Private Compromised

[Valery Noble]

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Location: New Cov | NJO Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber (Concealed)
Tag: Corin Trenor

"Everything should be ready for your trip, Master Noble."

"Thank you." Valery dipped her head to the supply officer who had been tasked with preparing a civilian shuttle. She was going to need it for the upcoming trip, and right now, she was just checking on the latest news through the large terminal in the Temple's Council Chambers. Corin Trenor was going to be arriving there soon as well — she had summoned him to help her with this particular assignment, which would offer him some experience alongside different Jedi, and she hopefully could make use of his skills and maybe even teach him a thing or two along the way.

"What a mess..."

She sighed out loud to herself and looked at the intercepted broadcast from Rishi — one undercover SIA agent had been discovered and another was stuck on the planet, his mission compromised and his situation currently unknown. But the intel they have on them is vital to the Alliance's fight against organized crime in the Galaxy. So with her experience as a former Jedi Shadow, she was asked to look into this. Corin was the Padawan to one of the order's finest investigators. He was just the right Jedi to accompany her on this mission.

"Ah Padawan Trenor, thank you for joining me. Have you looked into the case already?" She asked, having heard his approach down the small staircase leading into the room.

 

[Corin Trenor]

Student to the finest detective in the Jedi Order, or so Corin was no doubt to declare, made for some skills in that area. Even more than use of them, if one was to see his mission record with the Jedi themselves; activities on Denon had seen them under use more often than his known area of service, both that and stealth and a swift takedowns. He was a bit too... enthusiastic about the last on that list, however. He excelled in it nonetheless, even if that allowed for some discomfort at times.

In the more informal leathers of the New Jedi Order, Corin motioned towards the Jedi Master with a screen still held in both hands. His brow inclined, "Heard about SIA in some trouble on Rishi, needs an extraction out of there, and that extraction is us but I assume we're not Jedi for it either." Some small smile, no, smirk found itself across his features. "So, more of a fists and blasters mission."

His head tilted to the side, "Is that right?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov | NJO Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber (Concealed)
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

"Mostly," Valery said with a dip of her head.

"We are their extraction, but only if it's possible and well... if there's someone left to extract. The SIA agents operate knowing that being caught likely means execution, and their job is to ensure that they can't be tied back to the Alliance. So we also have to make sure that remains the case, and if possible, retrieve any intel they gathered." It was a harsh reality and a type of mission that many Jedi were not comfortable with. But that's why she brought along someone she believed would be able to remain realistic.

Valery then tapped the two blasters strapped against her hips and nodded, "Bringing along a lightsaber is fine if you can conceal it, but Rishi is not the best place to be recognized as a Jedi. It's in Enclave territory, but it's also home to a lot of smugglers, criminals, and dangerous people. Fists and blasters are not a bad option," She flashed a brief smirk and tapped a button to download all her intel into a pair of datapads. She offered one to Corin and took the other herself.

"We're going to start our search at their safehouse on the planet and go from there. It might be hard to trace their steps, but I think the two of us will manage, hm? Any last questions?"

 

[Corin Trenor]

He twirled the hilt of his saber in his hand and let it be settled onto a table. For a moment, Corin considered the idea of a man left behind. Left for the wolves, if not carrion to the crows as the Padawan learned of the mission now. Best not to dwell on it, he considered, and let his attention return to Val. "Best to leave it behind, makes it easier if we run into someone that needs to search us down. I can hide it, but the lot we're about to face? Sound like the kind that know where to look."

Corin had taken the tablet from Master Noble and offered his answer with a smirk to match her own. "Your lead, Master Noble. But I'm sure we can track them down from there, too."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: New Cov | NJO Temple
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Weapon: Lightsaber (Concealed)
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

"Very good points, blasters and fists only," she smiled. Not that long ago, this idea would have been impossible — she had been an incredibly traditional Jedi and never used blasters. Her husband was still likely scared to see her with one, even after teaching her how to use them properly. But now she had to rely on them, which was quite the step to take.

"Let's get going,"

With the datapad and her gear ready, she began guiding him to the shuttle, which looked like any ordinary civilian craft. It had basic weapons and shielding, but nothing that made them stand out on Rishi, "Registered in Enclave territory, so we won't run into trouble," she commented before she plopped down in the pilot seat and booted up the engines and navigational systems.

"So, from what I heard, you're on the path to becoming quite an investigator too, right? Has your Master taught you any useful skills or tricks to blend in and not be noticed as a Jedi? Even from Sith or other Force-sensitives."

 

[Corin Trenor]

He settled himself into the seat beside Master Noble, and a faint smile came across his features from all that she said. "First rule, no saber; ruins the whole 'normal man in a crowd' act when there's one of those attached to a belt." Corin said with a small smirk, "But it's more or less the standard - maintain distance, avoid their vision no matter what is used to 'see', and when it comes to Sith or Force-sensitives? Mask. Mask is number one, most can sniff a Jedi out like a Corellian bloodhound."

"But I understand you used to be a Jedi Shadow, so you probably know all that and more anyways. Right?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Shuttle
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

The engines of the ship roared to life, and while she listened to Corin, she also focused on getting them away from the New Cov Landing pad, and on course for Rishi. "That's right, although as a Shadow I focused more on Sith and others tainted by the Dark Side. It was less important to blend into a crowd, and more crucial to just not be seen or sensed at all. Or when that was impossible, know some tricks to get out."

She looked at Corin as the ship jumped into hyperspace, "Knowing how to mask your presence is the most important to keep yourself concealed against Force-sensitives. But concealment gets trickier when you get closer to Sith or Force-sensitives because even if they don't sense you, your presence can alert them as a source of danger."

"It's why Shadows learned something we call Force Scattering, and I figured you might want to learn about it too while we're out there. It allows you to project your presence across an area or a specific point of your choosing, as long as it's close enough. They'll know you're there, but they won't find you."

Her fiery eyes turned back to the window, and she drew in a small breath. They had traveled from New Cov because it wasn't too far away from Rishi, so they would already be arriving here shortly. She just wanted to use the time to maybe help him learn something useful that could get him out of tight situations.

 

[Corin Trenor]

"Hell, that sounds ideal." He remarked with a smile, and at once Corin had known he could make use of that. Either as a Jedi, or beneath the mask on Denon; equally as useful and extra focus was never one to shun, for in a time in which the Galaxy canbe set ablaze by the Sith, a Padawan needed every advantage he could get. "If you ever had the time, Master Noble, I'd be interested to learn Force Scattering."

Valery Noble

​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Shuttle
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

Valery just smirked, "I was actually thinking about teaching it while we're there. Depending on how you learned to mask your presence, it might not even be that difficult for you," she continued as the ship dropped from hyperspace, and the planet came into view. Without any delays, she began the approach down to the surface, which was a lot easier without all the necessary protocols you had on planets like Coruscant.

She could just bring it down, and find herself a spot to land.

​

Once the ship was down within the city's spaceport, Valery turned off the engines and looked at the Padawan again, "Force Concealment can be done in a variety of ways. Some shrink their presence down, others bury it, but you can also let it fade into the environment so that you no longer stand out among animals and other living beings," she explained while she was rising from her seat and guiding Corin down the hallways of the spaceport.

It was everything one would expect from a port on a planet like this — it looked poorly maintained, and around every corner, there were shady people. Some eyes turned to Valery and the younger man by her side as well, but no moves were made just yet.

"Force Scattering builds off of concealment, but rather than dissipating your presence into the environment around yourself, you imprint it somewhere specific to trick other Force-sensitives." She paused and waited at the exit of the spaceport for just a moment while a smirk rested on her face, "Think you can do that?"

 

[Corin Trenor]

His own use of Force Concealement had been restricted to Denon for no other reason than that it had no further use. In various scum-ridden crowds on a world so vile, nevermind that it was his own homeworld, there was bound to be a Force-sensitive around a corner somewhere; Corin learned that much, even in a manner that had seen him bruised afterwards. Corin otherwise made efforts to enhance his attributes, to strike both harder and faster. His methods were no doubt basic and often times crude.

Corin matched her smirk with one of his own, "I'll see what I can do."

Even in the crowds, the Padawan took a moment to breathe. He emptied his mind, left it barren bar his focus. He masked himself as if it was second nature, and in time faded into all life - indiscernible from either fauna or flora. But Corin stumbled at the final hurdle, unable to move beyond it and send his presence elsewhere. But even as Corin could not sense his own presence, he could feel the failure radiate off of himself.

"Maybe one day." Corin remarked with the briefest flash of a smile.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Shuttle
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

"I'm sure you'll get it right. It just takes focus, dedication and some time," Valery said as she glanced around one last time before exiting the spaceport. Normally, the area surrounding a spaceport was wealthier, but it felt as if they had immediately stepped into the slums of some long-forgotten city. The floor consisted of partially rotten wooden platforms, elevators were replaced by rope bridges and the people looked either homeless or like dangerous criminals.

There was an aura of unease that echoed from everywhere through the Force.

​

"Ugh..." she muttered before looking back at Corin, "Something that might help is to focus on the environment. Later it'll be easier, but try to not only visually capture this area, but the way it feels as well. If you can bring that to the forefront of your mind, it'll be easier to imprint your presence in it." With enough practice, he'd later not even have to know what an area looked or felt like, but it was a good place to start.

She then let out a soft sigh and turned her eyes to the roads ahead. Directly in front of them was a busy market leading up to the city's center, and beyond within the outskirts was the safehouse.

"Ready to get started?"

 

[Corin Trenor]

Born on the streets of Denon, bathed in neon or endless shadows with the fanciest of all vessels to soar over the trash crafted into a workable one far beneath. Corin needed to stifle his amusement of the area around them, to see how... vacant it was, a husk of all the civilised worlds no matter all the charm to be found in the dirt. He strode past a fruit stand and snatched a small citrus with ease, unseen.

"Got it." He answered with his vision cast onto the former Jedi Shadow for but a moment, before his front two teeth embedded themselves in the fruit to tear off a chunk. Corin made his best efforts nonetheless, but the feel of this... it was different, somehow, and that cemented itself in his mind.

He nodded, "I am, but are you?" Corin with his brow raised, "Not too sure what to make of that sigh?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Shuttle
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

He nodded, "I am, but are you?" Corin with his brow raised, "Not too sure what to make of that sigh?"

Valery had been just about ready to get moving when the question he asked surprised her. She blinked, turned her fiery gaze to him and quickly forced a smile, "I am," she said with a nod, "I just have... memories of this place. I was here a long time ago, and the mission back then didn't go quite as planned." She was going to leave it at that, but she still tried to offer a reassuring smile, "But those were different times, so I'm sure we're going to be fine."

She turned to the city and gestured forward "Come on."

Without any further delays, Valery began to move forward until she reached the slightly elevated platform that held the local market and many of the taller buildings they spotted around them. It was, as always, a very busy place to be — people were buying food and other supplies, but illegal goods were being traded out in the open as well. Nobody seemed bothered by it, nobody cared or even looked the other way. It was a natural part of daily life here.

But as they began moving down the market, the two did catch some strange looks from people wondering who they were. A lot of folks knew each other around here, so visitors stood out, and the pair didn't seem like ordinary visitors. A sister and brother perhaps? Mother and son? It was hard to tell, but they seemed confident and focused.

"I think we should head for-" Valery was interrupted as a huge Trandoshian stepped back, and directly into her. It knocked the woman over, who fell onto her behind and looked up to see who had caused her fall. "Careful where you walk, missss," he snapped, clearly frustrated and even angered because he had dropped a bag with tools (and weapons) he had just acquired on the market.

An aggressive step was taken towards Valery, and tension in the Force was rising quickly.

 

[Corin Trenor]

Of what it was she referred to, Corin remained as clueless and curious as ever. The Padawan had heard the rumours turned stories, of a Jedi out of time; to exit her world and into his own, and for but a moment wondered if there was all that much that was different. If it had been the role of a Jedi to continue, to persevere, even in the face of utter loss - she adapted well, or so it seemed. But Trenor offered Noble no more than a nod and smile of equal measure, and off he followed into the city.

His eyes, forcibly less widened than the excitement a myriad of black market items were to otherwise bring him, poured across the bustling market. Both gear he was familiar and unfamilair with on display, weapons and gadgets had seen the most of his fixated attention, with a tinge of sombreness on offer for the helpless caged animals. Corin ignored whatever eyes settled themselves over him, whether intentional or lost in his own distraction.

A distraction that had not seen the Trandoshan, not until it collided with Valery and swept her off her feet.

"Hey!" Corin barked like the attack dog he often was and stepped between the two, "How about you watch you walk instead, huh?" His features twisted, contorted, became mean as his old instincts kicked in. A common, run of the mill entanglement for a street rat. He could of played any role on this mission, but a lie was best told with the truth. Stick to what you know.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Shuttle
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Undercover outfit
Necklace: Link
Blasters: Link
Tag: Corin Trenor

"Cor-" she paused and quickly decided against using his name, "Hey, it's okay."

She could appreciate that he wasn't a coward and willing to stand up for her the way he did, but the Trandoshian looked like he could crack skulls open very easily, and he was definitely the type who was willing to do that as well. So while Corin stepped in between her and the large brute, Valery began to crawl back up.

"The broad needs a kid to defend her?" the large lizard showed a toothy grin and stepped straight into Coren's personal space. So much so, that if he didn't move, the Trandoshian's chest would likely bump him back a step. It was a simple way to make himself look intimidating, but his scaly hand slowly moving to a knife on his belt probably sparked more in the young Padawan.

He drew it and held its tip up towards Corin's chin. "But child or not, I'll kill you where you stand if you don't watch your tongue," he hissed before his head gestured at the things he had dropped.

"Pick it up or I'll cut that lady of yours up and make you watch."

 

[Corin Trenor]

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In fact, the scale-coated chest of the Trandoshan had connected with Corin. He stumbled back not once, but twice before he found his footing. But all the same, knife or not, the Padawan continued his stare. Punks, the lot of them, from no matter what star system they hailed from. He handled his fair share of this kind on Denon and found great amusement and satisfaction in it. Maybe too much, even. But as he humoured that idea, the realisation seeped in: this was an undercover mission, and cowardice was more common than bravery.

He swallowed his pride with a scowl, and leaned down to collect the dropped items and hand them back to the brutish Trandoshan. "Here," he said with attitude and a little more force than was needed, "We'll watch where we're going next time."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Blasters | Undercover

Location: Rishi
Items: Necklace

After watching Corin pick up his items, he met the young man with a terribly annoying smug look on his face and reached for the bag before finally lowering his knife. He was more than likely the type to get aggressive anyway, but they were all in a fairly public place, so attacking someone came with great risks, "Clever boy," he said before briefly glancing at Valery.

"Get out of here, before I change my mind,"

Valery had gotten up to her feet at this point, and showed no fear or desire to get moving quickly despite the threat. She just shot the lizard a glare, and placed her hand on Corin's shoulder, "Come on, let's keep going," she smiled softly at him, and together, they cleared away from the area.

"I know how tempting it is to show him what you're made of but... you handled that well," Valery flashed Corin a smirk and continued to guide him through the city. Even away from the market and busier center of the city, the streets felt extremely crowded between the homeless people at the side of the streets and those moving forwards the market. But the moment Valery stepped through a long alleyway, it was suddenly a lot quieter.

They had entered the city's outskirts, and instantly there was a strange sense of tension in the Force. Danger lurked around each corner and taking just one wrong turn could get them into trouble. But she kept moving, and turned her eyes to Corin for a moment, "We're closing in on the safehouse. Might be a good opportunity to show off some of your investigation skills, hm?" she grinned faintly and gestured for the building up ahead.

Corin Trenor ​