First Reply Dance Macabre

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

Amidst the flickering glow of neon-lit signs and the hushed whispers of the night, Valery moved with graceful determination through the dimly lit alleyways of Nar Shaddaa's underbelly. The black cloak that concealed her dress trailed silently behind her as she made her way towards the clandestine venue rumored to host a dance organized by something much darker than the crime lords of Hutt Space. The air was thick with anticipation, a palpable tension that seemed to cling to the very shadows themselves. Valery's senses, honed through years of Jedi training, prickled with unease. Darkness lingered around this place — something that called out to her from the depths of the Force.

But she could not determine its true source.

As she approached the entrance, Valery paused to adjust the intricately crafted mask that concealed her features. It was a masquerade after all, and anonymity was a requirement. With a steady breath, she stepped into the pulsating heart of the event. The scene that greeted her was both enchanting and unsettling.

Couples swayed and spun across the dance floor, their movements fluid yet strangely hypnotic. The music, a haunting melody that seemed to echo through the very bones of the building, sent shivers down Valery's spine. She paused only at the edge of the dance floor, her heart pounding in anticipation. With a sense of purpose, she reached up to undo the clasp of her cloak, allowing the midnight fabric to slip from her shoulders in a silent cascade.

While she put her coat away, Valery's gaze swept over the assembled guests, her eyes searching for any sign of the darkness that had drawn her here. But amidst the swirling sea of masks and costumes, it was impossible to discern innocent from foe.

She would need to tread carefully if she was to uncover the truth behind this sinister gathering.

First Reply
(preference to people I'm not already threading with)​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble ​

The haze that hung over the room was not solely from the Force; the air seemed to sparkle under the ballroom's lights, a fine particulate suspended above the dancers, mingling with them. An intensity animated the attendees, spurred in their revelry by some unseen force.

The massive Barabel, however, was distinctly not-revelrous as he approached the Jedi Master. His mask was white as bone, fanged as it reached the end of his face. A fearsome visage for what was otherwise a joyous party. Still, he was difficult not to recognize. He allowed his presence to leak, easily detectable to the Jedi -- but even placing that presence did not erase the darkness that surrounded this place.

For now, the Inquisitor merely offered a hand to Noble. It was purely functional. "It would be suspicious otherwise," he said.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

"And your mere presence here isn't already?" Valery challenged with her chin rising enough to let her fiery eyes meet the giant's gaze. Despite her reservations, however, she did accept the offered hand and quietly observed the dancers, all lost in the rhythm of the music and the passion of their dances. The figure before her was far more familiar to her than what she had felt in this room, so she knew him not to be the source of tonight's trouble.

Still, his presence was more alarming than it was soothing.

"Why are you here?" Valery asked without a hint of kindness in her voice. When she had first met him on Onderon all those years ago, Valery had believed in a path of redemption for him.

But she still felt the darkness in his heart.

"This is risky, even here."

Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble
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Xeykard danced like he fought -- as always, surprisingly agile for his size. He was more counter-stepping than keeping pace with the music.

"This one has a reputation. Not even the Dark Lord would think to find this one in a place such as this." His own attire was something a human might wear, one of those strange black formal-suits with the decorative noose. It fit him poorly; a sudden movement would probably be enough to tear it open.

He looked around. "This one is here for... this," he said, giving a half nod to their surroundings. "Dark power. Key figures. But also- you. This one knew a Jedi would show sooner or later.

"Privacy may be best. But this one senses the same as you." He sniffed the air. "Like gunpowder, for people."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

After Valery extended her hand to accept the Xeykard's invitation, she was guided to the dance floor, where his scales shimmered in the lights and caught the flickering glow of nearby candles. Their hands clasped, they began to move across the floor with a practiced grace, their steps synchronized to the haunting melody that filled the room. With each twirl and sway of their bodies, Valery felt the weight of her mission pressing down upon her, a silent reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows.

Dangers she could not allow herself to forget.

As they danced, their movements fluid and effortless, Valery and Xeykard exchanged subtle glances and whispered their words to keep the conversation hidden beneath the music and the laughter of the other guests, "Me?" Valery raised an eyebrow and spun away from the Lizard until his elbow locked, and he was forced to draw her back.

"Why were you looking for a Jedi?" Valery asked once she stood closer again. "And why do you care about what you're feeling here?" she asked curiously. Valery's intent was obvious — it was her life's purpose to resist the Dark Side in all its forms, and stopping whatever was happening here made perfect sense because of that.

But what did he want?

Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble
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"This one comes bearing gifts." If his tone wasn't a constant low-menacing, his words might have been taken for a joke. "An opportunity. A beginning.

"For later. As for here -- this one cannot smell the danger," he said. "But it is present. And it must be rooted out. This one's work is rooting such things out. Your intuition here, however, will be sufficient. This one will follow."

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

"Gifts? My, now you've got me curious." Valery's tone had a hint of humor to it, but she was speaking the truth. Considering their last meeting, everything he said made her mind wander. But, for now, she agreed that they had something else to focus on first. This event, while seemingly innocent with the joy and passion between dancers, had something dark looming over it. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but it had to be stopped.

Before it was too late.

"I fear my intuition won't be enough," Valery admitted as she twirled around him and pulled herself back. "This darkness — it clouds my senses. I can feel that something is drawing closer, but I'm not sure what it is." Valery remained close for several steps and turned her gaze to a clock on the wall.

It was getting close to midnight.

"Maybe we should just... wait?" and dance until it was time.

Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble
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"Very well." Xeykard was nothing if not patient. Still, as more time passed, his body tensed. The haze in the air was both dangerous and overwhelming; not being able to smell, nor accurately sense, was troubling for him. His control rested on his expertise. Here it felt as though he were unmoored from what normally kept him in check.

But he continued on regardless, dancing as best he could. The music changed once, twice; he did his best to keep with it, but still he was stepping more against his 'opponent', his dancing partner. All the while, the dancers around them became more frenzied in their movements.

Midnight was moments away.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

Valery's breath quickened with her rising heartbeat and even though the clock ticked away closer and closer to midnight, she lost all sense of time. One song ended, the next began, and that circle repeated itself until she no longer knew just how many songs they had danced through. Was it the poison that filled the air? Or perhaps the knowledge that something was about to happen that couldn't be prevented?

Xeykard seemed to struggle with the same thing and stepped closer. Valery met him halfway and kept herself glued to her opponent, her eyes shifted up to meet his gaze, rather than the room around her.

Then bells began to chime.

The Lights that had illuminated his scales throughout the night all dimmed at once, and the music stopped just as abruptly. The panting of exhausted dancers and confused whispers now echoed through the room, and her senses became suddenly aware of the sweat that had her hair clung to her forehead. She drew in a sharp breath and dared look away, as masked figures moved through the room. Had they been here before?

What little light remained, reflected against sharp blades.

Then, a scream silenced the room.

Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble
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Xeykard moved first. Skilled as the assailants were, they were no Tsis'kaar; even with his senses muted he could feel the bloodlust moving towards him. As the blade swung towards him, he pivoted away from the Jedi, slamming his fist into his attacker's wrist. There was a crunch. More screams. One from the one he'd hit.

The masked figure stumbled, then crumpled under a second strike to the neck.

"This party was not for them," he mused. Not all of them, anyways -- he was confident at least some of the dancers had drawn their own weapons as well, but most were victims. Blood was spilled. Xeykard decided not to go on the offensive, instead sticking close to the Jedi.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

Valery heard the wrist-bone snap and cringed for just a moment. Despite the fact that she stood — and had danced — with a Sith Lord shouldn't have made it surprising, but she hadn't expected it to go with so much practiced ease. With screams of pain, the attacker stumbled back, until another punch silenced him.

But there were plenty more.

"Stay close," Valery said, as her Keshian eyes adjusted to the darkness. Each individual person that moved turned from a blur to a bright source of heat, and she began to track the assailants.

"They've got each exit covered. There's... a lot of blood." Valery frowned and reached down to grab Xeykard's wrist or hand, and pulled him away to the side. The death, the screams and chaos of everything moving around her was overwhelming, and she needed to find a way out.

She needed to figure out what was going on.

Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble
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His eyes finally adjusted, the vibrant hues of the dancers reduced to blobs of heat. When Noble grabbed him, he had to suppress his instinct to counter, instead allowing himself to be guided by the Jedi -- a tougher task than actually watching her back. A few of the assailants peeled to chase them. Most backed off after he shattered one of their ribcages with another strike.

"Deeper into the building," he said, giving a nod to the doors opposite to where they'd entered. "Seems the most obvious path. We must move quickly. These ones are already lost."

The other attendees were of no consequence, though the cries of pain and fear were drawing attention away from them for now. But their numbers were dwindling with every second; wait too long, and they'd be cornered or surrounded.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

He was right.

Valery didn't like the idea of leaving all those people behind to die, but in a crowded space filled with so many people, it was impossible to help. Even if they did manage to save a few, they'd be surrounded and outnumbered with no way out. She trusted Xeykard was strong enough to defend himself, but it wasn't a risk they could afford themselves to take.

They had to go.

Not realizing his ability to see in the dark, Valery tugged him along and ran straight for the double-doors on the opposite side of the entrance. She pushed them open, expecting light to finally reach her, but even in this hallway the lights had been cut. The cries for help began to fade into the distance as she moved, but she soon found herself with no real purpose. Where should they go? What just happened?

Too many questions and no real answers.

"Whoever is behind this should be nearby, right?" Valery asked as she finally stopped and let go of his hand. "Where would you be if you had planned this for weeks?"

Xeykard ​

 

[Xeykard]

Valery Noble
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Xeykard almost scoffed at the thought. "In there," he said, half-nodding to the doors they'd just passed through, "or in another building."

He -- surprisingly gently -- removed her hand from his wrist. "But this one would not waste time with such things."

As the doors swung closed, he reached out and locked them telekinetically, then focused his senses. The darkness and haze neutered them, but he'd make do. It was neither his smell or sight that guided him. Instead, the flow of the air in the room moved his mind.

"A central dispersion system. Connected to the ventilation systems. This is the correct path." He gestured for them to continue, half-spotting out of the corner of his eye that the shoulders of his suit had torn. As they walked, he tore the jacket and shirt off, tossing it on the ground.

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Black masquerade dress

"I didn't mean to imply that-" She stopped herself, and decided to just shut up instead. Back on Onderon, he had made her believe that he was different. That he wasn't like most Sith, and that perhaps a path away from them was still possible. It remained to be seen, but she didn't want it to feel as if she compared him to the people who had just murdered a room full of dancers. No matter their crimes or innocence, this could never be right.

"I know," she said, as he removed her hand.

Luckily, he did seem to have an idea about where to go, and it made sense. The drugs that lingered in the air, the ability to control the lights and ventilation systems — they had to be there.

"We should try to minimize harm when we find the people responsible. I have questions they need to answer," Valery said, her eyes focused on the hallway until she heard the sound of clothes ripping. She turned her gaze to suddenly see his bare upper body, torn free from the suit. She blinked, turned her eyes away, then peaked again and cleared her throat.

Mildly distracting.

"There it is," Valery said with some level of composure when it appeared the ventilation shafts converged to a single room up ahead.

Xeykard ​