Private Hewn from the Rock

[Impulse]

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LOCATION: undisclosed
TIME: -redacted-
TAG: Valery Noble

A job was a job, and Impulse took what he could get. This was supposed to be a simple pick up, so no need for backup. That did not mean he did not have his pistols on his hips. Denon was the kind of place where everyone was armed and carrying. The only people who did not have a weapon were the dead. Pulse was trying to avoid that particular status. Generally it was kill or be killed, even on a simple job sometimes. As long as he did not caulk up the job there was nothing to worry about, but it was always smart to be cautious.

The contact had selected a busy part of the district, but also a very tucked away place. Most of those who dared show their face at this part of town were there intentionally. It smelled of stale, musty water and whatever bodily waste and fluids were deposited about. This was the result of corporate greed and control. The few that managed to escape this reality were the lucky ones, even if life was not any easier. Pulse could only thank whatever he believed in that he did not live in the refuse of this particular part of the district.

A roll up door was the most obvious entrance. Pulse wanted to avoid that as much as possible. His eyes fell on a side door as he rounded a back alleyway. Security was minimal at this entry point, and he wanted to know what he was dealing with first. It was not hard to bypass the lock on the door, and stay hidden. There was an open area with a table. His contact was waiting for him with a metal case at the center of it.

Pulse slowly revealed himself.

“Didn’t expect you to walk through the front, and you certainly did not disappoint,” the fairly well dressed man said. He was balding a little, but not enough to get rid of his hair entirely.

“Not dumb enough to. For all I know this was a trap.”

“No trap, I promise. Neither of us get our credits if I screw you over.”

Pulse nodded as he took the empty seat.

“Gonna show it to me?”

The case was opened to reveal the artifact. Pulse shrugged. It certainly did not look special, but most never did. To Jackie it was a piece of stone with some fancy pattern carved into it. To force sensitives it meant something sure. Maybe to a scientist that knew what to do with these things it had value. To Pulse it was a job and an easy way to get credits.

“Well, unless there is anything else…”
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Denon

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Outfit: Operative Suit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Impulse

If there was one planet Valery hoped to never set foot on again, it would be Denon. The majority of all her bad memories were somehow tied to this one place, and even simple missions she accepted on this world always ended up becoming huge disasters. It was simply the nature of this planet as far as she was concerned at this point, as it was controlled by some of the worst types within the Alliance.

But today there was no mission to go into the underworld to stop some simple thugs she could simply choose not to accept and leave to others — this was an assignment Valery could not ignore. Force artifacts rarely revealed themselves on planets within the more civilized parts of the Galaxy, but the intelligence she received made it clear this had indeed happened on Denon. Whether it was a light side artifact or one touched by the Dark Side, she didn't know yet, but that's why she went to find out.

Should it be corrupted, whoever owned it could be in great danger and it would take the skills of a Jedi Shadow, or a former Shadow like herself, to purge the artifact.

...

Looking around as she walked through the street, Valery took note of several shady figures hiding away in alleyways or behind objects. Some glanced towards the woman in return, who was now dressed up in the undercover suit she got from the SIA. But with two blaster pistols strapped to her waist and confidence very apparent in her gait, no thug dared make a move. Her own focus wasn't on them either, even though every single one could without a doubt be apprehended for something.

Her focus was on the artifact.

Sensing its presence within a building up ahead, Valery decided to take a cautious approach, and positioned herself close, but still outside. She leaned against a street light and took a moment to study the patterns of the people guarding the building. Getting in undetected would be easy, but getting out was always the real problem.

 

[Impulse]

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LOCATION: undisclosed
TIME: -redacted-
TAG: Valery Noble

“I thought I told you to come alone?”

Pulse looked at the broker with an incredulous look.

“I did.”

“Then what is this, and who is she?”

Pulse looked at the screen which was turned his way. It was clear that either he had been followed, or someone else was tracking the artifact. Based on the movements of what he was observing this was no ordinary scoundrel either.

“You had best give me that case so we can conclude our business. I would hate for Natsu to find out you gonked up your end of the deal.”

It was amazing what just mentioning the name of his fixer could do. In a matter of seconds the case was closed and slid across the table. Pulse picked it up and headed for the door, the one he came in, opposite of where the other woman seemed to be coming from. With luck she would follow him, and he could get the drop on her on his own terms.

“Pleasure doing business with ya.”
​

 

[Valery Noble]

Denon

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Outfit: Operative Suit
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Impulse

There was tension in the air.

Valery felt it through the Force and pushed herself away from the street light, no longer feeling safe about her presence there. She took a deep breath, flicked some hair over her shoulder, and cloaked herself in the Force, making it impossible for her to be seen or heard. What kind of response it provoked for those who had spotted her, she would never know, but she was too focused to care, and closing in on the building fast.

The artifact was on the move, so if she didn't act now, she'd lose her one chance to secure it. She doubted that those who held it knew just how dangerous it could be. If they did, she believed them fools for still being near it.

After reaching the building, Valery phased her way through the walls the way she had countless times before during her days as a Jedi Shadow. There was nothing theatrical about it — she acted quick, and immediately took off in a sprint to catch up with whoever had taken the artifact. The Force augmented her speed and soon, she spotted the man moving in the opposite direction. He was tall, looked strong, and carried a kind of confidence that made her believe that he was trained.

It wasn't just some ordinary thug. But it hardly mattered to Valery, who circled around and stepped out of her cloak to finally make herself known to the man. Perhaps there was a way to get through this without having to fight, and so she appeared without her lightsaber ignited.

"Do you have any idea about what you're carrying?" Valery asked to begin her confrontation.