pain when all her weight was suddenly stopped by just a pull on her arm, forcing her body to slam into the side of the speeder as well. It dazed her for just a second, but by the time he pulled her up, she was smiling with relief at first, before his comment sparked a more playful grin.

"Get away from you?" she teased with a coy smile and tone. "I'd never..." She got really close for a moment, looked up into his eyes, and let a hand slide up his chest, roughly to where the knife had cut across his torso earlier. But rather than going all the way to pull him into another kiss, she winked and stepped back to tease him even further.

Her game was all about tension and teasing, building up to something better.

"Come on, I think that's our stop..." Valery grinned and waited until they approached the next taxi point, where she made a quick sprint to gain speed before jumping off the speeder and onto the platform. She rolled to absorb the shock of her landing and ended up crouched down there.

"Hmm..." she muttered with her usual smirk, "I think I lost my purse and wallet. Can you cover for the taxi?"

​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric grinned, "Didn't think so," He froze as she ran a hand across his chest, waiting for something else that didn't quite come. She parted with a wink, and he only got more excited. The buildup was addicting, and painfully provoking. But the payoff would be oh so worth it.

The next taxi stop was near, and Aldric wobbled onto his feet, jumping beside Valery on the platform. He straightened up, adjusting his suit before offering her a hand up, "Naturally," He paused, fiddling through his pocket with a momentary look of concern, "If I didn't spend it all on that wine…"

Thankfully, he still had enough left for a ride, and as the taxi came he opened the door for Valery to step in, before sliding in beside her. They took off shortly after, and Aldric couldn't help but chuckle. The adrenaline of an exciting mission, something he hadn't felt for a long time, "Well, I suppose that qualifies as a success," He grinned, raising the data spike, "Assuming they had what we needed."

Valery Noble​