Private Decloaking

[Valery Noble]

After rolling back onto her feet, Valery stood pinned down while her crossed lightsabers blocked the continuous stream of lethal, dark side corrupted lightning. She was still recovering from the hit she took moments ago, and with those dark armored guards approaching her again as well, she knew she had to quickly find a way out, or else she'd risk getting overwhelmed by enemy fire.

Luckily, Aldric was already jumping into action to cover her the way he always did, even before she could ask for his help. He drew the attention of several guards away, who immediately forced him back into cover, but he had given her some much needed time to solidify her defensive stance.

"Looks like it!" Valery then called out, as Aldric commented on the appearance of the Dark Jedi. It was still possible that he'd try to draw them into the building, but tactically, she understood why he was supporting his guards. Together with those in black armor, it would be much more difficult to take them all down.

Aldric then rushed out of cover again, this time retrieving a heavy weapon he used to gun down a whole group of enemies. Valery took this opportunity he gave her, and channeled the Force while she swept her blades out, thereby directing the absorbed lightning back towards the armored guards. They all raised their hands defensively on instinct, and were knocked off their feet. Some would never get up again, but too many were still standing. "Now!" She called out to Aldric, hoping he could finish them off.

The Dark Jedi, however, understood their plan as well and switched targets. Now, a powerful surge of lightning was fires towards the senior Agent and all Valery could do was watch helplessly, hoping he'd be able to defend himself against it.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

With Aldric's suppressing fire, Valery was able to redirect the Dark Jedi's lightning onto his own guards, knocking many of them down. But the threats were still far from gone. On Val's cue, he leapt out of cover again, ready to lay down another blanket of blaster fire, but he could only take down a few more before he recognize the flash of electricity launching his way.

It was faster than he could react. The agent hardly had time to mutter any grievances, before the surge struck him in the chest, throwing him backwards into a roll. He was stunned by the impact, a few few muscles twitching from overloaded nerves, and wisps of smoke emanating from his frame. A quick check would reveal he was still alive, but reeling from the never-before-felt experience. And for a moment, it left Valery without her ally.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"No!! Aldric!" she screamed, that deep fear of loss unleashing from within her. She could feel that he was still alive when the lightning caught him and blasted him off his feet, but she could also feel the torture it inflicted, and she knew it could end up killing him if it wasn't stopped. But as she watched the arcs continue to strike his body, Valery just stood there frozen from shock, her heart beating faster than it had ever before because of actual fear.

That fear, however, shifted into anger, and Valery exploded towards the closest targets with her eyes set ablaze and her blade sweeping through their bodies to end them swiftly. But there was something different about her — she lacked her focus, her skill, and finesse. Her eyes could only ever look at Aldric, as she tried to get to him, and that fear of losing him would quickly become her own downfall in this fight.

While she worked hard to interrupt the stream of lighting, a blaster bolt exploited her lack of focus and slipped through her defenses. It struck her left leg and sent her off-balance. "Please, Aldr-" she almost cried before her eyes widened as another bolt struck her body, this time her back. Valery dropped to the wet stone just outside Aldric's reach and no longer moved a muscle.

The dark armored troops now surrounded them, but before they could open fire, the Dark Jedi spoke up, "Do not kill them. Take them inside," he commanded. "They are more useful to me alive."

"You're awake," the deep voice of the Dark Jedi said, as Aldric's eyes slowly opened within his cell. He was alone, with no sign of Valery anywhere, and each hand was chained up to the ceiling. There was painful tension on his arms, and his protective vest had been removed as well, leaving him in just his undershirt.

None of his weapons or gadgets were anywhere to be seen either. He was in trouble.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric could do little more than watch as Valery was seemingly gunned down in front of him. He groaned angrily, but couldn't muster the strength for words. The agent's breathing grew rapid, sharp exhales and inhales through his nose, and an animalistic look formed in his eyes. It was all cut off though, as he fell into unconsciousness…

Aldric woke up slowly. But as soon as he recognized the situation, he jolted to life. The agent was panting and looking around wildly at his surroundings, when the voice spoke. "The hell is this?" He spat, yanking on the chains that supported him, "Where is she?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"She is alive," the Dark Jedi said, his voice as cold as his presence in the Force. And even though Aldric wasn't sensitive to it, the man's aura somehow made the whole room feel colder as well. "For now," he added, finally with a hint of emotion in his voice, but they were sinister in nature. Unlike Sith, who killed and conquered with a specific purpose tied to their code, Dark Jedi were far less predictable.

They were capable of killing or torturing for any reason.

"I want more information about your organization, or she's going to suffer more." There was nothing in his voice or body language that suggested torture was beyond him, but it was likely Aldric understood that very well already.

At the same time, his men were extracting information from Valery using the same tactics. If he could turn their feelings for each other against them, he'd surely be able to break them both. Especially the Jedi had felt far more emotional than he was used to, especially from a face very familiar to the Galaxy. Perhaps the loss of her husband had caused more damage than most realized, even though it seemed she had moved forward.

"Where did you plan this strike from?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric was trained in resisting torture methods. But it was much harder knowing that the woman he loved was likely in no better a position than he was. The Dark Jedi was counting on that. For now, at least, Aldric was resolute.

"My organization," The agent scoffed back, shaking his head. He was insolent in his attitude, uninterested in giving this criminal whatever fear or respect he thought he deserved, "Where? Shit, I dunno. On the ship ride here," Aldric shrugged, responding as if the Dark Jedi had just asked him a very stupid question.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

The only thing Aldric got in response was a dangerous glare from the Dark Jedi, who now raised a hand, his fingertips pointing at the Senior Agent, and fired another surge of lightning into the man's body. He'd keep that up until the moment he could see smoke rising from Aldric's body, which is when he stepped just a little closer so Aldric could overhear the comms message he sent out to thise within the room Valery was being held captive in.

"You may begin," he told them with a cold voice. The man then dialed up the volume and seconds later, he'd hear Valery's screams of agony echo through his dark cell. Over and over again.

"I know who she is, and who you two work for. I want to know who else is after my assets." He said with a sinister grin on his face. "Until I know, we'll both listen to her screams." He now clenched his hand and channeles the Force to imprint images of Valery into his mind. Of where she was now, chained up in a cell similar to his own, but she seemed a little out of it. To keep her from freeing herself, they drugged her up with chemical injections, the needles of which could still be seen.

But even now, her strength hadn't entirely faded and she tried to reach out to his mind.

"Aldric..." He'd hear faintly, as she tried her best to at least talk to him.

"Who else is out there?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric clenched up as the Dark Jedi attacked him with more lightning, having no choice but to bear through it. Once he let up, the agent went slack, panting through the pain. It wasn't until he heard Valery's screams that he looked up again, scowling, "If you know who she is, then you know you're going to regret all of this real soon." By her hands or his, this guy was going to pay. Aldric was very much hoping he'd get a piece of him before the day was done.

There was a bit of a lull where the two stared at one another, but Aldric's resistance only lasted for so long, "No one else, alright?! Now stop!" He heard Valery's voice, but hid his reaction, not waiting to reveal anything to his interrogator. "Happy with yourself?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"We have no reason to fear her, she's not going anywhere," the man said with an unimpressed tone before he continued the mental torture with those painful images of Valery being tortured. It was a feedback loop of agony he had created, as she was being exposed to something very similar with images of Aldric.

She also felt his suffering, which heightened her own and looped back to him again.

"No one else?" He asked after Aldric finally seemed to cooperate a little. The Dark Jedi, however, did not seem entirely convinced just yet. He raised his communicator up to his mouth and spoke calmly. "Again." The dark armored soldiers reached for electric whips and didn't stop, no matter how much Aldric wanted them to.

"Where are your reinforcements?" he asked, his tone far less patient than before.

But as things got worse, Valery's voice cut through again, "Aldric... I'm going to release you, but they will hurt me. I just... can't take much more." She had preferred to try something while he wasn't alone with the Dark Jedi, but she feared that she wasn't going to make it otherwise. Whether that was because she was actually dying or if it were the drugs messing with her, she didn't know. But she felt like she was falling apart. So through the Force, Valery reached out to the metal bindings around his wrist, and he'd slowly feel them easing up. With a good pull, he'd be able to set himself free, and his target barely stood a foot away from him.

"Well?" he asked, now with lightning crackling between his fingertips. "Do you want her to die?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric scowled, and tried in vain to surge forward, halted by his chains, "Listen to me, dammit! I told you what you wanted!" The Dark Jedi thought him a liar. Or perhaps was just looking for any excuse to inflict more suffering. The agent resigned to the bindings on his wrists, eyes downcast as he seemed to stew on his own thoughts. In reality, he was listening to what Valery was telling him. And slowly, the bindings weakened.

"Do you want her to die?"

Aldric looked up at him with a devilish glare, and huffed as he yanked his hands free. Immediately he seized the man's throat, and headbutted to disorient him. He knew that if he wanted to make use of this advantage, he couldn't let up. So he struck again with a fist this time, and attempted to use his weight to knock the man to the ground. There, he would intend to bludgeon him senselessly with blow after blow. Each one quick yet heavy. He couldn't let up, but also- he didn't really want to.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

Whether he didn't believe Aldric or was just out for more torture, the Dark Jedi just wouldn't listen to what he had to say and was blinded by his arrogance. In his mind, there was simply no way that the Agent or the Jedi could pose a threat to him — the Sword of the Jedi had been shot, drugged up, and beaten to hell, and the Agent was restrained without weapons and weakened by Force Lightning.

This was a battle he had already won, as far as he was concerned.

Yet, mere seconds before Aldric tugged on his chains to free himself, there was a brief flash of danger he felt through the Force. It was so intense only anger or hatred could have sparked it. When Aldric pulled himself free and lunged forward, he finally understood. With the agent's hands wrapping around his throat, his vision darkened and before he really got a chance to respond to anything, he was already on the ground and being beaten to death. His face was a bloody mess, and he had lost all of his strength.

All he could muster in these last moments were a few final words, "It'll be too late for her..." he grinned to show his bloody teeth, but Aldric's next punch shattered them all and knocked him unconscious. Whether he'd live or die was now in the agent's hands, but the Dark Jedi's faith wasn't the only one left to him. Several cell blocks away, Valery was still held captive and it was likely that if the guards figured out what happened to their boss, she would be executed on the spot.

The hallways were unlikely to be free of enemies as well, but there was one saving grace — his vest and weapons were just outside his cell.

"Aldric... please hurry."​

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric was eerily straight-faced as he pummeled the Dark Jedi, speaking between each strike, "People like you-- You're always convinced that you're invincible-- Always surprised when somebody finally shows up to teach you a lesson-- Makes my job easier at least-- " A few bones in the agent's hand cracked from repeated impacts against his skull, but there was too much adrenaline to register it, "But then you had to go and mess with her-- Make it personal-- I should kill you--"

He grabbed the man's collar and yanked him upward, looking for some reaction in his eyes. Fear, pain, anger. All the things he took so much pleasure in inflicting on others. Aldric would even take acceptance now, because he wouldn't give him the satisfaction of ending it now, anyway, "But I think rotting away in a cell for the rest of your life will do just fine."

He struck the darksider one last time, knocking him unconscious. Aldric frisked him for the access card, and left the cell with little fanfare. Immediately he found his things just outside, but a guard noticed him in turn. The guard turned to fire, and the agent lifted up his coat to absorb the shot, unable to actually put it on in time. He then fired back a few times, taking him down as well as another guard who was a bit slower on the draw.

Putting on the coat, Aldric posted up at Valery's door, unlocking it and immediately firing a shot at the first guard. The other one, though, managed to charge forward and catch the agent unprepared. He tried to wrestle the gun away, even getting Aldric in a choke hold. The two vied for an advantage, neither even realizing the weapon had skidded away across the floor now.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

Even if he wanted to, there was no way the Dark Jedi could respond to anything Aldric told him between the powerful blows against his face. Each one forced more blood out of his nose, from his lips, and even just from the skin of his face. Everything that defined who he was physically was now bloodied and deformed, but his eyes hadn't changed, and they were full of anger, but mostly fear when Aldric pulled him up to his feet and stared him down

He was certain that the Agent loved seeing him this way, but by leaving him alive, the Dark Jedi had already convinced himself that one day, he'd get his revenge for being humiliated here today.

With a final blow, the Dark Jedi was knocked unconscious and left behind in the cell, while Aldric rushed out to collect his weapons. He immediately found himself in a firefight but with some quick and clever thinking, the guards in the hallway were disposed of without too much trouble. It was only when he reached Valery's cell, that the real challenge began. With a quick shot, one of the guards was dropped but Valery, who had been muzzled, began to mumble something loudly in an attempt to warn him — there was another, and he tackled Aldric to the ground and began to grapple him.

The fight was intense, and the guard's hands even grasped around Aldric's neck but before it could get worse...

Bang.

Behind him, Valery stood shakily on her feet, free of restraints and with Aldric's pistol in her hands, its barrel smoking after it had blown a hole through the back of the guard's head. She then looked at him for a moment and lost the strength to hold the pistol. It fell to the ground, and a few seconds later, she went down to her knees. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered, as an intense feeling of guilt struck her heart.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric was physically superior to his opponent, but a skilled grappler could leverage a choke regardless of strength. A skill Aldric was suddenly on the receiving end of. Despite rolling around, even lifting up to slam the man against the wall and floor, it wasn't enough to make him unlatch. With air supply dwindling, his strength was waning, and for a brief moment, it seemed that he really might have gotten outmatched…

BANG

The guard toppled over with a smoking crater in his head. Aldric gasped for air, immediately setting his sights on the perpetrator: " Val," He sputtered, slowly getting to his fight and stumbling over beside her, reaching out to keep her steady, "It's okay," They embraced, Aldric holding her tightly, needing that tangible proof that she was safe, and alive.

After a few long moments, he stood back up, lifting up Valery in his arms to carry her out of the cell, "He's down."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Cloak of the Sith

​

Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Aldric Laurent

When his arms wrapped around her, Valery felt a tear flow down her cheek and used all of her strength to return the embrace. She wanted to hold him close forever, but there was a less pleasant feeling that went alongside this need for his warmth as well. If she had defended him when he got hit by Force lightning, and she could have, then none of this would have happened. Was she really ready to keep taking these steps in a relationship? Was she wasting his time or endangering him?

Those doubts plagued her mind and were visible in her eyes when she looked at him.

"This was my fault," she said softly after Aldric lifted her up into his arms. "I just... can't shake the fear of losing you." she sniffed and looked up at him with teary eyes, hoping he'd have an answer to solve all of this somehow. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric solemnly shook his head in disagreement, "It isn't your fault." The harder part was trying to express his feelings in a way that related to her personal philosophy. He couldn't speak to the Jedi way; Aldric wasn't one. He couldn't tap into the Force. He didn't have to struggle with the balance that she had to maintain. Fear and anger could be disadvantageous if uncontrolled, yes, but for him the consequences were lesser than for someone like Valery.

"It's only natural, to fear losing something, or someone, you love," He tried anyway, struggling to form more cohesive thoughts in his current state, "But you can't let it control you. That's where it falls apart."

"I wish I had a better answer for you, but I don't. It's just the way things are."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

"But you can't let it control you. That's where it falls apart."

He was no Jedi but those words captured their philosophy on emotional control perfectly, and Valery knew that. She had always been strong in her self-control, and she believed that was the reason why attachments wouldn't get her to fall. Why she could benefit from the strengths of having close relationships without losing herself in the process, and enjoy the purity of true love. But with everything that happened, she was now struggling a lot more to contain her fears and self-doubt.

"I did let it control me," she admitted with some shame in her tone, even though she knew he'd understand why. It still got them both hurt. "But I know it shouldn't have. I won't let you get hurt because of me again."

She looked up at him, still weakened from whatever it was they injected into her system, and tried her best to offer him a smile. He was hurt too, but still had the strength to support her, both physically and as her partner - she admired him for it. "While we recover, why don't we head back to my place and get your things moved over?" She asked to circle back a little to the topic of living together.

"Or do you think we should live somewhere else?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric just shook his head again, "It's not because of you. It's never because of you," She couldn't hurt him. Not with how much love she gave him. He stepped out, still carrying her, ready to leave the facility. Valery managed to bring the topic back around to something lighter, which made he chuckle.

"No, your place sounds nice. If that's what you want," He nodded. It was already set up for Vera. He doubted his apartment had the space for all three of them. Perhaps down the road, moving out would be in the cards. "Let's do it then."

Valery Noble​