Private Up In Flames

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Streets
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

She had barely got across the street by the time Valery disappeared into a blur. Maiev knew the woman was powerful, but it was a whole other thing to actually witness it. Figuring Valery would pursue their target along the streets, Maiev opted to cover the alleyways instead. They could be something of a maze to someone who wasn’t familiar with the numerous twists and turns. Fortunately, the witch didn’t have that disadvantage.

And as she disappeared out of sight, Maiev’s previously light grey eyes began to glow green.

Meanwhile, the Rodian was panicking as they continued to run. “[Got to find Varren, got to find Varren! If that Jedi is who I think they are, we’re in big trouble.]”

And they knew full well it was futile to just run away from a Jedi. So the Rodian thought on their feet, just as they were approaching an alleyway. Hand slipping down to their belt, they pulled out their blaster pistol and grabbed the nearest civilian. They screamed almost immediately, but the Rodian paid them no heed. Just pushed the barrel of the gun against their back, and moved into the alley.

“[Don’t even think about it, Jedi! Fast as you might be, I doubt you can be quicker than me pulling down on a trigger.]”

They slowly backed deeper into the alleyway, anticipating Valery’s arrival to be at the entrance. However, what they weren’t paying attention to was their rear.

Upon hearing the panicked commotion, Maiev quickly pivoted around a corner and watched as the Rodian dragged their hostage into the same alleyway. The witch’s eyes narrowed, before she began to quietly chant under her breath. Starting from her right hand, a length of green spirit ichor formed, until it coiled down onto the floor.

With a focused precision, Maiev swung her arm forwards, the ichor following in kind as it lashed out like a whip. There was a silent woosh sound in the air, until a mighty crack snapped against the Rodian’s blaster-wielding hand. They let out a pained yell, dropping the weapon and giving Valery an opening to move in.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

Valery was catching up fast. Even if this Rodian had been a professional athlete trained to run as fast as he could, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with her. The Force offered her an unnatural advantage, and Valery was not holding back with lives at stake. She sprinted into the alleyway, her hand already slipping down to reach for her lightsaber. But as soon as Valery came face-to-face with the Rodian, he stopped.

He had a hostage.

Valery's blood started to boil when she watched the fear in their eyes. It was a familiar kind of despair, and one she wasn't going to allow to linger. Her fiery gaze focused, hoping to find a fault in the Rodian's stance, but instead she saw a different opportunity. Maiev had appeared behind their target, and he hadn't noticed. Her eyes were green now and her presence burned in the Force, revealing a side of her that drew Valery's senses to her.

Until the snap.

The very moment that the blaster was knocked from the Rodian's hand, Valery was upon him. With a twist of her body and the Force burning through her muscles, she delivered a single kick that sent him flying back. He rolled and slid over the hard ground and came to a stop just in front of Maiev's feet. The hostage was given a nod and ran away without a second thought.

"Good work," Valery told Maiev with a smile as she walked over. "It seems our search has gotten a lot easier." And they even had something to build a case with against him, too.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Streets
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

When Valery delivered the kick, Maiev could practically feel the impact of it through the Force. She looked impressed, watching as the Jedi smoothly lowered her leg. For the second time in a matter of minutes, Valery was proving all the tall tales true.

“You too, that was one hell of a kick,” Maiev replied, a small grin on her face. “At the very least, it expedited the process.” The witch glanced down, her now vibrant green eyes glaring down at the Rodian. “We’ll need confirmation of where Varren is, to avoid kicking in the wrong door and tipping him off. Ain’t that right, Strodd?”

“[I ain’t…tellin’ you…shit.]" The Rodian; Strodd, let out several pained wheezes as he spoke.

“We’ll see about that,” said Maiev as she raised her hand. With a small motion, she turned the Rodian onto his stomach, before conjuring a set of restraints that binded his arms together. After that, she looked over at Valery. “Gonna have to question him here, can’t afford to take him elsewhere right now. Even someone as low on the totem pole as Varren has his eyes and ears around.”

Maiev proceeded to walk down one side of the alleyway, stopping and tracing her hands along either wall as she chanted something. As she drew her fingers away from the walls, a green barrier shimmered to life, pulsing for a moment until it faded, becoming barely visible. Once the opposite side was done, the witch returned to Valery.

“I’ve put up a barrier, should keep us unnoticed for a time.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"Thank you," Valery said with a smirk and a quick wink before she focused again. The Rodian on the ground, while no longer a direct threat, was still a problem. He had the information they needed, and they both knew he wasn't going to talk all that easily. He was hoping for his people to interfere but Maiev realized that very quickly.

The skills she had — the applications of the Force largely unfamiliar to Valery — were luckily an answer to this problem as well. After a moment of work, she had created a barrier of some kind that kept them from being detected. How it worked, Valery wasn't sure, but she assumed similar to her own Force Cloak ability.

It'd give them some time, but not enough to sit still too long.

"Let's not waste a second," Valery said as she abruptly stepped towards the Rodian and waved her hand, "You will tell us where Varren is," she said, and those very words were nudged along the currents of the Force, straight into his mind as she tried her famous Jedi Mind Trick.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Streets
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

Maiev reached down and dragged Strodd up enough to lean him against the wall. He went to protest, to say something, but fell into a daze as Valery used a Jedi Mind Trick on the Rodian. For several moments it seemed to lead to nothing, until he finally spoke.

“[He’s…at the Starlighter Club.]”

There was a flash of recognition in Maiev’s eyes, her suspicions were correct. “Is he alone? Where are the rest of his ‘posse’?” She waited for Valery to do her thing, to ensure Strodd answered the questions.

“[He’s alone, the others are busy with their own stuff.]"

Maiev stepped away, muttering something under her breath as she thought. “I have an idea, one that’ll ensure Varren remains at the club.” With the Rodian still in a mental haze, Maiev waved her hand and the restraints around his arms dissolved. “Command him to contact Varren and ask to meet at Starlight Club, in the ‘usual room’.”

The witch stepped back, watching as Valery used her Mind Trick some more. Strodd did as commanded, taking a few moments for Varren to answer the comm, but eventually the trap was finally set.

“I think that’s about enough we can do here, our best bet is to grill Varren about Alli’s whereabouts.”

Maiev crouched down before Strodd, placing a hand over his face. She gave Valery a nod, a confirmation to drop the mind trick, and the witch immediately began chanting. When Maiev removed her hand, there was a green flow in Strodd’s eyes for a moment, before he slumped down unconscious.

“That’ll keep him asleep for a little while, but on the off chance he somehow awakes before that, I scrambled his memory of the past several minutes.” Maiev smirked a little as she looked at Valery. “Jedi Mind Trick huh? That’s very handy.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"Answer her," Valery commanded him with another mind trick when Maiev asked a series of questions as well. Now, they had a location and reliable information that they weren't going to run into too much trouble. The only thing that remained was getting this Varren to join them at the club, but Maiev had that covered with another idea.

Valery had no trouble using Mind tricks in these situations.

"Do as she says. Tell Varren to meet us at the usual room at the club." And that's exactly what he did. Valery sighed, released him from the mind trick and watched Maiev conjure up more of those strange abilities. This one put him asleep, but scrambled his memory as well?

A dangerous skill to have.

"Mind tricks can be handy, but they shouldn't be used lightly," Valery said with a soft smile. "The same goes for your abilities." But she had a feeling the witch understood.

"Now... I assume I shouldn't walk into this club dressed like a Jedi and with lightsabers strapped to my belt, hm?"

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Streets
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

Valery’s seemingly non-reaction to her magic was a curiosity to Maiev. In the past, she often got some kind of reaction when someone saw it for the first time. Albeit, that was often from people that weren’t usually around Force users as a whole.

Others were quick to scorn and become suspicious, given the dark ties Dathomirian witches were known for, Nightsisters especially. And that wasn’t even going into Maiev’s other half, who were infamously known to be attached to a darkside cult.

But it seemed Valery wasn’t that type of person, not that the witch would give her a reason to anyway. But Maiev was glad the Jedi Master wasn’t immediately on her about the origins of her abilities.

Maiev would speak of them when time permitted it.

“Agreed, they’re a type of ability you cannot utilise without the proper training. Fortunately, I had a very good teacher.” There was a wistful look in Maiev’s eyes as she thought of Kalax, but it was soon replaced with a frown in response to Valery’s follow up.

“You’re not wrong, out in the open it’s easy to disguise. Someone could see you, but would pass it off as seeing things amongst a large crowd. Walking into a building is a whole other matter.” Maiev looked over at Valery, checking her out. “You say dressed like a Jedi, but where are all the robes?” She asked, amusement clear in her tone. “Although, the outfit is distinctive, very ‘Valery Noble, Sword of the New Jedi Order’.”

At this point, after the years since the Jedi Master’s debut onto the galactic stage, her particular look had no doubt been seen across the HoloNet.

“However, I do have an idea on how to solve the problem. But we’re going to need to find a quiet and private place, I’ll need it to concentrate.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"I can tell," Valery said in response to the comment about her teacher. The look in her eyes that followed didn't escape her either, and signaled that there was something bitter to her history with her former teacher. Valery decided against asking about it. Sometimes, an unspoken understanding was far more appropriate.

That, and the woman's eyes casually checking her out caught her just a little off-guard. The comment about robes only added to it, and sparked a somewhat awkward smile to tug at her lips. She raised up a hand to rub the back of her neck, and sheepishly answered, "Yeah, I suppose I'm not the most traditional Jedi. But I should still change it," Valery said with a chuckle. Out here, on the capital of the Alliance, she was easily going to be recognized.

A problem for the completion of this mission.

Luckily, Maiev seemed to have an idea and the way she worded that was quite interesting. "Quiet and private? Alright..." Valery said with an amused smirk. "Lead the way, and let's get ready."

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Streets
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

“Thing is, we need to find a place that’s relatively close. We can’t dawdle too long, else Varren will wonder why ‘Strodd’ is taking so long to show.”

Maiev paced back and forth a bit, muttering to herself as she mentally listed nearby places she knew. The problem with each one however, was the possibility of Valery being identified upon entering. It was going to raise eyebrows if she disappeared inside, only for a totally different person to suddenly be accompanying the witch.

My apartment would be the best place, could do with picking up some stuff too, but that’s way too far. Unless…

Within that line of thought, an idea suddenly sprung to Maiev’s mind.

She looked at Valery, a mischievous little smirk at the corner of her smile. “How are you with teleporting?” Maiev inquired. “Prone to motion sickness?”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"Any ideas, then?" Valery asked when Maiev made it clear they couldn't stray too far. But unlike the witchy businesswoman, Valery didn't know this part of Coruscant that well. The planet was far too massive to familiarize yourself with anything more than where you lived directly. But, luckily, it seemed that Maiev had an idea.

An idea that sparked a dangerous little grin.

Valery perked a brow and tilted her head, "Teleporting?" She thought about it for a moment. If it was anything like the way she could interact with her husband through the Dyad, it wouldn't be a problem. But that was... different. They were one and the same in the Force in various ways, so their teleportation was more akin to being in two places at the same time.

Actual teleportation did move them around more directly.

"Nah, I can handle it." Valery offered her hand, not knowing if she needed it, and dipped her head with an affirmative smile, "Let's go and get this done."

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Maiev's Apartment
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

“Good to know, but even still you best brace yourself.”

The witch began to chant, bringing two fingers up towards her lips. Moments later the tips of them were glowing green, and Maiev began to trace a relatively large circle in the air before them. There was an immediate sense of something being drawn upon. Energy, magic, the Force? Whatever it was, it grew more intense as she continued the construct.

And then within the second of the circle being completed, it all ‘snapped’ into focus and levelled out. Happy with her work, Maiev stepped over to Valery and wrapped an arm around her waist, motioning for the Jedi to do the same.

“You’re gonna want to hold on tight.” Once she was certain Valery had, Maiev guided them forwards until they were forcefully pulled through the portal.

Their bodies were thrown into flight, immediately zipping up into the sky and soared over the streets of Coruscant. All around them was a haze, making it difficult to look around, not that you’d want to with how fast they were going. Their flightpath took several sharp turns as they navigated around and through lanes of traffic. Rising higher and higher, until they suddenly phased out of flight.

For a moment they hang up in the air, before gravity kicked in and they descended. Maiev said nothing as she felt the rush of wind blow past her. But before they could fall into any danger, they slipped into another portal.

This time they went zipping around buildings, finally crescendoing as they zeroed in on a towering apartment complex. Maiev guided them higher and higher, until turning on a dime and heading straight for a particular apartment. As they drew closer to the window, they phased out of flight again, almost seemingly looking to crash straight through. But at the very last moment, a portal opened up allowing them to pass through harmlessly.

And promptly crashed into a couch.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

Brace herself?

Valery blinked and watched the woman prepare some kind of teleportation circle. She had seen once before when Kahlil had used his runes, but this felt different. The way the Force flowed...

Valery held onto Maiev's waist tightly.

Together, they went up into the air and Valery was suddenly very happy to have listened. The feeling was completely different than other means of teleportation, and the adrenaline junkie inside her loved it. The haze of their surroundings was dizzying though, so she closed her eyes until she had adjusted, and finally managed a grin.

After seemingly passing through walls, objects, vehicles, and a window, Valery felt their bodies stop rather abruptly. She groaned, looked around, and realized she was on a sofa, lying on her back. She let out a few puffs of air, glanced around, and began to chuckle.

"Wow," is all she managed, as she sat up and ran a hand through her hair. "That was... intense."

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Maiev's Apartment
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

At the last moment Maiev loosened her hold around Valery, allowing for the Jedi to land onto the couch beside her, rather than a top or beneath her. Whilst Valery had ended up landing on her back, Maiev fell into it sideways. The couch tipping up for a few seconds, before correcting itself.

"That was... intense."

“Yeah, no kidding…” The witch let out a chuckle, pushing herself up off the couch. She paused for a few moments, shaking off the dizziness that immediately struck her. “Been a while since I teleported with someone physically in tow.”

Or teleported in general to begin with, but Valery didn’t need to know that detail.

Maiev smiled as she turned to face the Jedi. “Welcome, to my little abode. I’d give you a tour, but we are on a bit of a time schedule.”

Little wouldn’t be the exact word to describe the witch’s apartment. It wasn’t exactly the highest of highrises, but it wasn’t exactly lacking in the spacious department. One notable thing about it though, was that dotted all around were numerous different plants. Each and every one of them being unique.

“So…” Maiev began, taking a moment to find the right words. “The solution I have in mind, to disguise you, is going to require me to actively use my magic on you. Figured, it only makes sense to be upfront about it so there aren’t any surprises. That is if you don't already know.”

“I’m a Dathomirian witch. Or well, a witch born on Dathomir. It’s been a long long time since I actually practised their traditions.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"It looks nice," Valery said, still from her position on the couch after making a rather unusual landing. The world was spinning and it wouldn't stop, even as Maiev rose to her feet and seemed to be just fine. This kind of teleportation was new, and she hoped that she'd never have to go through it again.

But she had a feeling she wouldn't be so lucky.

After another moment of looking around and finally being able to determine that the spinning green things were actually plants, Valery sat up and drew in a breath to steady herself. Her gaze slid to Maiev and she nodded along, "It can't be worse than being teleported, so I have no problem with it." Maiev was a witch, but there wasn't anything malicious about her use of the Force and these applications.

At least, none the Jedi Master could sense.

"I had a feeling after the situation earlier. But that's alright," Valery said, now rising up to her feet. "I haven't exactly sensed anything Dark about what you've been doing."

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Maiev's Apartment
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

“Oh good,” Maiev sighed with relief. “I’ve had to deal with my fair share of folks with a prejudice against witches. Couple clans develop a history with dark siders, and we all get painted with the same brush…” And that wasn’t even going into the reactions of people that were just unfamiliar with anything magical, mystical or Force related.

“But anyway!” She continued, clapping her hands together. “I can disguise you with a handy bit of illusionary magic. It’ll require constant focus on my part, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue, provided we don’t end up in a fight.”

Then again if they ever hit that point, a disguise would matter very little.

With a snap of her fingers, Maiev’s appearance changed. From the clothes, the hair, down to even the colour of the witch’s eyeshadow. “This kind of magic does have its limitations however, it’s all very ‘equivalent exchange.’ I won’t be able to alter stuff like your height, race, figure…” Maiev’s eyes wandered a little before she continued. “But stuff like hair, eyes, makeup, attire, complexion, etcetera. They’re all easily doable.”

“So do you have anything in mind? Something you’ve never got around to trying out. Like say for example, you've always wanted to try being a blonde, or maybe redhead?”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hunt you down to try and burn you at the stake," Valery joked with a smirk before Maiev clapped her hands together and began to explain her magic. To make it easier to understand, she snapped her fingers and changed her appearance in the blink of an eye. From her hair to her make-up and clothes — it was quite remarkable and incredibly useful. A skill like this would have been a huge asset for a Jedi Shadow.

It'd still be something useful if she knew how to do it.

"That's amazing," Valery said as she looked Maiev over. The witch did the same in return, and Valery met her gaze again with another smirk.

"I've never really thought about it. So... surprise me?" Valery was happy with her appearance, so the idea of going redhead or blonde had never crossed her mind before. Maybe it'd be more interesting to see what Maiev could come up with, and just how different it'd make her look.

Would it be as easy as a snap of her finger?

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Maiev's Apartment
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

“A surprise it is then,” Maiev said, pausing to think, staring into Valery’s eyes. “It’ll be a shame to disguise such pretty eyes, but then they are very you.” The witch let out a chuckle, as her own eyes began to glow green.

“First things first, stretch your arms out.” Maiev muttered a chant under her breath, causing her hands to begin to glow, stopping at a certain intensity.

“I'm effectively going to act as a tailor, taking your measurements, but weaving my magic across your body instead. It’s going to be a weird sensation to begin with, but just close your eyes and it’ll fade into the background.”

This wasn’t Maiev’s first time projecting an illusion around another person. But it had been a good while since the last time. She wanted to make sure this one was perfect, and knew full well it was going to take a great amount of focus. The more powerful in the Force the person was, the trickier it became.

“You will need to open yourself up a little, within the Force I mean. Nothing major though, just a little on the surface level so the illusion can properly react with your body.”

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

Valery chuckled at the compliment and dipped her head with a smile across her lips, "The eyes, scar and hair will all have to change, I imagine." Combined, they made for a look that distinguished Valery from most other women, and with some changes to her clothes and perhaps her make-up, she figured it'd be enough. She doubted anybody would recognize her for her height, and clothes could mask her body type if need be.

"And it's all really just an illusion?" Not a trick of the mind, since she imagined that a change of clothes and fabrics would also come with a change in texture for touch. But once Maiev's concentration broke, either willingly or unintentionally, she'd be back to normal in her old outfit, right?

She wanted to make sure.

Valery spread her arms and steadied her breathing to keep herself still. If Maiev needed to focus for this to work, she'd have to do her best to not distract her. "Alright, just let me know if I need to open myself more." Valery smiled faintly and closed her eyes to bring her focus inwards. Just like with telepathy, she opened her mind first and continued from there. Usually, as a former Jedi Shadow, Valery did not like to expose any part of herself, even surface level.

But she trusted Maiev and this was necessary for their mission.

Maiev ​

 

[Maiev]

Location: Coruscant - Maiev's Apartment
Outfit: Link
Tags: Valery Noble​

---

“It’s just an illusion, really. Albeit, it does have a caveat in it being visual only. You’ll feel the difference in texture, and the potential restrictions that come with it.” Maiev paused for a few moments, thinking of an example. “Say the illusion involves a jacket. Despite not physically wearing one, you’ll still feel a bit more restricted movement in your arms. It’s conjured that way to keep up the appearance.”

It would certainly be a strange sight to see someone visually adorned in full beskar armour, only for the person to be able to run around as though they weighed like a feather.

“You could go down a more Mentalist route, and have it be a ‘trick of the mind’ kind of disguise. But that would require having to manipulate every person that might potentially lay their eyes on you. That would need a greater deal more focus, and as you can imagine, would produce one killer of a headache.”

A potential alternative option, should the disguise fail to remain around Valery. But Maiev was hoping it wouldn’t be the case, knowing full well they’d need a properly trained and powerful mentalist to pull it off.

Of which, Maiev was most definitely not.

“It shouldn’t require much more, just enough for the illusion to ‘hook’ in around your body. You’re more than skilled enough to do it, but it’s more about being comfortable with it.”

The fact Valery was bonded via a Dyad was a thought that crossed Maiev’s mind. While she wasn’t exactly an expert on those kinds of bonds, she knew both partners were able to feel what the other was, even from a great distance.

Not that it was a constant 24/7 thing, but it didn’t stop Maiev from being amused, wondering what Kahlil would be thinking.

Maiev stepped up to Valery, close enough that she could raise her hands towards the Jedi’s face. “This’ll feel strange initially, but it should pass after a few seconds.” With that said, the witch gently placed her glowing hands on either side of Valery’s face.

The sensation would be immediate, first of coldness, only to evaporate into warmth seconds later. It felt like something was wrapping around wherever Maiev’s hands went, not unlike someone using the Force as a protective shield. That goosebumps-like feeling spread across Valery’s neck and arms.

As Maiev finished ‘mapping’ the Jedi Master’s face, her hands began to glide down Valery’s neck, then along her collarbone and towards her left arm.

 

[Valery Noble]

​

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

"I see," Valery said while Maiev explained how this 'illusion' worked. It was carefully thought out, which gave the impression that she had used it many times before. The reason for that escaped her, though living in the Coruscant underworld probably meant trouble found her on occasion. The most recent incident is just one example of it.

"Alright, let's get this started."

Valery kept herself still while Maiev approached, and resisted the urge to pull her face away when her hands closed in on her cheeks. At first, she felt an uncomfortable cold against her skin, but as the illusion began to form, a warmth spread through her body instead. It helped the Jedi Master relax, even with Maiev's proximity and her hands moving down her body. Slowly but surely, Valery's image changed.

"This is... quite something," Valery said with a playful smirk. "Do you think it's ready?" She then asked, as her eyes flicked up from Maiev's hands to her eyes.

Maiev ​