Private I called dibs

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underbelly, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
Dance partner: Valery Noble

---

Hild takes one last look outside before entering her shop. Calling it 'her shop' is being very generous since it is just a dirty medium-sized square office rented for a few weeks. The owner never asks questions as long as the money was up to date, and Hild always pays correctly, which makes her the Favorite Girl to the landlord's eyes. It is a beautiful friendship. Best friend Hild never had.

Still, it must come to an end. She's feeling restless. Her usual style is to go to other cities, or planets, with a fake name then open up her business to some of the local smugglers or interested parties. Stay a while, make money, avoid trouble, kick trouble when it finds her anyway, move on. It... works. She'll never get rich, that much is a fact, but she tries to be in contact with the richer clients and those she knows can pay well. Worst case scenario, mercenary work. She -was- trained to be some disposable spy-warrior-pawn-slave-thing anyway. She might as well put those bad memories to good use.

It is a hard lifestyle, but it keeps her safe from enemies far above her. Enemies she's not even sure she really has, but she's not taking any chances. She will never be taken as slave again.

Her current home/office is a tall building made of several offices rented to... Well, anyone. Hild knows there are a few fake companies on the first floors, a drug lab somewhere, maybe some sort of illegal medical office on the floor below her. Who knows what else. She had to scare and threaten her neighbors into leaving when they tried to steal her stuff. The landlord actually approved of that and gave her one extra week for free. Cheaper than paying for thugs or dirty cops to keep the peace. As long as no one made a mess and attracted law enforcement, the REAL law enforcement with their pure hearts and desire to make the world a better place, the landlord was happy. And Hild was happy too.

'Was' being the keyword there, because this feeling of restlessness is driving her crazy. "Maybe Hoth? I hear the cold is lovely this time of the year... " She is being sarcastic. She loves the cold, but there's nothing lovely about Hoth... except the chance to disappear for a while. Perhaps. If she is really desperate. But things are not that bad yet. Hild enters her office and locks the door to look at her small space. A literal square. It was properly designed to have a business office for a small company, a few chairs, maybe a few paintings and academic degrees on the walls...

... Instead she has a single table put against the wall with her kit laying on top. Forgery kit. The tools, papers, ink, random cables and... some funny smell coming from the table. Ewgh. At least the view is nice, she can see the the giant fans if she leans forward and press her face against the glass. Sometimes a tiny bit of sky.

"Time to work, the sooner I make more credits, the sooner I get out of here... " Planets full of business like Coruscant are perfect for people like her. There's always one more individual trying to smuggle something past the laws... It's almost a pity to go and leave all this Planet Corusprofit behind. She just needs to avoid the Jedi for a bit longer. So far, so good. To come here was a genius move, it is the last place A sith-but-not-quite-really-a-sith would hide.​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Hild Valor

A Jedi killed and their lightsaber taken.

There were so many problems out there in the Galaxy that required Jedi attention, that it was difficult to spare any to look into this problem. But one could never be too careful, and Valery simply couldn't allow for it to go unanswered. So with her senses following the will of the Force and a few clues gathered from the investigation, she found herself on Coruscant once again.

Something had drawn her into the underbelly, and she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps her senses as a former Jedi Shadow alerting her to the greater threat responsible, or maybe the Force was simply with her today.

Either way, dressed in her usual attire and with her weapon clipped to her belt, Valery walked through the streets of Coruscant with her usual aura of confidence and strength. Out here, she was surrounded not just by civilians, but criminals as well. Many recognized her and knew who she was, others simply understood that a Jedi down here could mean trouble.

But trouble was never a deterrent for the woman with fiery eyes.

"I think this is the place," Valery said into her comms device as she raised her wrist up to her lips. She was staring at a tall building from the street below and allowed her senses to wander inside. If there were Force-users inside, she could perhaps sense them but if they were good at concealing themselves, she'd at least be alerted to danger.

"I'm going in," she said before lowering her arm and stepping into the first floor.

 

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underbelly, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
Dance partner: Valery Noble

---

Sits on her good chair, the one which doesn't squeak under her weight, to take a look around. It's... a good place. Even considering her old neighbors, the funny smell coming from the table, the occasional infestation of rodents coming from one of the upper buildings for who knows what reason... At least the landlord is somewhat honest with his business and the lack of neighbors gives Hild some privacy.

This life is... tricky. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is hard, sometimes it is stupidly hard and then sometimes you wish you could go back to 'hard'. All the times she had to sleep with one eye open, to kill someone to survive, to use her powers... All for the sake of survival. She wishes she could just stop running and peek out but the fear of death is too great. Her Master was killed because of his scheming and she knows a lot of his secrets. She has seen a lot, read a lot, heard a lot.

And she remembers everything, word by word.

A few more years on the run, perhaps, then show up somewhere with a new name. She's already 'Hild Valor' the civilian totally not a Sith, and 'Icy' the forger of documents and general criminal. One more name wouldn't hurt.

"... Why did I pay the this week... " Wasted money. She's not poor but... Those credits might be useful in the future. Well, too late now. She takes one last look around more out of boredom than out of need. She remembers exactly where she has left everything. The blasted on the desk in reach of her hand, the backpack on a nail on the wall -because the ground is probably way too filthy- and the lightsaber somewhere in there. Hidden.

She's not ashamed of her powers. Or her weapon. But they are a big 'Hey I'm a space magician' sign she doesn't need in her life. "... Tomorrow morning I'll go check the ships leaving the planet... Also way to go Hild, talking to yourself, you are officially insane now. " Hild, the now insane, sighs loudly. She has a few identichips she can use. She has... a few for herself. Use once for transport, settle in, then use another for the next planet. Just for transport reasons, of course. Places like this do not care about names. She could call herself 'Queen of the Galaxy' and the landlord wouldn't give a damn. ​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Hild Valor

Why is this woman talking to herself?

That's what Valery wondered after making her way up the levels of the tall building. She had asked around to get an idea as to who worked on each level and slowly went through each floor. Now she found herself in this woman's shop, which... she wasn't actually quite sure what was being sold, made, or worked on here.

But to get the woman's attention, Valery cleared her throat.

"Excuse me? I hope I'm not interrupting your plans of moving." she began, gauging the woman's reaction. "But I was wondering if you had a moment to answer some questions."

 

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underbelly, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
Dance partner: Valery Noble

---

"Excuse me? I hope I'm not interrupting your plans of moving.But I was wondering if you had a moment to answer some questions."

What. What. Who. When. How. WHAT.

Hild jumps out of her chair with surprising speed for her height, and looks to the source of the voice. Someone in her office-room. A client? No. She speaks too politely, too much in control. Her usual clients are either nervous civilians or confident criminals. Some are just nervous jokers trying to crack jokes, others are more straight to the point. But none of them are like this woman. Full of authority and with a lightsaber on her belt and...

...Oh. Oooooooh....OH.

Shit.

"Hey, you can't just come in here like that, I have rights!. " She really doesn't, but sometimes that bluff works. Sometimes. Other times she needs to do some bribery. And a few times she needs to fight her way out. Hild stands up to her full height and crosses her arms in front of her. She's tall enough her size usually helps at keeping problems away... But it also attracts more problems. She hopes this particular case she can block the smaller woman's view from her work tools. She can always lie and say she's some sort of mechanic but...

Her priority is to avoid a confrontation. At least until she has her backpack. "Do you want to talk, stay right there and make it quick!" She points at the door behind the woman. The same door which made no sound when the woman moved in. Cursed be this betrayal by well functioning engines and wheels! Who oiled that thing? Calm down Hild, you can do this. This is just one Jedi. Maybe she's lost and asking for directions, or maybe she is a client. Even the good-doers need fake documents, right? ​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Hild Valor

Looking up, Valery just raised an eyebrow at the woman's reaction. Hild was tall, even taller than her husband and he towered over her, but it did little to make her step back or lose her confidence. She just studied the woman for a moment, and dipped her head politely in greeting, or perhaps an apology for startling her with the sudden appearance.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, but I thought this was a shop," she said as she looked around the room.

With how tall the woman was and due to the way she was standing, much of her sight was blocked but that only raised a bit more suspicion, and Valery showed no intentions of wanting to leave or step back. She also wasn't interested in unmasking shady business on Coruscant — she could likely enter just about any building in this area and find something.

No, she was only interested in finding that lightsaber.

"I'll make it quick, though. I'm looking for a lightsaber that belonged to a Jedi, and this is where I was guided to." She was being very straightforward, and while she made no accusation or explained what guided her here, she wondered how the woman would respond. If she knew anything, the directness could provoke an interesting response. If she knew nothing, well, that would hopefully show as well.

"Is there anything you know?"

 

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underbelly, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
Dance partner: Valery Noble

---

Hild keeps her perfect face of a confused citizen even after a lightsaber is mentioned. Her emotions are under control and she makes no motion towards the backpack. A Jedi's lightsaber. Probably the one she uses. Well, it's hers now. So she needs to lie her way out of this complicated situation. Hild fights well in close quarters, but if the Jedi can send one after her they can send more.

Luckily for her, she is a very good liar. She has to be. She would never survive several missions as a spy and then return 'home' to be greeted by a Sith Lord ready to torture, train and teach her. Then said Lord demands to know if she read the very precious intel she was sent to extract and she had to lie. Such a lifestyle was bound to give her either extreme skills at lying or a grave and an one-way only ticket to whatever gods she believed in at the time. She even had plans to kill her Master but... someone got to do it first.

To this day she's not sure to be thankful or hateful for having that chance taken from her.

Hild towers over the woman as she does with most humans. Maybe she could get herself a wookie disguise and throw random growls or something. The woman doesn't step back, Hild notices. "It is a shop of sorts. I fix stuff." That is a half truth. She can try and fix broken equipment for some payment. When forging documents is not profitable enough Hild tries odd jobs to make the ends meet. From fixing a cleaning droid to offering her services as a mercenary. " I just rent this place. No one down here cares about the Jedi, if I had a lightsaber I would sell it to someone for money." She really did consider selling her lightsaber a few times... But that would be a trail to follow. "If it helps, I had to scare away my neighbors after they tried to steal my stuff. I have no idea where they are now, but maybe I can describe them to you." Her neighbors were... Well, not very good at planning heists, trying to walk in while Hild was inside and fully awake. Still, it's not Hild's problem if they are arrested for something if she can walk free. Surely they are guilty of something. ​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Hild Valor

The woman's demeanor changed very little at the mention of the lightsaber — so either she had no idea about this lightsaber and the confusion in her eyes was genuine, or she was really good at keeping her composure despite being confronted about something. Normally, Valery would have placed her bets on the former, but the types who had the skill and confidence to kill a Jedi and take a lightsaber were not to be underestimated. So she didn't quite dismiss the chance that Hild still knew something.

"Fix stuff, hm?" Valery asked, mostly rhetorically as she glanced around the shop again, taking note of any equipment that wasn't blocked from view by the tall woman. She then began to move around a little, making it more difficult for Hild to keep everything concealed, but Valery's attention largely remained focused on Hild, who talked about her neighbours.

Thieves in this part of Coruscant's underbelly? That wasn't really all that surprising to hear.

"Feel free to describe them but before I look into that or have someone else handle it, would you mind if I took a closer look around the shop? It's just standard practice with these types of cases." Valery said with a gentle smile that hardly betrayed any emotions. The chance of finding something was still small, but the Force brought her to this building for a reason.

She was going to check every inch if she had to.

 

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underworld, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
Dance partner: Valery Noble

---

"Feel free to describe them but before I look into that or have someone else handle it, would you mind if I took a closer look around the shop? It's just standard practice with these types of cases."

"If I say 'No' will you reply 'Understandable, have a nice day' and leave?" She doesn't expect a reply, of course. The Jedi's smile says 'I don't really expect an answer She knows she has no other choice but to comply and wait. Well, she can fight her way out but if there's chance for an easier escape... All she needs to do is endure and then grab the next shuttle off-world. She once had to travel in the middle of farm animals, because it was the quickest escape option. If she can not commit suicide after hours surrounded by THAT, she can wait a few minutes for this woman to look around.

There's nothing much to look, to begin with. The furniture is just as it was when Hild rented the place. Considering the neighborhood there might be drugs or loot hidden in the walls somewhere in the building, but to her knowledge her ugly little corner is clean of Jedi affairs... Because the lightsaber is inside a backpack hanging on the wall. She's not dumb enough to leave it at the top where anyone can see it, but the backpack is no wonders of technology either. Her only 'security system' is that it is under a bunch of clothes, intimidate clothing, datapads, and several forged identichips.

Yes, her security system is to get them embarassed with personal clothing and then to hide an illegal object with other illegal objects to throw off people's attention and make them stop looking, believing to have found her only secret. It... surprisingly works.

But then she never had to go through a Customs checkpoint led by a Jedi.

New plan: Wait, distract and pray. Wait for it to end, distract in a not obvious way, and pray to... No, no, no, no. Almost got her there, brain. She doesn't pray anymore, gods are not real. This is a galaxy of reason and logic. "Alright, let's get this over with." Every day she used to be bothered by her neighbors. Loud noises, the occasional scream, music, sometimes blaster fire. A nuisance, but she always thought they would help her hide... But now when they are needed the most, the whole building goes silent?

"They were... A bit short? You're kinda tiny, no offense, but they were... around your neck height? One kept twitching and the other was talkative but really bad with intimidating people." Keep talking Hild, maybe she'll do a bad job sweeping the place. She never thought she would ever think this but, how she wishes her Master had torture-taught her that ability to insult and affect people's minds. "Black and red hair, respectively, both humans... In a competition of ugliness they are both first place, and they were from a cosmic race of conqueror of worlds demanding a tribute of souls to bring about the Age of Hutts you're not even listening to me are you?"​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Hild Valor

"Black and red hair, respectively, both humans... In a competition of ugliness, they are both first place, and they were from a cosmic race of conquerors of worlds demanding a tribute of souls to bring about the Age of Hutts you're not even listening to me are you?"

"Not really."

Valery was honest in her answer and kept looking around the shop while the woman kept on talking. Of course, Valery did take mental note of what Hild was saying, but her mind had mostly been occupied by something else. Lightsaber crystals, while not the strongest, still had a presence in the Force one could sense with enough focus.

It was nigh impossible to feel them at larger distances, but there was a better chance when closer to them.

"While your neighbors sound like very interesting people, there is something else that interests me more,"

The brunette turned to the larger woman, looked up, and gestured with her head to the backpack on the wall. That gesture alone likely made it apparent that she knew the lightsaber was in there, but it was in the way she looked at Hild too. The fiery eyes of the Jedi seemed to have ignited with more intensity, but not in an aggressive way. She was simply focused and on high alert.

"I'd like to know why you've been lying to me, miss...?" She never caught the woman's name.

"I'm going to need that lightsaber back."

 

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underworld, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
TAG: Valery Noble

---

'Not really'? Hild is not sure which is worse: If this Jedi has no sense of humor or if she has it and is playing along to throw Hild off. If it's the second option then it is working, and Hild is not very fond of it. She's already holding herself there. Keeping her mind clear, controlling her emotions and being patient... While thinking of her options as this Jedi continues with this search. She is used to being searched and questioned, since until a while ago it was her 'job'.

But she has very little experience with Jedi. Is this one a skilled veteran? A brand new apprentice trying to make her Master's proud by solving a case? Bit of both? It's hard to think about options with so little information. She used to enjoy every second of freedom, justifying it with a report saying she was doing a thorough examination of her target to understand it's security. She was never the 'go in and get it done in one day' type of spy.

"While your neighbors sound like very interesting people, there is something else that interests me more,"

Oh no.

"I'd like to know why you've been lying to me, miss...? I'm going to need that lightsaber back."

OH NO.

She narrows her eyes. Well, that's it, the Hutt's out of the mansion and taking a stroll around the park. "Hild. You?" No last names given on the first date. "But before we begin a lightsaber duel and an argument of ideologies and all that..." Maybe she can beat this Jedi in a fight, maybe she can't. But Hild likes to think of herself as a different type of Sith. Less dark powers and more body and mind over powers and all that goth look. "... it was given to me a while ago. And while I'm not sure how it was acquired, now I need it for my own survival. The Jedi are guardians of the peace and justice, right? Would you send me off to my death?" This might be a long shot but Hild just needs to buy herself time to think of an escape plan other than 'Im not evil I swear'.

Maybe wait until she can grab the backpack and jump out the window? Hmm, maybe not, she'll probably be chased. "Can I ask how you managed to track me down?"
​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant
Appearance: Link
Outfit: Factory Link
Weapon: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Hild Valor

With the confrontational question asked, Valery could feel the tension in the room rising a little. The woman wanted to frame it in a way that made her look more innocent, but it wasn't entirely convincing — lightsabers weren't exactly the easiest weapons to acquire, so for someone to just give one away...

"Valery, and I don't think it's necessary for this to become unfriendly," she said, her gaze shifting between Hild and the backpack. Despite the woman's size, Valery was far from worried about fighting — but if a peaceful resolution was possible, she'd always opt for that.

"Send you off to your death? This level of Coruscant isn't the safest, but relying on a lightsaber is unnecessary. Especially because you hold no right to its ownership — it was taken from a killed Jedi. Do you think there's any honor and respect in carrying it around?" Valery shook her head a little and kept her eyes fixed on the woman.

"If you need protection, a blaster or something else can be arranged, but I'm going to need this lightsaber back. As for how I tracked you down? The Force is quite a good guide."

 

[Hild Valor]

Coruscant, Underworld, shady building
Appearance: Clothes (no swords) | Basic Blaster Pistol (on waist) | Lightsaber (hidden)
TAG: Valery Noble

---

There was an attempt at diplomacy. It failed. And it was really bad. But she did try.

So it's time to be less of a civilian spy and more like who she was forced to be. This Valery is relaxed. A bit too relaxed. Either she is a skilled fighter or she is a diplomat with enough self confidence to match entire planets.

"Funny you mention honor." She begins, crossing her powerful arms and keeping her eyes on Valery. "I did not kill the Jedi but I have been using the lightsaber as mine. Even scavengers would recognize this ownership. Your friend is dead, and I might even know who did it, but I had nothing to do with it." Now. This is probably enough stalling.

She was buying time to think. If the Force can be used to track her once, then it might be used to track her again. Cursed be her lack of proper knowledge, this feels like something basic she should be aware of! ... Unless Valery is lying. Perhaps, perhaps.

Valery might not even be her real name.
Maybe she's not even alone. There might be others outside. Dirty cops? Honest cops?
She might not even be a real Jedi, just some executioner from a local gang. Hild did make several identichips for many of them. Is she now a loose thread?
Maybe she's a Sith pretending to be a Jedi. Hild wouldn't know a fake Jedi from a real one. Well, this woman was yellow eyes, it makes sense!

Her mind works and over-works. Paranoia is her curse, and survival is her goal.

Time to move. If Valary-or-whatever-her-real-name-is is really a good fighter then the first strike is crucial.

Hild's eyes turn yellow for a second. She digs into the darkness and raises both hands for as much of a Force Push in a wide area. To hit Valery is one of the objectives, but so is to hit the glass window. Proper windows are made of good glass, tough and resistant. But after several damages, fights outside and who knows what else Hild knows the landlord is too cheap of a man to get the good stuff installed.

She wants to send Valery against a wall and break the glass to create an escape route, then it's just a matter of grabbing the backpack and jumping out. Her Paranoia superpowers made her plot several escape routes through this maze of a city. Sure there's a lot of luck involved. It is a plan put together with spit, duct tape and prayer, and most of it depends on how fast this 'Valery' can get back up to give chase.

Hild might be surprisingly fast for someone of her size, probably due to long legs, but... Well, her first, and last, fight against a Jedi barely ended well for her. ​