First Reply Mysterious Derelict

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery adjusted the controls of her X-wing, her gaze fixed on the small freighter drifting lifelessly in the asteroid field ahead. The distress signal had been weak, almost imperceptible surrounded by debris and rock, but her keen senses and the Force had guided her closer. The ship's markings were unfamiliar, and it seemed to be an older model, battered and worn by years of service.

As she approached, she keyed in the docking sequence, aligning her X-wing with the freighter's airlock. The mechanical clunk of the docking clamps engaging echoed through her cockpit — a reassuring sound in the otherwise eerie silence of her ship. Valery removed her helmet and checked her lightsaber at her side, preparing for whatever she might encounter inside the derelict vessel.

The airlock cycled open with a hiss, and Valery stepped into the freighter. Her boots echoed softly on the metal floor as she took a few steps inside the Hangar Bay. Emergency lights flickered sporadically, casting shadows that danced along the walls. The ship was cold and silent, devoid of the usual hum of machinery and the presence of a crew. Reaching out with the Force, Valery did sense a faint echo of life somewhere within the durasteel walls, but she could not pinpoint it. The ship's systems were still functional as well, but there was no visible sign of its crew. No bodies, no living beings. Nothing.

What happened? And where were they?

First Reply​

 

[Prowler II]

A alien presence composed of a dense, gaseous form, melded seamlessly with the darkness. Its presence was an imperceptible disturbance, a faint shimmer that only the keenest observer might notice. The air around it grew colder, the temperature dropping subtly but significantly enough to make the atmosphere even more inhospitable. It floated silently through the freighter's shadowed hallways, its amorphous body shifting and undulating like a sinister mist. The Prowler's senses were acute, able to detect the faintest vibrations and the slightest changes in the environment. It had been sent here with a mission: to decommission the freighter and ensure no one left alive.

As it moved through the ship, it absorbed the ambient sounds – the distant creaks of the ship's aging structure, the occasional hiss of escaping air, the soft hum of residual power running through the neglected systems. It was a predator in its element, patient and deadly, waiting for the right moment to strike. Suddenly, the Prowler sensed a disturbance. A new ship was docking with the freighter. The vibrations through the hull told of the arrival of fresh prey. The alien entity's form pulsed with a dark, anticipatory energy. It drifted towards the docking bay, merging with the shadows, becoming almost indistinguishable from the natural darkness of the ship.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

A sharp pain within her mind forced Valery's hand up to her left temple. It was a familiar sting, that of the Dark Side, but this somehow felt different. It was sinister in nature, cold and uncaring. But it moved in strange patterns and called out to her without revealing itself. She looked around the dimly lit Hangar, trying to understand what it was, but she still stood alone. If there were any survivors or signs of this darkness she felt, she wouldn't find it here.

She needed to search the rest of the ship.

The most likely place for people to have fled to would be the bridge. It had escape pods and provided access to all ship systems crucial for space travel. After a final check of her surroundings, Valery decided to start heading there, and phased through the closed blast doors of the Hangar to get into the hallway on the other side. Despite being a derelict, ship power was still sustaining life support, and rows of red emergency lights showed her the way.

At least, in this section of the ship.

Soon enough, as she neared one of the turbolifts, Valery noticed that the hallways were entirely dark. Her Keshian eyes adjusted, however, and without much trouble, she continued to navigate her way through the ship. She knew that the turbolift was no option, but maintenance shafts with ladders were often positioned close to them. She'd find her way up and hopefully discovered through ship logs what had happened. Perhaps locate survivors, if there were any.

What she didn't know, was that one such survivor was close to running into something he would never understand.

Prowler II ​

 

[Prowler II]

The most likely place for people to have fled to would be the bridge. It had escape pods and provided access to all ship systems crucial for space travel. After a final check of her surroundings, Valery decided to start heading there, and phased through the closed blast doors of the Hangar to get into the hallway on the other side. Despite being a derelict, ship power was still sustaining life support, and rows of red emergency lights showed her the way.

At least, in this section of the ship.

Soon enough, as she neared one of the turbolifts, Valery noticed that the hallways were entirely dark. Her Keshian eyes adjusted, however, and without much trouble, she continued to navigate her way through the ship. She knew that the turbolift was no option, but maintenance shafts with ladders were often positioned close to them. She'd find her way up and hopefully discovered through ship logs what had happened.

Keen hollowed out eyes watched as a red lighted female figure phased through a blast door that led further into the derelict ship. The glimpse of the woman was enough to be recognized as a member of the New Jedi Order. But not just any member. Memories of his training and research as a Darkside Elite was extensive enough to sear the images of the various council members into his non-existent brain. This was Valery Noble . Grandmaster of the Order and Sword of the Jedi. This realization was enough to excite Prowler, He could easily prove his worth and outshine all other members of the Darkside Elite. Gain the recognition of Emperor Solipsis and elevate his own growth indefinitely. But there was also the prospect of if he lost. The Filar-Nitzan had little doubt he would not be able to escape if things turned against him but the odds were in his favor. Valery had never encountered a being such as Prowler before, Even if Aris Noble, her son, told her of his encounter with the gaseous alien. The advantage would still remain.

There was no joking or poking around with his woman and Prowler would not let the hubris that so many others before him take him out as well.

He stalked after her and focused on his own presence in the force in till the extent of said focus was driven down to the mere atoms. Art of the Small. Where darkside faintly echoed in the derelict ship, it now had lost the more oppressive presence of the Dark jedi completely. Like a phantom going into the void so did Prowler as he slinked to shadow to shadow watching his prey. Black gas flat against the bulkhead above. He traversed the distance with a blinding shadowy speed.

He needed more information before he made his move to capture the Grandmaster alive.

Objective: Observe Valery Noble and capture her. ​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Lightsabers

For just a moment, Valery stopped and looked over her shoulder. The darkness she had felt after entering the ship had changed. It wasn't as profound anymore and any hopes of determining its source were now gone. It made her wonder — was this darkness tied to the ship somehow? Or had someone felt her presence and hid their own in response? Either way, she steadied her mind and focused her senses, hoping they would warn her.

If something happened, she needed to be ready.

Her path continued toward the turbolift. As expected, the panel used to access it was flickering a message that it was no longer operable. She would have to find a different way up to the bridge, but the idea of forcing herself into a narrow maintenance shaft no longer seemed like a good option. She had no idea who or what was watching her, or what had even sparked that cold darkness to begin with.

She needed to tread carefully.

Valery turned her gaze to the ceiling, narrowed her eyes, and suddenly jumped. Right before her body would hit the ceiling, she phased again and made her landing one floor up. It was a more demanding process than climbing ladders, but given the circumstances, it was a safer option. For several more floors, she performed the same trick, until eventually, she believed to have reached the bridge deck.

But she wasn't alone — she felt a faint presence up ahead, not dark in nature. A survivor?

Prowler II ​