First Reply 2 Minutes to Midnight

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: First Reply (or DM to join)

Bored out of her mind, Valery twirled some of her long hair around her index finger and studied the crowd. She had never really enjoyed overly formal ceremonies, but there was no way she'd be able to get out of this one. The people of Sanza were celebrating years of peace and invited representatives of various factions to celebrate with them. As a leading member of the Jedi Council, it meant she was going to be there.

But seeing no familiar faces or people she could talk to about things other than wealth, parties, and business opportunities, she found herself standing alone all night, secluded to the long wooden tables with snacks and drinks on them. Every few minutes or so, someone would recognize her and exchange simple greetings, but most were far too occupied with personal agendas or their pursuit of fun, so they hardly bothered to stay around for long.

Luckily, only 2 more minutes remained until midnight, when the idea was to go outside and admire some of the fireworks. For Valery, it was an opportunity to make her escape and maybe head back to Coruscant just a little earlier.

Little did she know that her plans for the night were going to drastically change.

"The count!" a woman screamed, as she ran into the hall. "The count is dead! Someone killed him!" she screamed in panic.

Despite the loud music and socializing, people heard her panicked cries and stopped what they were doing to listen. Guards were immediately on the move, securing every exit to keep people from leaving, and some were trying to calm everybody down. If the count had indeed been murdered, it meant that the person responsible was somewhere inside the massive palace.

But who did it?

Valery sighed and ran a hand up through her long, wavy hair. This was going to be a long night.

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

​

The Lothal Protectorate was in dire need of exposure, and that meant that, as the leader of his home world, Solarus Fynch had an obligation to begin appearing at more events where galactic leaders and businessmen gathered. Sanza's formal celebration of peace was simply one of such events where he could reinforce the independence of his people and look for partnership to get Lothal's natural resources into the galactic economy. It was simple enough... Until it wasn't.

"The count!" a woman screamed, as she ran into the hall. "The count is dead! Someone killed him!"

Fynch was about half way through a glass of wine, and he certainly wasn't going to let it go to waste. Once his glass was empty, he calmly placed it down and slid his hand firmly into his pocket. This was going to be a long day. Fortunately, it seemed that he was going to have some familiar company. Off at the end of the event hall was a certain Valery Noble, Sword of the New Jedi Order. How had he not realized she was here? His day could have actually been interesting up until now.

"Ah, Master Noble," Fynch greeted as he made his way to her, waving with his free hand. "It's good to see you again. Well, perhaps that's what I would've said five minutes ago. Seems there's been an incident."

Fynch sighed. Celebrations of peace should never come down to murder, but here they were. A shame, really.

"Right then," he frowned, "I suppose you'll want to be assessing the crime scene. You're probably more qualified to investigate this then the security detail. Uh, just a moment."

A crowd had begun to gather around the count, making it very difficult to get through. Fynch had multiple things going for him. He was really tall and really loud. It only took one good whistle to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, clear out!" the Commander addressed the crowd.. He spoke plainly, but with the bravado of any good military leader, a side effect of his time in the Lothal militia. "What is this, a zoo exhibit? Feet out of the crime scene! Let's move!"

The eventgoers seemed taken aback by this, but nobody had it in them to protest, given Fynch's commanding nature and the prospect of a killer amongst them. As they cleared out of the area where the count was supposedly dead, the Commander in Chief gave a satisfied nod before turning back to Valery Noble.

"The floor is yours."

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

"Ah, Master Noble,"

Valery blinked, snapped out of her thoughts, and straightened her posture when she realized who had approached her. A quick hand ran up through her hair to fix it, and for just a moment, her smile seemed to brighten up. "Commander Fynch, it has been a while," she said, clearly surprised to find him all the way out here.

"It's good to see you as well, although now I must admit that I'm rather upset we didn't run into each other before." she chuckled and looked him up and down, approving of his choice of attire, and nodded again. Someone had been killed, so she had to set aside the thoughts that lingered in her mind, and focus a little. "I can try to look into it, but I'm not exactly equipped or dressed for Jedi duty right now..." she looked down at her rather fancy dress and smiled sheepishly.

Just for this occasion, she had been a little extra about her appearance.

With his height and voice rumbling through the hall, Solarus was easily able to get others to listen, and they all stepped away to allow Valery to pass. She walked on heels, so her approach was slow and graceful, but when she finally reached the small hallway leading away from the main chamber, she stopped.

A closet door was open, and she could see a leg sticking out.

"Alright, let's take a look..." Valery looked at Solarus and gestured for him to follow. She then opened the door and looked at the man in a suit flat on the floor. He was already pale and seemed to be getting colder, but something else stood out. "Hm, he has lipstick on his neck and lips. I guess we know why he was in a closet now..."

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"I can try to look into it, but I'm not exactly equipped or dressed for Jedi duty right now..."

"Well you've certainly put more thought into your attire than I have," Fynch chuckled. "Not that I can see myself in anything other then a military uniform..."

Perhaps he could look fashionable in a dress as well. Maybe he needed to spice up his next board meeting... His cabinet would surely have a heart attack.

It wasn't long before they were assessing the scene. It was... a real interesting one, that was for sure. Fynch withheld a laugh. It was a grim situation, after all, and one should not make light of the recently deceased. Still, to fornicate publicly at such a high-end gathering in a closet was certainly an amusing prospect.

"I imagine that the young lady who was screaming bloody murder was likely his partner," the Commander reasoned. "Which makes her a possible suspect."

It was about then that an idea popped into his head.

"I'd recommend wiping away the lipstick," he added. "I imagine that should a lethal dose of some chemical be injected into his system by a needle of some kind, it may cover up any marks that were made. Now I guess the only question left to ask after that is..." Fynch turned to the gathered crowd. "Does anyone know who this count is?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

"I'm not sure if she was. His leg was sticking out of the open door, so she could have just seen the body," Valery said, not wanting to make too many assumptions already. But Fynch was right — the woman was seen near the crime scene, so it only made sense to also consider her involvement.

Luckily, they did have a clue and Fynch was rather quick to bring it up.

"That's possible but there are also lipsticks that can kill someone when you kiss them with it on." It was a tool she remembered from her time in the SIA, and quite a brutal killer as it was often overlooked. The count also had lipstick on his lips, so she knew for a fact that the kissing hadn't just been down his neck.

"Not that I've ever used it," she flashed a brief smirk and turned back to inspecting the body. There wasn't much else she could see that felt like it could be related to the crime, so she pushed herself up to her feet and turned back around while Fynch began to question people about the Count.

"He's a count from Corida," someone said in response.

"Why would anybody kill him?" another asked, and it already began to get more chaotic.

"Right? I thought he was loved."

Valery sighed and walked up to Solarus with a sample of the lipstick. "We could try to compare this lipstick sample to people in the room here?" Valery's own red lipstick seemed to match up as well, but she had been far away at the time of the murder. Or at least, she wasn't there when he was found.

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"That's possible but there are also lipsticks that can kill someone when you kiss them with it on."

"Oh," Fynch frowned, becoming red in the face. "I will... keep that in mind."

That would be an embarrassing way for a Commander to die, especially considering the fact that he did, on occasion, struggle to fend off the advances of the female form. Perhaps it was for the best that he learned about such a thing now...

"Y-yes," the Commander nodded, recomposing himself. "I concur. We should look for matches and find our range of suspects from there. See if we can't narrow down our options."

The logical thing to do was keep the suspects in one place until authorities arrived that could preform chemical analysis, but there was still a grey area. The suspect could have fled the scene hours ago, given the dead counts lost body heat. It was certainly a possibility as well that it may not have been the woman he was making out with at all. Should a pill of some kind been slipped into his system, there was no telling how long ago he was a dead man walking. Ultimately it would have to come down to witness testimony.

Fynch needed to find himself a bottle of wine.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

Seeing his face redden about the deadly lipstick, Valery couldn't help but grin a little, "Don't worry, Commander. Most ladies don't have those." With her grin, she left it up to his imagination whether or not she had access to it. Not that it mattered too much right now — they had a murder case to focus on.

Still, it was amusing to her to see him briefly lose that usual confidence.

"At least, I hope so. I've seen plenty looking your way tonight." She was definitely messing with him now, or was she? Her poker face revealed nothing, but her smirk did show just how much she enjoyed it.

But after her moment of teasing, she shifted back to focusing on the mission. "We should also not exclude the chance that it was a man. Either a man wearing lipstick or someone trying to set up someone else," Valery continued. "But let's start with the women." She began to look around and waved her hand up to get some attention.

Solarus had it a lot easier in that regard.

"Alright, we want every woman in the hall to report to us for a quick chat." She looked at Solarus. "Try to see if any have matching lipsticks first. Or other suspicious signs."

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"Alright, we want every woman in the hall to report to us for a quick chat. Try to see if any have matching lipsticks first. Or other suspicious signs."

"Well?" Fynch began, giving a stern look to the guard detail, who were now ideally observing like a helpless flock of porgs. "You heard the Sword. Let's get moving, shall we?"

The guards seemed to stir into action after the prompting. In the meantime, Fynch procured a napkin and began scrawling out the things that they needed to check. Anything that could conceal a method of murder. Poison wasn't off the table. They would need to check the food and drink for starters. In fact, perhaps it was best that they stopped the guests from eating anything further. That was a good idea. Evidence could be hidden in vases or potted plants, any hind of drain or plumbing could have been used to hastily dispose of smaller materials required for assassination, and they couldn't ignore the possibility that false evidence could be planted on someone as well. It would be important to check people's relationships. It was very possible that the killer could have a posse of some kind to serve as their alibi.

"It's done sir, ma'am," one of the guards relayed.

Sure enough, there was now a gathering of a good handful of suspects. Some nervous, some indifferent, most confused. Fynch would hang back from the interrogation (which was probably for the better). He'd let Master Noble lead the questioning.

"Right then," he nodded. "Let's see what we're working with."

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

Once more, Valery looked up and offered Solarus a grateful smile when he put the guards into action. It clearly annoyed her that they weren't listening too well to her, but she also didn't exactly look like a Jedi at the moment. This dress was far more elegant than what she'd typically wear, and showed a little more too.

Not typical Jedi attire.

"Thank you," she said before she watched the guards do their work. Soon enough, the women were gathered first, and a bit of a line formed. The process that followed was slow, and Valery asked simple questions only while she observed the color of their lips. A thorough investigation was likely unnecessary because without realizing it, she scanned them through the Force.

She could tell if they were lying or hiding something, but nobody was picked out. And with how long it took, people were starting to get frustrated.

"Who decide that this lady and her boyfriend were to investigate this murder?" one demanded, as she looked between Valery and Solarus. "Her lipstick isn't being checked, and who says that's what killed the count? Someone who wasn't here should handle this!"

A few others agreed and let it known as they yelled at Valery, who felt a little more nervous. Her lipstick did match up with what they found on the body, but other women were wearing something similar as well. Between the comment about her and Solarus and the rising tension, this seemed to escalate and Valery wasn't quite sure how to stop it.

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OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"Who decide that this lady and her boyfriend were to investigate this murder? Her lipstick isn't being checked, and who says that's what killed the count? Someone who wasn't here should handle this!"

"Oh?" Fynch reacted, his eyes dilating with frustration. "Would you like to suggest that Valery Noble, Sword of the Jedi and hero of the Galactic Alliance, murdered some random noble at a peace celebration for no reason? Does anyone here not see how backwards that logic is?"

It was hilarious even. Highly disgraceful. Nobles were the worst kinds of people, always out to cover their own asses, even when they weren't guilty.

"We stepped forward because there's a killer at large, out of duty and obligation to prevent further death and we're met with suspicion?" he continued. "Forgive me for not waiting around for someone else to wind up dead in a closet, my mistake. Now unless you all would like to wait for an investigator to arrive, which would most certainly take a day mind you, and risk ending up the next victim, I suggest you all grow a spine and cooperate."

If there wasn't potential that the alcohol was poisoned, Fynch would be downing the nearest bottle. This was not the sort of incompetence he wanted to deal with right now. An actual murderer was loose amongst them and they dragged their feet. It was irritating. Fynch's blood was nearing the point of boiling, and he hadn't even addressed the first half of the statement that prompted all this nonsense.

"And we're not intimate. Master Noble is a married woman," Fynch scowled. "This hardly seems the time to suggest anything ridiculous of the sort. Now if you don't mind, there's an actual murderer loose in this gala, and I'd rather nobody else wind up cold."

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

His words were met with silence.

The nobles who had spoken up against Solarus and Valery weren't just intimidated by the shift they saw in the man, but there was also no real way to argue against what he said. The two had been out in the hall when the body was found, and there was no logical motivation for them to kill anybody. At the same time, nobles around the galaxy often had rivalries with each other and attempted assassinations weren't exactly uncommon.

Someone else must have done it.

"...fine, but at least be quick about it," a woman snapped, still finding a reason to complain.

Valery just rolled her eyes and turned to Solarus after he clarified what their relationship was actually like. "Thanks... that was... uncomfortable." she smiled sheepishly and gave it all some more thought. "I couldn't see or sense anything when I questioned these people. The killer was likely there, but somehow they're able to mask their emotions really well."

Her eyes shifted back to where they had found the body, and this time she frowned. "I want to try tapping into the Force to see his last moments for myself. It can be very overwhelming because it involved death, though. So I might need you to act on what I see. Is that alright with you?"

There was another reason she proposed this idea. If they made sure people knew that she was planning to use Psychometry, the killer might become a lot more nervous and mess up.

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"I want to try tapping into the Force to see his last moments for myself. It can be very overwhelming because it involved death, though. So I might need you to act on what I see. Is that alright with you?"

"Of course," Fynch nodded. "Split second action is no stranger to me."

He was a military man, after all. It was never clear when raiders or imperials would be on his doorstep. A good leader needed to be capable of quickly reacting to such things in an instant. After all, lives were so often the most valuable thing that could be lost.

"I... was unaware that the force was capable of such things," he added. "Such a curious thing..."

Lothal was a planet with extensive history with the Jedi, yet it was all very much consumed by time. Most of his people hadn't met a Jedi in their lives. They were figures of legend, wandering heroes that defended the distant core worlds. Fynch's mother had been a very spiritual person, one who firmly believed in the ideas of balance and oneness that the Jedi lived by, but neither she nor him were in any way sensitive to such a presence. It's use might as well have been magic. Still, it was a useful thing none the less.

"Right then," the Commander nodded. "A look into his final moments, and we may very well have ourselves a culprit. I suggest that any who are already aware of an incriminating memory that Master Noble is bound to witness step forward and save themselves the embarrassment. And," he took a moment to turn to the guards, "I suggest you prepare for any runners."

With that out of the way, he turned to Master Noble and gave her the nod to proceed.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

"The Force is quite mysterious, hm?" She chuckled but had to agree with him at the same time. Even to a Jedi, it was often still amazing to see what the Force was capable of. For someone not sensitive to it at all, she could only imagine what it must be like to witness its use — magical, and so very difficult to comprehend. But also very useful, as her plan would hopefully show. She just wasn't looking forward to the powerful emotions that surrounded someone's final moments.

She already knew that she'd need his help.

Fynch then addressed the people who had gathered around them, but none stepped forward. Almost everybody seemed nervous as well, not because they had actually committed the crime, but because the same thought was on everybody's minds. What if Master Noble still somehow saw them being involved in it? The guard meanwhile nodded to Fynch and turned his body to the group. If any of them dared to run, he'd catch them.

"Alright, here goes..." she took a deep breath and stepped back up to the closet, where the body remained. She crouched down, shifted to sitting on her knees, and closed her eyes as she fell deep into the Force.

About a minute passed, during which Valery could be seen uncomfortably shifting around. She frowned and her breaths were erratic, but nothing was said. Not a sound was made at all until...

"Help!!" Someone yelled from the opposite side of the hall. "Please! Someone?!"

Had the killer struck again?

Valery, still tapped into the Force, did not seem to hear this cry for help at all, and nothing about her showed that she was able to break the memory she had found herself in. It was up to Fynch to address this issue.

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"Help!!" Someone yelled from the opposite side of the hall. "Please! Someone?!"

"Oh chit," Fynch muttered under his breath.

That was no good. Master Noble was still deep in focus, very much oblivious to the cries for help. This was on him. The Commander composed himself, turning to the guards of the event.

"You two, with me," Solarus ordered. "The rest of you, stay with the guests. Make sure Master Noble's focus isn't broken and that no other patrons are harmed."

With that, Fynch leapt into action, flanked by the two guards as he rushed off to save whoever it was that had screamed out for aid. There would be no more deaths at this event, not while he was here. Boring as it was, there was no place for such awful things at an event celebrating peace and stability. He had a duty to see that it was not sullied any more than it had been.

Hopefully Master Noble's vision would not be too time consuming.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

In response to Fynch's commands, the guards quickly moved. Two of them joined him as they rushed to the new crime scene, and the two others worked to get everybody back into the hall, where it was easier to watch them. It also kept them away from Valery, who was completely oblivious to what was happening.

Her journey was in the past.

Soon enough, Fynch and his two guards would reach the source of the scream and in a small hallway leading to the bathrooms, there was a woman on the ground. A quick and close inspection was all he needed to determine what killed her — the noble woman's windpipe had been completely crushed.

But before Fynch was given the time to properly investigate, he heard a familiar voice. Not through his ears, but inside his mind.

<Fynch.>​

It was Valery, and right as her voice connected with him, an image would flash into his mind. A woman in black robes was walking up to Valery from behind, and even though he wasn't sensitive to the Force, it was as if he could feel her intent to kill. With every passing second, she got closer and that feeling grew more intense.

Time was running out for Valery.

---

OOC: The idea is a murder mystery thread. I made it a First Reply but you can DM me if you really want to join and have a good reason for your character to be at a ceremony like this.​

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"Oh no ya don't."

Fynch muttered as he bolted back across the gala. Master Noble's voice had rang out in his mind, images of a potential assailant flashing through clear as day. That really could only mean one thing, at least as far as he was concerned. He left the guards to deal with the most recent victim before rushing out to find a woman robed in black. Was that a Sith? Maybe. That didn't matter. Fynch wasn't afraid of Sith. He was a man of duty and service, and right now the galaxy's greatest warrior was in grave danger. There was no hesitation.

With great strength behind his calves, the Commander leapt at the woman, grappling her with his large forearms and driving her to the ground. He'd attempt to hold her, even if that meant he'd wind up being impaled by something. That was a cost he was willing to live with. Or not. The difference was little if it saved lives.

"CLEAR THE ROOM!" Fynch snapped at the staff. "MASTER NOBLE, GET UP!"

And with that, all he could do was wait for the rest to unfold. It was out of his hands.

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

As Fynch reached the closet where Valery was tapping into the Force, he could see the woman's hand slipping around Valery's throat. But before anything could be done to the Jedi Master, he was able to slam her against the ground with his superior strength and weight. There was a yelp of pain and surprise, but before he was able to pin her down completely, he felt an immense, invisible force pulling him away.

With her telekinetic prowess, she attempted to throw Fynch into a wall.

"You should have stayed out of this, you fool," the rattataki Sith said from underneath her hood. Those corrupted yellow eyes then turned away as Valery slowly opened her own, and with another shove, she sent the Jedi Master flying against the wall, knocking her out cold in the process.

"Now it's not just the Jedi who will die."

 

[Fynch]

Sanza
Tags: Valery Noble

Lothal Protectorate​

"Was that a threat?" Fynch asked with a gentle smile, reaching into his coat. "Aren't you a natural comedian."

Fynch withdrew a pair of brass knuckles, the only weapon he could manage to get through the security checkpoint. Of course, he had argued that they were customary jewelry on Lothal, but we wasn't one to ever be unarmed. He was a fighter, after all. There was a causal air about the Commander as he slipped the brass knuckles on, taking a moment to adjust his collar.

"Are you afraid of dying?" the Commander asked. "I only ask because my people place a great emphasis on dying a warrior's death. I'd return to my people a hero who fought a Sith in pitch combat. Unfortunately, I highly doubt that such a death awaits me today. After all..."

It was then that he got into a boxer's stance, preparing for the Rattataki to come at him. He was very much prepared to work around a lightsaber, more so than the Sith surely realized. There was only one outcome that he foresaw.

"One good blow to the neck is all I need to kill you."

 

[Valery Noble]

Sanza

​

Outfit: Dress
Tag: Fynch (or DM to join)

"One thrust through your gut is all I need to kill you," The woman said before the hilt of her weapon slipped into her hand, and a crimson blade ignited. She knew that it wasn't the most ideal weapon in these close quarters, but she was fast and agile. She'd have to try and maneuver her way around him, and catch him by surprise.

So that's exactly what she tried.

With a burst of Force-driven speed, the woman lunged forward and thrust her blade to his center mass, hoping to kill him with a quick strike. But knowing that she couldn't underestimate a warrior like him, she followed up with a spin, and a wider sweep targeting the man's powerful neck.

This was going to end with one of them dead.