Private Last Chance

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Time was running out...

Cartri had been in hiding for months on Denon ever since that nightmare train bombing. Since then every authority in the alliance had his face plastered all over the wanted boards looking for him and his fellow Darkwire companions. He was unable to show his face in public or live a life anyone his age would be living, all because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cartri had the ability to stay hidden for long periods of time and let it blow over, however this time there was a time limit. Not for him, but for the orphanage which was closing down in a month.

At this point, he was desperate, anxious to try and clear his name with the alliance. Although, there was a good chance he'd get beaten and arrested on site if he tried to walk into the nearest station. Cartri had to do something riskier, a stab in the dark that had the potential of getting him killed or thrown in prison anyway. He had to go to the person herself, Valery Noble was the only one who could see his reasoning.

Asking for a one way ticket with the dodgiest smuggler he knew, Cartri managed to get into Coruscant unseen. For a long time, he waited outside of the Jedi temple contemplating what he was about to do. Were the temple guards going to slice him in half as soon as they noticed him? Were they actually going to consider his demands? for all he knew probably not. Either way, he needed to try something. Swallowing his nerves, the teen slowly lowered his balaclava and began walking up the steps towards the entrance "Come on Cartri, pull yourself together..." the runner said to himself as he began to notice the people around him were staring at him.

Cartri kept his focus ahead of him and seemed like he was going to walk right in, yet it obviously wasn't going to be that either for a wanted terrorist. Within a flash, four temple guards ignited their sabers and surrounded him before he could either raise his hands in the air. Gulping, Cartri looked at each one nervously "I-...I wish to see Valery Noble!" Cartri stated clearly, one that was only met with silence and a nudge in the back to lead him to the holding cells.

As he walked along, he only thought of one positive that came from this. He hadn't died, not yet anyway.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"Stand down."

Valery's words for the guards were pretty clear, as she entered the room. The Temple had a few holding cells just in case Jedi were causing trouble for some reason, but now an outsiders was locked up in one? Not just any outsider either — Valery remembered Cartri from her time on Denon, and she wasn't quite sure how to feel about his presence here. Everything about Denon made her skin crawl, but her experience with him had admittedly not been that unpleasant.

Though, following the incident on the train, she wasn't sure if she could trust anybody from Denon anymore. What if he was connected to those responsible?

For now, it was a risk she was willing to take.

"Been a while since we last met, hm?" she asked after the guards stepped aside. "What brings you here, Cartri?"

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

For a few hours, Cartri was held up in his cell with nothing but him and the silent guards. He was starting to think they were deaf too, only for Valery Noble to walk in a few moments later to speak with him. Cartri gulped and quickly got to his feet "Valery! I was starting to think you'd never come..." the teen said nervously as he carefully took a few steps forward "I tried asking the guards if there was any news, but they don't seem very talkative"

Cartri looked at Valery and frowned slightly from the sense of distrust she showed. There was no doubt she had every right to, it was just a shame she didn't know the truth about him "I've come here to talk about... you know that day?" Cartri was tempted to say the day she almost got blown to bits, that however would have been quite disrespectful.

"You need to understand that I wasn't out there to kill you. If anything, I was there to save your life"

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"They're instructed not to," Valery said regarding the guards, who were still within the room as more of her own personal guards now. But after a small dip of her head, they all left and waited outside instead. Valery never liked having them too close, and they were aware of that, but they were also tasked not to leave her alone with a potential threat. Not that she viewed Cartri as one, but it was standard procedure to view all outsiders as potential hazards.

Then he mentioned that day.

Valery listened with a raised eyebrow and squinted after a moment, as fiery eyes began to look straight into his soul. "I still don't know who was actually responsible for that bombing. What do you know about it, and why are you here to convince me that it wasn't you?"

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

"They must enjoy their roles then..." Cartri muttered as he waited for the guards to file out one by one. He knew the Jedi could be boring, but standing around the temple and not speaking to anybody took it to a whole new level. It was only when they were alone did he finally spilled the beans as to why he had come. Not to his surprise, Valery was more than intrigued to know more, and not in a good way either.

Cartri bravely stared back into her fiery eyes and did well to keep his composure "H-hey I don't know everything alright! When it happened I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, I even brought security camera footage on my datapad to prove where I was" Cartri explained, knowing he had to come prepared if he had any chance of getting through this a free ginger again.

"And isn't it obvious why I'm here? thanks to CorpSEC most of the galaxy has my smiling face plastered across their wanted boards. With that in place, it forced me to go into hiding for longer than I liked. Sure, being wanted on denon is one thing but hunted on every planet within alliance terrortory is a whole different story" the teen continued, his eyes lowering with a slight frown.

"If I wanted you dead on that train I would have taken the chance when I was standing in front of you in the wreckage..."

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"If you have footage to prove your innocence, why did you go into hiding?" Valery asked, but perhaps the answer was simple. He was just scared. As brave as he tried to be, he came here because he was desperate and wanted to be free again. For a kid his age to go through this... it only made sense that he wanted to just get away from trouble. So after a short moment, Valery let out a soft sigh and dipped her head.

"Can you give me the datapad? It'll prove you weren't there for the bombing at the very least." It still meant he could have been involved in helping prepare for the bombing, but without any evidence for that, there was no lawful way to keep him detained for it. She just hoped he really wasn't involved in it at all.

"Look, you also don't have to convince me, but I have a feeling you know more than you're telling me. That other girl who picked me up at the train - you knew her. You know a lot of people in that circle on Denon," Valery then said while she watched him. "You're asking me to help you make sure you're not wrongly convicted, but shouldn't I have the right to know who was trying to blow me up that night?"

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

"If I went to the authorities about this they'd have no hesitation in kicking me around before destroying the evidence. Trust me, the corporations in the Alliance have law enforcement wrapped around their finger" he remarked with a sigh. Cartri wouldn't trust them if his life depended on it, most if not all of them were corrupt in their own way "The datapads on the table to your right. The mutes shook me down before throwing me in here" he said with a quick point before walking to the wall to lean against it.

Looking to the floor, he seemed to understand Valery's argument. If he was asking her for forgiveness, then she'd be expecting something in return. It wasn't that simple though to just let it out. Cartri was no snitch, especially for those he cared about and individuals who could pose a risk to his future plans. To say Cartri was hesitant to reveal anything else was a huge understatement.

"I get what you mean Valery, you have every right to know. However, it really isn't that simple for me. Some of these people not only used to be my friends, but dangerous individuals who'd do anything to get their way. I don't care what happens to me, I'm just concerned about who it would affect close to me..." The teen frowns as he looks up to gaze at Valery with concern.

"Who says you and the Jedi won't be parading around Denon saying it was me who turned them in?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"On Denon maybe, but law enforcement is not the same on each planet. There are no corporations in charge on Alderaan, for example, and the justice system there works just fine." That said, she understood the lack of trust he had because of Denon and how things worked there. Nobody could really be trusted.

Valery then turned to the datapad he mentioned and picked it up to idly study its contents. But she was far more interested in what he had to say, and even now, he didn't seem willing to budge. He even accused her and the Jedi of potentially going to Denon and putting the blame on him. That got her to look up again.

"If you really believe that we would do that, you'd have never come here in the first place. You risked far too much for that," Valery said before she placed the datapad back down on the

"But look, if it's your friends or people who you know who blew up that train, are they really people you still want to defend? You come here asking me to help you prove your innocence, but at the same time you keep information to yourself about the people who actually did try to kill me."

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

"You may think they are all clean, but one way or another money will always come first in people's hearts" It was true that Cartri had never been there before, but CorpSEC had a far bigger reach than she could possibly imagine. They'd find a way to put ears in every law enforcement department if needs be to find a person of interest. At his age, he was smart enough to keep as far away from the authorities as possible, no matter where he went in the galaxy.

Watching as she picked up the datapad, the video was already preloaded when Valery opened up the device. It would show him on the roof of a restaurant counting the credits he had gathered that night, followed by the bright flash of the explosion and him making his way over there. "You don't need to see the rest of the crap on the device. That is not for you to look at" he warned, his expression changing to a frown when she made a good point.

It was their fault, why was he still defending them?

Pushing himself off the wall, he stopped only a few inches from Valery "Okay... I'll tell you what you need to know. Although, you must promise me you will NEVER tell anyone it was me who told you this information. Your husband, kids... anyone who is close to you cannot know. You get me?" At that time Cartri actually looked quite serious with his words. In ways, they did need to pay for the chaos they brought on Darkwire.

Cartri just didn't want to imagine if Valery actually did further down the line. He'd hate hunting for someone he respected deeply.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"I'll determine if it's for me to look at or not myself," Valery said with a raised eyebrow after glancing up from the datapad. "If you're innocent, you have nothing to fear — I'll make sure you're a free man." But that did require her to look at all the details she had, or else she'd be a fool to side with him. This was about justice, not about offering someone a favor just because she had met him once on Denon.

Luckily, he did understand the point she was trying to make.

"I won't tell anybody that it came from you. Only the information itself might be shared so the people responsible can be apprehended." That is, if they weren't dead or apprehended already. It had been a while since the train bombing, and Denon's trouble never stopped. It was possible that they were behind bars for different reasons already.

But that didn't matter - she'd still add this to their crime records.

"But who was it, Cartri?"

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Cartri lightly rolled his eyes and sarcastically raised his hands up "Whatever you say Valery. Some of it is just a bit personal you know?" he said back to the Jedi who was standing right in front of him. Realising it wasn't the time to get cocky, he lowered his hands and coughed to clear his throat "Fine, I believe you Jedi. You're lucky I have a high regard for you people else I wouldn't have even come. I just had to make sure you didn't have any other motives that's all..."

Nervously rubbing his arm slowly, he finally was able to look Valery straight into her creepy eyes. Hesitating at first, he finally had the courage to let it all out "You... you know that other girl who was in the wreckage with us? The one with the blue hair? It was her" Cartri explained with a hand through his hair "She's called Hex, a girl who is known around Darkwire to be an avid pyromanic. Not only that, but she's a bit... you know" his finger pointed to the side of his head and went around in a circle.

"She wanted to send a message but it went too far. Hex is the one you want, no one else"

All Cartri hoped for was that Valery didn't mention Daiya who was also there. There was no doubt Daiya had something to do with it, but he didn't have the heart to do that to her.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"A lot of this is personal," Valery said, as the woman who had nearly been blown up. The whole reason that Cartri was afraid to now be behind bars to begin with. Still, she had to set personal feelings aside and figure out the truth, not just for herself but also for the other people who lost their lives that night. The train bombing had been one thing, but the chaos that sparked from it had spread like a wildfire across Denon.

Then Cartri mentioned the woman with blue hair, and Valery's mind shifted back into a vision she had seen during the investigation on Denon. The two rays of blue light, as well as the insane cackling.

It was her.

"I see, thank you for telling me, Cartri," Valery said with a gentle smile. "But a lot more happened that night than just the bombing of the train. One girl was very quick to find me. Almost as if she had been expecting the train to blow up. You seemed to know her." She was definitely referring to Daiya, and he'd know that.

"Was she involved in this too?"

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

Of course, Valery had to mention the big elephant in the room.

Cartri sighed and nervously scratched his head "The girl you're speaking about is Daiya, one of the people who were first to respond to the train. She's been a member of Darkwire and was there when I joined" he explained, not wanting to give her a direct answer but one that was reasonable for both parties involved "If you want me to be honest Valery I've heard nothing from Daiya since that day, nor do I know if she had any part of it. If I knew, she'd be put alongside Hex for what she did. No matter how close we used to be" his eyes seemed to lower in a silent reflection, showing a flicker of hurt from what she did.

"Believe it or not, due to Hex's actions you weren't the only one that was staring death in the face"

Hesitantly, Cartri lowered his hands to his shirt and lifted it up slightly to show off the large scar on his midsection "As soon as we got off the train the order to hunt down all Darkwire members was given. I and another Darkwire member got separated, and when I made a jump for a rooftop outside of the wreck some creepy woman with unnatural strength almost bled me dry." Letting the shirt go back down he shrugged to Valery with an iron glare.

"Trust me, I want the people held accountable to face their actions as much as you do. After all, it's personal right?"

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

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Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"I know I wasn't the only one. After we got away from the train, I saw the chaos on Denon. It wasn't easy to get through it." It also made sense that people from Darkwire were hunted down after all of it. The planet had its issues, and all sides were always looking for others to blame. It was a perpetual conflict that she couldn't imagine ending anytime soon.

A shame, but it was reality.

Valery then looked at the scar on his midsection and frowned. As troublesome as Darkwire could be, they were still children. To see them with scars like this wasn't easy for Valery, who looked at it not just as a Jedi, but a mother too. If a teenage Vera would come home with a scar like that, she would lose her mind.

"To me, it's not just personal. I won't allow myself to handle the case because I was involved, but I do want answers. You've already given me a lot, and I am going to let the right people handle the rest." She smiled faintly now.

"That includes making sure you're set free." With a wave of her hand, she opened the little cell he was being kept in, and gestured for him to step out.

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

"You can say that again, I almost bled to death on that roof," he said with a frown, remembering it like it was yesterday the fight that had transpired. The only reason he was alive right now was thanks to Brie's distraction and the suit Daiya had made him. Without the powerfist, he wouldn't have been able to knock out the bounty hunter with a single punch and leave her in a bloody mess.

Cartri nodded to the fact that she didn't want to handle it herself, something that kind of worried him slightly. If it wasn't her then who was going to deal with Hex and the others? he could only imagine how much worse they could be "I hope you can trust them as much as I trust you, Valery. I don't want any blood on my hands because you gave trust to a maniac" the teen said with a concerned tone just before she unexpectedly let him go.

Watching her open up the cell, he was cautious to come out at first "No catch?" he asked curiously as he began to slowly make his way out. Cartri was half expecting to see one of those mute guards to be waiting for him, thankfully it was just him and her. The ginger walked over to the desk and slowly began to gather his things.

"I just want to say thanks for you know... hearing me out? any other person would have beaten me up and left me to rot in a cell. Thanks to you, I'll be able to help my friends get the homes they deserve"

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"I trust them," Valery confirmed with a confident dip of her head before she opened the cell with a wave of her hand. She then watched him cautiously step out, clearly surprised that she was letting him out already. It made her chuckle but she wasn't going to do or say anything to startle him now. All of this must have been frightening enough for him already — if she hadn't taken his side with this, he'd be behind bars now, after all.

A scary thought for someone as young as him.

"No catch and... it wouldn't have been very Jedi of me if I had beaten you up. I was honestly surprised the guards put you in a cell here to begin with. But after all the attempts against my life, I suppose they're just being careful." She smiled and then extended a hand to him to shake.

"I'll guide you back to the entrance, and you can go wherever you want to be. Thank you for coming here to tell me the truth."

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Coruscant
Objective: Prove his innocence to Valery
Tag: Valery Noble

"You never know with you Jedi, corruption isn't non-existent for you guys either" In ways Cartri was right. For Jedi, being a Sith was seen as a form of corruption. It just didn't make sense to the teen though, how could expressing your feelings and being free with how you feel be so bad? That question was probably best to keep to himself. He had just been released, Cartri didn't want to repay the favor by asking sensitive questions like that to the leader out of all people.

Looking down at her hand silently, he finally met it with a firm shake of his own "Well, I sense it won't be the last time we see each Valery. Hopefully, it will be in better circumstances" he smirked to the master, his eyes glaring down the hallway in curiosity. Becoming a Jedi had never really crossed his mind, mainly because of the limitations and grip it had over someone's life. There was however the drive to keep his force sensitivity under control, a battle that had been raging since a young age.

It was only so he could control himself the next time his anger took hold of him again. Thankfully, he had been better at doing that as of late.

"Just before you walk me out, I've got a question for you" he asked as they reached the doorway of the cell room, his eyes looking into hers with concern "I just want to know how you deal with anger, how do you stop the force from taking over and you know... break everything?" the teen asked with a bit of caution, unknowing of what her reaction would be.

If anyone would know, it would be her.

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant Temple

​

Outfit:Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Weapons: Double-Bladed Lightsaber
Tag: Cartri Keswoll

"I hope it'll be under better circumstances, too," Valery said with a warm smile while she shook his head. He was far too young for a live behind bars, or one stuck in the underworld. He had seen what it could lead to now, so she hoped that it'd help him find a path through it all. He had it in himself to be a great man, but it was also up to him to make it happen.

He'd have to avoid the wrong people to influence him more.

With a gesture of her hand, the two then started walking, but Cartri did have one more question, this time about the Force and emotion. It reminded her a little of their first time meeting, "Years of practice in a controlled environment with people far more experienced than I was at the time. Meditation helps too, but sometimes... just having the right people around you. So that when you're not able to take a step back to center yourself, others will remind you of who you really are."

"A true friend would never allow you to tap into anger and become someone who you aren't."