Private Up In Flames

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

As soon as Maiev hopped out of the vehicle, she removed her heels. Much as the witch could be quiet, it was going to be highly inconvenient if the click-clack of them would alert some sentry that was keeping watch of the exterior. Not that she was expecting there to be any, if only the Jackal’s boss and underbosses were in attendance.

They wouldn’t want to draw attention to the building by having men posted within view of passersby.

Maiev followed Valery’s lead as the Jedi silently approached the large skylight. For now, they’d remain up here to see what they could see.

And what immediately caught the witch’s notice, was the fact a lot more people were in attendance below. “That shouldn’t be right…” She muttered quietly.

Down below in the large open area were two distinctive groups. On one side was a grouping of six, a mix of different races with one standing a few steps in front of the others. Facing them was a group of eight, all adorned in the same kind of armour, bearing similar blaster rifles, and stood in a semi-circle.

“Those are the Jackals,” Maiev began, pointing at the first group of individuals. “But I don’t recognize the others.” The witch’s eyes narrowed as she silently scuttled around the length of the skylight. Being this far up made it difficult to identify the other party, that was until she finally found the right angle.

“Oh you have got to be fething kidding me.” She recognized that head shape anywhere. “It’s the Pykes. They’ve been working with the goddamn Pyke Syndicate?!” Maiev hissed.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Once they made it to the roof, Valery silently approached the skylight with Maiev in tow. It was a potential entry point if they wanted to drop in on this meeting, but it'd be an observation point first. Immediately, the first thing she noticed was the huge number of people down there. Too many to just drop in on without a plan.

This was a serious transaction.

Valery squinted, her Keshian eyes easily piercing through the dark. Right as Maiev mentioned the Pykes, Valery spotted them too. It seriously complicated the mission because she knew just how dangerous they could be.

"Don't be too loud," Valery spoke softly when Maiev hissed, "There's a lot of them though. Do you want to wait before they split up before we move in?"

"Or do you feel up to the risk?"

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

Maiev cursed quietly, leaning away from the skylight. Of all the larger groups, syndicates, cartels, etcetera. The Pykes were the one that she despised the most. Spice was a poison that reached practically every corner of the galaxy. Of course certain parts had a higher concentration, but spice could be found anywhere and everywhere.

In the witch’s mind she placed spice at the same level as Sith Alchemy, and the horrors that came from Sithspawn experiments. Arguable, it could be considered worse, given how insidious and widespread it was in comparison.

How it could seep down between the cracks of a society, reach those that were most vulnerable and push them into an endless cycle of addiction and crime.

She’d seen how it affected people far too many times.

“The priority is Alli,” Maiev said softly. “We need to find and secure her first. When it was just the Jackals I was hopeful she’d be unharmed. They’re aglorified street gang with some morals left. But with the Pyke Syndicate involved? They have none.”

It was likely the two groups were in a heated argument at present, keeping their attention focused on the other. And frankly, Maiev wouldn’t blink if they started shooting one another.

…

“Much as I would like to put an immediate stop to their activities, we should sneak in and find Alli. After that, we can figure out what to do with them.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Valery felt a shift in Maiev. The scene down below also disgusted Valery, but her emotions weren't nearly as intense as the ones she felt from the witch. Did she have a history with the Pykes? It wouldn't be too surprising, given her massage salon's location in Coruscant's lower levels. A lot of crime reached those parts of the city world, and where there was crime, there was likely Pyke involvement to some extent.

Their spice trade ran deep into every part of the Galaxy.

"Alright, let's do that. We'll hop down and enter from the side." Valery offered a reassuring smile before she quietly led her away from the skylight. She then jumped all the way down, using the Force to absorb her impact and turn it into a silent landing. From there, she moved along the wall, searching for a door.

"I'll open it with the Force, and we sneak inside."

One wave of her hand at the closest door, and it fell open without a struggle.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

The witch let out a breath as she followed behind Valery. Maiev knew she needed to keep her emotions in check, in case she did anything that would be potentially reckless. There was something to be said about drawing out a witch’s wrath, but Maiev knew better than that.

Where’s all that control gone? What would Kalax think if she could see you right now?

Maiev knew where it had gone. It had shattered when the spirit had to sacrifice herself to keep the witch alive. A bond that had lasted for two and half decades, just…gone.

It hadn’t harmed her physically, like a traditional Force Bond would’ve. But it had deeply scarred her emotionally. To a point that Maiev had become something of a recluse for a couple years afterwards. Because the witch knew the moment she started to re-engage with people, she’d end up making those connections again.

And when it came to Alli, it had the added angle of it being someone who was supposed to be under her care and protection.

While Valery used the Force to quickly reach the ground, Maiev used her magic. She disappeared from the rooftop in a green flash, seconds later reappearing by the Jedi Master’s side.

Once the door slid open, Maiev quietly slipped inside. But once they began to move through the factory itself, she followed Valery’s lead. A Shadow, even a former one knew best how to sneak around. Discreetly though, Maiev began to stretch out her senses to try and pick up Alli’s presence. She was cautious, just in case either the Jackals or Pykes had anyone in their number that could detect Force usage.

Not that they were really focused on anything but themselves right now, if the muffled sounds of their arguing was anything to go by.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

With Maiev right behind her, Valery slipped inside the building and allowed her senses to guide her. A Shadow's strongest ally was the Force, and in particular, its ability to enhance senses. She could feel where the thugs were talking, where the others inside the building were, and she'd know if they were going somewhere dangerous.

Every step raised or relieved tension, and she knew how to walk that line carefully.

"When we find her, how will we get out?" Valery asked softly after a while. Sneaking inside was one thing, but helping someone who couldn't jump across buildings or teleport from one place to another was far trickier.

They needed a plan before the enemy caught on to what was happening.

"A distraction, perhaps?"

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

“Hmm, that’s a good question,” Maiev quietly replied, as they continued sneaking deeper into the building. “We might not even need a distraction, if both groups are still focused on one another.”

But it was more a question of whether either side still had more men elsewhere in the factory. Maiev would bet the Jackals were all within the main area. With the Pykes involved there was no way they’d let a single one out of their sights. That, or the Jackals had a couple hiding in case their ‘bosses’ did anything drastic.

Maiev’s particular concern was towards the Pykes having more men lurking somewhere in the building. And it seemed it wasn’t going to take long for the witch to get an answer, as she caught Valery’s hand gesture to remain silent.

Carefully peeking around the corner, Maiev caught sight of a lone Pyke pacing back and forth down the hallway, commlink in hand.

“I’m telling you, every damn corridor here looks the same.” Even this far away, it was easy to hear the annoyance in the man’s tone. “Yes. I’ll keep searching for the girl.” There was an audible click as the commlink was disengaged. “‘She’s in one of the backrooms’ That’s very descriptive.” The Pyke grumbled as he turned his back to the duo and started walking away.

“What do we do?” The witch asked quietly. “Do we take him out, or follow?”

On one hand they could take a potential nuisance out, but run the risk of alerting the Pykes to something being off. On the other hand, If they were to follow, they could possibly find Alli along the way, but there was no telling if they’d end up walking into a trap.

She left the decision in Valery’s hands.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Valery studied the lone Pyke for a moment, her mind rapidly weighing the pros and cons of their next move. The Pyke was clearly irritated, muttering to himself as he continued down the hallway, oblivious to the presence of Maiev and Valery. The temptation to eliminate him immediately was strong — taking him out would remove a potential threat and might even make the rest of their mission smoother. But the risk was equally significant. If they took him out too soon, they could alert the entire building to their presence, endangering Alli and themselves.

Valery glanced at Maiev, noting the tension in her eyes. This mission had already dredged up painful memories for her, and the last thing Valery wanted was to add to that burden by making the wrong call. But hesitation could be just as dangerous.

"We follow him," Valery decided in a hushed tone, her voice steady and confident. "If he's looking for Alli, he might lead us right to her. We'll keep our distance, see where he goes, and when the time is right..."

She trailed off, her expression hardening with resolve. "We'll take him out quickly and quietly before he even realizes we're there."

With a final nod to Maiev, Valery moved forward, her steps as silent as a shadow. She kept her senses sharp, attuned to any sign that the Pyke had noticed them, but his continued grumbling suggested he was still unaware of their presence. The duo followed at a careful distance, ready to strike the moment they were sure Alli was close by.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

Maiev could feel her heart beating within her chest. Whether it was because of the sneaking, how quiet they were being, or a combination of the two. But the witch knew it wasn’t just that, nor was it a simple case of being in this kind of situation.

It was because of Alli. Someone who was meant to be under her responsibility and care, caught up in the middle of all this.

For so many years the only person Maiev had to look after was herself. She rarely connected with people enough to form attachments. And even to this day, the witch could list her friends on one hand…and still afford to lose some fingers.

She had strived to become more social to try and make more of those connections. Even if it was on a more casual or professional level. But moments like these, where those very bonds were threatened, Maiev couldn’t help but feel those particular thoughts surface again.

To disconnect and not allow herself to be hurt again, just like she had in the past.

No, not this time.

Maiev watched the Pyke closely as they followed. He stopped in front of each door, testing whether it was locked. If one was, he’d use a dataspike to unlock it, peeking into the room for several moments before stepping back out. Periodically, his commlink would beep and the lone Pyke would respond with a grumbled ‘still nothing’.

That was until he reached the second to last door.

Something within Maiev’s senses flared, Alli was there. The witch shifted her posture, ready to make a move. Not a word was spoken, as the witch knew well enough that Valery would’ve already known.

Maiev coiled up like a snake, listening as the Pyke’s dataspike clicked in a rhythm.

3…2…1…

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Valery tensed as the Pyke began working on the last door, her senses flaring in response to Maiev's sudden shift. She could feel it too — Alli was on the other side of that door. Her gaze darted to Maiev, giving her a subtle nod of confirmation.

This was it.

Moving like a coiled predator herself, Valery closed the distance with the Pyke as silently as a shadow, her lightsaber still unignited in her hand. She waited, every muscle ready to spring into action. The dataspike clicked rhythmically, and Valery could almost feel Maiev's anticipation building beside her.

3…2…

Just before the final click, Valery made her move, grabbing the Pyke from behind in a swift, controlled motion. She clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle any cry of alarm, and with the other, she twisted his arm behind him, pushing him to the side wall of the hallway. Her grip tightened around the hilt of her lightsaber, but she didn't ignite it — not yet.

"Shh," Valery whispered, her tone a dangerous, icy calm, "You're going to help us, or I'll make sure you regret every second of this day."

She leaned in slightly, her eyes burning with fierce intensity as she glanced at Maiev. The witch's presence was a solid, reassuring weight at her back, and together, they created an aura that screamed danger.

"Open it. Slowly," Valery ordered, her gaze fixed on the door. There was no need to speak further — Maiev's presence alone was enough to convey that if this Pyke made even a single wrong move, there would be no escape for him.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

She could barely blink in the time Valery had moved. One moment she was close by, the next she had the lone Pyke restrained. Mouth muffled to keep him quiet, and his empty arm restrained by his back. The dataspike remained in the door, awaiting the final input to unlock the door.

The Pyke let out something akin to a sound of indignation, trying to twist his head to see who dared to restrain him. It was only then that he caught a glance of those oranges eyes. The illusion that had been disguising Valery had long since fallen, and the Pyke became acutely aware of just what kind of situation he was in.

More so as Maiev approached, the witch’s eyes practically glowing green. Just staring a hole through the Pyke as Valery ordered him to open the door. And without an ounce of hesitation he did just that. Slowly reaching over and finalising the unlocking mechanism.

The door slid open, revealing a toppled over chair, with a bound and gagged Twi’lek in the middle of struggling to free herself. Her eyes snapped over towards the sudden light shining through the doorway.

“Alli!” Maiev quickly moved into the room, her first act to remove the cloth around the young girl’s mouth. “Are you alright?”

“Maiev! Y-yeah I’m alright, what are you doing here?!”

“Rescuing you obviously, do you know what’s happening?” She asked, using a brief wave of magic to cut through the ropes around Alli.

“I’m not entirely sure? I know there were a few Jackals outside, but then there was a lot of commotion and they left.” The Twi’lek’s voice trailed off as she massaged her sore wrists. Her gaze shifted over towards the doorway. “Wait…is that Valery Noble restraining a Pyke?”

“Yeah, let’s just say the situation has drastically shifted.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Valery kept her grip tight on the Pyke as the door slid open, her eyes flicking over to Alli as Maiev rushed inside. She felt a sense of relief wash over her at the sight of the Twi'lek, alive and unharmed, though clearly shaken. Valery's gaze remained hard, pinning the Pyke with a look that promised consequences if he tried anything foolish.

He wasn't even going to try.

As Alli recognized her, Valery offered a brief nod, still keeping the Pyke firmly in check. "That's me," she said with a slight smirk, though her tone remained tense, her focus unbroken. "Now, if we're done here, Maiev," she glanced at the witch, waiting for her signal. "I'd say we leave this one tied up for the next poor soul who finds him and get out of here."

Her eyes then shifted fully to Maiev, catching her glance. "Let's move fast, though — we don't know if the Jackals will return, and I'd rather not wait to find out."

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble

Maiev smiled as she gave Alli a hug, though Valery’s words quickly reminded the witch of the situation they were still in. Her young charge was safe, but they weren’t out of the woods just yet. Pulling away from the Twi’lek, Maiev turned to face Maiev and the captured Pyke in her hold.

“Oh, that I can agree with.” She said, approaching almost like a stalking predator. Maiev’s hand glowed green, waving it around as the gag and bindings that had previously bound Alli, began to wrap around the Pyke instead. With her other hand, Maiev levitated the man from Valery’s grasp, and planted him onto the chair, tying him to it.

“I’d be more worried about the Pykes honestly, they seemed to have this one on a routine-” As if on cue, the man’s commlink began to beep loudly. Maiev didn’t hesitate to summon it to her hand, finger hovering over the activation button as she glanced towards Valery. Utilising the same trick she had used on Varren earlier, Maiev brought a glowing hand to her own throat.

“Yes?” Her mimicry of a Pyke was rough in comparison, but it was enough to get a single word across.

“Have you found the girl?”

“Not yet. Still…looking.”

“...Why do you sound like you’ve got a cough?”

Oh feth it.

With a flash of green flame, the commlink burnt to cinders in Maiev’s hand. She spared a glance to Alli, before giving Valery a firm nod. “We’ve got a perfect escape vehicle on the roof, let’s find a way up there.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Factory Link | Wedding Ring
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsaber

Valery's eyes flickered with faint amusement as Maiev disposed of the commlink, but her expression quickly turned serious once again. "Nice work," Valery said with a curt nod, her grip on the Pyke releasing once the bindings wrapped around him. Her gaze, though briefly relieved, grew sharp again at the mention of their escape route.

"Alright, let's move," she said, already scanning the room for the quickest exit toward the roof. "The Pykes won't take long to figure out something's wrong."

Valery moved swiftly after Maiev, her senses heightened as they began their ascent toward the roof. The corridors of the building were eerily quiet, save for the distant hum of machinery and the occasional murmur of guards somewhere far below. They had to move carefully, avoiding attention as they slipped through the dimly lit halls.

The tension in the air was palpable.

As they rounded a corner, Valery froze, her sharp instincts kicking in. She held up a hand to signal the group to stop. Voices. Faint but growing louder. She strained her hearing, recognizing the harsh, clipped tones of Pykes giving orders.

"They're looking for the missing guard," Valery whispered, her brow furrowing as she pressed against the wall, gesturing for the others to do the same. They couldn't afford to get caught now.

With her back pressed firmly against the wall, Valery focused on the sound of boots approaching. The Pykes were moving methodically, sweeping the area. "We'll need to move fast, and quietly," she whispered to Maiev and Alli, her voice barely audible over the rising tension.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - The Works, Sixth District
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble

It didn’t take long before Valery’s words became true. The trio barely began their ascent through the factory, when the dim sounds of shouting and blaster fire could be heard. No doubt the Pykes had caught on, and thought the Jackals were responsible.

Maiev just hoped some of them survived to be apprehended by the authorities later.

As they continued on, the witch was reminded of why she hated these kinds of situations. Tension thick in the air, enemies potentially all around them, and the looming threat of a fight erupting in an enclosed space. Yeah, Maiev was not a fan in the slightest.

Following Valery’s gesture, the witch moved against the wall, ensuring Alli was safe between them. Maiev tried to focus on the sounds herself, but she could hear more of her own heart beating, than any boots hitting the ground. And yet the witch felt something, a prickling at the back of her mind.

Something wasn’t right.

“Wait...” Maiev replied, whispering as quietly as she could. Her thoughts were aligned with Valery, they couldn’t afford to be caught right now. It would be too easy for the Pykes to surround them, and not to mention running the risk of Alli getting caught in the crossfire.

Thinking on her feet; with admittedly a small degree of panic too, Maiev closed her eyes. She began to chant a spell, placing her hand against the wall they were all leaning against. To Alli, nothing was seemingly happening. But to Valery, she’d be able to feel the amount of energy Maiev was channelling. Weaving like it was a tapestry, forming a barrier around the three of them.

Invisible in both form and nature.

Maiev’s suspicions were proven correct. As the footsteps Valery was hearing grew louder, another set became audible; a lot closer, from the direction they had just come from. The witch held her breath as the Pyke came into view, weapon aimed and ready but did not see the group. Maiev put all her focus in maintaining the barrier, unable to see anything but could certainly hear the footsteps as the man strolled past, meeting up with his fellow at the corner.

“Found anything?”

“Nothing.”

“They’ve got to be here, keep searching.”

Eventually, the two Pykes went their separate ways, continuing their sweep. Only once they were out of sight and earshot, did Maiev finally drop the barrier. The witch let out a tired sigh, “can’t do that too many times.”