Private Abduction on Naboo

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"Surprised? No," Gatz sighed, "a Jedi's life is sacrifice. I still remember that much. I just wish you hadn't done that for me."

Gatz had no desire to shuffle this mortal coil just yet. He had too much to do, too much to set right, to just up and die. But Valery was worth a hell of a lot more than he'd ever be, and she was important. He wasn't, at least, not on the grand scale of things. If she had died to protect him, well, that wasn't something he wanted on his conscience.

"Valery, you have a family who loves you, an Order that needs your wisdom, and a Galactic Alliance that rallies behind you. If you had died today, the whole galaxy would have mourned you. If I had died, no one would have blinked an eye. The galaxy is better off with you in it than me, and I... I don't want to be the reason the galaxy loses someone so fundamentally good."

Guilt and shame filled him, and unlike with his fear, Gatz couldn't just force them down. He'd only confronted Kragan to give Valery cover to sneak the children out, but if he hadn't made that decision, then she wouldn't have had to come back for him. Wouldn't have been shot. If he'd merely stopped and considered all the choices they had, maybe they could have come up with something better.

"Valery, you saved my life," Gatz looked up at her and held her gaze, silent tears falling down his cheeks, "and I don't mean the blaster you took for me, I mean you saved me. You gave me purpose. And all I've ever done in return is make you deal with my problems, and now I've nearly gotten you killed."

Gatz looked down and wiped his tears away. He was a scoundrel, dammit. He was supposed to be smooth and suave, not some crybaby.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

From a purely logical perspective, there wasn't really anything Valery could argue against. Her family, her role in the Galaxy, the amount of people she was close to — all of it added up and she knew Gatz didn't really have something like that just yet. Partially because he was quite young, but she also knew enough of his past, and the ties he used to have were likely long severed. But none of this really mattered to Valery at all, and she had a feeling he knew that.

She did what she did because it was simply who she was.

"Gatz..." she began, her voice a bit weaker than usual, but she was fighting hard to push herself through any discomfort she still felt. Her fiery gaze locked with his, and her hand squeezed his knee just a little more, "I'm not going to stop helping people just because some people feel that my life is worth more than theirs. I don't believe in any of that. I helped you because I felt the good in you, and I took that shot because you're someone I care about."

Seeing the tear roll down his cheek briefly made her frown, but rather than let him be consumed by these negative emotions, she leaned over and pulled him into a tighter hug. "It's okay. I'm going to be alright, and if I could do it all again, I would." She pulled back a little to look him in the eyes again, and offered a warm smile, while her hand settled on his shoulders.

"I'm sorry if I scared you or made you upset, but please, don't be angry or disappointed with yourself." Her smile lingered, and her hand gently moved up to his cheek, so she could wipe away one last, lone tear with her thumb. "We both made it out and the kids are safe. Sounds like a pretty successful mission, don't you think?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Of course she felt like her life was equal to his. And maybe, from a purely philosophical perspective, she was right. But the fact remained: she had so much more to lose than he did, and the galaxy would have felt her loss so much more than his own. And all of it would have been his fault, because he had dragged her into a mess of his own making.

She did it anyways, all because she thought he mattered. Because she thought there was good in him, however buried it might be. Gatz understood that that was her choice, and that she had every right to make it. He just never should have put her in a situation where she had to. He'd killed enough people, and not all of them were deserving. He didn't want to add Valery to that list.

They hugged for the second time that day, but this time it was Gatz who needed it. When was the last time someone had embraced him? Offered him comfort? Mom, before she'd died? Gatz had forgotten what that felt like; how it eased everything. So he hugged Valery back, careful not to squeeze too hard lest he aggravate her wound.

"Thank you," Gatz spoke quietly, "I don't know if I deserve your compassion, or your faith... but I'll try to be worthy of it."

He let out a long breath, and finally allowed peace to return to him. Valery was right: she was alive, he was alive, but most importantly, the children were alive.

At the end of the day, what else mattered?

Gatz let Valery brush away his final tear, even though he was embarrassed about it. So much for his street cred as an unflappable scoundrel. Oh well. Valery had been the one person to see right through that façade anyhow. And he was glad for it, because it meant that there was at least one person in the galaxy who believed in him.

"Alright," Gatz said at last, and stood, "I'm going to go make sure the children haven't set fire to the kitchen. And then I'll go see if our Sith Knight kept any form of bacta on this ship, spray, patch, or otherwise. I won't be long."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"You are worthy of it," Valery was rather quick to point out, while she kept him in a supporting embrace. "You're a good friend, Gatz. Please don't see yourself as anything less." With that said, she pulled back and offered him a very warm smile at first, but more of an almost teasing smirk after brushing away the last of his tears. She could tell he was a little embarrassed about it, and she didn't blame him for it.

But she hoped that her more playful stance would make it easier to move on from what happened.

"Alright, and uh... if they left any snacks..." she looked down at her stomach as it growled, and flashed him a more sheepish smile. "Some food along with those bacta patches would be good." She chuckled, sat back again and just relaxed while Gatz briefly left her room to go find what he needed. She usually wasn't a fan of people, friends included, helping her out with medical treatment, but she trusted Gatz more than most.

He wouldn't make it weird.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Valery's request was one Gatz wasn't sure he could fulfill. It was hard not to see himself as anything but a scoundrel, a smuggler, or criminal scum. Because that was exactly what he was, and he had a rap sheet that was six years long to prove it. He'd spent the last eight or nine months trying to turn his life around, trying to do good instead of bad, but that didn't erase the past. Didn't change the fact that he'd killed people with the spice he'd delivered.

He didn't know how to forgive himself for that. Didn't know how he was supposed to see himself in the light Valery saw him in. Maybe, if he kept trying to do good, he'd get there someday. And maybe that was enough for now.

Something gurgled, and Gatz bit back a chuckle when he realized it was Valery's stomach. Well, after the day they'd had, Gatz couldn't exactly blame the Jedi Master for being hungry. And considering she was now healing from being shot, it was probably a good idea for her to eat something nutritious. He was pretty sure the Sith's pantry had something that would fit the bill.

"Bacta, and food. I think I can handle that," Gatz turned to the door, "I'll be back in a jiffy."

Gatz didn't know where a Sith Knight would keep her medical supplies, but he kept his in an actual medical bay he'd converted from a normal passenger cabin. This ship was larger than his own, but didn't have a dedicated med room, and so he figured the next best place would be the refresher. Sure enough, when Gatz poked his head into the vacant restroom, he spotted a small cabinet on the wall. Opening it, he found a canister of spray-on bacta, as well as bacta-lined adhesive bandages.

He snagged them, and then made his way down to the galley.

Poking his head in, he spotted a gaggle of children eating fruit bars and drinking bottled water or juice. They stared at him, pairs of nervous eyes still frightened from their experience, and Gatz offered them a smile. It was what Valery would have done, but he doubted it carried the same gentle reassurance that hers would have. He didn't have that warm, motherly energy that she did. Nor the experience with raising children that she had.

Really, it was a miracle that they didn't scream and duck under the table when they saw him. Especially after what they'd been through. So he'd settle for them watching him, wary of his presence.

He let them be, and opened the pantry. The box of fruit bars the kids had gotten into was still there, so he grabbed the last two bars. Then he moved to the refrigerator, snagging a bottled water, before leaving the children to eat in peace. They hadn't lit anything on fire, and they weren't playing with sharp objects so... was there really a need for him to watch them anyways?

He was woefully unprepared for fatherhood.

Gatz stepped back into the Sith's personal cabin, pilfered goods in his hands, "alright, I've got bacta and food. Do you want to eat first, or should we just get the awkward part out of the way?"

Look, one way or another, he had to tend to the wound on her chest. He wasn't looking forward to it anymore than Valery probably was, but it had to be done. Better to acknowledge that they were in an awkward position, than to pretend that they weren't. That usually just made things even more weird.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Thank you," Valery said with a soft smile before she watched him leave the room to find food and medical supplies. A part of her wondered if Sith even even had medical kits, considering the way they were, but she really hoped that wasn't something they considered to be for the weak. Her chest was hurting and she couldn't keep using the Force to suppress it.

It had to be treated.

Soon enough, Gatz returned with both the medical supplies and some food, much to Valery's relief. "Are the kids doing alright?" She asked, worried as always about the well-being of children especially. They had gone through a lot, so Valery suspected that they were still a bit scared. At the very least, she hoped they all realized that they were not dealing with Sith anymore.

Her fiery eyes sometimes gave the wrong impression.

Gatz then asked a question Valery hadn't really considered up until now, but it made sense. She couldn't exactly wrap herself up, so... yeah, it was going to get a little awkward. "Let's first get me patched up." Valery leaned forward and slipped her fingers underneath the hem of her tunic. She then began to pull it up, only to stop right underneath her chest. She suddenly blinked and smiled sheepishly at him, "Don't worry, I'm uh, wearing a bra." She blinked again and pulled her tunic over her head to hide her face for a moment. But once it was off, she couldn't hide that she was a little embarrassed. Valery wasn't ashamed of her body, not in the slightest, but Gatz wasn't a random doctor just doing his job.

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"Physically? They're fine," Gatz confirmed, "they're eating. But they're startled and scared of everything. They're going to be haunted by this, I think."

But he didn't really need to tell Valery that, did he? She understood what they'd been through, and had probably dealt with even worse during her own captivity. These children had been caged for a short amount of time, which was scary enough. Valery though... to be made some Hutt's plaything... Gatz couldn't imagine what kind of scars that left. Even thinking about it made him furious on her behalf.

He sighed, trying to let some of that anger out. He didn't know how he'd managed to turn a blind eye to slavery until now, but he wouldn't any longer. Kragan's days as a slaver were numbered. That was a promise, even if only to himself.

But his rage against Kragan would have to wait because—holy shit Valery was taking off her shirt. And judging by the way she spoke as she reassured him she was still wearing underclothes, she was just as uncomfortable with this situation as he was. Honestly, that actually brought him a small amount of comfort. At least they could be uncomfortable together.

"Oh, good. I really wasn't looking forward to violating the sanctity of your marriage."

And as per usual, when Gatz was uncomfortable, he made jokes. Bad ones.

That's enough, he told himself, she took a blaster to the chest for you. Take care of her, and be quick and professional about it. It's the very least you can do.

Gatz focused on the burnt skin, and pushed all else from his mind. His embarrassment at the situation, his lingering anger over today's events, his envy of Valery's musculature, and other baser thoughts he was ashamed to admit were running through his head: they all were banished. He set aside the food and water he'd pilfered for her, leaving only the spray and adhesive bandage in his hands.

"The spray will sting," Gatz confirmed, the pink fading from his cheeks as he focused, "but the bandage should soothe a little bit. I'll count to three, to give you time to prepare. One—”

And sprayed immediately. The anxiety of counting always made the pain worse, somehow. Like ripping off a band-aid, somethings were better off being done quickly.

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Oh, good. I really wasn't looking forward to violating the sanctity of your marriage."

Valery rolled her eyes but still managed to smirk, "Oh that's so very kind of you," she said jokingly in return, clearly a little amused and just a bit less tense as well. The humor, at least for her, made the awkward situation a tad more bearable. At least, until he leaned in closer and zeroed in on her chest. He was being professional about it, but the pink cheeks did not escape her either. Nor was she able to really hide her own.

"Alright, let's just get it over with," Valery said with a sigh, before she clenched her hands into fists, waited for his countdown and-

"Fuck," she spat out unceremoniously, as he sprayed the bacta onto her wound. The string was pretty bad and because it was so unexpected, she failed to keep herself in check. It made her face bright red for a few seconds, while she offered him an even more embarrassed smile. Why did she have to say that?

Valery then sat up and leaned forward a bit, so he could actually start wrapping the bandages around her. But all of it was just even more awkward to her now. At least he wasn't staring too much.

"It's uh, already feeling a bit better..."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Oh that's so very kind of you."

"You know me. Salt of the earth."

​

Valery clearly had not been ready. That was sort of the point though: spray when she wasn't expecting it and the pain would be over before she knew it, even if it surprised her. So Gatz had known there would be some sort of reaction from her. Probably a yelp or a soft slap on his shoulder or something.

But Gatz had not expected a curse to escape Valery's lips.

"Well, if the younglings back on Coruscant start cursing, I know which Jedi Master is to blame."

Now came for the real awkward part: the bandage. It was a simple adhesive patch, and the bandage was lined with a thin layer of bacta. Nothing to write home about. But, since it stuck to the skin, that meant it had to be pressed down so that it would actually stick. In most cases, that wouldn't have been a big deal. Put it on, press down, done.

Except Valery's wound was on her chest, so... Not exactly ideal. But there wasn't much he could do about that.

"Alright, keep still," Gatz muttered, "I'll try to be quick about this."

Keeping his eyes locked on the burnt patch of skin, and only the burnt patch of skin, Gatz gently placed the bandage over the wound. Then, quickly, he ran his finger along the end of the bandage to ensure it would stay stuck. And, finally, pulled away.

"Alright, that should keep it from getting infected," Gatz turned to pick up the fruit bars and water he'd snagged for her, "but you should really go to the hospital when we get back to Naboo. You need a proper bacta soak, I think."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Well, if the younglings back on Coruscant start cursing, I know which Jedi Master is to blame."

Valery rolled her eyes before averting her gaze for a moment, "Yeah yeah, very funny. I just wasn't expecting it. I don't usually curse like that..." she said before clearing her throat. She knew that even though it was unexpected, cursing like that at all was very much unlike her. Or, well, it was unlike what most people would ever see of her, she supposed. But the awkwardness of having cursed in front of him was nothing compared to what came next.

He'd have to apply the bacta patch.

"I'll do my best," she said, before she sat up straight, still and kept her chest forward to make it easier. She knew he wasn't looking and focused on the burned skin, but somehow it still felt really weird to sit in front of him like this. His focused gaze made it feel as if he was taking a closer look at what he shouldn't. But moments later, the patch was applied to her skin, and he was very quick to turn away, while she let out a breath of relief. She was never going to talk about this moment again.

"I think it's fine like this. I've been through worse without going into a bacta tank." She said stubbornly while she began to put on the top of her tunic again and looked over his way. She then accepted the fruit bar and took a bite, which made her feel a lot better in combination with the bacta helping heal her up a little.

"...this has been quite a weird day, huh? And I'm not just talking about... this."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz was in the middle of grabbing the discarded wrapping the bacta patch came in, when Valery made a comment about how odd today was.

“Yeah, I imagine it isn’t everyday that the Sword of the Jedi pops her top off for a criminal,” and then, expecting Valery to be beet red with embarrassment, Gatz turned to look her in the eyes, “look: you got shot near the boob. I had to place a bandage near your boob. Neither one of us was exactly comfortable with the situation, but it had to be done. We can look away from each other, and pretend it wasn’t awkward, or we can address the elephant in the room, and move on.”

Gatz scanned the room, looking for a waste bin. He spotted one by the door, and walked over to toss the bandage’s wrapping in it. Then he returned to Valery’s bedside, and spun the chair around, before settling down in it and resting his arms on the backrest.

“But you’re right: today was odd,” and suddenly all the humor drained from Gatz’s expression, “I knew Kragan was dangerous, but to have connections with the Sith? He made a deal with a Sith Knight to abduct me. But more importantly: she abducted the children. These kids were meant for the Jedi Order; for the temple on Coruscant. How did she get to Naboo first? How did she even know to come for these children?”

Only one thing made sense to Gatz: somehow, someway, Isadora—or whatever her Sith title had been—had inside information that should have been impossible for her to have. Information that should have been relayed directly to the Jedi Order.

“Valery… how exactly does one alert the Jedi Order about Force-sensitive children? I mean, I was three when I was given up. I don't remember a thing about how that works. But how is that message transmitted? And how easy is it to intercept that message?”

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

If he wanted her embarrassed, his comment about popping off her shirt definitely helped. She was bright red as he turned to her because of it, but quickly squinted when he added more to it, "Don't you talk about my breats," she told him with a huff, knowing that wasn't his point at all but she figured it'd turn this back around on him a little. "I really should smack you but... Yeah, I suppose you're right. Let's just, forget about this and move on." She smiled a little again and let out a soft sigh.

Finally, the worst about today was over, even if there was still a lot to think about. What Gatz pointed out suggested a very serious issue that could cause what happened today to perhaps repeat itself.

"Well, we have a list of Force Sensitive children but it can only be accessed by very few Jedi. The Council, mostly. But sometimes a child isn't on that list and we are contacted by the parents. How they reach us... can vary greatly. It's possible they reached out and the transmission was intercepted."

"Or if they were very unlucky, the Sith happened to be there and sensed them."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"My point is: when you look back on this in ten years, do you still want to be embarrassed by it? Or do you want to be able to laugh at it?"

Valery seemed to see the wisdom in his statement, even if she didn't appreciate the particular way that he'd phrased it. Which, to be fair to her, was maybe a little bit more vulgar than it needed to be. Still, he got his point across, and that was all he really cared about. If saying it the way he had made him the bad guy here, then he'd be the bad guy here. At least he had plenty of practice at that.

Though, he wondered when he'd finally move up to being one of the good guys.

"You don't," his mind whispered, "you are scum. You don't ever get to be the good guy."

Harsh, but true.

Valery started speaking, and he pushed that internal dilemma away in order to listen. If that list of Force Sensitive children could only be accessed by the Council, then the theory that someone on the inside was leaking information could be tossed out. Though, he hadn't ever considered that as a possibility. Perhaps he was biased, but the idea of the Jedi putting children within the reach of the Sith was just too farfetched.

"I guess we hope the Sith just got lucky then," Gatz sighed, clearly unsatisfied with that idea, "I'm not sure there's anything else we can do."

He wasn't satisfied with that idea either. It felt like giving up. Felt like they weren't actually seeing the job through. And it felt like these children might still be in danger. But what was he supposed to do about it? There were limits to what he could do, and what he could prevent.

No. He should have found a way to do more. He wasn't doing enough.

"How is it that we can save a dozen children in one day, and somehow I still can't feel satisfied with my effort?"

It took Gatz a moment to realize he'd voiced that out loud. He blinked, and then blushed, absolutely mortified that he hadn't kept his inner turmoil to himself.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"I know, I know."

Valery smiled a little again and patted him on the knee. All things considered, it really hadn't been too bad - he had helped her with some medical treatment and nothing more. So while a bit awkward, she knew she'd be able to laugh about it one day. It made her really hope she'd still be in contact with him in 10 years from now to laugh about it together. He was really starting to grow on her.

On the topic of the Sith and how she had been able to find the children, Valery was definitely still a bit worried. But with the Sith dead and the children saved, there wasn't a whole lot more they could do. If this was an isolated incident, this would be it. But if even more start to disappear, she'd know that the problem runs much deeper.

"We've done everything we can do for now. It's time we rest and recover," Valery said with a small dip of her head before Gatz added something he had clearly wanted to keep to himself. She chuckled and offered a reassuring smile, "It's because you're way too harsh on yourself. You've done great, Gatz, and I really hope we can work together more."

"That said..." There was a big, teasing grin on her face now. "Never thought I'd see a scoundrel blush once, but your cheeks have been pretty red ever since we got to this room here." She winked and sat back with a satisfied smirk.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

All there was to do was wait, Gatz supposed. And hope that this incident was, in fact, isolated. If it wasn't... well, then they'd deal with that problem when it came. There was no point in looking over their shoulders, constantly worrying if this was going to come back to bite them. The children were safe, even if only for now. Gatz decided he would take what he could get, whether it was temporary or not.

That brought him to his next line of thinking: was he too hard on himself? Or was Valery not hard enough? In most cases, Gatz would probably just go with the opinion given by an actual Jedi Master. It was just... he hadn't exactly balanced the scales yet. Yes, saving a dozen-ish children was definitely a good thing, and something to be proud of.

But he always came back to the same dilemma: how many people were dead now, killed by overdosing on spice he'd delivered?

It played in his head like a mantra. That, more than how many people he'd shot. At least with the scum he'd gunned down, they'd tried to gun him down first. He hadn't committed murder, even if Kragan's son was toeing the line. But while that hadn't exactly been a good act, there was still one less slaving, woman abusing, consent ignoring man in the world.

"I'm... not sure I've done anything, really." Gatz confided in her, "I'm pretty sure most of today was you. But, for what it's worth, thank you for coming today. And also, you know, for getting shot for me."

But in spite of that self-depreciating thought, what Valery said next was enough to make him laugh.

"Well, if it serves your ego, know that you're attractive enough to make even a seasoned scoundrel blush like a school girl," Gatz shrugged, "and I'll remember that I managed to make the Galactic Alliance's poster girl flush as red as my jacket."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Oh shush it," Valery said when he still didn't want to accept the fact that he had helped. "Don't forget that these kids would have been gone if you hadn't contacted me. Or if you hadn't helped me get through all of this. " The way he had supported her when she snapped over the slavers auction wasn't something she'd ever forget, even if he was going to ignore it. Valery just genuinely believed he had played a crucial role, and no amount of stubbornness was going to beat her own.

Luckily, the topic shift was able to take away some tension, and even made him laugh.

"It does serve my ego a little, thank you," Valery said with some exaggerated batting of her eyelashes. But in reality, she did feel flattered by what he said. She wasn't one to really care about the opinion of random people, especially not when it concerned her appearance, but Gatz was a friend, and his opinion mattered a lot more. Even about unimportant things. His follow-up comment though... made her squint again.

"I was not blushing. It's just... hot in this room, you know?" She smirked and shook her head a little. "Anyway, thanks again and I'm glad I was able to help you again too. Maybe next time, we should just meet for some coffee or tea somewhere, rather than... well, this?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

“For once in your life Gatz, listen to authority.”

If a sitting Jedi Council member was telling him that he did good, who was he to argue? Would it not be the height of arrogance to think he was wiser than Valery Noble? Couldn’t he accept that he’d done something good—something of worth—today, and still acknowledge the fact that he had a long way to go before he could call himself a “good man?” Gatz sighed, and nodded, finally allowing himself to accept the praise and the pride that came with it.

“Well, you’re the Jedi Master. If you think I did something of value, then I suppose there’s no reason for me to think otherwise.”

Then she batted her eyelids at him, and despite the action being exaggerated, he flushed again. That wasn’t fair, she couldn’t do that. He was not some inexperienced teenager who’d never so much as held a woman’s hand before.

“Ah, right,” Gatz moved on, before his face turned luminescent, “it was “warm.” Clearly.”

The part about meeting up for something, well, less bombastic and dangerous sounded nice. Almost like a vacation from what his life had been the past few months. But… after today, the idea of going out in public seemed foolhardy. Kragan wouldn’t take what they’d done laying down, and he was all too familiar with Gatz and where he called home. If he hadn’t been, well, then he wouldn’t have hired a Sith Knight to abduct him.

That thought still gave him shivers.

“As nice as that sounds…” Gatz trailed off with a frown, “I don’t know how good of an idea that is. For me, I mean. After what we did today, Kragan’s going to be more furious than ever with me, and the man already called up an actual Sith to deal with me. The bounty on my head is going to be worth a fortune.”

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"A Jedi Master and a friend," Valery reminded him with a narrowed gaze. If he tried to, for some reason, go against that... well, she'd be slapping him much harder than she would have for inappropriate comments earlier. After what they had already gone through, there was no way she just saw him as an acquaintance anymore. But she wasn't going to go into too much detail on all of that. Not with the way he blushed over the exaggerated batting of her eyelashes.

He really wasn't joking when he called her attractive, huh?

Valery smirked then blinked at his comment, "Very, and it seems it's getting to you quite a bit too." She flashed her usual grin and finally decided to leave him be for now. As fun as it was to tease, she didn't want him to feel awkward about just being around her.

"Well, his influence only reaches so far, and I know some good places. You really think he's going to try something when you're somewhere with me?" She waggled her eyebrows and tried to look a little smug on purpose. "In all seriousness, you can't live your life in fear, Gatz. Kragan will be dealt with one day, and you can at least entertain my idea to grab coffee after I took a shot to the chest for you, hm?"

Guilt tripping? A little bit, and she added some pleading eyes to it as well. No way he'd tell her no, right?

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

“And a friend,” Gatz echoed with a nod, “you know, most friends I’ve had have either tried to cheat me, or shoot me. Sometimes both. Never had one jump in front of a blaster for me, though. I'll make it up to you.”

Suddenly, Gatz decided that Valery was right, and that it was quite warm in the room. Because disagreeing with her meant accepting the fact that he was the one blushing like a schoolgirl. And that couldn't be the case, because Gatz had only ever been on the opposite end of this situation; had only ever been the one making someone turn red. He wasn't the one who was supposed to get embarrassed.

Then again, no one before Valery had ever believed in him so much that they were willing to get shot for him. Either she was a special case, or he was going soft now that he'd removed himself from the criminal underworld.

Gatz knew Valery made a fair point: Kragan wasn't omniscient, and he was probably safer at Valery's side than he was anywhere else in the galaxy. But he couldn't exactly attach himself to her hip. She had responsibilities outside of him, and he had… well, he didn't really have responsibilities the way she did, but he did have a life of his own.

"I… it's not about fear. You weren't there to hear it, but Kragan was going to sell those children out from under the Sith's nose. He was going to double-cross a Sith Knight. I don't think even a Jedi is enough to deter—”

Gatz stopped short. Was she giving him puppy dog eyes right now? Was it working on him?! Oh shit, it was! It was at this moment when Gatz realized he'd told her to her face that he was attracted to her. All the power was in her hands now. She could work him over for whatever she wanted. All she had to do was bat her eyelashes at him, smile, and he'd probably just agree.

By the Force, if she asked him to return to the Order, he might very well do it. That was somehow just as reassuring as it was terrifying.

No way was this happening to him. No way. A married woman could not be commanding this much obedience from him. He was Gatz Derrevar! Best pilot in the Outer Rim! A smuggler who'd never been caught, a scoundrel who'd escaped impossible odds.

And he was being waylaid by a woman over fifteen years older than him.

Shit.

"...I think we can make coffee happen," he said at last, quietly, "even Kragan and his bounty hunters can't be everywhere at once."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Sith's Ship

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"I could try to shoot you if it makes you feel better," Valery joked with the corners of her lips tugging up into a smirk again, "But don't feel like you have to make up for it, alright? I didn't take the shot just for you to feel like you owe me." Although, she could probably get him to pay for her coffee now. She just wasn't going to voice it out loud, and force him to feel like he should move on from what happened.

Friends didn't really owe each other anything.

At the offer to take a day off and get coffee, Gatz first began to argue, but it seemed her pleading look made him stop and reconsider. He had admitted to feeling attracted to her, and while he was certainly attractive himself, Valery was always loyal to her marriage, and wouldn't manipulate people with her looks either. At least, not in a serious way — she was 100% going to tease him and puppy eyes to grab coffee with a friend wasn't too bad, right?

Maybe she'd pay for his coffee to make up for it.

"That's right, they really can't," Valery said while she looked him in the eyes and smirked. She then ran a hand up through her hair to fix it up and tuck some long locks behind her ear, before she hummed in thought. "I'll give you my number if you can give me yours, and I'll message you sometime soon to meet up? Nothing crazy, just a drink and maybe lunch while we catch up."

"Until then, you better stay out of trouble."