First Reply Uprising

[Valery Noble]

Sleheyron

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

Valery groaned and held onto her seat when he took them out with a burst of acceleration, causing the seatbelt to tighten against her chest. Still, her senses wandered, and she could feel those who had been chasing them fade into the background. Their sensors were scrambled and quite frankly, she doubted that they could keep up. Even if they could, why pursue one relatively ship when the entire planet was still in the middle of a huge uprising.

They had a lot more to worry about.

"I doubt they'll try to go after us," Valery said after a sigh of relief before she undid the seatbelt. "There's so much chaos down there now." She wasn't quite sure how to feel about it. If slaves got their freedom, it was perhaps a good thing. But so many were going to be killed or captured again as well.

She figured it was a risk worth taking for them.

"New Cov doesn't have a strong presence of anything. So, it should be safe. You aren't in the clear with the Alliance yet, after all." She stood up and rubbed her shoulder. Now that they had made their escape, she was starting to feel sore. Her body and mind were exhausted, and she felt dirty.

The offer to use the refresher was a welcomed one.

"I'm going to wash my hands and face. I'll be right back," Valery said with a soft smile before she excused herself and retreated into the bathroom.

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej leaned back in the seat as she left, looking up into the corner at the aging Fel Empire uniform patch.

A different time, a much different galaxy. It felt like the galaxy shifted every time he looked away for a second. A new Empire, a new Alliance, another burning world, another massacre, another genocide. Another enslavement of a species.

It was a lot for one person. He couldn't imagine what Valery had to think on, being the position that she was. Quite literally holding the line against certain darkness. The Sith were ruthless, relentless. Violent, capable. Powerful beyond his comprehension- the Force itself was something he could never understand, nor even have the ability to remotely even comprehend.

He waited until he heard the running water to speak- his ship wasn't that large, the refresher was only about twenty feet behind them, along with his sleeping quarters.

"But I will be, yeah? Deals a deal."

A chime indicated that their hyperspace coordinates were locked in. Once she was done with her little routine, he'd send them to hyperspace. A short trip, given the distance. Maybe an hour, at most.

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

The splash of cold water against her face was a good reminder. Her mission hadn't exactly been a success in the way that it should have been, but she was unharmed and on her way back. The slaves had taken their lives into their own hands, and she supposed she should be happy for them. Having been in their position once, she knew exactly what it felt like. In their place now, she would have rather died fighting for her freedom, than be stuck in a cage any longer.

All she could hope for was that many of them would make it out as well.

While she washed her hands and face, Valery heard Nej speak up behind her. She smirked and purposefully didn't answer the question yet. Only after she re-appearing in the doorway, a towel between her hands, she looked at him and nodded, "I gave you my word, so I will vouch for you." She didn't like thinking of herself as someone special, but the Jedi and Alliance were going to be grateful that he helped her get back.

"Once I make it to New Cov, it'll be at the top of my list. Promise." And she wasn't one to make promises lightly. Once she made it back, she'd immediately submit a report with a request for his pardon.

What happened after that, would be up to him.

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej looked out into the stars, holding up three fingers to count down.

Three.

Two.

One.

Boom.

The ship lurched forward into Hyperspace, real space folding around them into a blur of passing stars and planets, comets. He looked out past the viewport, then looked down at his feet. A free man. Nej Tane, for the first time (in Alliance space) could be a free man. Since the Republic, he'd had a considerable bounty on his head that prevented him from even thinking on going to Alliance space. That, and the plethora of warrants.

"All larceny stuff, you know. Nothing super violent."

The Bank Guards and Train guards that got hit with stun bolts might've disagreed, but they woke up!

"I imagine Jedi promises are worth more than a Scoundrel's word. So. I believe ya."

Nej Tane could be a free man, and not an outlaw, for the first time in almost 40 years.

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

"I hope so, or else even my word won't do much. I'll vouch for you, but it needs to convince them." If he was lying and actually a wanted serial killer, they'd likely not care much about his one act of kindness. Valery, however, was very grateful for it. As a Jedi, she was selfless and she would risk her life or endanger herself for others. But she had no death wish. There were people in her life who needed her, and she didn't want to leave them behind.

Her time in this Galaxy was far from over.

After returning the towel to its rack, Valery entered the cockpit and briefly looked at the stars. She didn't sit down yet, and just focused on the peace that hyperspace travel offered her mind.

"Where will you be waiting while I talk to the Alliance?" She asked and the question made her realize something. "I uh, should probably give you comm codes. So I can let you know when things are settled." She dug into her pocket, produced a wallet, and removed a small chip that she offered.

"You can contact me there if you need anything."

 

[Nej Tane]

He looked up at her, taking the comm chip into his hands while sitting in the pilot's seat. He looked down at the floor, pondering her question. Where would he go? He could go anywhere. Do anything.

"I guess- somewhere neutral. Maybe Naboo, maybe somewhere like that. Nal Hutta. I'll let you know when I figure that part out."

Quite the difference between his two vocal options, but he'd tell her. He just needed to figure out where he wanted to be for the time being. He leaned back in the seat, also watching the stars.

"This is my favorite part. Going somewhere new. No place like the frontier. I never uh, had a permanent home. Not in any real sense. So this- this is what I like. Waiting to get to that next place."

He looked up at her, taking in the Jedi just like he did before. But now, they were alone, nothing but space and the blur of the stars between them. He smiled that handsome, white-toothed grin. He fixed his hair, still looking at her.

"Jedi not allowed to sit down or something?"

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

"Naboo is a safer bet than Nal Hutta after what happened today." After today, he might not be a wanted man anymore in Alliance space. But the Hutts could put a bounty on him if they looked into what happened. He had been the spark that ignited the inferno on Sleheyron, after all. Surely, they had camera footage of what started it all?

Yeah, it was definitely better to avoid Hutt planets right now.

"Either way, just let me know." She dipped her head and watched him turn to the stars. No matter where you were in the Galaxy, Hyperspace looked essentially the same. With how much most tended to travel, it shouldn't really be special because of that. Yet... it was. No matter how often she saw this familiar sight, it remained just as beautiful.

"Not a fan of sitting still. I know a lot of people like that, and it sure has its merits. Can get lonelier though if you don't make connections." She tilted her head curiously as she watched him. It had been a conversation she had with a friend not long ago, so she wondered how he felt about it. Did he prefer to travel alone? Or did he seek out friends or acquaintances as well?

Nej then turned around and flashed that handsome smuggler grin her way again. It got her to chuckle before she met his gaze with a faint smirk, "I'm still a little high on tension and adrenaline after all that. It feels weird to sit down and relax, you know?"

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej thought for a moment of any connections he still had. A lot of them were dead, missing, or occasionally tried to kill him or capture him. He leaned his head side to side, not really wanting to think about that for the time being.

"Well, I'm gonna go hit the refresher fully. Should be there sooner rather than later. Maybe you can relax when I'm not distracting you."

He stepped out from his chair, disengaging his rocket boots, stowing in them a small cubby near the pilot's seat. He took off his jacket as well, hanging it up, along with the rest of his gear. He took the small device that went around both of his ears, settling them where he put his pistols. He ran a hand over his face, walking to the refresher.

He groaned as he pulled off his shirt as he walked down the gangway, a litany of scars, bruises, and close calls- no tattoos, unlike most scoundrels in the galaxy. He was slower now, feeling the weight of the actions he took planet-side catching up with him, just like Valery had. Nej had a lean, fighter's physique- showing how exactly he won those shockboxing titles all those years ago. He still kept up with the training, the discipline.

He stepped inside, and took a long shower, letting the water fall over him. He had a large water tank installed on the ship, built for a crew of 10 over 30 days, for that explicit reason. He leaned his head on the wall, grimacing as he rolled his sore body out, before stepping out quite some time later.

He was wearing a similar Spacer's outfit, pants with the Corellian stripe on them, and a looser fitting T-shirt. It was a shockboxing tournament shirt- with his name, and several other contenders, listed on the back. He checked the navcomputer, fixing his hair with a comb while he measured how far they had left.

"Shorter than I thought. Just about fifteen minutes until you're home free, sweetheart."

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

"You're right. How could I ever relax with you around, hm?" She smirked and plopped down into the co-pilot seat while she watched him. Nej taking leaving his boots and jacket here wasn't really anything strange, but when he took his shirt off before making it to the refresher, Valery did blink. That was intentional, she knew. She looked him over and leaned back into her chair until he finally disappeared.

He was a bold one.

While Nej took his shower, Valery idly spun around in her chair and focused on nothing in particular. She could worry about the uprising or the various wars in the Galaxy later. No, right now, she just wanted to relax and no longer feel like an entire planet was chasing after her.

For just a moment, she finally did slip into some pleasant daydreaming.

By the time Nej returned, Valery had lost all perception of time. She turned around in her chair to face him, and looked him over again. Dressed this time, at least. The shockboxing shirt did draw her attention though, "I once infiltrated a fighting ring by participating. Shirts like that were very common there," Valery mused while he walked over to check on their flight status.

Only 15 minutes left?

Valery stood up to stretch her arms and legs and rolled her eyes at his comment, "Time has been flying, then. Or you just take really long showers."

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej shrugged at her remark about taking a long time. He pretended he didn’t hear the initial comment. He could have shown off for sure- but he really wanted to check the damage done earlier by the blaster bolt that got the better of him.

So far, just another scar. On top of many.

Nej smirked when she mentioned the shirt. He had a large collection of shirts and memorabilia from his travels, jobs and hobbies. He wore them around his ship as the closest thing to keeping a reminder or having possessions.

Something Valery could also understand the value of.

They were close now, both by the console to the check the flight status. Very close. He moved a bit closer, just a few inches away from her.

“Both can be true, you know.”

He said, before breaking their tense distance by sitting back down in the pilots seat. He reached under, pulling out a drawer-

Full of various data chits that were marked as “Sith Transport”, “Hutt Transport”, “Alliance Frigate”- so on and so on. Nej smirked a little at Valery before selecting one that said “Merchant Vessel”.

He plugged it into the console and was preparing to come up on sensors as just that. A simple traders vessel.

“I’ll definitely get rid of those and won’t keep them as soon as you leave.” He said with an almost giggle.

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

"Both might be true," Valery said while she looked at him from the corners of her eyes. He was closer now and she couldn't deny the tension she felt. Why did he have to be so handsome and forward? Granted, it wasn't the first time she felt attracted to someone a little rougher around the edges, but she knew she shouldn't.

Especially not with who she was.

When Nej stepped away from the console, Valery let out a soft sigh and plopped down into her own seat. They were getting close, so the request for clearance codes was going to come in any moment now. Something he seemed to have covered with a wide variety of options.

Sith? Alliance? Hutts?

Valery rolled her eyes again and snickered at his almost giggle, "You really are something else, hm? Please do throw those away when I leave - especially the Alliance one. You'll be able to get one legally." Something that she hoped would be exciting. No more running and hiding.

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej felt his heartbeat fast for a moment she moved away. He looked up at the stars, as if realizing something, or the same reaction if he left the caf pot on. He turned his head upwards slightly, letting out a verbal "hm". Just a soft indicator that he realized something.

He broadcasted the landing codes, zooming into the planet's atmosphere as he turned to look at Valery, pursing his lips and nodding in thought. Maybe, he'd get something to identify him as an Alliance-friendly vessel. Or he could get one, and then also- have a few backups. Just in case.

"Everyone's gotta cut loose a little bit. Helps to float around sneaky-like where you ain't supposed to be."

He veered the ship smoothly into the landing pad, before standing up and waiting for Valery at the loading ramp, while it descended. He looked her up and down again, smiling. Before he stuck out his hand.

"Nice to meet a Jedi without them trying to chop me in half."

Nej wasn't exactly aware of the differences between a Sith and Jedi all the time- he just thought that some Jedi preferred the color red, sometimes. It was a common misconception in the galaxy. Or at least, that's what he told people when they told him that he was wrong.

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

"Oh don't get me wrong, I have them, too," Valery said with a smirk. "Just not for in Alliance or allied territory. Sith? Hutts? I have tons of covers." As did most Jedi on request. But she knew that it was different for him and that even after everything today, some of that wouldn't change. She didn't even want to try and have him change in that way.

He was charming just the way he was.

If... just a little rough around the edges.

Once the ship settled down, Valery got up from her seat and walked over, a smile still resting on her lips. All-in-all, she was satisfied with the mission, and she hoped to see him again. Not something she had expected after he shot a good friend and nearly tried to kill her as well.

But it wasn't the first time she gave someone a second chance.

"If a Jedi actually wants to cut you up, please let me know," Valery said with an amused chuckle. "I'll have words with them." She took the accepted hand and shook it.

"Don't be a stranger, alright?" Valery smiled and flashed a wink.

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej couldn’t help but smile and enjoy their handshake. And the wink.

"I imagine there'll be someone who will point a lightsaber at me."

He watched her descend the ramp, but cocked his head. Something told him to. He watched her leave.

He hated to see her leave, but he loved to watch her go...

So he went for it. What was the harm? No real risk. No real harm. But it was worth it to try, yeah?

"Hey Valery."

He said, just before she got to leaving as she planned to.

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

"If it's a red one, please run or shoot them." Not that she'd think he do anything else, but it didn't hurt to add. Some Sith were manipulative and wouldn't immediately draw a blade to kill. They'll lure their target in and strike when it was least expected. Or worse, they'd try to corrupt him into a monster.

But there was no reason to worry about that now.

Valery turned to leave after a final gesture and started walking towards the ramp. But right at the threshold, she heard him again and slid her gaze back over her shoulder, "Hmm?" she hummed in question with a faint smile resting on her lips.

It seemed like he had a hard time letting go.

 

[Nej Tane]

Nej looked around, shrugged his shoulders. He made two steps towards Valery, Valery Noble- the Sword of the Jedi, Grandmaster, titles upon titles. He stood in front of her, just a few inches apart. He leaned forward, letting her feel the tension, the heat between them, the lack of space. He was so close now. Strawberry blonde hair fell down. The Smuggler, the Scoundrel, the Gunslinger. One of the more known outlaws in the galaxy, stood in front of her.

He went for it.

And with that, one hand wrapped around the fabric of her jacket, the other around the back of her neck, fingers pressing and... grabbing-

He kissed Valery Noble, pushing her against the bulkhead. He let her sit there for a few seconds, lips pressed together. Before he slid his hand off of her jacket, and let his hand fall from the back of her neck. He backed up, going back up to his ship, inside. He put up his hands in his triumphant little shrug.

"See you around, Valery."

He winked at her, spinning on the balls of his feet, in quite a good mood.

Valery Noble

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[Valery Noble]

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Outfit: Undercover Smuggler
Weapons: Blasters
Tag: Nej Tane

Valery instinctively drew her head back when Nej inched closer, her eyes focused on his and her mind at the tension that was starting to form. Everything about him should have made it obvious what he was planning to do, but it wasn't until a hand gripped her jacket that she understood. His other arm shifted around her neck at the same time, bringing them closer together until he had her pushed up against the bulkhead.

Valery's eyes went wide when she felt his lips against her own and placed her hands against his chest to push him back. By the time he separated, he had already claimed his kiss, and left Valery's lips parted in surprise.

"You..." she finally said, her voice breathy and her eyes burning intensely. He merely gave her some kind of smuggler salute and departed, but Valery was left with a desire to slap him across the cheek.

She bit back her anger, though, and turned on her heels to swiftly depart with what had happened fresh on her mind.

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[Nej Tane]

Nej giggled.

He giggled, as he got in his ship.

He giggled, as he started the ship.

He giggled, as he flew away.

And then, he opened his palm- holding the necklace he stole off of Valery. He held it up, looking back at the spaceport as he flew away, holding it. He wondered how much it was worth, just quickly calculating it in his head-

But maybe this was worth keeping. He did sort of like it, after all.

He did just like it, right?

Valery Noble

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