Private Target Acquired

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"The bridge sounds good," Valery said with a nod in agreement. It would leave them only temporarily exposed as they'd move across, but the front door was no option, and going through water would make the rest of the mission so much more difficult. It was also unlikely that they expected two agents to be all the way out here, so they had the element of surprise.

After passing through the woods, they took up position behind a large tree, from where they could see the bridge and its defenses. Two guards were standing there, not really paying attention but they were still a problem, and so was the locked gate behind them. "I can get the passes from them and open the gate without drawing attention. But I'll need you to sweep in and take them out."

"I got this," She winked, looked down at the pistols and lightsaber she had strapped to herself (the dress has no pockets or belt), and let out a soft sigh. Valery then jumped away from cover and walked over like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Ma'am, this area is off-limits, please turn back," one guard immediately said when he noticed her.

"You will lower your weapons and hand me your access cards," she said with a wave of her hand. They froze instantly, lowered their weapons, and reached for their passes, which Valery accepted to unlock the gate. It gave Aldric a chance to catch up, but he had to be quick.

Her spell over them would not very long.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric smirked, and whispered back, "By all means," He kept himself out of sight, while she stepped out to do her work. The guards were quick to catch sight of her, but were no match for her sudden mind trick. Just as soon as they had moved to stop her, they then lowered their guns and freely offered their cards. Aldric peeked out and watched, impressed to see the ability in action.

He then blinked, realizing this was his cue, and snuck in behind, putting his hands on the side of each guard's head, and slamming them into one another with an unpleasant clunk. They both slumped over, unconscious. "That was easy," The agent smirked again, before taking one of the access cards and giving the guards a look over. "…Maybe it's time for another change in clothes?"

He then seized one of the unconscious men's collar, and pulled him off to the side to take on the disguise. After stepping out, still not in well-fitted fashion, but at least looking a bit more like he belonged, he used the card to unlock the gate. The panel pinged and lit up green, before the security bars slid open to let them through, "After you."

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"Almost too easy, but we just make a good team," she winked and turned her eyes down to the guards. They were unconscious but there was no way to know how long that would last. "Change of clothes and we take their comms so we can overhear the refinery's communications. We should also tie them up in case they wake up long before we're out of there."

She sighed and dragged the smaller of the two guards away from the gate before she stripped him down and put on his uniform over her dress. Valery then returned, in clothing way too big for her in some places and a little uncomfortable in others, as it wasn't meant for a woman's body, but it would work. "Don't you dare laugh at me," she warned with a grin just in case, though.

Finally, she muffled the two guards, made sure they were out of sight, and stepped through the gate Aldric had opened for them already. With her in front, they walked across the long bridge and she could feel the tension rise. What if they were spotted and they knew? There was no easy way back beyond a certain point, so it was all or nothing now. It was a risk she was only willing to take because of her partner on this mission.

"The chatter over comms is quiet and calm, so we should be fine," She said as they soon reached a huge set of blast doors. Their cards would allow them access but she feared that two guards supposed to protect a gate showing up could set off some alarm bells. So Valery looked down the side of the bridge, at the dam of metal that sloped down — she could reach it with a jump or by carefully climbing down with him. "Hey, babe... do you trust me?" she asked with that excited sparkle in her fiery eyes.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

"Good call," Aldric agreed, helping pull away and bind up the guards out of sight from the entrance. The simple lack of their presence would likely be enough to raise concerns, but it's not like there were any better alternatives. They just had to hope there would be enough time to get through their mission before it became a problem. Valery stepped aside to put on her disguise, and returned looking uncomfortable and poorly-fitted. Not that Aldric was too much different. Even still, he teased her with a smirk, "Think I have a death wish, or something?" He had already given her grief over her 'age', best not to push his luck too far.

Together they began the trek across the long bridge, which itself signaled a point of no return on their mission. No backing out now. Not that they had any plans to do so anyway. Reaching a large set of doors, Aldric took a moment to think to himself when Valery suddenly spoke up. He smirked, brows raised curiously, "You know I do." There was something more to that look in her eyes that he hadn't quite picked up on. After a moment, he seemed to pick up the train of thought, his own eyes shifting down to the dam below. Aldric pursed his lips, "You're kidding," Not so lucky. Despite his skepticism, however, he almost immediately posted up by the side of the bridge, confirming his trust. What was that he said about a death wish?

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"Think I have a death wish, or something?"

Perhaps he didn't say anything, but she saw that smirk on his face, so there was still a brief, cold glare of death. When it finally turned back into a grin, she was ready to turn around and continue the mission, but it quickly came with its own challenges. There was no way they'd just go through the front door, so she proposed a plan without actually saying it out loud.

"Good because you're really going to have to trust me on this one," she said in response, as she searched for hatches or other ways to get inside from on top of the sloped section of the dam. There were none, but she still had an idea to get through despite it. "Yep, and grappling takes too long, so we're doing this the Jedi way." Valery now had that spark of danger in her eyes that he'd either hate or love to see, before she suddenly began to sprint and jumped down from the bridge, and towards the dam. In the air, she spun around and pulled Aldric along, sending him flying towards the dam as well. But while it likely felt uncontrolled, there was no second that she lost control over him.

She landed against the side first, before she slowed him down and made sure he was settled on the metal wall properly and had something to hold onto. "That was fun, right?" she grinned and grabbed her lightsaber to cut a circular piece through the wall. She sensed nobody on the other side, so they could slip through and she'd put the carved-out section back. At a distance away, nobody would be able to tell.

"We're in the generator room, so nobody will really be here. But it is still a way to go to the control rooms and offices, I'm sure. We can play it cool and try to make use of these uniforms, though."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric just tensed up and sighed in preparation, before being promptly yoinked off the catwalk and down towards the dam, "Vaaaaal-!" He griped mid-descent, having no choice now but to trust that she had hold of him, even as the nerves in his body were firing like he had just been thrown to his demise. Thankfully, the agent's survival instincts were placated, as Valery slowed his fall to a position where he could be safely settled. After a few pants and another look down, he found a weary smirk all over again, "That's a word for it."

His Jedi partner made quick work of the wall, cutting it into a makeshift entryway that was easily hidden. They both crept in, as Valery confirmed, to a generator room. Aldric straightened up, giving his disguise one last pat down before nodding to her, "Easy enough. If you're ready then, let's move."

The door slid open for them to both step out into a long hall. Aldric looked around each end briefly, almost immediately finding another security officer passing them by. The man seemed to give them a curious look, but all it took was a disarming smirk and nod from Aldric to keep him from any questions. "Too easy," He whispered to Valery once they were far enough away in the opposite direction, "Act like we're supposed to be here, and chances are, they'll buy it." As if she weren't already well-acquainted with espionage tactics herself. Aldric just found it amusing to boast as if he were sharing some esoteric wisdom.

"Chances are admin is on the upper levels, right? We need to find an elevator." Aldric rounded a corner and let the next door slide open, behind which was apparently the entrance to the mess hall. A number of guards and staff were milling about, mostly preoccupied with meals or chit-chat, but still a few took a glance at the new arrivals. Aldric pursed his lips, muttering out of the corner of his mouth, "Like we're supposed to be here..."

Hopefully no one was too prying…

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"Oh I'm ready, are you?" she teased, having heard his griping when she yoinked him along to land on the dam. It only made sense that it wasn't a pleasant experience for him, but she was still going to tease him about it. The two then stepped out into the hallway, dressed as security personnel, and immediately ran into another officer. She probably looked the weirdest out of them both, as she was walking around in a man's clothing, but Aldric pulled his attention and handled it perfectly.

"Act like we're supposed to be here, and chances are, they'll buy it."

She looked up at him with a slight tilt of her head and smirked, "Yes sir..." she joked back before they moved ahead and entered a room perhaps more noisy than the generator room — the mess hall. Most people inside were busy with their meals or conversations, but a few glances were thrown their way, and soon enough, their paths met with one of the workers.

"Don't think I've seen you two around before," he said, first glancing up at Aldric before scanning Valery with a slightly too playful of a grin on his face. "Uniform looking a little big but nice. to. meet. you, Mrs...?" he questioned.

One look at Valery's face and Aldric would be able to tell she wanted to whack him with her nightstick. She just shot him a glare but kept herself mostly composed.

"Not a talker? Shame," he added quickly before looking at them both. "What part are you two stationed at?"

 

[Aldric Laurent]

It wasn’t long before they were inevitably harried by one of their ‘coworkers’. Aldric just breathed as if to start mentally preparing himself for their exchange. As the man pointed out their lack of familiarity, he just flashed his eyebrows as a greeting, and it didn’t take too long for the man's attention to shift over to Valery instead. Were they in different circumstances, Aldric would have been more inclined to step in and be a bit more clear with the man, but turning this into a bigger problem would’ve only made their lives worse. He looked to Valery, and breathed again, instinctively standing a little taller.

“Maintenance. We’re new to the facility,” Aldric flashed him a fake smile.

The man's head shrunk back, and he appeared confused, “That’s interesting… I don’t remember getting any new hires…”

“I oversee the maintenance department?”

Oh. Aldric blinked, then cleared his throat, having to come up with something new on the spot, “Ah. Well, it’s good to meet you, then, sir. It was a uh, emergency transfer, they said. From the refinery southeast of here.”

“Uh huh…”

“We’re on our way to finish the paperwork now, actually. With admin.”

“Sounds great. We could certainly do with a few extra sets of hands,” He sized them both up and down, as if he didn’t quite see either of them as being maintenance types. Regardless of how much he bought it, he played along for now, “...Mind if I join you? I’d like to look over this transfer myself.”

Double oh. Aldric swallowed. Not like they had much of a choice, “...Not at all. It’s your department, after all. I’m surprised you didn't have any kind of heads up.”

“Me too,” The man grumbled, setting his empty tray aside before gesturing for them to follow. As soon as his back was turned, Aldric looked to Valery and gave her an awkward look, “So, you two ah, always work in maintenance…?” He asked idly, looking back, seemingly at Valery first, his gaze lingering, “Can’t say you look quite like our typical grunts…”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

She didn't need to look at Aldric to feel what he wanted to do or say, but he wouldn't have been a renowned agent if he couldn't keep himself composed and stay in his role. He took a deep breath, stood tall and confident, and began to lead the conversation with the man who had approached them. It was a total creep to her, but within a few seconds of the conversation starting, it became clear he had power too.

And they had just made him suspicious. Oh.

Aldric was quick to recover the situation enough to keep them out of immediate trouble, but they weren't off the hook entirely. The man was clearly suspicious of them, so they weren't going to lose him easily.

"...Mind if I join you? I'd like to look over this transfer myself."

"No problem at all," Valery finally chimed in alongside Aldric. "I'm sorry for the headache," she said apologetically before he turned around, and her gaze shifted to meet Aldric's awkward look with one of her own. Valery then shrugged her shoulders and followed the man, who was quick to look back at her a little too long while he asked another question. "All my life. Is my appearance a problem for you?" she asked, her tone a bit challenging. If Aldric had said something like it, he probably would have gotten pissed, but he seemed to like her attitude.

"No, I don't think it will be..." he winked, flashed a grin, and brought the down the hallway and towards the elevator — perhaps this worked out better than they thought. Inside, he tapped a button to take them down to the reception, but Valery shot Aldric a quick look. If anybody got to take this guy out, she'd give him the chance so they could take the elevator up instead.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Their boss wasted no time testing the limits of his authority, and Valery wasted no time firing back. Aldric raised his brows as if he expected it to turn violent at any given moment, only to find himself rolling his eyes at the man's last comment. Perhaps it was too much to expect decorum from a guy who works at a criminal-operated tibanna refinery.

“...What about my appearance, sir?” He played dumb, for nothing more than the sake of being cheeky. The man sneered back at him, confused, “Eh…? No. Whatever. You’ll be fine.” As soon as he turned back around, Aldric shot Valery a knowing smirk.

Once they stepped into the turbolift, Aldric reached over and pressed a button to the top floor. The man shot him another incredulous look, “You got a screw loose, buddy?” Aldric peeked his head out into the hallway one last time before answering, “Just making sure no one else is around.”

And right as the door closed, he barred his forearm over the man's neck and into a sleeper hold. There was no retaliation against Aldric’s superior strength, and with the right amount of pressure, it only took a few seconds for him to pass out. “Think I’ll be filing a complaint to HR. Guy really overstayed his welcome,” He muttered, picking him back up, “Open the roof access for me,” Once Valery did, he would slide the man’s body up onto the top of the turbolift, “He can sleep it off for a bit.”

Assuming this place followed standard safety procedures, the body shouldn’t be getting violently crushed against the top of the facility. Hopefully, for his sake, his department wasn't slacking.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

(phone posty)

When Aldric jumped into the conversation and answered the question that was only really meant for Valery, she could barely contain her desire to burst out in laughter. But much like him, she kept her cool and just grinned at him when the man turned back around. Moments like this could be incredibly tense but with Aldric, there was always some fun to be had.

Inside the elevator, Aldric leaned forward to override the man's input by going up to the top floor instead. It drew a surprised and annoyed response from the man, but it was already too late for him.

"Sleep well~" Valery hummed after the door closed and Aldric put a choke hold on him. He knew what he was doing so the guy was out in seconds. "Yeahh... these are the worst types," Valery said before she showed Aldric a loving and grateful smile.

"I'm on it." She opened the hatch in the ceiling and watched Aldric dump him there with a smirk. "I wish I could see the look on his face when he wakes up..."

Finally, they reached the top floor and at the very end of the hallway was a reception of sorts where assistans for top staff here worked. Valery briefly glanced at Aldric before she walked over and smiled at the woman looking at them with a raised eyebrow.

"Maintenance for the offices."

"We didn't schedule-"

Valery waved her hand again, "We are to go inside the boss' office and be left undisturbed."

 

[Aldric Laurent]

“I wish I could see the reaction of whoever finds him,” Aldric smirked back. It would be a fun little surprise for both parties.

With that particular crisis averted, the agent clasped his hands over one another and waited patiently as the elevator took them up. With a ding, the door soon opened, and Valery took point. The woman at the reception desk hardly had time to react before the Jedi pulled another mind trick, “...You are to go inside the boss’ office and be left undisturbed,” She walked over to the door and unlocked it for them.

Aldric gave her a nod as he stepped in, to find it currently unoccupied. “Impressive as always,” He said to Valery, before meandering over behind the desk, “Let’s get what we can before whoever’s in charge comes back,” The agent sat down at the data console and got to work. Worst case scenario, if the boss came in, they could always just interrogate him for whatever they couldn’t find themselves.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

Valery chuckled in response, "Oh well, we had our fun either way." Even on a mission as serious as this, it was too easy to keep the mood light and find moments for humor between them. It had always been like that, even when they worked together in the past, but there was definitely something special about it now.

"It's almost too easy," Valery said after they made it into the office with another Mind trick and began to search through his files. She left the techy computer stuff to him and began to dig through drawers and cabinets to find anything. But it would ultimately be Aldric who found the real jackpot — encrypted files containing communication logs and credit transfers to a location far away from here, but one that couldn't be determined until the files were cracked.

But by downloading these encrypted files, they'd have their target.

"Hmm, nothing too interesting on paper here, but did you get something?" she walked over and a second or two before reaching him, an alarm went off.

"Intruder alert. All personnel report to the designated safety zones for inspection."​

The message repeated several times while alarms everywhere continued to blare. "I think they found the guards we took out. Now what? The elevator will be... risky," she said while her gaze shifted out through the window to look across the entire facility. Guards were sweeping through and it was likely other groups were coming up through the facility to secure the most important rooms too. It was only a matter of time until they ran into trouble.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

It didn't take too long for Aldric to break in and start scouring the data left behind on the computer, "Jackpot," He whispered, glancing at Valery, "Files. A lot of 'em. But they're encrypted. Gonna have to break through a few more layers to get what we need."

"Intruder alert. All personnel report to the designated safety zones for inspection."

Aldric grumbled, "Figures. The data's still downloading. We can't leave yet." He stood up and walked over to the window. Movement. They were sweeping the whole facility. Footsteps were growing louder out in the reception area. Aldric quickly sprinted over to the door to hold it shut with his body. The handle twisted, and with no budging, a heavy thud soon came after.

"Sir? There's been a security breach. Open the door, please."

Aldric nodded over at the desk, "Barricade the door!" He whispered harshly, holding it long enough for her to bring it over. A bit of commotion from outside turned into more yelling, "Open the door now, or we will!" Seems they had figured out it wasn't the boss that was inside. And it was only a matter of moments before they attempted a breach. The data was at 95%.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

"We'll download the files and get the encryptions handled elsewhere," Valery whispered as loud as she could after the alarms started going. She could already feel more people making their way up to this level, so that meant trouble. Aldric was quick to barricade the door with his body though, as the first few guards arrived, and Valery began looking around for an alternative.

Spotting something, Valery raised a hand and began to telekinetically move a heavy cabinet over and used it to barricade the door. It made it impossible to get inside without tearing the door apart, so they had a few moments to figure things out. "Take cover behind the metal desk, and I'll finally get out of this act." For the first time in the face of danger today, she grabbed her lightsaber and ignited it while she moved in front of Aldric to cover him. She looked intense, strong, and ready to take down whatever came through that door.

BANG

A loud explosive forced open the door, sending metal and wooden shrapnel inside, but a projected barrier blocked debris from hitting her and Aldric behind her while other pieces got the windows in the back to explode. Then, they began to open fire, and Valery started deflecting everything she could. But there were a lot of guards and even more would soon be summoned up here.

"Babe?!" she called out, hoping the download was complete and that he'd help her find a way out of this.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

Aldric stepped back to let Valery block the door, while he posted up behind the desk. After a lot of heavy bashing, the barricade was blown apart altogether, with the Force saving them from shards of wood and metal exploding their way.

The first of security stormed their way in, unloading a storm of blaster fire that was deflected back at them. Aldric traded a few shots of his own, stuck between checking the download and helping. "…There!" He snatched the computer spike and stood up, walking backwards towards the window while continuing to fire, "Do you trust me?"

He smirked, and regardless of her answer, he'd pull them both out through the window. Mid fall, Aldric would whip out a grappling hook and keep hold of Valery, firing the hook out and latching onto a ledge.

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

As powerful as a Jedi with a lightsaber could be, it wasn't actually easy to deflect so much incoming blaster fire and be precise about it at the same time. So if it wasn't for Aldric carefully and precisely taking down those who put the most pressure on her, she wouldn't have been able to back up when he finally called for the download to be complete.

"Aldric!" she called out, as even more approached from the hallway up ahead. But he had the download completed and called her over. When she finally managed to back up towards him, he asked a question that got her head to turn quickly.

"Do you trust me?"

She gave him a brief look but then smirked - so that's how it was going to be. "Alwayyyyy-" she hadn't even finished speaking when he pulled her close, wrapped an arm around her, and jumped down, only to grapple halfway into their fall, sending them swinging to a platform outside together. Valery's eyes were wide, her cheeks red, and she was completely stunned looking into his emerald eyes for a long moment.

"Good move..." she said a little shyly after they made a landing. "Let's get moving and maybe leave behind some fireworks?" she gestured at a huge pressurized storage cell close to them — likely filled with tibanna gas. It could be a distraction but he held the weapon to make it all go boom, so it was up to him.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

They landed with a bit of a stumble, but Aldric was quick to compose himself, “Thank you,” He smirked, his emerald eyes twinkling at her for just a moment too long before he was reminded that they were on a mission. The spike in adrenaline faded, and he cocked the hammer on his pistol, “You have the best ideas~”

Aim, fire, and the containers of tibanna exploded in a gout of fire and gas. The highly reactive material started a chain reaction that plumed out into even bigger flames, making a very serviceable distraction. “That was even bigger than I thought it would be,” No time to waste, Aldric turned around and ran, pointing ahead of them at a parked security bike, “There! Maybe now’s the time for the speeder getaway?”

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

​

Outfit: Operative Suit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber (concealed)
Tag: Aldric Laurent

For a moment, it was as if the world around them stopped spinning, and Valery found herself locked in his eyes too. It was almost dangerous just how exciting all of this was to her, but much like him, she quickly snapped back to reality and grinned when he seemed to like her idea. Aldric then took aim and with a precisely aimed shot, the entire tibanna gas cell was blown apart, creating a huge firestorm that expanded across much of the terrain.

The chain reaction that followed was unexpected, but it offered a lot of cover and Valery had something to add as well. Those fiery eyes began to glow just a little as she stared into the flames, and while they had been growing naturally and chaotically already, she altered the path and forced the fire to form a wall between them and the refinery, so nobody could follow them.

"Good idea! But..." she began as she then sprinted after him towards the speeder bike. "I'm driving!" She didn't give him a chance to argue and hopped onto the bike like she had done it a million times before, forcing him to sit close behind her. "Hold on tight, babe~" she teased as the engine fired up and she blasted off with a dangerous sparkle of excitement in her eyes and grin. She loved going fast and feeling the wind blowing through her long hair.

But they still had to get out of there.

"You think they'll lock down the spaceport?" she called out over the sound of the rushing wind.

 

[Aldric Laurent]

With no reason to stick around, they ran for the bike in record time. The explosion was a good distraction but it wouldn’t last forever. Valery picked up the pace even further, beating him to the front seat. Aldric just smirked, “Fine~” He didn’t really mind. If anything, her Force-sensitivity would make her a more reactive driver for the no doubt high-speed escape. He hopped on just behind, and put his around on her waist, “Let’s get out of here.”

The sped off at a moment’s notice, a plume of spoke still rising up from the facility. “Only one way to find out!” He shouted over the wind. Aldric then glanced behind them to see a few more speeders on their trail, “We’re not alone!”

Valery Noble​