Private Shadows in the Undercity

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery's pace quickened as she felt the ripple of tension in the Force, drawing her closer to where Tycho had subdued the woman. As she stepped into the room, her eyes immediately locked on the scene before her — Tycho, standing over the bound figure, his hand pressed firmly against her head as he delved into her mind against her will. The woman, her orange eyes wide with a mix of fear and resistance, was helpless to stop him.

Valery's heart clenched at the sight. While she understood the need for urgency, the invasive use of the Force was something she couldn't condone so easily.

"Hey!" she called out, her voice calm but edged with authority. "Is that really necessary?"

As she closed the distance, her expression remained firm but not confrontational. She knew there were times when extracting information was critical, but this method unsettled her. Valery stood a few feet from him, her fiery gaze fixed on the woman for a moment before looking back at Tycho.

"We need her, but we also need to be careful about how we handle this," she continued, her tone softening slightly but still carrying weight. "Forcing your way into her mind... it can break more than just her defenses."

Tycho Arak ​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard Garb (In charcoal gray)
Weapons: Lightsaber
Other Equipment: Binders

Necessary? That was a subjective question. What was necessary to one might not be to another. In this case? Perhaps not, but his desire to solve this case was so great that he wanted to know. Needed to know. There was such a great potential for lives to be at stake that bending the rules here and there was a necessity in his mind.

"Yes," he said as she drew near to him, his hand not leaving the captives head.

She didn't like it. He understood that. Normally he wouldn't have resorted to this measure. He did now, though. Her mind was a fortress, but not one strong enough to keep him out. It was obvious she'd had some level of training, but that she was expendable, which was why she'd been given this assignment. They didn't care if she was caught and offed herself because they didn't care about her. As he scanned her mind for any connection to toxins and Ansion, he subtly slipped in just how little value she had to the people who'd sent her there. Was it manipulation? Sort of, but when it was clearly the truth, wouldn't that help her?

After a short time, he pulled his hand away. Her expression had changed. No, her mind wasn't melted, but she was very much conflicted now as a result of everything he'd shown her while he was poking around. That should, in theory, also make it easier for Alliance personnel to interrogate her. Since the woman wasn't going anywhere, he turned and grabbed Valery's arm, gently, guiding her far enough away to where they could speak.

"She's not who I'm looking for but she'll be valuable to you. You can be mad at me, I don't care, but I opened her mind up to the reality that her masters don't care about her, which was why she'd been instructed to kill herself."

He opened his hand to reveal the false tooth.

"She is the leader of this cell, but I could tell she'd been abused and manipulated and that's how she ended up in this position. While she's conflicted now, she should be more willing to give you what information she has without too much prodding, provided you all are gentle with her going forward. As for the goons, they're loyalists. She kept as far from them as she could because she was afraid of them. Keep that in mind when you deal with them."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched Tycho as he explained, her expression shifting from frustration to contemplation. She didn't fully agree with his methods — there was always a line to be drawn, and in her view, he had stepped dangerously close to it. But she couldn't deny the results he had achieved. The woman's conflicted state was a potential advantage now, and Tycho's intervention had likely made future interrogations smoother.

When he touched her arm to guide her away, Valery let out a soft sigh and nodded, her fiery gaze locking onto his. "I understand why you did it," she began, her voice quieter now but still laced with her usual intensity. "But I'm not sure I would have done the same."

She had other methods to acquire information.

Her gaze flicked back to the captive, who sat trembling, her once-defiant demeanor shattered. Valery's heart ached with the knowledge of the woman's manipulation, but she also knew they couldn't afford to be soft. "I'll make sure the Alliance handles her carefully, though."

Looking back at Tycho, she allowed a brief moment of reflection, "Let's wrap this up. I'll deal with her, and we can get the goons handled together."

Tycho Arak ​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard Garb (In charcoal gray)
Weapons: Lightsaber
Other Equipment: Binders

Reaching for her hand, he took it, and placed the tooth within it. Who knew? She might need it as a reminder when talking with the woman later on. Better that she had it as evidence, anyway. His part in this case was at a close, now only as a means of having confirmed these people didn't seem to have a connection to the events of Ansion, which, once again, left him stumped. He was going to have to reexamine everything and try and find a new angle to come at this? If he couldn't solve it soon, he was worried that something worse was going to happen.

"I don't expect a Jedi to do things the way I do," he said as he turned his back on her. "The unorthodox to you is the orthodox to me. The Force is the Force. I wish more people understood that intentions create evil, not abilities."

He pulled out his commlink and placed a call to let the monitors at Sentinel HQ know to notify Alliance Security that they could come and process the scene. In the meantime, he left the room and went out the front door to place binders on the two guys who were still stuck in their slowness. Couldn't have them getting away. He also drug them back inside and dumped them on their backsides before making sure they didn't have anything on them that was going to let them somehow get out of the binders. They didn't, but they were still cursing him out even as he returned to the security room to collect his datapad.

Standing in front of the monitors, he reached a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose and close his eyes. Frustration was welling, and he needed a moment to collect himself before security forces arrived.


Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery took the tooth Tycho handed her, her fingers brushing his briefly before she tucked it away in one of her pouches. She listened to his parting words, her eyes focused on him, but she offered no further comment on his approach or philosophy. They worked differently, but for now, that was beside the point. The mission was winding down, and the aftermath was for the Alliance to clean up.

As he moved to deal with the guards, Valery glanced back at the woman Tycho had interrogated. Her expression softened with a tinge of sympathy. Hopefully, this would all soon be behind her.

Once Tycho returned, visibly frustrated, Valery noticed the tension in his body. His hand pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture she recognized all too well from her own moments of exhaustion and agitation. Quietly, she approached him, her boots making only the faintest sound against the floor. She stood beside him but didn't speak right away, letting him have his moment.

Finally, in a softer, more compassionate tone, she broke the silence, "You okay?" Her voice carried genuine concern, a stark contrast to the earlier tension. "Maybe this wasn't quite how you imagined things would go, but we got the mission done."

"That's what matters most."

Tycho Arak ​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard Garb (In charcoal gray)
Weapons: Lightsaber
Other Equipment: Binders

Her presence next to him didn't go unnoticed, but he didn't speak until she did.

"I'll be fine," he assured her, lowering his hand. "I grow increasingly more worried as time passes since the incident on Ansion. The person behind it isn't going to stop there."

No, it hadn't gone the way he'd expected when he'd set out for the lower levels. Not in the slightest. But he had hoped to find something, and from what he'd gleaned from the woman, he'd found absolutely nothing. No connection. No care for Ansion. This was just a spy cell that was working to gain information for the Dark Empire to use against the Alliance. They weren't killing people. They weren't trying to terrorize the city. They were just doing a job. A job he didn't agree with, but a job nonetheless.

"The implication is that they'll strike at bigger and bigger targets until they hit their real target, which I think may be Coruscant itself."

He turned his gold eyes to look at her.

"That's not your problem though. You should take her and go find out what you can."

Stepping around her, he started for the exit. It was his full intention to head back to headquarters and poor through the data just to double check that what he'd uncovered contained no leads. It had to be done even though he knew it wouldn't help him. He'd also transmit a copy of everything to Alliance Security, as was company protocol. Then he'd go back to digging, making contacts, trying to find anyone that might have a grudge against the populace of Coruscant. It was all he had to go on.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery watched as Tycho's words hung heavily in the air, his frustration clear despite his assurance. His concerns about Ansion and the looming threat weighed on her as much as they did him. As he began to walk away, something in her refused to let him carry the burden alone. She reached out, calling after him with a tone firm yet full of care.

"Wait." Her voice softened just slightly, the weight of her concern beneath it.

Stepping closer, Valery's fiery gaze remained locked on him, studying the tension in his posture. He was strong and clearly capable, but the weight of this threat was a great burden on him. And something no one should have to face alone. The gravity of his words about Coruscant lingered — she knew too well what could happen if those suspicions came true.

The Dark Empire had already attacked Coruscant, and she wasn't going to allow it to be struck again.

Valery's hand rested briefly on his arm, not in an imposing way, but to let him feel her presence, her willingness to share the weight, "I can help you if you'd like," she offered, "Whether it's assistance in the field, information, resources, or just another perspective, I'm here. If you need help, don't hesitate to reach out."

She stepped back slightly, giving him space to decide, her expression open and sincere. The urgency of the situation was clear, but so was her readiness to stand by him if he wanted it.

Tycho Arak ​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Outfit: Sentinel Standard Garb (In charcoal gray)
Weapons: Lightsaber
Other Equipment: Binders

He paused. Perhaps he shouldn't have, it was hard to say. This task was monumental and there were so many tasks to be undertaken, especially by the Grandmaster of the Jedi. Yes, he knew who she was. While she didn't know him, he still hadn't given her his name, he knew her. He knew the names and faces of the most important people on Corcuscant because he had to. What kind of person in his line of work would fail to know those things? He knew she was married. He knew she was a mother.

What kind of person would he be to put her in danger willingly? Even if she was volunteering? She hadn't seen what he'd seen on Ansion. Not even Katarine really understood the full weight of what had happened in those brief moments in that room. His knowledge of the Force, of the abilities a Jedi would never use, told him much.

"I appreciate that, Grandmaster Noble," he said, letting her know he did know exactly who she was. "And I may take you up on the offer of information and resources, but I won't put you in the crosshairs of this madman. Let that remain on me."

He turned his gaze back to her one more time and, actually, smiled at her. She may not have approved of his methods, but she wasn't letting that stop her from realizing he was trying to do good. He appreciated that. It was nice to have an ally, especially one so powerful as her, going forward, even if she was a silent one. And yeah, he wasn't about to let her children lose their mother. He knew firsthand what it was like to have no parents after his own had abandoned him to combat training. He didn't want that for anyone else.

"Take care," he said before walking away.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Lightsabers

Valery stood quietly as Tycho paused, watching him process her words. His acknowledgment of who she was didn't surprise her — the way he had carried himself, the sharpness in his demeanor, all pointed to someone who was well aware of his surroundings. But there was something deeper in his tone when he addressed her as Grandmaster, something that resonated with both respect and distance.

She listened as he expressed his gratitude, but also the firm decision to keep her away from the dangers he foresaw. It wasn't just about his mission — it was about protecting her, her family, and her role as a Jedi leader. The notion of keeping others out of harm's way was familiar to Valery, but it didn't sit lightly with her. She had faced countless dangers before, but his resolve was personal, and she could sense the weight of his experiences. She could tell he carried scars that ran deeper than just physical battles.

As he turned to face her once more, offering her a smile, Valery couldn't help but return it with a softened gaze, a quiet understanding passing between them. His methods might be different, but the core of his intentions was unmistakable — he was fighting to prevent something terrible, and in his own way, he cared about the collateral damage that mission might cause.

"I understand," she said, her voice calm and full of respect for his choice. "But remember, you're not alone. If you need help, I'm only a call away."

She watched as he walked away into the streets, his figure gradually disappearing into the shifting light of Coruscant's lower levels. For a long moment, she stood still, the cool air brushing through her dark hair as she reflected on their encounter.

A soft smile tugged at her lips before she stepped back into the streets herself.

Tycho Arak ​