Private Investigate This

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

The city-world of Coruscant was alive with its usual chaotic energy, even in the predawn hours. Far above, the higher levels bustled with a false sense of serenity, but deep below, in the shadowed depths of the underworld, life told a much darker story. The air here was heavy, thick with the stench of decay and desperation, and it clung to every surface like a silent witness to countless misdeeds.

On the rooftop of a crumbling building, Valery stood quietly. Her amber eyes were sharp and focused, scanning the scene below with the precision of a predator. Somewhere far beneath her feet, in the maze of decrepit streets and alleys, a life had been extinguished. A Jedi had gone missing, and the news of his body being discovered had reached her like a dagger to the heart. Now, here she was, far from the sanctity of the Temple.

Her gaze drifted to the area directly beneath her — a dimly lit area in the heart of Coruscant's underworld. The faint glow of emergency lighting revealed signs of activity: footprints in the dirt, scorch marks on the walls, and the unmistakable stains of blood on the ground. It was quiet now, but the echoes of violence lingered in the Force, and they felt cold against her senses.

But something else caught her attention. A figure moved through the shadows below, their presence deliberate but not hostile. Whoever they were, they weren't part of any official investigation.

Valery's brow furrowed. Who was this stranger, and what were they doing here?

Her hand instinctively drifted toward the hilt of her saber as she crouched low, the Force heightening her awareness. She didn't sense immediate danger from the figure, but the mystery of their presence sent a ripple through her thoughts. Were they connected to the missing Jedi? An ally? Or perhaps something far worse?

For now, she observed.

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

A thick miasma hung in the air that clung to your nostrils like flies to honey. I stepped onto the scene expecting to find trouble, but what I got was so much more worse than that. Three dead bodies in a small and cramped room, each decomposing in their own way. Two were cut in half, the other shot in the head by a fourth body that was most likely still warm and just as likely somewhere very far, far away from here.

The floorboards creaked just ever so slightly as Asher knelt down by the corpses. The vinegar soaked handkerchief in his hand wasn't particularly pleasant to smell, but neither were three friends that were rotting at the tip of his boot. If the option was between smelling something stingingly sour and a thrice rancid bunch of corpses, the former would always seem just a little more appealing.

Look but don't touch, that was the play here; at least for now. Not because he particularly thought there was anyone coming around to look for these poor souls or that he would leave prints everywhere. No, he had already staked the place out for guards in the two days that had passed since word of this incident had reached him through the grapevine. There was no telling how long it had been before that. Given the state of this place, not very long. As morbid as it was, this place was still prime real estate for anyone willing to clear out the bodies.

Problem being that nobody had cleared out the bodies. Why was that? Asher looked around the room. It was worn down with clear signs of disrepair and a complete lack of maintenance meaning that whoever 'lived' here was most likely not one to care for the aesthetics of a place, or rather never planned on staying too long. The idea for this was of course supported by the sheer amount of takeaway boxes scattered about the area.

"Not one to clean." Asher grumbled into his handkerchief and looked back at the corpses. The two torsos liberated from their pelvis looked horrified, their wounds… Cauterized?

"Great…" The investigator groaned. Sith? Jedi? Neither? Irrelevant. He wasn't ever really paid to find complete answers, just enough for people to move on until the next horror hit them. It was a morbid way to live, but he supposed there were worse ways to live for someone such as himself.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery lingered on the rooftop, her sharp amber eyes tracing the figure's movements below. He was methodical, deliberate, and far too comfortable in the grim environment. The scent of decay reached even her elevated position, mingling with the faint buzz of the underworld's distant chaos. Whoever this man was, he wasn't an ordinary bystander — that much was clear.

Her gaze drifted briefly to the bodies scattered on the floor, her jaw tightening as she felt the cold echoes of death in the Force. The Jedi's body was unmistakable, and the cauterized wounds suggested the unmistakable mark of a lightsaber. The scene whispered of violence, fear, and desperation, all woven together in a tapestry of loss.

Deciding it was time to show herself, Valery crouched low and then leapt from the rooftop with practiced precision. The Force cushioned her descent, her landing silent save for the faint rustle of her boots against the debris-strewn ground. She bent through her knees as she landed, her movements fluid and controlled, before rising to her full height.

One hand swept up through her long, dark hair, brushing stray strands back into place as she swept her ponytail back over her shoulder. Her fiery gaze then settled on the man, her lips curling into a faint smirk, though her eyes burned with intensity.

"Don't be alarmed," she said, her voice smooth and strangely kind, given their surroundings. "I'm here to help."

Her gaze shifted to the bodies on the floor, and her smirk faded into a frown. The sight of the fallen Jedi twisted something deep in her chest, though she kept her composure. "I know you're not the one responsible for this," she added, tilting her head slightly as she studied him.

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

Rustle, woosh and click-whine. No sooner than the word "don't" was uttered there was already a blaster pointed at Valery. From his slightly panicked look and unstable posture it was clear that Valery had very much managed to catch Asher off-guard. He would give her the old head-to-toe scan with his eyes to try and figure out who she was. Brown hair, weird eyes, curvy body with clear signs that she was taking care of herself. Clean skin, very clearly a topsider, and on her hips…

Asher sighed and holstered his gun and knelt back down.

"Right. Nobody did this." He muttered and put the handkerchief back under his nose and gave the messenger bag on his shoulder a shuffle for comfort. "And I haven't seen anything."

Nobody ever did when lightsaber wielding men and women were around.

"You're free to take whatever evidence you left behind, I can't exactly stop you." He shrugged, figuring the perp was trying to save her own skin. Even if she seemed remarkably calm for someone who would visit the scene of the crime again.

Unless, of course…

Asher looked up and squinted at her.

"Who do you represent?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's amber eyes followed the blaster's swift rise, her body tensing instinctively, though her expression remained calm. She studied him carefully — the tension in his grip, the flicker of panic in his eyes, and the quick way he sized her up. He wasn't just startled; he was calculating.

When he finally lowered the weapon and returned to his examination of the scene, Valery relaxed slightly, though her gaze remained sharp. His muttered words and dismissive tone brought a faint smirk back to her lips, though there was no amusement in it.

"I'm not here to take anything," Valery replied, her voice steady but carrying a subtle authority. She gestured toward the fallen Jedi, her movements deliberate and calm. "I'm here because he was one of us — a Jedi. He went missing, and I received word that his body was found here."

Her gaze flicked back to Asher, narrowing slightly as she studied his posture and demeanor. "But it seems you've been looking into this as well," she added, tilting her head slightly. "You're not just some passerby who stumbled into this scene."

She stepped closer, her boots crunching softly against the debris-strewn floor. "If you've been investigating this already, you might have information I don't. Clues that could help me understand what happened here." Valery's tone softened slightly, her amber eyes gleaming with a mixture of determination and curiosity.

"If you're willing to help, I'd like to hear what you've found."

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

Oh she was a Jedi, just like she was. Asher glanced at the saber on Valery's hip again and then shook his head. Or perhaps not quite like her, but at least similar enough. The soup kitchen had closed years ago at this point. Long enough that there was no point in crying over spilled milk and missed shots.

Still, funny how life threw curveballs every now and again.

"Well, for starters I don't think your friend here was as clean as he seems." Asher remarked and pointed at the Jedi. "Either he had a second home or hung out with people that do."

"If you look at the cut he carved into his friends here, they were taken out in the same sweep. Then, whoever shot him in the head managed to give him cause to falter for a moment. At least long enough to, well, get shot in the head."

"My guess? Lover. Happens all the time with topsiders down here."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened intently as Asher laid out his observations, her sharp amber eyes flicking between the fallen Jedi and the man who had clearly been piecing this together for some time. His explanation carried a certain confidence, the kind of tone that suggested he was used to working alone and trusting his instincts.

Still, something about it didn't sit right.

"Lover?" she echoed, her brow furrowing. "It's possible, but aren't you drawing conclusions a little too quickly? There's no evidence of that here yet, just speculation. And speculation can lead to mistakes."

Valery let out a slow, measured breath, her hand brushing back her ponytail and lingering at the base of her neck. Her fingers moved to her temple, massaging gently as she pieced through the tension in her thoughts. The underworld's heavy air wasn't helping, and neither was the gnawing sense of loss that radiated from the fallen Jedi's presence in the Force.

After a moment, she looked back up at Asher, and for the first time, a small chuckle escaped her lips. He was rugged, sharp-tongued, perhaps, and an almost polar opposite to a Jedi Grandmaster. But there was something about his approach and appearance, and those calculating eyes that held her attention for a beat longer than she intended.

"You're thorough, I'll give you that," she said, her lips tugging into the faintest of smirks. "And since you seem so keen on figuring this out, how about we work together?"

Her gaze softened slightly, a glint of humor sparkling in her amber eyes. "Help me get to the bottom of this, and I'll make it worth your while." She folded her arms across her chest, leaning back ever so slightly. "I don't know what interests you, but I'm sure we can figure out a reward."

The playful edge in her tone lingered, but beneath it was a genuine offer. She needed answers, and Asher seemed capable enough to help uncover them.

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

It didn't really matter if Asher was jumping to conclusions or not. In the end this would probably never be resolved and those left behind on this world by the dearly departed would most likely buy any story Asher told them. The only reason he wouldn't outright lie was because despite everything he still had his heart somewhere in his chest. People deserved at least a modicum of truth about the fate of those who they had lost.

"Look, Jedi, I don't know how it works up there— or well, I do — but down here you get killed if you know too much." Asher said and pushed a hand against his knee to get him up and standing again. "Knowing just enough? That's fine. You can't act on 'just enough' or make others do something stupid with it either."

"Just enough is telling someone that a mob family wanted your loved ones dead, not which mob family wanted them dead and why. Feel me on that?"

"Besides, you're too pretty for this place. Stand out like a sore thumb, draws attention."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened to Asher carefully, her expression shifting into something softer and more contemplative. His words carried the weight of experience, the kind that came from surviving in the shadows of Coruscant's underworld. She understood what he was saying — here, knowledge wasn't just power; it was a liability. Knowing too much could get you killed, and even knowing just enough could be dangerous.

"I get it," she said after a moment, her voice calm but firm. "This isn't my first time in these parts. I've spent a lot of time down here in the past. I know how dangerous it can be, and I know how quickly things spiral when you stand out." Her amber eyes met his, a flicker of understanding passing between them.

"But that's why I'm asking you to trust me," she continued, stepping a little closer. "If you're willing to help, I can guarantee your safety. I won't let anything happen to you. You'll have to take a leap of faith, though." Her tone softened, and for a brief moment, it seemed like the relentless weight of the underworld had lifted just slightly. "And I know that's asking a lot down here."

She paused, studying him for a long beat, her head tilting ever so slightly as her lips curved into a faint smirk. "But... you think I'm pretty, hm?" she teased, her voice taking on a lighter, playful edge.

Valery folded her arms across her chest, the smirk lingering as her amber gaze remained locked on his.

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

How frustratingly persistent this one was. Asher let out a long sigh and gave her an exasperated sigh. If she was so used to how things worked down here then why would she bother asking him to take a leap of faith. To sum up the entirety of their working relationship together was to sum up the last five minutes in an open mass grave. First impressions and circumstance weren't exactly on either person's side here.

But, nonetheless.

"Fine." He said and threw his arms in resignation. "I'll let you sucker me into this for a thousand creds. Half upfront, the other upon completion." That was about ten times his usual running fee, an outrageous counteroffer. "If anyone comes asking, I'll tell them I was working under threat of violence, and you —"

Valery began to speak.

"Oh no." He said and crossed his arms in defiance of her question. "You know very well that you are attractive. Don't you try to play that siren's song on me."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smirk widened ever so slightly at Asher's dramatic resignation. The way he threw his arms up and named his price only amused her more, though she managed to keep most of it from showing on her face. She inclined her head slightly, amber eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

"Deal," she said simply, her tone carrying a note of finality. "Half upfront, half upon completion. You'll get your thousand credits."

But as Asher crossed his arms and called her out on her teasing, Valery's smirk turned into something more mischievous. She batted her lashes in mock innocence and reached up to run a hand slowly through her wavy, dark hair. "Siren's song? I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, her voice light and playful.

Her hand dropped back down to her hip, and her smirk softened into a more genuine smile as she tilted her head slightly. "But for the record, you're not bad on the eyes either." The playful edge lingered, and she added a wink that could melt any man, but before he could respond, Valery turned away, her expression shifting back to something more serious as her gaze swept over the scene once more.

The bodies, the scorch marks, the faint echoes of what had transpired — it all painted a grim picture, but she knew it was only the surface of what had truly happened here.

"So," she said after a moment, glancing at Asher over her shoulder. "Where should we start?"

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

Wait, what the actual hell did she just say? A thousand credits was an outrageous amount! That was like half a year of food, or two months in a comfortable living space a few levels up. The man's ears perked up just a little more when his offer was taken. Principles were a thing, for him at least, but a thousand credits were — as the saying goes — a thousand credits.

The flirting persisted, she soaked up the comment he'd made and threw one of her own.

"Oh, me? It's that steady diet of bad eating habits and a lack of sleep." He grinned. "Keeps a man—" Wait, no! He shook himself awake. "No wait, hold- hold- hold on for a moment."

"Is it like a Jedi or a you thing to flirt while standing over dead bodies?" He asked. The grin returned and he took a deep breath. Instant regret. Stench overwhelming. Asher gagged for a moment before he put his hand against Valery's shoulder to usher her outside where the fresh air was.

"Don't tell me your name. I won't tell you mine." He said and reached for a packet of nico-sticks in his jacket. It took the edge off and it smelled better — somehow — than the rotting bodies beyond the door he leaned his back against. "Who was our victim here? Got a name? Rank? Known acquaintances down here?"

He withdrew a lighter, flicked it on and took his first drag.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's smirk lingered as Asher stumbled over his words, her amber eyes gleaming with amusement. His reaction was everything she expected — a mix of flustered confusion and a quick attempt to recover. She couldn't help herself.

He was cute. She had always liked the rougher types.

"Flirting?" she echoed, her tone light and teasing. "I'm just making observations." Her smirk grew a fraction, but she didn't press further. Asher's expression alone was enough of a reward.

When his hand nudged her shoulder to guide her outside, Valery allowed herself to be moved, the fresher air hitting her face as she stepped into the open. She let out a small, steadying breath before crouching down, her knees bending as she reached for the datapad attached to her belt.

"His name was Jarec Tane," she said after a moment, her tone shifting to something more solemn. "A Jedi Knight. He was investigating something down here, but…" She trailed off, her gaze flicking back toward the decrepit building. "I don't know who he might have known here or why he was alone. That's part of what I need to figure out."

Her fingers brushed the datapad again, scrolling through brief notes on Jarec's mission, though there wasn't much to go on.

Valery glanced over her shoulder then, her eyes settling on Asher as he leaned against the wall. The flicker of the lighter cast a warm glow against his rugged features, and she watched as he took a drag, the faint haze of smoke curling into the air. There was something about his face, lined with a mix of grit and weariness, that piqued her curiosity.

"Jarec didn't stand out down here the way I do." Her smirk returned, faint but deliberate.

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

And down the chemicals went, straight t0 the lungs and other vitals he'd need to live. Oh well, the nicotine was probably about as dangerous as the rest of the chemicals and exhausts on these levels. Asher slowly nodded along and did his best to ignore these comments that the Jedi was laying on thick.

"Jarec Tane." He repeated with a nod. "He couldn't have stood out like you did, but he did stand out."

Asher closed his eyes with another drag and a long exhale. He rested his head against the wall and glanced up at the city ceiling. This already had the making of a long night before this woman showed up. Now it seemed infinitely longer and she had only just showed up.

"What did he do for the Jedi? Guard? Sentry? Consul?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery rose from her crouched position and turned fully to face Asher, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned back slightly against the wall. The faint smirk from earlier faded into a more thoughtful expression as she considered his question.

"He was an investigator," she replied, her tone calm but tinged with a trace of regret. "Jarec was one of our Sentinels — trained to operate in the darker corners of the galaxy." Her amber eyes flicked briefly toward the decrepit building they had left, then back to Asher.

"He was good at his job, too. Methodical, patient... but clearly, something went wrong here." Her gaze softened, and she studied Asher more closely, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest as he took another drag from his nico-stick. The air between them seemed to still for a moment, weighted with unspoken questions.

"He wouldn't have been down here without a purpose," Valery added, her voice firm with conviction. "Whatever he was investigating, it was important enough for him to take risks, and Jarec wasn't reckless."

But where did it go wrong?

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

Right, sentinel and not sentry. Asher continued to nod along as Valery explained who they were dealing with. Seemed to be someone who wanted to make a difference. Probably came down here trying to be a knight in shining armor only to realize that wasn't how things worked in the Underworld. Reckless or not, some things were just bound to override your better sensibilities if they ever got put against one another.

Asher was still on the lover lead, it seemed the most likely answer.

"Yeah, well, love makes a fool of us all." Asher shrugged and took another drag. "I still think it was a lover who betrayed him, or someone that could get under his skin and cause him to hesitate for long enough to get a clean shot in the head."

"Did he work alone? Report to anyone in particular?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery listened to Asher's theory, her expression thoughtful but reserved. She understood why he leaned toward the lover theory — in a place like this, emotions could be weaponized as effectively as any blade or blaster. Still, something about the scene didn't sit right with her.

"Jarec worked alone," she replied, her arms folding across her chest. "He was the kind of Jedi who thrived in solitude, especially on assignments like this. Sentinels aren't like most others in the Order — they specialize in walking the line between the light and the shadows, which often means operating without backup."

Her amber gaze shifted briefly to the smoldering end of Asher's nico-stick before locking onto his face again. "He usually reported to me, though. I'd review his findings, debrief him after missions, that sort of thing." Her voice softened slightly, a faint trace of guilt slipping into her tone. "But his personal life? He kept that very private. If he had... connections down here, he never shared them with me."

The faint hum of the underworld around them filled the brief silence that followed. Valery's fingers brushed lightly against the hilt of her saber, a habit born of long years spent on edge in places like this.

"Your theory could be right," she admitted, tilting her head slightly. "If someone close to him betrayed him, it would explain the hesitation. But we'd need more than speculation to be sure."

Her gaze lingered on Asher for a moment longer before she glanced toward the darkened alleys stretching out around them. "Do you know anyone down here who might have seen something? Any contacts who'd talk?"

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

So she was the concerned supervisor. Asher looked at Valery for a moment and then took another drag. "Could be right" usually worked for him, but this woman clearly wanted something more. He continued to shake his head. Teamwork wasn't unappreciated, but the one he worked with was usually from around here. It wasn't contempt for the topsiders so much as the ease of not having to explain why things were such as they were.

She could claim to be familiar with how things worked down here, but either that meant she was as corrupt as the rest of them or that she wanted to tell herself that.

He threw the last of his cigarette on the ground and flattened it under his boot with another sigh.

"Nope." Asher said and shook his head. "But part of the fun in this line of work is figuring out who is hiding what."

"Come on, let's get back inside and we'll dig through his stuff and see what we find."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery’s amber eyes followed Asher as he crushed the cigarette under his boot. His blunt demeanor and casual detachment spoke of years of surviving in the underworld, but she could sense the sharp mind and purpose behind his actions, even if he masked it with indifference.

When he suggested returning inside to dig through Jarec’s belongings, Valery allowed a faint smile to tug at her lips. "Thanks," she said softly. "I know this isn’t your usual line of work, so… I appreciate it."

Her gaze lingered on him briefly, tracing the sharp lines of his profile in the harsh underworld lighting. There was a ruggedness to him, confidence born of experience that made him undeniably compelling. She quickly turned away, pushing the thought aside, and nodded toward the building.

"Alright, let’s see if Jarec left anything useful. Maybe a datapad or notes, something we can work with."

She stepped inside and crouched near an overturned crate. The air was heavy, tinged with the scent of decay, but Valery’s focus remained sharp as she sifted through the scattered items. Over her shoulder, she called to Asher, her tone calm but firm.

"Let me know if you find anything."

For all the grimness surrounding them, she couldn’t quite shake her awareness of him nearby, a quiet, rugged presence that intrigued her more than she cared to admit.

Soon enough, she found a datapad. Not a Jedi standard one - this was a personal item.

Asher ​

 

[Asher]

Valery Noble

He nodded at her thanks and stepped inside. Technically he hadn't been paid his upfront sum yet, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't keeping an ear out to see if or when this Jedi decided to follow through on the promise.

The rancid stench still wafted in nauseating waves. Part of the menthol from the sticks outside helped mask some of it, but not by a lot.

Nothing in the cupboards other than books, and none of the good ones with the pictures either. Asher looked over at Valery who seemed to pick something up.

"What's it say?" He asked and began to sift through a nearby bookcase. Jarec liked trashy novels it seems. Asher withdrew a well-loved copy of 'Veins of Desire: A Forbidden Romance', some kind of vampire novel. He couldn't help but laugh. Seemed even Jedi had their… Leisures. He flicked through the pages, and out fell a hidden little letter. It was neatly wrapped in paper and quite literally sealed with a kiss.

"Uh, okay…" He uttered in surprise and knelt down to pick up the lipstick covered envelope. "How… Odd."