Private "Don't Call Me Shirley."

[Jack Sandrow]

HYPERSPACE
Somewhere between Empress Teta and Tython

---

Deep in the underbelly of the 'Hermes', a Dark Empire frigate, mischief brewed.

"When I said that I'd be glad to help out however I could, I was imagining something a little more 'gallivanting' and 'derring-do'. Skulking about in the cargo bay of a starship seems..." A green blade lit up the dark interior of the supply crate, illuminating Jack and Valery's faces. "...I don't know, seems underhanded somehow."
With a smooth motion, he slid the ignited lightsaber through the lock, pushing just enough to the exterior to melt a hole clean through the plating. Using the newly-crafted peephole, he peeked out into the rest of the cargo bay. Nothing so far. "One sec..." As the metal cooled, Jack pushed a little popsicle-stick doohickey through the hole, his mental connection to the teeny drone clicking into place before it even hit the ground. The little dragonfly-like plant drone zipped around the cargo bay, noting the four soldiers on guard at the exit. They were armed and armored, but it looked like they weren't expecting much. Good.

Jack got to his feet, which was difficult enough in the cramped interior of the crate - he almost had to hunch over a bit. "Alright... looks like there's four at the entrance of the cargo bay, but they're not expecting anything. I think if we do this quiet, we do this quick and clean, we can get what we need before anyone suspects a thing." He thought a moment, before giving Valery a lopsided grin. "....Or... we can kark it all up and take the ship by force. What do you think?"

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched the little drone flit through the air, its whirring wings barely audible above the hum of the frigate's engines. She couldn't help but smile at Jack's bold, reckless suggestion and exactly what she expected from him. But they were deep in the belly of a Dark Empire frigate, and drawing too much attention could quickly turn this mission into a disaster.

"Awe, come on. I know you like the thrill of these missions, too," Valery teased quite the grin tugging at her lips, "Let's save the gallivanting for when a hundred soldiers do not surround us, hmm?" she murmured softly, her voice a quiet purr in the darkness. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she traced the layout of the cargo bay through the peephole Jack had created. "If we raise alarms now, we'll have the entire ship coming down on us. And while I do love a good fight, we've got a job to do."

She leaned back slightly, a playful smirk tugging at her lips as she met his gaze. "I say we go with stealth — move in, get what we need, and get out before they even know we were here." There was a challenge in her eyes, the kind that dared him to show restraint. "Think you can handle that?"

Valery's hand drifted to her lightsaber, but instead of igniting it, she clipped it back to her belt. "We can always resort to some 'derring-do' if things go south," she teased, glancing back at him with a mischievous glint in her gaze. "But for now, let's make this quick and clean. No distractions, no alarms — just precision."

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

He nodded, mentally commanding his drone to latch to the roof of the cargo bay. "I can do stealth and quiet." His hand slipped to his side, the armor splitting open to draw his pistol. "I can also do 'without a trace', if need be." He gave her a grin, before the armored helmet slid back around his head and snapped into place. "I'll get the door for you, if you don't mind," he murmured, bowing grandiosely before gently shoving the cargo door open with the softest push of the Force.

Bleeding edge Sylva Vitae biotech. Jack wasn't one to brag - publicly - but he was damn proud of his work. Applying the nullification resin to his armor had resulted in a wonderfully layered outfit that was not only whisper-quiet, but invisible to both tech and the Force. If there were any Sith aboard (unlikely but possible), he would be little more than the smallest blip on their mental radar. Catlike, he hopped onto the crates, leaping up, up, up to near the ceiling of the cargo bay, before making his way across and towards the exit. Four targets, all armored... and him with just a pistol.

He looked to Valery, quizzical. Telepathy was not his strong suit, but he figured he could take two and she could take two. He signaled, or attempted to signal, that he would try for two, and she could try for two. Shifting over, he hopped down so he could get on headshot level with the two on the right. His eyes flicked up to her, waiting for her to get into position as well.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched as Jack moved with impressive precision, his armor blending into the shadows as if he were part of them. A small, appreciative smile touched her lips — his talents never ceased to impress her. With a subtle nod, she acknowledged his gesture, signaling that she understood their plan. She'd take the left two; he'd handle the right.

Easing forward with practiced stealth, she slipped through the darkness and positioned herself at a vantage point, her gaze locked onto the two guards to her left. The subtle hum of machinery around them masked her movements, and she settled into place without so much as a whisper of sound.

Her eyes met Jack's, and she raised two fingers in confirmation — her silent way of saying she was ready. Then, with a slight incline of her head, she gave him the go-ahead.

In an instant, Valery shifted forward, her form a blur as she dropped behind one of the guards. A precise, controlled sweep of her hand sent a soft wave of the Force through the man's mind, rendering him unconscious before he even realized she was there. His body slumped forward, but she caught him gently and lowered him to the floor without a sound.

The second guard barely had time to register the movement before Valery was upon him. A quick strike to the back of his helmet with a little help from the Force was enough to render him unconscious. She caught his falling body, then released him quietly to the ground, her gaze flicking back up to meet Jack's.

With a satisfied smile, she nodded at him. "Two down," she mouthed, before signaling for him to proceed.

For now, they were still in control, but Valery knew that the real challenge would begin once they moved beyond the cargo bay. They had to be ready for anything.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

NON-LETHAL!!

The Force practically screamed at him as he fired off his shots. Valery was going for a non-lethal approach! In the heartbeat between the shots being fired and impact, he yanked with the Force, pulling the plant slugs off to the side, barely grazing their armor. In the next heartbeat, he charged.

Armored fist met squishy cheekbone, and there was a wet crack and a pop as the first guard's jaw dislocated. Knee met chin, and the guard's head snapped back, out cold but not dead. Momentum carried Jack headlong into the other guard in a crude tackle, and a few rapid strikes to the nasal septum had blood spurting out but thankfully, again, nothing lethal. It was far more crude than Valery's graceful swoosh-and-tap, but still effective.

The second body hit the deck with a noticeable thud, but after a few tense heartbeats Jack was certain no one had been alerted. He hurried over to Valery, holstering his pistol as he tiptoed over. "Non-lethal?? Aren't these the bad guys?" he hissed. "Should I be kitting out for a slugfest?" His gauntlets shivered on his arms, and he shook them out, the plating thickening as the knuckles grew into thick cestuses.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes narrowed slightly, but there was no irritation in her gaze — just the calm patience of a Jedi accustomed to explaining her choices. She glanced at the unconscious guards on the ground and then back to Jack, her expression firm but understanding.

"They may be the bad guys, but as Jedi, we don't kill unless it's absolutely necessary. Our goal is to protect and defend, not to take lives indiscriminately." Her voice was soft, but there was a conviction behind every word, a strength that made it clear she wasn't going to compromise on this.

"But," she continued, holding his gaze, "That doesn't mean I won't if it's required to complete the mission. If the situation escalates, and there's no other way… I won't hesitate." There was a steely edge to her tone now, a promise of what she was capable of if pushed too far.


Valery offered him a small, reassuring smile, then reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "Trust me, Jack. We've got this."

With that, she turned back to face the next door, her expression set and ready for whatever came next. "Let's keep moving — the real fight is still ahead."

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

He worked his jaw a bit, but she had a point. They didn't need to murder their way through the ship. Though to be fair, he had been psyching himself up for that necessity for the past few hours or so, and it was rather abrupt to change that now. Still, he wouldn't argue this point - non-lethal as much as they could, lethal if they had to, and he was fine with that.

Dragging the unconscious bodies into the empty crate they left, Jack then moved back to the cargo bay door with Valery. "Okay... so this is a comms frigate, running solo and unprotected, and running dark. If we can get to the main computer banks, I'm almost certain that there's a really juicy bit of intel there that the Alliance can use." He ticked off on his fingers. "Solo - means they either don't want this documented in official transport and shipping regs, or they want this drawing as little attention as possible. Running dark - we've got minimal staffing and security..." He paused for a minute, hearing no patrols in the hallways. "...which means they don't want witnesses unless absolutely mandatory. And then it's a comms frigate. So either it's carrying records of a transmission on their computers, or it's acting as a proper courier of a transmission on a drive."

He gave her a grin, leaning out into the hallway. "Which means there's something here, either way. And we're going to find it, whatever it is. It's not in the cargo bay - my guess, whoever is commanding the ship would have it on their person if it's a drive, or voice-protected if it's a transmission record. Let's get to the bridge."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery nodded thoughtfully as Jack outlined his reasoning, her gaze focused but alert. She could feel the weight of his words, the sense of urgency building between them. "Agreed," she said, her voice calm but firm. "I'm with you."

Her hand rested lightly on her lightsaber as they prepared to move out. "We need to be smart. Minimal staff or not, they're bound to have some defenses. They might also have emergency protocols in place, so we can't let them alert anyone or lock us out of the systems."

She paused briefly, meeting Jack's gaze. "Once we're on the bridge, if you can access the computer, I'll cover you. The moment we have what we need, we're getting out of here. No delays."

With that, Valery shifted her stance and took the lead, her body moving fluidly as she peered down the corridor, her senses heightened. She gestured for Jack to follow, her mind already planning for the potential threats ahead.

Every step they took was careful, deliberate, as the stakes of their mission pressed on her mind.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

Jack followed close behind, head on a swivel, still ready to go lethal if need be. The ship was far more quiet than what he was used to, and even for a single ship in hyperspace, it felt emptier than normal. Was that on purpose?

It may have been paranoia, it may have been his senses running on overdrive, but he was hardly aware he was moving before he hurriedly swept Valery aside and into a cramped alcove, pressing as tightly to the wall as he could. He wasn't sure what he had felt, before the near-silent rhythm of boots on durasteel began to grow closer, as a squad of troops marched down the hallway, weapons ready but not raised, on patrol and unalerted.

Jack waited until they had turned away down another hallway before letting out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "....too close." He shifted and backed away, clenching his fists as he eyed the hallways back and forth. "Let's keep moving."

What would normally be a jaunty 10 minute walk had already stretched into an hour at least; it was better to take longer and not risk it rather than push it and potentially break cover. Still, Jack knew there was a time limit - once they dropped out of hyperspace, they'd be in the middle of hell, and it would be near-impossible to get the information at that point. They should be getting to the bridge soon, and then they'd need to get out ASAP.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

As Valery's body instinctively pressed against the alcove wall, her senses remained heightened, the rhythmic sound of boots growing louder as the patrol neared. She exchanged a quick glance with Jack, feeling the tension in his stance mirroring her own. The squad passed, their weapons at ease but ready, and Valery silently counted the seconds until they were out of sight.

She let out a slow breath and nodded at Jack's whisper. "Too close," she murmured in agreement, her amber eyes scanning the corridor ahead.

She could feel the weight of the mission pressing on them both. Time was slipping away, yet rushing wasn't an option. They had to move strategically, maintaining their cover until they reached the bridge. Valery's mind raced as they continued down the hall, her movements careful and deliberate.

"We'll get there in time," Valery whispered, sensing Jack's tension and wanting to reassure him. "Just stay sharp."

The hallway stretched out before them, every corner and shadow potentially hiding danger, but Valery was used to this — the quiet tension before action. With each step, she extended her senses, probing ahead for signs of life or unexpected defenses.

She gestured for Jack to follow closely as they approached the next junction, her eyes narrowing in focus. The quiet hum of the ship's systems filled the air, almost suffocating in its silence. They needed to reach the bridge before they dropped out of hyperspace — before it became impossible to retrieve the data and escape without triggering alarms.

As they reached the next corridor, Valery paused and glanced back at Jack. "We'll be cutting it close, but we have a chance. Do you have a way to breach or do you want me to break us in?"

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

Jack eyed the corridor, then Valery, then back to the corridor. "...Sure, I've got plenty of options to breach... all of them quick, none of them quiet. If you've got a way to get in, all stealthy and sneaky-beaky, then I'll follow your lead. Otherwise, if you don't mind going loud..." He held a small grenade-like ball in his hand, squeezing the slightly malleable object tentatively. "I can rip the door open."

If they hit the alarms now, they'd be out of time before they wanted, but it would greatly simplify extraction. If they went in stealthy, they might still trigger the alarms and potentially waste time, but also just as potentially get away without anyone the wiser.

He shook his head a bit, chuckling softly. "I need to get more stuff for quiet ops; at this rate I'm going to end up in the worst place with nothing but attention-grabbers."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's gaze flickered toward the door, and after a brief moment of consideration, she gave Jack a nod. "I've got an idea" she whispered, her voice calm yet focused. "Just give me a second."

Without another word, Valery closed her eyes and tapped into the Force, her body shimmering faintly as she shifted through the door, her presence momentarily lost in the material world. On the other side, her form solidified again, and she quickly scanned the room for any immediate threats. Satisfied, she moved toward the control panel.

With practiced precision, Valery's fingers danced across the buttons, unlocking the door. A soft hiss escaped as it slid open, allowing Jack to enter without a sound. "Easy," she whispered with a smirk and a flick of her hair, stepping aside to let him through.

"We're in. Let's stay quiet and keep moving," Valery added, her eyes sharp and focused on their next objective.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

Jack watched Valery phase through the door, and a chill went up his spine. It never ceased to amaze him; his own Force connection was its own thing, but her connection... He shook his head. Again - this was why she was the Grandmaster.

The door opened with the softest hiss of compressed air, and he gave her a half-smirk, still hidden behind the helmet. "Showoff." He stepped in slowly, hand still by his side just in case someone slipped close with a gun or a blade. Nothing and nobody... yet.

The unmistakable click of a blaster safety disengaging echoed behind them, and Jack turned in place to see a blaster barrel leveled at them a few feet away, the wielder a stark and stern uniformed officer. Presumably the captain, and presumably personally supervising the information required. She was saying something, but the blood was already rushing in Jack's ears. Embarrassing.... How in the world did she get behind the pair of them?? No matter. Jack raised his hands in surrender, slowly and smoothly placing them on top of his head.

And then two slim darts zipped out from his chest, each slicing with an arc through the air to embed in the woman's right armpit and severing the muscles there. Jack was already moving as the gun dropped from nerveless fingers, headbutting the captain with a crack to the jaw and catching the limp body before it could hit with a thud. The gun he hoped Valery could catch before it would clatter, and he looked to her with wide eyes behind the helmet. "....No alarms?" Indeed, the ship was still quiet. "....I didn't catch her name. Can you help me get her over to the console? Biosignature will help unlock what needs to be unlocked, I bet - and she's still alive."

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes narrowed as Jack swiftly disabled the officer, her instincts kicking in as she stretched out her hand, calling on the Force to snatch the blaster before it could hit the ground gently. With a soft motion, she eased it into her grip, then cast Jack an approving nod as he caught the officer.

Moving closer, she first helped move the officer before she knelt beside the unconscious woman, her gaze assessing. "Let's search her," Valery suggested quietly, already reaching for the officer's belt and uniform pockets. "Clearance cards, access codes —anything that'll help us bypass the system without triggering alarms."

Her fingerprint and eye-scan were useful, but so was anything physical.

She scanned the room, staying alert to any possible reinforcements, before looking back at Jack with a hint of a smirk. "We'll need to be quick. The bridge isn't far, but this will make things a lot easier as long as no alarm is raised for her disappearance.." She glanced at the console, her mind already calculating the next steps. "Let's get her over there, see if her biosignature does the trick."

After a glance at the unconscious officer, Valery nodded at Jack, a determined glint in her eyes. She then shifted again, ready to drag her over with his help.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

Jack nodded, and with a practiced ease and a smooth roll hefted the officer up and over his shoulders in a firefighter's carry. "Alright, I'm unused to Dark Empire tech, but I'm sure the captain's stuff is probably in her ready room. Which would be bridge-adjacent, probably." He huffed a bit as he carried the captain over to the bridge, the jog short and not terribly taxing.

Carefully, he began to lean her up against the doorframe. With an awkward shrug, he tried flopping her limp hand against the pad next to the door. "Hnnh. Cmon... work, dammit." An extra shrug and a bump forward, and the captain's head mashed against the bulkhead with a dull thump. "Whups. Uhhh..." He adjusted, and shrugged again, trying to swing the arm against the pad. "Cmon, open you stupid -"

With a quiet chirp, the door opened to let them in. The bridge was very much occupied, and all eyes turned to them slowly. Jack blinked, before letting the helmet part around his face. "....Uhhh.... hey. Just returning your... captain..." The captain's hat fell off her head, and touched the ground with a whisper.

A slew of barrels leveled in their direction, and he sighed. "Worth a try," he muttered, the helmet snapping back closed around his head as he dumped the captain to the side. "Alright, here we go!!"

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's eyes widened as the door slid open, revealing the bridge crew turning toward them. Her instincts kicked in immediately, and as the blasters were leveled in their direction, she reacted with lightning speed. In a fluid motion, Valery's lightsaber snapped into her hand, igniting with a brilliant flash of light. The blade spun in a defensive arc, deflecting the first wave of blaster fire that erupted from the crew. "Move!" she shouted to Jack, her tone sharp but steady.

With a powerful step forward, she pushed off the ground, using the Force to enhance her movements. She wanted to draw attention away from Jack so he could get into position and play to his strengths. Her blade danced with precision, reflecting bolts back toward their attackers, forcing them to take cover behind control panels.

One after another shattered, but the onslaught did not stop.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

The second Valery ignited her saber, he was off the ground and pushing off the wall. A brace of needle-like darts were flung into the air, unfired ammunition for his pistol and each one easily dodged. Until he landed, raising his drawn pistol a heartbeat later and activating the Recall function.

The needles suddenly flung backwards, puncturing through the backs of the troops on the bridge before ripping through the air into the receiver of the Velona pistol. Another heartbeat, and the round fired again, embedding itself in the helmet of another trooper. It was excellent for his ammo efficiency - each needle could be used, reused, re-reused, over and over again. Each punch through armor sheared slivers of plant matter to embed in the wound, drew blood, and that blood repaired the needle again.

Perfect symbiosis.

The bright lights and flashing blade of the Grandmaster certainly helped to keep the attention off him, but that was never going to last long. More blaster fire began to hammer the bulkhead around him, and he dove for cover before doing a quick check over himself. Some pockmarks from a few stray bolts... nothing that his suit couldn't repair. And he wasn't leaking, so that was also a plus.

The table he was hiding behind was getting hot with the blaster fire. "Val? A little help please!"

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's blade flashed in arcs of light, deflecting blaster bolts with practiced precision, but she caught Jack's call for help and spared a quick glance in his direction. He was pinned down, blaster fire hammering his cover and leaving little room for him to maneuver. Without hesitation, she pivoted mid-defense, focusing on the attackers clustered near the console.

With a slight shift of her stance, she extended a hand and sent a powerful Force push across the bridge. The wave of energy rippled outward, knocking several of the troopers off balance and forcing others to stagger back from their positions. In the momentary pause, she called out to Jack, "You're clear— make it count!"

She moved forward, keeping her blade up as she pressed the advantage, blocking incoming fire with swift, tight movements. Her intention was clear: keep the heat on herself so Jack could move and take down their opponents from behind.

Jack Sandrow ​

 

[Jack Sandrow]

Outfit: Olisthiros stealth combat suit
Weaponry: Forcesabers | Pistol | Garrote

---

With the boost Val had provided, Jack was able to knock back the table enough to give himself some breathing room. Just one breath, but it was enough. Darting around a corner, he ran halfway up a wall as needles shot from his forearms. Again, for Valery's sake he was trying not to kill unnecessarily, but sometimes the elimination of a threat meant lethal force had to be an option. He was going for hands, legs, shoulders, but for some irreconcilable targets the needles met heart, neck, forehead.

Valery was drawing the attention, and as the primary target (the one with the lightsaber) she was keeping the attention too. Ideal for him to zip around the back of the room and start knocking the last of the troopers' legs out behind them.

By the time the hail of blaster fire had dwindled to a light trickle and the party had all but wrapped up, he switched from projectile weapons to vine ensnarement, wrapping ankles and wrists until the last of the troopers hit the floor with a staccato of thuds. "Depending on how well they're trained, those might last for the day, or might last for five minutes. We need the captain... You get her, and I'll try to get whatever access I can from these mooks."

Hauling one unfortunate to their feet with his armored fist lifting their bound hands upwards, he let his helmet peel away from his face as he gave them a stellar grin. "Hello you. I'd very much like to access the main database, please. Which terminal gives me access?" He let that question hang in the air before turning his free hand into a wicked-looking scimitar. "Sooner is better, thank you." The trooper, unable to form words, just nodded their head towards an innocuous-looking console with a curious little red stripe along the 'enter' key.

"Much obliged," Jack smiled, before his helmet reformed and his forehead met theirs with a satisfying thunk. "Val? Found the console, over here," he called out, tiptoeing over bodies conscious, unconscious, and dead.

---

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery extinguished her lightsaber, her breathing steady but her eyes sharp as she surveyed the aftermath. Troopers lay incapacitated, bound in place by Jack's precise and effective tactics. The room was momentarily still, save for the soft hum of the ship's systems and the occasional groan from a dazed soldier.

"Nicely done," Valery said, her tone carrying both approval and urgency. She spotted the captain slumped against a console nearby, one hand clutching at a leg wound. Without wasting a moment, Val strode over, grabbing the captain by the collar and hauling them up with surprising ease. "You're coming with me."

The captain let out a sharp gasp, their hands instinctively moving to pry at Valery's iron grip, but they knew better than to resist. Val dragged them across the bridge, unceremoniously dropping them into a chair near Jack's newly discovered console. Her amber eyes locked onto the captain's with an unyielding intensity.

"Now," she said, her voice calm but edged with steel, "You're going to give us access to everything we need. If you're smart, you'll cooperate."

The captain grimaced but gave a reluctant nod, clearly weighing their limited options. Val turned her attention to Jack, who stood by the console, his scimitar-like hand resting casually at his side.

"What's next?"

Jack Sandrow ​