Private Caught Red-Handed

[Nil Heska]

The stores on the upper levels of Coruscant were a far cry from the ragtag shops Nil had visited in the underground. Up here, every shop had functioning lights, intact windows, and legitimate goods that didn’t seem to have been picked off of a still-warm corpse just before opening. It was strange to enter places that were owned and operated by more than one person, too. More eyes certainly made it harder to steal.

Fortunately for Nil, there were plenty of shops around Coruscant to choose from. He'd already had decent luck with a few stores—one where he got a new jacket and another where he'd picked up a rather expensive looking necklace to pawn—but there was no denying that he needed to be particular about where he pulled his schemes. It took a blend of searching and patience before he finally settled on any one store.

That was why the small food mart that he noticed on the corner of a rather busy street felt like striking pure gold. Excessive foot traffic would make it easy for him to slip into the crowd and disappear. Plus, it would make it challenging for anyone who chose to give chase. Either way, Nil was comfortable making a gamble on this establishment. All he needed was a little bit of food.

As he stepped into the store, he was greeted by the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked goods. His mouth watered as he walked past the bakery section. As tempting as it was to pick up something sweet, he knew better than to fill his stomach with rich food. Whatever he ended up with would need to sustain him until he could properly scrounge up his next meal.

Nil did his best to appear perfectly nonchalant as he walked down one of the snug aisles. Cans and containers of various sorts lined the shelves, all neatly labeled and priced. He picked one up, pretending to read it as he checked for any witnesses out of the corners of his eyes. With his free hand in his pocket, he willed the can nearest his legs to slowly float away from the shelf and into his possession.

When he was sure that it was securely in his pocket, he placed the other can back on the shelf and walked down the next aisle, prepared to pull off the very same maneuver for a bit more food.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

"And... that should be it."

Valery looked down at her shopping list and compared it to what she had in her cart. Shopping for a family of 9 was not an easy thing, and certainly not cheap, but it never bothered her. With a life as hectic as hers, this was a moment to turn her brain off and get something simple done for her family.

Just getting it all back home wasn't the easiest.

After a quick text back to her husband, Valery pushed along the cart and started heading for the cashier. At this point, they were used to the absurd amount of food and supplies Valery needed whenever she visited, so there weren't any strange looks anymore, at least. But right as she walked down the last aisle, Valery felt something peculiar.

A gentle tremor in the Force.

She looked around, trying to determine the source, and followed her senses to another aisle. There she spotted someone — Nil Heska was reading the label of something he had picked up, but another item floated near him. She raised an eyebrow, glanced around twice and sighed. There was only one way to get answers.

"Excuse me?" Valery began, as she made her approach.

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

It was the sound of a woman's voice that made Nil freeze. The small container he'd been floating toward his person immediately fell to the ground beside him, and he crouched down to pick it up and place it back on the shelf. If he played his cards right, maybe he could pretend like he'd knocked it onto the ground by accident.

A glance at the woman told him that she wasn't an employee. At least, he was pretty sure she wasn't. She was clad in a small white dress that gave the impression that she was a civilian. Nil just hoped that she wasn't the type of stranger to rat on him if she'd caught him in the act.

"Hello," he said, standing up a little straighter. "Did you need something?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

"Hmmm, not really," Valery said with a sing-song voice, as she began to make her approach. Each step she took got her closer to him, her eyes focused on the small container. When he placed it back, Valery's fiery gaze flicked up to him and she began to search for that deeper connection. A trained Force User could learn how to mask their presence in the Force, but she had the feeling that he wasn't quite trained to use it yet.

There was something raw and wild about him.

"I'm curious though," Valery continued with a kind smile that did little to betray her inner thoughts. "How did you make that container float?"

She stopped walking, tilted her head curiously and looked him in the eyes.

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

Any hope that Nil had of being asked to reach something on a high shelf vanished when the woman informed him that she didn't need anything. One glance at her should've told him as much, seeing as they were roughly the same height, but he didn't want it to be true that he'd been spotted shoplifting. He especially didn't want to be seen shoplifting using the very power that he'd sworn to Meshi he would keep under wraps.

Unfortunately, luck didn't seem to be on Nil's side, and he felt his stomach tie itself into knots as the woman asked him how he'd made the container float. It was unlikely that her mind would be easily changed. He didn't have the money for a bribe and he had a hunch that she wouldn't allow him to suggest that she hadn't seen what she so obviously had. For a second, Nil considered turning and running out of the store, but he was sure he wouldn't be able to make much distance on account of how hungry and exhausted he was.

"I don't know," he answered quietly.

For as long as he'd been floating objects, he'd never really figured out how it happened. Whenever he willed it to happen, it would, though it had taken quite a bit of time for him to use the ability on slightly larger or heavier objects. Nil just treated it like any other muscle, training it to the best of his ability and keeping it consistent—even if he hadn't the faintest clue how it worked.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

He was nervous.

Valery's eyes narrowed just a little, as she observed not just with that fiery gaze that could pierce into the soul, but with her senses as well. Emotions caused powerful ripples in the Force that she could pick up on, and it wasn't hard to read his. Even his eyes already told her more than enough.

"I think I might know," Valery said, her eyes briefly shifting behind him. He could turn around and run, but she was confident she'd be quicker even on his best day. The Force was a huge aid, and if she called on it, she'd be faster than the eye could track. She hoped it wouldn't be necessary though.

She wanted to see if she could help him.

"I'm Jedi Master Valery Noble," she continued calmly, hoping it wouldn't startle him. "It seems you're able to use the Force."

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

It was more often than not that Nil found himself being watched. Suspicious gazes lingered on him even on the days that he wasn’t snagging credits and handbags. Nameless shapes huddled in the filthy streets of the undercity stared as he passed them by, cowering from the thought alone that he might strike them next. He was no stranger to being looked at, but being seen was still quite unfamiliar to him.

There was recognition in the woman’s eyes that Nil had seldom seen over the course of his life, a fleeting glimmer of identification that he couldn’t quite understand. It was completely and utterly disarming in a way he had never known. As her vibrant orange eyes gazed back at him, he found that though his legs still urged him to run, the desire to make a hasty escape had completely left his mind. All that remained was curiosity as she informed him that she might know how he’d done what he had.

Nil could do little to stop his eyes from widening. After all the time he’d spent sneaking around and concealing his gift from the world, he was incredibly eager to know what it was and why he’d been chosen to receive it. His breath was caught in his throat as the woman introduced herself as a Jedi Master and informed him that he was able to use the Force.

“The Force?” He asked, looking down at his open palms. “Like a Jedi? Like you?”

His mind was already racing at the thought. Him? A Force-user? How could that possibly be? Why hadn’t Meshi told him the truth of his abilities when he’d revealed them to her? What would this mean for him?

Though he had many questions, only one made it past his lips as he looked back at Valery. “Why me?”

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

"Like me, though being a Jedi isn't the same as just being able to use the Force." He likely knew that already, but she wanted to make sure. He could tap into the Force but how he chose to use that connection was still up to him. He could join the Order and train to be a Jedi if he wanted, but the Jedi would never force him.

She just hoped he'd at least make sure to learn how to control his connection.

"It's something you're born with," Valery then explained, knowing it was likely not a very fulfilling answer. The question had been asked before by others, always with some belief that there was some grand reason for being chosen to have the connection. Perhaps there was, but the Jedi had never discovered it.

"Perhaps you can call it the will of the Force, or maybe it's just... luck." She chuckled and gently pushed her cart along to get closer to him. "Truthfully, nobody knows why some of us have this connection and others don't."

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

The truth was underwhelming, but not unexpected. There may or may not have been any rhyme or reason for his gift. It was either the will of the Force or sheer luck. Nil wanted to think it was the former, that somehow he had been selected to receive this gift for reasons that were still unclear. There was comfort in being able to cling to the idea that his life still served some sort of purpose despite how much had changed.

Though he didn’t voice it, Nil appreciated Valery’s explanation. The fact that she’d given him simple answers made him feel like an adult (and not the frightened little boy that he felt like on the inside). He couldn’t quite pin it down, but there was some humor in the reality of his situation–in the way that he had been shown such kindness when he had undoubtedly been caught committing a petty crime. Like the Force, the galaxy worked in strange ways, he supposed.

“What do I do with it?” Nil questioned, still unsure what this all meant for him.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

"The real question is - what do you want to do with it?" Valery asked, her eyes briefly turning back to the little container he had been trying to steal before her appearance. She wanted him to really think about it. Was this how he'd use his gift? Stealing items from a store or finding other ways to gain quick and easy benefits for himself?

Or did he want to do more with his life and his gift?

"Not every Force User becomes a Jedi — it's a difficult and largely selfless path that also puts you in danger, at times. It's a choice you have to make for yourself. Of those who don't become one, some choose to not refine their gift at all and go through life, barely able to tap into it. Others take advantage of it, and some find ways to use it to help others without becoming a Jedi." Valery paused then and looked at him with a more serious expression.

"Some lose control or turn to the Dark Side, and become a threat to us all."

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

Valery's words brought with them thoughts of Meshi. Though she was no longer with him, he still looked to her as a paragon of virtue. She had never once hesitated to protect others, even if it meant placing herself in harm's way. When his mother died, she wasted no time in taking him under her wing and caring for him in her stead. Had she been born with the ability to use the Force, there was no doubt in his mind that she would have made a fine Jedi. Maybe even one of the best.

And here he was, with his gift from the Force that he had chosen to use solely for his own good. It was hard to imagine what Meshi would say. She had a habit of surprising him with the words that she chose. Maybe she would understand his desperation, but would it matter if she did? He would still be saddled with the guilt that he'd relied on his power to lie and steal, and that he'd actively refused to do good with it.

Ultimately, the question of what he wanted to do with it still lingered in the air. Losing control or turning to the Dark Side didn't sound particularly alluring. Conversely, becoming a Jedi felt like a return to form. There was little doubt in his mind that Meshi would be proud of him for pursuing life as a Jedi. After all, it was most similar to everything she'd prepared him for in the shadowy underworld of Coruscant.

"The Jedi... They would take me?" He asked, an edge of skepticism creeping into his voice.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

Valery could tell that the gears in his mind were starting to turn. He was weighing his options or at least considering her words carefully. This was a choice that could greatly impact his future, so it was one to approach with caution. Many liked the idea of becoming a Jedi, after all, having heard of their heroics, but very few understand the struggle of being one.

It's a commitment for life.

"We'd test your Force sensitivity a little further, but unless someone has committed serious crimes or is a potential threat to us, we rarely reject people. Whether your connection is very strong or somewhat weak, everybody has the potential to be a good Jedi. As long as you're dedicated to the path and committed to working hard, you can make it."

"But don't take that decision lightly."

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

It was good to know that he likely wasn't exempt from being considered for the Order. He had committed crimes, sure, but none that were violent or significant. Well, unless his time as a pit fighter counted for anything, though he figured it wouldn't be necessary to inform the Jedi about that. After all, they didn't need to know every single painstaking detail of his meager existence.

"Yeah, I won't," Nil said quietly as he nodded his head.

Funnily enough, he found himself agreeing with Valery. This decision was a significant one to have to make. He wouldn't take any action until he was absolutely sure that it was the right move for him. There was a lot of thinking to do. Nil would take the appropriate amount of time necessary to do so.

"I need to think about it..." He told her, taking a step back.

The can in his pocket suddenly felt twice as heavy as when he'd first put it there. He considered placing it on the shelf for a moment, as if doing so would wipe the slate clean and start him on the path toward being a better candidate to join the Jedi Order. However, the ache of hunger in his stomach advised him not to, and he tucked his hands into his pockets as he looked at Valery.

"Thank you for your help."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Outfit | Wedding Ring

"Of course," Valery said, unaware that he had stolen items in his pocket. She could read people, even going as far as to read their minds if she tried, but she would never invade privacy without reason. He had learned something about himself today that could sway his path in a much better direction, and that was more than enough for now. She just hoped that he wouldn't run off and fall victim to his own curiosity.

The Dark Side was always tempting one to give in.

"Here," Valery added before reaching out with a small chip of sorts. "My comm codes. If you end up making a decision or want to ask questions or discuss anything, feel free to contact me there."

She really hoped he would, but it was his choice to make.

Nil Heska ​

 

[Nil Heska]

Nil accepted the chip, running his thumb along it as he examined it a bit closer. It was a simple device, though it held far more significance than he expected. There was a hidden comfort in holding what very well could be a key to his future. He gently closed his fist around it before tucking it into his empty pocket. He would keep it safe until he had enough time to make up his mind.

"Thank you again," he told her as he took another step back. "I won't forget this."

With that, he turned on his heel and hurried out of the store. As he walked back onto the streets of Coruscant, he tucked one hand into his pocket and held the chip in his palm. When the moment was right, he would put it to good use. Until then, he sought refuge someplace dark and quiet to think while he ate whatever came out of the can he'd taken.

Valery Noble