First Reply [Nar Shaddaa] A Misunderstanding

[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

The suffocating glow of neon signs painted the streets of Nar Shaddaa in blues and pinks, their flickering light dancing over grimy pavement slick with rain. Valery moved like a shadow through the labyrinth of alleyways, her amber eyes sharp as a predator's. Somewhere ahead, her target — a Twi'lek arms dealer tied to Sith-aligned factions — was slipping deeper into the urban sprawl.

Valery tightened her grip on the hilt of her lightsaber, though she kept the blade dormant. A Jedi didn't ignite their weapon unless absolutely necessary, and tonight, she hoped it wouldn't come to that.

She rounded a corner, catching a glimpse of the Twi'lek's lanky frame darting into a narrow passageway. Valery's heart raced as she prepared to close the distance — but a shout froze her mid-step.

"Stop right there! Hands in the air!"

Valery's head snapped toward the voice, and her stomach sank. A group of local law enforcement officers had emerged from the shadows, their blasters raised and their expressions unreadable beneath mirrored visors. Their uniforms bore the insignia of the local police force, but Valery knew better than to assume they were allies. This planet's law enforcement was infamous for corruption, often working hand-in-hand with the very criminals she sought to bring down.

"This isn't what it looks like," Valery said, lifting her hands slowly to show she wasn't a threat. "I'm with the—"

"Save it for later," sneered one of the officers, stepping closer. His voice was rough, his tone skeptical. "You don't look like you're here on official business. Running around in alleys, chasing shadows? Sounds more like you're up to something illegal."

Valery exhaled sharply, biting back her frustration. "I'm pursuing a—"

"We're not interested in your excuses," the officer interrupted, motioning with his blaster. "Turn around, hands behind your head. Now."

Valery's jaw tightened, her mind racing. She could easily disarm them, incapacitate them without so much as breaking a sweat. But that wouldn't help her case — it would only solidify whatever narrative they'd already decided on. With a reluctant sigh, she turned and placed her hands behind her head.

The cold snap of stun cuffs closed around her wrists, their hum vibrating against her skin. Valery glanced over her shoulder as the Twi'lek's silhouette disappeared into the distance. Her mission was slipping away, but for now, she had to focus on defusing this situation.

"Alright," she said, her voice calm but edged with irritation. "You've got me. But you're making a mistake."

"Save it," the officer muttered as he nudged her forward.

The next thing she knew, she was being guided into the back of a police speeder, the door shutting with a finality that echoed her current predicament. Through the rain-streaked window, she could see the city lights glowing faintly, her thoughts already calculating her next move.

It was all a misunderstanding. But getting that through to the people who had just arrested her? That was going to be the tricky part.

Open
Underworld characters are preferred, or people I don't already write with constantly!​

 

[Eujan Vidokh]

Nar Shaddaa

The Smuggler's Moon had always been the shadier twin of Coruscant. Where the Core World was something of a pleasant place, Shaddaa was rotten. a haze of polluted air, and corruption everywhere. For Eujan, it was someplace that digusted him. All of his gut intuitions as a former security officer told him this place was tainted like a gangrenous wound. Yet, his policing days were a lifetime ago.

Now the Pantoran wore the trappings of a bounty hunter. Modified armor that bore no allegiance nor badge. Only the scars and scuffs from one score or another. He found himself on this gods-forsaken place in search for such a bounty. Some lowlife wanted back in Galactic Alliance territory. His attention was brought to an alleyway, and the sounds of arrest.

The hunter followed the noise to just close enough to make out what was going on. A couple of disgraces to the uniform, arresting a seemingly harmless woman. Eujan observed carefully, recognizing her. Jedi Master Valery Noble. He had seen her face in the occasional HoloNet feed. He debated on whether or not to become involved.

"Karabast..." He grunted to himself, hoping he would not regret his next move.

He approached the scene carefully, knowing from experience some officers could trigger-happy. Especially with mysterious strangers in menacing armor. He kept his rifle holstered to keep tensions low.

"She's with me, officers." He spoke authoritatively, pulling out a holo-badge that displayed the insignia of the Bounty Hunter's Guild, "What seems to be the issue?"

It was lie, sure. But one spoken with confidence, and hopefully one that helped garner the trust of a Jedi.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's amber eyes narrowed slightly as the bounty hunter stepped into the scene, his confident tone and holographic badge halting the officers mid-step. She tilted her head, her brow arching in a mix of intrigue and skepticism. Bounty hunters weren't exactly known for their altruism, especially not on Nar Shaddaa. Was he here to help her? Or had she somehow become a target herself?

Her instincts told her to tread carefully.

The officers exchanged glances, their mirrored visors obscuring any readable expressions, but their body language betrayed their uncertainty. One of them stepped forward, while the other shoved Valery into their vehicle.

"And who the hell are you?" the officer barked, his tone sharp and distrustful. "This has nothing to do with the Guild."

Valery's lips quirked into a faint smirk despite the situation. Typical. Corruption ran so deep on Nar Shaddaa that even law enforcement didn't want their schemes interrupted — not even by someone with an apparent Guild connection.

"Yeah," another officer chimed in, his grip tightening on his weapon. "You walk in here flashing a badge like we're just gonna hand her over? What's your stake in this, bounty hunter?"

Valery's gaze flicked toward Eujan, her fiery eyes narrowing as if to say, What are you up to? But she remained silent for now, curious to see how he would play this out. If he was here to help, fine. If not? Well, she wasn't exactly defenseless.

The air grew heavier with tension, and Valery's mind worked quickly to calculate her next move. She could sense the unease radiating from the officers, the faint flicker of doubt in their stance.

Alright, bounty hunter, she thought, her eyes narrowing as they settled on Eujan. Let's see what game you're playing.

Eujan Vidokh ​

 

[Eujan Vidokh]

Nar Shaddaa

The Pantoran's helmeted face was stoic as he observed the response of the two so-called lawmen. Yet of course, like Nar Shaddaa itself, the cops here were dirty. His gaze kept on Valery as well, giving her a slight nod to signify he was friendly to her.

"I am Eujan Vidokh. I once wore the uniform of an officer myself." He explained, "Little agriworld called Hetzal...not that you boys care."

He was wary of the one officer ready to draw his blaster. This was going south quicker than he would have preferred. Then again, his was a dangerous profession.

"More importantly, that woman there is a Jedi." He tilted his head toward Val, "Isn't that right, Master Noble?"

He carefully drew his hand near his own holster. Eujan kept his visored eyes on the Jedi, as if to tell her to Wait for my signal.

"I believe she and I seek the same prey. Now...." He had a bit of warning in his voice, "She could ragdoll you both with her powers. Or I could put down two dirty cops like the rabid akks they are."

His body was in a stance of tense, potential energy. Like a viper, just before it snaps its fangs at the skittering rat. He kept himself trained on the officers and the Jedi. He certainly hoped she lived up to her legend.

"But we don't want that, do we, boys?"

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

The officers froze at Eujan's words, their stances stiffening as tension thickened the air. For a moment, they exchanged nervous glances, clearly weighing their options. A Jedi? Here? They had to know the stories, and now, standing across from one and a confident bounty hunter with a sharp tongue, their bravado was fading fast.

"She's a Jedi?" one officer finally muttered, his voice betraying his unease. "Why didn't you say so?"

"Because you shoved me into the speeder before I could," Valery replied dryly, her fiery gaze locked on the officers.

The lead officer scowled but said nothing. Instead, he barked an order to his partner, who grudgingly opened the vehicle door and yanked Valery out, shoving her unceremoniously onto the damp ground. She caught herself with her knees and glared up at the man as her hands, still bound by stun cuffs, strained against the restraints.

Without another word, the officers exchanged a final glance and retreated to their speeder. The vehicle's engine roared to life, and it peeled off into the neon-lit chaos of Nar Shaddaa, leaving Valery and Eujan alone in the aftermath.

For a moment, silence reigned, broken only by the distant hum of city life. Valery rose slowly to her feet, brushing off the damp grime from her knees, her bound hands making the task awkward. She turned her gaze on Eujan, her expression caught somewhere between gratitude and caution.

"Well," she began, her tone neutral but firm, "I suppose I owe you a thank you for getting rid of them." She shifted her hands slightly, gesturing toward the cuffs. "Although I could use a little more help."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him, the wariness not yet gone. "You realize that won't be the end of it, right? Those two are going to call in reinforcements or worse — someone's going to take notice of all this attention. Trouble isn't far behind."

Eujan Vidokh ​

 

[Eujan Vidokh]

The hunter kept a careful gaze as the two, corrupt cops sped off like a couple of spooked falthier. When they were out of sight, his body relaxed back into a neutral stance. He turned his sttention to the Jedi.

"I know." The vocoder of his helm rumbled, "Like cells of a malignant tumor."

He looked to her bindings. He slowly and carefully held on to her wrists, as to not startle the uneasy alliance they seemed to be forging. The Pantoran's helm tilted, seeming to figure out a solution. Eujan nodded to himself before pressing a few buttons on his vambrace.

"Keep your hands at that level." He spoke firm, "And for Goddess' sake, keep still."

He aimed his own arm at the circuitry of the bindings. From his vambrace came a beam of energy. A wrist laser, but set to a much lower power to be more precise. The hunter kept the beam focus on the binders' locking mechanisms. The circuits soon overheated, causing the locks to fail and release. He instantly turned his laser off.

"There." He nodded to Valery, "Now, let's find some cover. I believe we have a discussion to be had."

His visor scanned the nearby area, his vision attempting to seek momentary shelter. Seeing potential in a nearby rooftop, he motioned silently. He stroke carefully in that direction, hoping the Jedi would intrigued enough to follow. After all, it was not every day a bounty hunter acted so charitable.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery flexed her fingers as the stun cuffs fell away, the faint burn from the restraints still tingling against her skin. She rubbed her wrists to ease the sensation and glanced at Eujan, her fiery eyes reflecting a mixture of gratitude and lingering caution.

"Thanks," she said simply, her voice calm but edged with the weight of everything that had just unfolded. "Getting those off will make moving around a lot easier."

She adjusted her posture and took a quick glance around, her sharp gaze scanning the underworld's neon-lit chaos. The flickering lights and the distant murmur of activity pressed in from all sides, but she knew better than to let her guard down. Trouble might have peeled off in a speeder, but it wasn't far behind.

When Eujan motioned toward a nearby rooftop, Valery nodded in agreement and fell into step beside him. Together, they moved quickly through the narrow alleys and dimly lit passages of Nar Shaddaa's underbelly. The air was thick with the smell of spice and oil, the muffled sounds of distant shouting and machinery creating an oppressive atmosphere. Valery kept her steps light, her senses stretched through the Force to detect any incoming threats.

After a few moments of walking in silence, Valery finally broke it, her voice low but curious. "Alright," she began, her tone steady as she glanced sideways at him. "I'll bite. Why help me? You could have just walked away and left me in the hands of those corrupt officers. Yet here we are."

Her fiery gaze lingered on his visor for a moment, her expression a careful blend of curiosity and skepticism. "You're a bounty hunter, and I doubt altruism is part of the job description. So what's your angle?"

Eujan Vidokh ​

 

[Eujan Vidokh]

Eujan glanced back at Valery as they climbed the last few steps toward the rooftop. His voice, calm but edged with distaste, carried over the muffled chaos of Nar Shaddaa’s streets below.

"Corrupt officers," he muttered, shaking his head. "Never could stomach them. Used to be a lawman myself, back on Hetzal. Can’t stand seeing people abuse the badge—or the power that comes with it."

He reached the top first, the faint hum of machinery and neon buzz filling the air. Turning, Eujan extended a hand to Valery, offering a steadying grasp to her as she climbed up beside him. Once she was safely on the rooftop, he stepped back, the neon-esque glow of nearby holo-signs reflecting off his visor. A moment passed in silence before he reached up and unclasped his helmet, lifting it free with a hiss of pressurized air.

His pale blue skin caught the light, his short white hair ruffled slightly by the breeze. The dark, lambda-shaped tattoo across his face stood out, marking him as Pantoran. He placed the helmet under his arm, meeting Valery’s gaze directly—a small but meaningful gesture of trust.

He pulled a small device from his belt and activated it. The bounty puck flickered to life, projecting a grainy holo-image of a Twi’lek with crimson skin and sharp features.

"This is Oghii Kaash," he said, gesturing to the image. "Oghii’s deep in the black arms trade. The Guild got contracted by the Milvayne Authority. Authority wants him taken down, but they can’t risk starting a political incident by arresting him here on Nar Shaddaa."

He paused, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "But finding him hasn’t been easy. He’s slippery, and I’ve got reason to believe he’s taken sanctuary with one of the gangs here. Hutt Cartel is my guess, but the leads are drying up."

Leaning slightly against the ledge, Eujan turned his gaze back to Valery.

"Which brings me to you. You’re a Jedi—a high-profile one at that. What are you doing on a skughole like this?" His voice dropped, his tone laced with curiosity and suspicion. "Jedi don't gallivant into the murk without reason. So tell me, Master Noble....what do you know of this man?"

And thus the Hunter's hand was partially played. Oghii’s mugshot flickered from the puck tauntingly. The recognizable face she had been hunting just a few moments earlier...

Valery Noble​