Private Nar Shaddaa Nights

[Gatz Derrevar]

Coruscant

​

Kragan Garr was in the wind.

What Gatz and Valery had done on Sovereign Station, the heart of his slaving empire, had terrified the old Quarren. That was deeply satisfying to Gatz. But it had also motivated him to start covering his tracks, and to stop making so many public appearances at his slave auctions. The old man had always been a coward, but being taken hostage and having a blaster leveled at his head had shown him what true fear was like.

Again, deeply satisfying. But for the life of him, Gatz couldn’t figure out where Kragan was resting his head at night. All his old contacts in Kragan’s circle had either ignored his calls, or had sent more bounty hunters after him.

He was up to nine, by the way. Nine bounty hunters he’d outclassed. Not bad, for a failed Jedi and a retired smuggler. He just hoped Valery didn’t ask about that particular topic. She hadn’t been very pleased with him leaving Coruscant, and therefore leaving the radius of her protection. But he hadn’t been so much as scratched by the last four hunters, so maybe that would buy him a few extra brownie points.

But he’d lose those immediately, if she found out that he’d never found a bacta tank to soak in after he’d been shot in the leg. Gatz was regularly changing the bandage around his thigh, and had applied plenty of bacta on his own, but the blaster wound was far from healed. It ached constantly, and he wouldn’t be able to sprint for more than a few seconds, but he could at least walk on it without limping.

Unless he spent a few hours on it. Then he’d be reduced to limping again.

He hoped to avoid limping tonight, though. He may not have found Kragan, but he knew someone who could: Jekerro, a business partner of Kragan’s, also in the slave trade. He was hosting a cocktail party tomorrow night on Nar Shaddaa, for all of his associates, and Gatz had managed to grease enough palms to get an invite.

An invite with a plus one.

Naturally, he’d left Valery a message as she’d requested. More like demanded, really, but he didn’t mind that. At least he’d have a Jedi Master at his back. So he’d given her a small handful of details: Nar Shaddaa, cocktail party, potential information on where Kragan was, and to bring a dress fit for a gala.

He could give her the full run down when she met him here, on Coruscant, in the landing bay The Red Night currently occupied. There was just… one fine detail that might throw a wrench into things, but that was better left explained to Valery in person. While she was sitting down. In a place where shattering glass wouldn’t leave them exposed to the vacuum of space.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

So, he had found something.

The fact that it involved Nar Shaddaa was not surprising, but very concerning. She didn't like the planet at all, and even though she had been there for missions before, there was always a certain level of discomfort. Too many slavers were there, and too many people who made the lives of others a living hell for personal gain. For Credits, usually. But after what happened on Sovereign Station, Valery wanted to oush through it all.

She couldn't allow emotion to control her a second time and cause even more damage and destruction. This time would be different, she kept telling herself.

Valery had also read up on all the other details, and prepared her stuff. She was currently wearing an outfit not too different from his usual - jeans, a simple shirt and a black leather jacket. But in her luggage she had her dress and everything she needed to doll up for the party they were infiltrating together. More than likely, she'd be seen as an object there by the owners, but she'd show them.

By letting her in, they were inviting a lot of trouble.

"Gatz?" Valery asked after stepping onto his ship with all of her stuff. "I've got everything ready. Where are you hiding?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Gatz could feel her presence in the Force—a radiating warmth to him—before she so much as stepped foot on the loading ramp. When they'd met for the first time, he'd only been able to feel her when she was in the same room as him. It was an obvious sign that his rusted connection to the Force was, well, unrusting. That was a particularly large problem that he needed to discuss with her at length.

But Kragan took precedence. So his other issues would have to wait.

He spun around in the pilot's chair, and groaned as he stood up, sharp pain piercing his thigh. But it passed as soon as it came, and he could put his full weight on the leg, so it didn't slow him down. Gatz marched down the hall, past the passenger cabins, the spotless galley, and into the empty cargo bay. Empty. There was a time when his cargo bay was always packed full, but those days were past.

Besides, Valery was a far better trade. One, he couldn't talk to crates and pallets, or at least, they couldn't talk back. Two, cargo didn't put his mind at ease, make him feel safe, or give him something to aspire to. So what was spice compared to Valery Noble? What were credits? Nothing, in his opinion. Give him the Sword of the Jedi any day of the week.

At least that way, he had a better chance of surviving the next twenty-four hours.

"Me? Hide from you?" Gatz leaned against a railing, "whatever makes you think I'd do that?"

Well, last week he supposed. He had tried to make a great escape from her, while he was bleeding out. In his defense, his reasons were justified, but that hadn't been enough to convince her to let him turn around and leave. Hell, he was lucky she hadn't tied him to the bed that day.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

The moment Gatz appeared in front of her, Valery looked him over with an analytical eye. They had last seen each other when he was still half-dead, so she was making sure that he had actually taken good care of himself. From what she could see at a first glance, he looked to be doing alright. So rather than a scolding, she met him with a friendly smile.

"Do you really want me to answer that? I nearly had to tie you down to the bed to keep you from running away, when you were bleeding out." She grinned, knowing he had likely expected her to say this, but she wasn't going to spare him at all.

He had deserved every bit of this.

"But you look a lot better than last time. Got everything you needed figured out too? The blaster seemed a problem when we last talked." With that, Valery made a gesture with her head that they could start heading further into the ship. She'd much rather sit down in the cockpit and talk than here in the more cramped hallways.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"In my defense, usually I expect dinner and drinks before I'm tied down. You wanted to do it in reverse."

If she wanted to tease him, he could give it right back. The difference was, her teasing was meant to be lighthearted and fun. His teasing was meant to make her flush red. Because Sovereign Station had taught him that that was possible: that he could make the Jedi Battlemaster turn red as a tomato.

Would there be consequences? Obviously. But Gatz was nothing if not bold. And stupid.

"I... haven't quite had the time to go shopping for a new blaster. I've spent most of my time in space. Easier to handle Kragan's bounty hunters that way," Gatz explained, pointedly not mentioning his injury, "not that it matters. We won't be allowed to carry weapons into Jekerro's palace anyhow."

Valery made a clear motion for him to lead her further into the ship. So Gatz did, guiding her down the meticulously clean halls of his vessel, stopping at the door of the passenger cabin directly across from his own.

"Here's your room. It's not fancy, but it's clean, the bed is decent, there's plenty of room for your stuff, and the door locks. I'll be in the cockpit when you've gotten yourself situated."

Letting Valery put her stuff away would give him a little bit more time to figure out how to tell her just who and what Jekerro was. So, as he sat back down in his seat, Gatz wracked his brain for the best way to tell her gently. Because telling her blatantly, and without consideration for her feelings and history about Hutt slavers, was bound to end with her being distressed.

Gatz didn't like it when Valery was distressed. It always made his stomach twist itself into knots. And, when the situation was reversed, as it often was, she was always considerate of his feelings on matters difficult for him. He wanted to be able to say the same.​

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

There was a faint touch of red to her cheeks, but she had actually seen this joke coming. Or well, a version of it. So she was quick to roll her eyes and loomed at him with a bit of a smirk while she shook her head, "Maybe I should have given you some more time with just Vera." A joke he perhaps wouldn't fully understand, but Vera often outed people with her visions.

It had created some awkward moments for her Padawans, who had things to hide from Valery.

On the topic of his blaster though, she sighed. "Maybe we can get one after the mission. Finding a merchant for blasters on Nar Shaddaa should be easy enough. Might not need one now, but you definitely will in the future." The ultimate confrontation with Kragan amd his guards being one of those moments.

The two then passed by her room, but Valery didn't spend too much time inside. She put her bags down, fixed up her hair a little and made sure she knew where everything was for later during the night, when there would be less light to guide her. Then, after a few short minutes, she entered the cockpit and sat down in what she assumes to be the co-pilot seat.

"Alright, I'm ready to get going. Is there anything else I need to know before we get there? I don't know if your contacts shared any specifics?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"How well does she manage?" Gatz asked softly, concern in his tone, "I know enough to know what a Seer is. Not an easy burden for a child to bear."

Outside of small things like the wound on his leg, or how many hunters had confronted him this week, Gatz had nothing to hide from Valery. He'd already told her that she gave him his very purpose for living, so really, there wasn't anything that could be revealed to her that could be more embarrassing than that. And he'd told her about how he'd killed Kreth in cold blood. So she knew his deepest regret too.

Well, no, he supposed she really didn't know his deepest regret. But Gatz didn't think it was worse than what he'd done to Kreth, per se.

"I'll come up with something. I just... really liked the old one, you know? Nothing else feels right in my hand. Hell, even that blaster didn't feel right in my hand. But it was as close as anything got."

By the time Valery had rejoined Gatz in the cockpit, the expression he wore was one of deep contemplation. There was no easy way to break the ice to her; no easy way to ask her to face her trauma for him, for his vendetta. She had insisted that he bring her along on this venture, but she hadn't signed up for this.

All he could do was, well, do it. So Gatz spun the pilot's seat to face her, as she sat down to be his co-pilot.

"We're going to a fancy cocktail party hosted by one of Kragan's old pals: Jekerro. I don't know the man personally, never worked for him like I did for Kragan, but I'm told that he might be the only person who knows where the old Quarren is," Gatz sucked in a deep breath, anxiety and concern emanating from him in the Force, and when he spoke again he did so very softly, "Valery... Jekerro is a Hutt. A Hutt slaver. And I expect we'll see some of his handywork there."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"She manages surprisingly well. Vera is a tough kid, and Kahlil and I do our best to help her however we can." Her little star had definitely struggled with visions in the past — she had gotten her first ones when she was only three years old. But now that she was starting proper Jedi training, she was beginning to get a grip on things. "She has even helped us several times with her visions. But... it's always a risk and point of difficulty."

But with that said, Valery dropped off all of her stuff and rejoined him in the cockpit. She knew this was going to be a tough mission but something about his expression and the concern she felt in the Force worried her. Was there something she didn't know? Or was it just difficult for him to confront more of Kragan's power structure head-on like this? Either way, Valery sat down to listen to him.

Gatz then began to explain where they were going, and that they'd be going after a Jekerro. Nothing new, as far as she knew. He had already told her about the party they were infiltrating so she could prepare for it. So... what was up? She watched closely as he sucked in a deep breath, and then finally told her.

A Hutt and slavers.

"Gatz..." she began with just a gentle frown. "After what we saw on Sovereign Station, I knew what I was getting myself into going after him. It will be uncomfortable, but I won't let myself lose control again. Just... let's try to avoid interacting with the slaves. I'm sure everybody in attendance is almost expected to treat them like they're not people, but I can't. I'm there to learn about this Hutt and I'm willing to confront him directly, but I will not make the lives of the slaves more miserable just to play my undercover role."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Sometimes—no most times, Gatz thought the galaxy would be a kinder place without the Force. How could the Will possibly justify burdening a child so? But he wasn't in the mood for a philosophical debate, so he didn't tell the active Jedi Master next to him.

Gatz waited with something akin to trepidation as he waited for Valery to respond. It wasn't that he was expecting her to get angry, at least, not with him. He just... he had a pretty good idea of that he was asking of her, after seeing her outburst on Sovereign Station. He hadn't had the slightest inkling as to her past as a Hutt slave, not at that time. But he did now. Gatz knew it wouldn't change her mind, and he knew she would still want to come along.

That didn't mean he felt good about asking.

"I would never ask you to lower yourself to their level," Gatz was quick to reassure her, "I just wanted you to have time to prepare yourself for it. I would have said something in the message I left you, but... I thought this was something you should hear from me in person. And I'm sorry that I'm making you come face to face with this a second time."

He wanted to add that she didn't have to come, that he could figure it out on his own. But he kept his mouth shut, because he knew there was no point. There was no galaxy in which she'd let him walk into the viper's den on his own, and if he truly appreciated and valued her, then he should let her make that choice without second guessing her.

More importantly than that though, at least to him, was that to imply that Valery wasn't capable of facing her trauma was to insult her.

She was not fragile. He was the fragile one here. It was time he stopped treating her like glass just because of his guilt.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"I appreciate you telling me in person," Valery said with a dip of her head. If he had told her in the message, she probably still would have been here just because she wasn't going to let him face Kragan and his people alone. But this was definitely the type of information best shared in person, and it showed in the way she showed appreciation through her smile. "And you don't have to apologize. It's important for Jedi to confront their fears, and I've pushed this one back for far too long."

"This is a type of evil I have to fight against."

With that said, Valery leaned back into her chair and just relaxed for a moment. They'd have a decent flight ahead of them, so she had plenty of time to mentally prepare herself for what was coming next. But she didn't really want to spend all that time just worrying over what they were up against.

She'd handle it when they get there.

"How long will we have before we arrive? Just so I know when to get ready."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

The knot in his stomach loosened when Valery smiled at him, and Gatz felt relief in knowing that he had finally done something right by her. Of course, then that knot immediately retied itself with what she said next.

"It's important for Jedi to confront their fears..."

A wound fifteen years closed reopened in his chest. But, who was he kidding? That wound had never truly been closed. And fear had always ruled him, when he was a youngling, when he was a smuggler, and even now. Even at the side of a Jedi Master. That old shame bubbled to the surface, as it always did.

Gatz ignored it in favor of focusing on her next question.

"Well, Coruscant and Nar Shaddaa are about as far from each other as they could be," Gatz sighed, "and it's already pretty late. So you're looking at an overnight flight. Should get there before noon tomorrow. That'll give us a few hours to prepare. Should give you time to meditate too, if you need to center yourself before we rub elbows with some of the worst scum in the galaxy."

That was old hat for Gatz Derrevar, cartel smuggler. But he had to imagine that the Sword had far more experience with eradicating depravity, rather than making nice with it. Maybe after they got what they needed, Gatz could prod her into dismantling Jekerro and his whole operation. Free his slaves. That ought to help her sleep easy that night.

Gatz could never repay the debt he owed Valery, but maybe he could give her this one thing: a chance to free others from a plight that still haunted her.

It was something for him to consider on the jump there.

"Is everything in your cabin alright? I have extra blankets and pillows if you need them."

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"A bit of time to rest and meditate wouldn't hurt," Valery agreed after a moment of contemplation. She was feeling... surprisingly calm after the revelation that they'd be confronted by her worst nightmare again. But she was also a bit tired and having some extra time to really think everything through would put her mind at ease for the coming days. She was going to need it, because even though she felt ready now, she knew it was going to be challenging.

She just had this feeling that something or someone would really test her patience there.

"The cabin is fine, and I really don't need much," she then assured him with a chuckle. "It looked clean too, which was... surprising." She flashed him a teasing grin, knowing he was the type to actually take good care of his ship. Not all smugglers did though — a lot of them were disgusting.

If he had been, they'd have taken her ship.

"I think I'll go ahead and get some rest. See you in the morning? Or was there anything else?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

"I'm insulted that you'd think I'd give you anything but the best," Gatz shook his head, but in good humor, "also that you think I'm a slob. Me? With my perfectly tousled hair?"

A smuggler's ship wasn't unlike a Jedi's lightsaber. You could tell a lot about the quality of either owner by how well they took care of their property. It was important to have respect for the tools of the trade, and it was important to maintain them. Because if you didn't, they'd fail you when you needed them the most.

Or maybe he still remembered his days as a youngling, the lessons about the proper use and care of a lightsaber, and he'd just chosen to apply them to his ship.

There was something else, but Gatz was hesitant to mention it. At some point, eventually, he needed to address his slowly strengthening connection to the Force. It was dangerous for an untrained—well, partiality trained—Force user to be left to their own devices. It was even more dangerous for men like him: men often tempted by selfish and cruel action. But was this the time, or the place for it?

Well, they did have a long trip ahead of them. But Valery wanted to retire for the night, so he wouldn't bother her. Gatz would just have to be extra responsible until there was a better time to bring it up.

"No," Gatz spoke after a period of silence, only somewhat suspiciously long, "nothing else. Go and get some sleep, or meditate, or whatever Jedi do to rest these days. I'll get us on our way."

Maybe a quiet night of contemplation, staring out the cockpit viewport as stars passed them by, would put his mind at ease about this whole thing.

But probably not.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Dress | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Valery intentionally didn't respond to his question about his hair, and just flashed him a grin. Sometimes it was fun to poke a little bit of fun, and with her plan to go to bed, she'd leave him behind after making her annoying little comment. Valery then stood up, stretched her arms and legs, and drew in a deep breath. It had already been a long day for her, so it showed that she was just a little bit tired.

"Just don't stay out here too long," Valery said, her eyes finding him again.

"We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so get your rest." Her tone was more serious at the last part of that sentence, but she wasn't his mother. If he wanted to stay up all night and sit inside his cockpit, she wasn't going to bother him. "Good night, Gatz," she finally added with a more kind smile, before she finally retreated to her room.

She wouldn't leave it until the morning.

...
Getting dressed up twice in the span of a few hours seemed annoying, so rather than putting on her casual clothes again, Valery already changed into her dress, wore her heels, and curled her long bangs and ponytail, just to make the hair more wavy. She also applied make-up, wore some perfume and got herself ready for what she assumed would be a challenging day. Then, for just a moment, Valery found herself in front of the mirror, thinking about all the things that could go wrong.

She could get hurt, Gatz could be harmed, the slaves could be caught in a crossfire...

Valery shook her head to snap out of her thoughts, and pushed open the door, before she headed towards the cockpit. She wasn't sure if he'd be there already, or if he was still asleep, but she'd just sit down in the co-pilot seat until he'd be there.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

In his defense, Gatz had tried to do as Valery asked of him. But like most nights in the past two weeks, he'd been haunted by night terrors. The memory of Valery being shot because of him, falling to the ground trailing smoke. Nightmares of Kragan on her doorstep, mere inches away from little Vera.

Funny how, even in his dreams, the consequences of his actions never seemed to fall on him. Only ever the people around him. A part of him was terrified for Valery, worried he'd just doomed a mother to be taken from her family, and a part of him was furious with himself for even thinking that she wouldn't be able to handle herself.

Gatz sighed. He was so tired.

He did his best to move on from his doubts, moving to the mirror in his cabin so that he could finish getting ready. Jekerro's parties were of the highest class for Nar Shaddaa, and they wouldn't let in some space jockey in a red leather jacket. Which was a damn shame, because that jacket made his whole persona. He felt naked without it.

But he supposed that his suit—a dark, slim fit number with a white button up underneath—wasn't the worst thing he'd ever worn. It just didn't feel like him. But he supposed, for the chance to catch up with Kragan once and for all, he could stun the ladies with formal attire for once, instead of scoundrel chic.

Now if only he could figure out the damn tie.

"Really wish you'd taught me how to tie one of these things Dad," Gatz mused, "instead of getting shot over a fistful of credits."

There were a lot of things he wished his father had taught him. A lot of reasons he wished he were still here.

With a sigh, Gatz resigned himself to the fact that all he was doing was tying this damn strip of fabric in knots. None of the right ones. Maybe Valery knew how to wrangle a tie. It was downright embarrassing to have to ask, but it was the only option that was left to him.

He left his cabin, tie hanging around his neck, and noticed her door was ajar. And smelled the fading scent of some kind of expensive perfume. Was she waiting for him in the cockpit then?

"Hey Valery, I'm a little embarrassed to ask," Gatz stepped into the cockpit, "but do you know how to tie a..."

He never finished the sentence, the last vowel sound trailing off for several seconds after he finally spotted Valery in the co-pilot's seat, wearing a green dress that was downright scandalous. Full cleavage on display, damn near most of her breasts really, a peek at abs that he could grind meat on, and a well muscled and shapely leg just barely visible from a slit in the dress.

It was finally his turn to be as red as his jacket, it seemed. His mouth was still open. Pupils blown wide. His whole reason for coming in here in the first place, forgotten. Not that anything else in here could matter. The only thing in the room was her.

It was like seeing the Palace of Theed for the first time.

He tried to say something, offer her a compliment, but his words just didn't... work.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Dress | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

"Hey Valery, I'm a little embarrassed to ask," Gatz stepped into the cockpit, "but do you know how to tie a..."

The sound of his voice caused Valery's head to turn, only to notice his eyes shifting over her appearance while his mouth fell open. Her head tilted slightly, her eyes narrowed a little and slowly, she began to rise from her seat. She was more than aware that her dress and appearance in general could make heads turn, and for the party, that's what she wanted. But she hadn't really expected it to affect him this much. The make-up she wore caused her fiery eyes to pop out even more, and right now, they were staring right into his own eyes, hoping to pull him out of his trance.

"You know it's rude to stare, right?" She asked, gauging whether or not calling it out would have any effect. He seemed a little bit too lost in thought though, so she slowly walked over and finally noticed why he had approached her to begin with. His suit actually looked pretty nice, and it was a very different look for the man she had always seen in a jacket and jeans. But that tie... wait, he didn't know how to tie it up?

She chuckled, stopped in front of him and held up his tie between them.

"The suit looks good, but..." she fixed up his tie and flashed a grin. "Now it's perfect."

Valery then turned around and walked back over to the co-pilot seat, just so she could sit down and relax again. They still had some distance to cover, and she wasn't going to spend that time standing on her heels.

"How much time before we arrive?"

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

Valery turned to look at him, head tilted, brilliant eyes narrowed, and suddenly he couldn't breathe. He'd always thought she was beautiful, but it was something that had stayed in the back of his mind, never pulled to the forefront of his thoughts. Maybe that was because they were always busy getting shot at, or bleeding, or arguing about who was going to sacrifice themselves for who. But it didn't matter why he'd never focused on her looks. Only that he hadn't.

Well, he was focused on them now. She said something to him—he saw her painted lips move—but sound seemed to be faulty right now, because he heard nothing. Then she stood, and sound worked just fine. It was just that the only sound he could hear was his blood rushing in his ears. She walked towards him, eyes trailing down and catching on something around his neckline.

She stopped right in front of him, and Gatz realized that she was as tall as he was in those heels. Valery grinned at him, and Gatz thought he was about to suffocate. It was only when she held his tie up in front of him, and he remembered the whole reason he'd come in here in the first place, the whole reason she was dressed up in the first place, that he began to regain his normal faculties.

Sound returned to him, as did his breath but only barely, and Gatz was forced to accept that Valery wasn't the only sight in the room. His grasp on Galactic Basic returned as well, just in time for her to finish tying his tie and compliment his suit.

"I'm pretty sure you're perfect."

Holy shit that was way too blatant. That was no clever, sly, or suave hint of flirtatiousness in an otherwise normal sentence. That was just a raw, unfiltered statement about how he felt, and Gatz really wished he hadn't just given that to her. His interactions with her were supposed to be playful, but meaningless. Never actually hinting at anything serious.

This was a married woman, and he needed to control himself. There was no excuse for being this disrespectful.

"I need a second," Gatz cleared his throat, "I'll be back before we drop from hyperspace. Won't be more than five minutes."

With that said, he turned in a janky, awkward motion, and walked back down the hall to his cabin.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Coruscant

​

Outfit: Dress | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

Maybe she should have gone with a different dress.

She was flattered to see the reaction, but they still had a pretty serious mission to focus on. If she was too distracting like this, and something were to go wrong, then would he be able to snap out of it and do what had to be done? All these questions ran through her mind, but were promptly interrupted when he opened his mouth and complimented her. In a very direct way, and from the heart, but it was still a compliment.

Valery blinked in response at first, and turned her gaze back to him. Her cheeks were a faint rosy color, a sign that even those bold words were quite flattering, and her smile brightened for a moment. "That's very kind of you," she said with a chuckle, before she leaned back into her seat again, and raised a hand up to fix her long hair in place.

It took a lot of maintenance.

But while she expected him to sit down in the pilot seat, Gatz then told her he needed a moment, and she understood. The comment was meant to have been a compliment, but she was still a married woman, and he had tried hard to not be the typical smuggler who ignored that fact. If he needed a moment to center himself, she'd give him that without teasing him over it.

"Alright, just don't be gone too long. I'd rather not reach our destination without you in the cockpit."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

​

At least she'd been pleased, and not upset with his comment. But now he couldn't get that smile she'd given him out of his mind.

Back in his cabin, he looked at himself in the mirror, blue eyes burdened with dark circles underneath. Gatz needed to remember why those circles were there, why the last two weeks had been sleepless and filled with exhaustion. They weren't here so that he could try his hand at wooing a woman married with children. They were here because Kragan Garr wouldn't stop until he was dead. And if they didn't get what they needed tonight, that was a very real outcome for Gatz.

They were here because Kragan Garr was an evil, sadistic, pathetic old man who had sold and butchered thousands of people. Gatz reminded himself of the slave auction, remembered Valery being shot, recalled the nine bounty hunters he'd narrowly escaped.

Fury burned in his chest, so hot Valery could probably feel it from the cockpit. But fury was better than unfocused lust and infatuation. So Gatz held it in a tight grasp, letting it settle into his heart, making it pump with the heat of a thermonuclear furnace. It burned away inappropriate thoughts best left unmentioned, and left him with only one focus: find Kragan Garr.

The Sword might not approve, but then, Gatz had always been a failure of a Jedi.

When he returned to the cockpit, gone was the red flush of infatuation, and jaw-dropped look of captivation. His visage held only furrowed brows, determination, and laser focus on the pilot's seat. Gatz sat down, taking his rightful place, and rested his hand on the hyperdrive lever. Another sixty seconds, and he could throw it, but not just yet.

"Sorry," he said simply, "I just needed a moment to focus. Tonight is too important for me to screw anything up. But you do look beautiful tonight."

The console chimed at him, and Gatz threw the hyperdrive lever. With a shutter and a whine, The Red Night exited hyperspace in a flash of color, and they were left floating with a view of the rotten corpse of Nal Hutta, and the metal orb that was the Smuggler's Moon outside the viewport.

"Home, sweet home," Gatz said, the statement somehow being both sarcastic and genuine all at once.

---

Tags: Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Nar Shaddaa

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Outfit: Dress | Wedding Ring
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber
Tag: Gatz Derrevar

While Gatz was on his own in his room, Valery remained in the cockpit and idly stared out of the window. As a kid, she had always loved watching the stars, and even these days she could get lost in them for hours on end. But not today — the mission was on her mind constantly, and that fear of being confronted with the slaves out there was starting to rise. No matter what, though, Valery was going to push herself through this.

She'd conquer this fear, the same way she had conquered others in the past.

Luckily, she was drawn out of her own mind soon, when the door into Gatz's room opened again. He stepped outside and... almost felt like a completely different man. She stared at him for a moment, taking note of his expression and the way he felt in the Force, before she offered an understanding dip of her head.

"It's alright, and we'll get through it," she said, her smile lingering as he complimented her with less emotion this time. Her gaze then turned towards the viewscreen, and with a pull on the lever, they appeared in front of the familiar moon. Valery drew in a deeper breath again, and turned in her seat to look at Gatz.

"Are we landing at the hotel, or at the event already?"