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Vayla Mirana

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Sevenmoon of Velusia. Those words, strung together like threads of silk, settled like nectar on the tongue. Like the bold title of a novel. High Republic? High fantasy? She wondered, having little else to do but stare out the viewport of the passenger liner and imagine what kind of rock her quarry was made of.

In the Core Worlds, the Velusians called the volcanic islands of Velusia their home, but Vayla was heading to the city-state of Sevenmoon floating above it. There, things were a little quieter than volcanoes could humble to, and quiet is what the Jedi needed. As much as the shadow needs its light.

The musings of a mind were just so and Vayla was thankful to be distracted by the captain's voice greeting everyone over the comm. He announced that they were approaching their destination.

She saw the lights first, those beacons beckoning vessels forth, blinking red and blue.
They were towers beside towers; skyscraper havens and juggernaut power grids, peppered across the landscape of barren rock so grey. As grey as the eyes of Quin Leonkri.

Whether he was already at the spaceport or on his way, Vayla Mirana would meet him at a cafe for a customary cup of tea. They would have much to catch up on, and Quin needed to know why his friend called him to Sevenmoon of all moons.

As the starliner's landing struts descended over the landing strip, Vayla glued her gaze to the gargantuan dome that served as one of the moon's seven arcologies.

Ships swarmed around it like fireflies, heading to and fro, as the spaceport opened to receive the starliner, and the Knight made ready to receive the Padawan. I'm back, Pad...though we shall see for how long.


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Quin Leonkri

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When Quin received a message from Master Mirror out of the blue telling him to meet on Sevenmoon, he hadn’t known what to expect. In fact, as he twiddled his thumbs at one end of a table for two in the back of the cafe, he still didn’t. It had been a few years since the two had last talked in person, and much had happened since then. While it would be good to catch up, the Padawan had a feeling that it was far from the only reason Vayla had asked to meet today. Because of that, he’d made sure to arrive extra early so as to not keep the knight waiting.

Quin kept an eye on the door, watching as beings entered and exited and most importantly, looking for the familiar face of his friend. He wouldn’t have to wait for long before he saw her at the door. As soon as he did, he got up from his seat to greet her, a smile on his face.

“Master Mirror! It’s good to see you,” he exclaimed, reaching over for a quick handshake before he sat down again across from her. “How are you doing? It’s been so long.”

Gazing into her bright blue eyes, he wondered about what she’d been up to. Even with the silly nickname, Master Mirror had always been someone he looked up to, not just because she was higher in rank than he was. There was something about her, the way she worked or talked or something that he didn’t quite understand, and it fascinated him. Whatever it was, he saw her as a teacher and an individual whom he could learn much from. Maybe he would find out more today.

@Die Shize
 

Vayla Mirana

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Over time, Vayla had come to discover how a shadow could mingle with the dark, dance with the light, but never wavered against the fire.
There was something fueling it behind the dome that shielded the city, like the dark was trying to hide from the light, so the light sent its shadow. And I bring the fire.

Vayla was used to hiding, had learned to, and the Jedi had to as she moved from the passengers filing down the starliner to the throngs of people covering the spaceport floor.

The Knight could pick between them, pluck one voice out of a hundred, but preferred the noise, preferred the silence as she walked by them.
It’s no Jedi they see…just a blue woman in a beige jacket. She saw herself as nothing more, nothing less, at least for the time being.

Then she saw the sign, gazed at the door beneath it, took a breath and wondered if, having found the right place, she had found the right person, she was doing the right thing. Force guide me…and Quin Leonkri too.

The door opened, the Knight stepped forth, and the Padawan received her. She smiled from the doorway and walked forward.
Quin rose, took her hand in his, and it was that moment that the Force had proven itself to the Jedi once again.

“Longer than you know,” the mirror agreed as she took a seat, stared at those eyes for a moment. “It is quite good to see you too, my friend.”

She couldn’t yet put her finger on it but Quin looked stronger, sharper, and while Vayla was neither his mother nor his aunt she could not help but see the face of a boy becoming a man and what that might mean for the world.

A server came over to place a cup and saucer in front of the Pantoran. Vayla took a moment to breathe in the bittersweet scent of jasmine tea.
Taking a sip, she thought of those moments on the asteroid as the teacher guided the student, and brought herself back down to the moon.

“I’ve been good, Pad,”
she set the cup down, studying Quin’s countenance, her own becoming a dome that shielded a fire. “For someone who has been in prison.”


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Quin Leonkri

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Quin thanked the server for his tea and turned back to Vayla, curious about what she had to say. Maybe she’d helped with the relief effort on Kashyyyk, or helped to protect the representatives on Ruusan. Both seemed like plausible options, but the words that came out were nothing like anything he’d expected.

“Prison?” Quin’s eyes widened, and he realized he’d said it louder than he’d intended to. Blood rushing to his cheeks, he immediately lowered his voice and put down his cup of tea as he leaned forward. “What happened? Are you in trouble? Do you need help? Why were you in prison? Was it- was it some kind of secret assignment or something?” He struggled to meet Vayla’s gaze as he spoke. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Master Vayla Mirana, his mentor and the person he looked up to the most, in prison of all places? There had to be some good explanation for this.

“I- I just-” What? The Padawan blinked a few times, trying to wrap his head around the sudden revelation. He took a breath, clenched and unclenched his hand on the table to clear his mind. “I thought you would be doing… other stuff.” Flustered, he let out a sigh, then leaned back against his seat as he closed his eyes briefly.

“Master, I’m sorry for sounding so brusque, but please, you have to explain. What’s going on?”

@Die Shize
 

Vayla Mirana

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Quin did not hide from the words of his friend, did not waver, but demanded to understand in the gentle guise of asking. One day soon you shall become a Knight, Pad. In turn, Vayla would not mince her words.

“I’m not in trouble, Quin,” she let out a sigh of her own, clinked the cup back on its plate as delicately as one balances on a tightrope. Their gazes met. “But I do bring it.”

Her prosthetic eyes did not need to blink, did so simply for the sake of normalcy, but right now they did not blink into Quin’s.

“Some time ago I came upon a lead that led me to an asteroid in the Outer Rim or, rather, in the privately owned prison built upon it.”
Vayla retraced her steps in the back of her mind while focusing on her listener.
"There had been more than one incident of an inmate being electrocuted to death but not by the guards, not at such magnitude. Fingers pointed to faulty equipment but I had suspicions of my own. I was not alone."
We never are.

"So, I went to investigate—in the shadows. A new identity painted me as a criminal charged with assault, theft and piracy.”
Quin could rest assured that none of those charges were true.
“I worked my way into a prison ring, hoping to uncover my quarry, but if there was a dark side cult at work then it knew how to hide from a shadow. Save for one inmate. That one confessed to bearing witness to another inmate being electrocuted to death."

She looked away, looked back. “He was there when one man murdered another in cold blood—with lightning that came out of his hands. The next day, his true nature a mystery, the killer was released or, rather, bought by a wealthy client." Vayla coated her throat with a stream of tea, weighing her words as she stated the facts.

"A Human from Naboo turned CEO of Valt Ventures, a man named Sars Valt.” That name might ring a bell. “The man who tried to kidnap you after leaving a message on an asteroid.”

It was a long time ago now when Quin had been lured back to Naboo. His parents proved to be safe and sound, though the evidence of the crime never surfaced, and the villain was free to find new ventures out in the stars. But a cold heart cannot hide from the heat of the fire.


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Quin Leonkri

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Quin didn’t know whether to feel relieved or even more alarmed at Vayla’s story. On the one hand, he was glad that she had been in prison of her own choice, and that it was part of her job. On the other, he was concerned that the man who he’d thought was just a lowly scammer who’d been pulling his bluff was allegedly trying to take control of someone clearly proficient with the dark side of the Force, strong enough to electrocute someone to death. This was already getting more complicated than he’d thought.

“I see,” he answered slowly, gazing into his cup of tea as he lifted it up for a drink. “And now you’re trying to find out what Sars has done with him. And what he’ll do next.” He took a moment to process everything before meeting Vayla’s eyes again.

“I’m in. Wherever this Sars Valt and that murderer is, we’ll find them.” He smiled. It was more determined than happy, though. There was no way in the Force that he would let a known murderer walk out in the open, especially one who openly used the dark side to boot.

“Are there any leads on where they are now?” he would ask as he finished his tea. “If not, my parents have a few contacts on Naboo. They know everything about everyone… for the right price.”

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Vayla Mirana

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This was a lot to take in, Vayla would give Quin that much. In one sitting he learned both of a potential darksider and some kind of connection between that man and the man who tried to abduct the boy.

Yet, there is no hesitation in his eyes. There is concern but there is no doubt. Quin proved as much when he put himself forward without needing to be asked. It didn’t have to be personal. Doing the right thing is enough.

“I was hoping you would suggest that, Pad,” Vayla smiled. “You Leonkris have your wits, which helps explain your resources. If you can reach out to your parents about Sars Valt then we can better connect the dots between him and the man who walked off that asteroid.”

The latter would surely fly under the radar. Sparking the Force in a dark corner of a cold prison was one thing but the Knight doubted her target would be so flagrant out in the world. Unless you’ve fallen that far already...

“Meanwhile we have come to the right place.” It was Vayla’s turn to finish her tea. “Turns out that Valt Ventures is headquartered in Gravenell City, right here on Sevenmoon.” She nodded to the window beside their table, specifically at the great dome bridged to the spaceport.

She stared longer, searched deeper, felt a familiar presence, wondered if it felt her. Sometimes a Jedi just did the right thing. Sometimes...sometimes it's personal.


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Quin Leonkri

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“You got it.” Quin flashed Vayla a thumbs-up. His parents would be reluctant to help him on any business related to the Jedi, but if it was Sars Valt they were dealing with… he was certain that they would think twice about refusing. Even if he was a Jedi, they were still his parents and he was their son, and no one, especially not some random dude who suddenly and mysteriously became CEO, messed with their family.

He followed Vayla’s gaze and looked out the window at the dome. If Valt Ventures was there, then that was where they would go. It didn’t matter if they had to face soldiers, droids, or Killiks, Sars Valt was going to regret ever contacting the murderer, whoever he was. He steeled his expression and looked back at Master Mirror.

“We’ll stop him. Whatever he’s planning, we won’t let him hurt anyone else.” Though he sounded confident, Quin wondered what would happen if they failed, or didn’t do it in time. His family was high-profile and had connections, which was likely part of why he’d given up on them, but what about others who weren’t nobility? Normal families, just minding their own business? If he struck again, this time with a Force-sensitive on his side, he didn’t know if he could forgive himself for not acting quickly enough.

At the thought he stood up, looking back out at the dome that housed Gravenell City.

“No time to waste.”


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Vayla Mirana

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So the Jedi left the cafe and boarded a transport to carry them to the dome.
The bridge between it and the port was a tremendous tube of transparisteel, offering a fantastic view of the grey sea beneath a black sky of outer space on a moon with no atmosphere.

Vayla gazed out the train’s front window, eyeing deep craters beside sprawling hills, aware that she was spending every available moment to glimpse the galaxy before it would disappear behind an iron curtain.

That curtain gave way as a pair of doors built for dragons parted from one another, revealing a blade of white light that gently lit up a hidden world.

On the barren rock an artificial atmosphere kept everyone breathing, and all that air was spent on maintaining a standalone infrastructure rife with all the makings of a modern city. Only with corridors over streets.

As much as the arcology was a web of interconnected levels there was a web of traffic that Quin and Vay had to weave through beyond the gate. Where are you, Valt Ventures?
No such holosign dangled from the walls so the Jedi did not delay in bringing up her datapad.

“Sars’ company is headquartered downtown, Corporate Sector,” she displayed to Quin. “I think it’s best to give your parents some time to arm us with intel before we go visit. Meantime, it can’t hurt to check with local law enforcement in case they have a record on our other friend.”

Though his identity as a Force-sensitive was not yet known, Vayla at least had the name and the face of the prisoner who was purchased from the prison.
She doubted Sars would put his pet in the public database, and a man like him had his tricks, but he would still keep him close. And I know you’re here. I can feel you…


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Quin Leonkri

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“Makes sense.” That the corporation was headquartered in Corporate Sector was a reasonable statement to make. When Vayla suggested that they get more information before heading there, he nodded.

“I’ve already sent them a message, and they say they’re digging around. Until then, local law enforcement it is!” He smiled. Though trying to find and stop a criminally-aligned CEO and a murderer on the loose was quite a serious job, Quin found it easier to take on the task when he was feeling relaxed. It enabled a clear head, a firm hand, and thus a higher chance of success.

The two Jedi had soon approached the local station, abuzz with clerks on comm calls and radio chatter coming from the speakers of the officers. Upon entering, a friendly-looking young Aqualish holding a datapad was there to greet them.

“Hello, and welcome to the 51st Precinct of Gravenell. How can I help you?”

“We’re looking for some information on a former convict who might have ties in the city.” Trying his luck, Quin would shift his position just enough for the Aqualish to see the lightsaber on his belt, and fortunately enough he did seem to catch it.

“Ohh, Jedi business, then? I’ll speak with my boss, and she’ll be out in a second. Feel free to take a seat as you wait.” The Aqualish gestured to two empty chairs in the lobby before excusing himself and walking into a neighboring room. When they sat down, Quin would take out his datapad to check to see if his parents had come up with anything, and they didn’t let him down.

“Hey master, check this out,” he said, showing his datapad to Vayla. “They say that Sars has a pretty long history of crime. Pickpocketing, shoplifting, selling illegal spice… it looks like he’s done it all.” He scrolled down. “Apparently he’s even a con artist. He claimed that he had a product that could make people immortal.” That was taking quite the leap.

“He ran out of money a while back after being caught for cheating on his taxes.” Quin squinted at the screen, trying to make out the text at the bottom of the page. “He tried to ransom someone for money— I think that was me— and was sent to prison, and… that’s where the records stop.” He frowned. “But that was years ago, and it’s not documented how he got control fo Valt Ventures. I’m surprised the authorities haven’t looked into it.”

Before he could say any more, the Aqualish had returned. “Miss Jisela is ready to see you. Take a left there, then take a right right after that, and you’ll find her office. Let me know if you need anything!” With that, he was off.

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Vayla Mirana

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Quin's instincts through the Force had not been unsuccessful, neither had they gone unnoticed. Good job, Pad. It could have gone either way but this Aqualish had no need of being persuaded.

Sitting down, Vayla checked out Pad’s pad. What Quin’s parents had provided was nothing short of promising, at least in the sense of putting the wrong people behind the right barriers.

The criminal history of Sars Valt most likely did not get discussed in public circles. For all anyone knew today he was simply the CEO of Valt Ventures, nothing more and nothing less.
You cheated your way up the ladder, conned your victims like stepping on rungs, found a new friend. Question is…who is playing who?

The Aqualish tabled Vayla's question as he interrupted the Jedi’s thoughts.
“Right,” Vayla nodded while their guide stepped away. She looked left, looked right, looked at Quin. “It was left then right, right?”


“Please, come in,” called a Chagrian woman behind the desk. At its front was a nameplate reading: “Captain Jisela”.
Two empty chairs were gestured to the Jedi and Vayla sat down.
“Been a while since we’ve had your kind.” The captain spoke more plainly than distastefully.

“And what are our kind?”

“Well, you’re not Sith. I can tell. We’ve had their kind too.”

Vayla shot Quin a look. The captain held up a hand.
“That was a while back. Angry lady’s long gone now."
She gave a look that Vayla read as one wanting to help.
"Is the Sith why you are here?”

Conversation ensued, Vayla offered the name and the face of the prisoner that was paid for, but Captain Jisela could only shake her head as she typed away.
“Nope. This one’s not in the city records. Cross-referencing with the other six cities and beyond...Sixmoon...No, sorry, nothing’s coming up. Could be a fake ID.”

"Could be." It is, Vayla kept to herself. You’re here. I know you’re here.

“If this man you are looking to find is here in Gravenell,” the Captain looked between the boy and the woman. “How might he have gotten here?”

Vayla saw no need to hold back. She had already determined to involve just one Jedi in this mission, a friend she could trust more than most, and they needed what help they could get from within this dome that surrounded them both.

“Valt Ventures, huh?”
Captain Jisela turned in her chair, brought out a bottle of what looked like tequila, offered a glass to Vayla who politely declined. “Just so happens that Mr. Valt's company is one in a number that’s been on my radar.”


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Quin Leonkri

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“Yep. I think so.” Quin followed Vayla to the left, then to the right, and the open door was there just as the Aqualish said. Taking a seat, he would listen as the captain mentioned the Sith, exchanging a glance with the knight beside him at that. Why were they here?

But it seemed that it wasn’t an important point, as the conversation quickly moved on. As Vayla and Jisela talked, Quin jotted down some notes on his datapad. Places, names, whatever could be useful. He wasn’t surprised when they couldn’t find their murderer in the database— the fake ID was expected, or the data was simply erased. Sars had certainly grown more careful over the past few years.

His interest was piqued, however, when the captain mentioned how Valt Ventures was already on her radar.

“Why is that?” Vayla hadn’t withheld any information, and the captain clearly saw no reason to do so either.

“The case of Valt Ventures is different from that of most companies, for starters,” she said. “From what I know, they started out with nothing. They had a small office building, and that was it. Within a few weeks, they suddenly became one of the largest corporations in the sector. No one gets that kind of money in that short of a time. The strangest thing is, when we dug into it, we couldn’t find any kind of financial record. No massive changes in company policy, only standard, day-to-day sales. And those haven’t changed much since the first day they were here. That’s about all the information I have— all we can do now is watch to see what happens next.”

That would mean he was getting his money from somewhere else, then, and that there were more parties involved than he’d thought.

“Thank you, captain,” he said with a nod, finishing up the last of his notes. He glanced to see if Vayla had anything else to add or ask, and if she did, he would stay to listen. If not, the captain would dismiss them with a message of good luck and Quin would head out, trying to process everything he’d just heard.

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Vayla Mirana

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Valt Ventures’ vision was very vivid to Vayla as Captain Jisela helped paint it, and the Pantoran pictured a blue tunnel of hyperspace.
She glimpsed this in the Captain’s eyes, light bouncing between the Jedi’s cybernetics; electric blue prosthetic oculars that served as the master’s mirrors.

Yet, it was Sars’ career she saw, a shortcut to the mountain’s peak instead of a shortcut through spacetime.
Soon your tunnel will collapse, Mr. Valt, with you inside it, and a shadow shall be waiting for you when the blue light goes out.

Blinking, Vayla remembered Quin’s parents, Sars’ criminal background on Naboo, and she suddenly realized one reason that income might not show on a financial record, especially one the police might see. Illegal profits.

It made perfect sense for a criminal to have criminal ties, so much so that a CEO might grow fat off of the underworld.

Vayla ran that theory through the Captain and she promised to check into it.
However, despite her appreciation for two Jedi being here on business, she admitted that ultimately her plate was already piled.
Gravenell was, after all, a city on the stars, and all kinds of groups and individuals wanted a taste of it.

It worked out just as well. A Jedi like Vayla learned that law enforcement was often bound by codes that did not bind a Jedi. Not this one. And it takes a shadow to sneak through the underworld.

“Quin,” the Knight called as the two found privacy outside the station.
“I think if we focus first on what kind of corporate entity Valt Ventures is, what its industries are, then we can determine what kind of criminal entity would most benefit from them.”
It could be a galactic syndicate or a local cartel, or a combination for all they knew.

Ready to go, Vayla could not look away from Quin’s eyes, her own eyes unblinking. Do I tell him? Do I tell him now?
Deciding not to, she made to leave.

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Quin Leonkri

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“Coming right up!” As Quin waited for his datapad to load, he couldn’t help noticing Master Mirror staring at him, as if there was something she wanted to tell him. What could it be? She wasn’t speaking. He looked down, suddenly feeling self-conscious. Did he have something on his robes? It didn’t look like it. Was it his hair? He hadn’t brushed it this morning. Before he could think of anything else that he possibly could have missed, she walked away and he could only follow, gingerly combing his fingers through the birds’ nest atop his head.

It seemed the walk had done them good, because a few minutes later his datapad finally loaded with the information he needed. It turned out a quick(relatively speaking) search on the holonet had yielded what Vayla wanted to find out, and like a good student, Quin reported everything he learned to his teacher.

“Looks like it’s a pharma company. Both R&D and generic, but all dealing with treatments involving spice,” he said. “Not hard to imagine where that’s coming from.” Spice was easy money, if you had a steady supplier and a large enough customer base. He knew too many people in his parents’ circle who’d dipped their toes into the shadier parts of the trade— or in some cases, even their heads.

“You think we should pay their headquarters a visit, or would that be too obvious?” he asked, putting his datapad away before letting out a sigh. “I wish we knew more about his friend, though. He’s the one I’m more worried about. I mean, shooting lightning at people? That is way worse than tax fraud.” In his eyes, at least.

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Vayla Mirana

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Walking and talking, Vayla shifted her gaze from holo-ads to a datapad.
Quin, as always, painted logic in the form of questions as he negotiated with a maze to find the way to their true target, whose name was not Sars Valt.
Now? Tell him now, Vay?

Vayla turned, decided to be more than a friend once again, more than a partner, became the teacher.
“When’s the last time you bathed, Pad?” His answer.
“Water works, keeps the good oils on your skin, but sometimes the filth is so deep you need to scrub vigorously with soap.”
Despite her smile, she watched his eyes for where they were going.
“Right now we have water to flush Sars Valt with, but we need more than that if we’re going to scrub away what’s beneath. Whatever he’s planning with a Force-sensitive cannot be good and we cannot afford to tip either one off.”

For all they knew Sars was helped to fortify his mind. Even if the Jedi used the Force to persuade a location out of him, he could in turn tip off the Force-user. If they arrested him then that would just yield the same result.
And you're not getting away from me this time.

“We need to dig up the deepest dirt on Sars and his company, hold it over his head, get him to give up this potential darksider’s location. A man like Valt is loyal to himself alone and his corporation is by now an extension of himself."

On the other hand, their real target could be anywhere.
The feeling Vayla felt was faint, came and went over time, and she could not pinpoint the position.
Where are you? In a vault beneath Valt Ventures’ headquarters? Or in the darkness that suits you? Maybe lurking in the dark beneath this very city?

With perfect timing, Vayla’s comlink went off.
Captain Jisela provided the Jedi with the location of a major spice cartel operating in the city.
It sounded like a good start toward burning the rope that tethered the underworld to the corporation sitting above it.
And to you, my old friend.

“Come, along Pad! Knight Mirana is going to show you how to move through the shadows.”



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Quin Leonkri

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Quin had become so immersed in his research of Sars Valt that when Vayla asked about the last time he’d bathed, he couldn’t help his cheeks from turning red even though it had been this morning. Maybe it was his hair.

“I, uh, I—” Say it! “This week.” No! Quin wanted to slap himself. He nodded hurriedly as Vayla continued, staring at the ground. Finally, the conversation was taken off his hygiene and onto the figurative one of Sars Valt, and he found the courage to look at his mentor again.

“Blackmail, huh? Not an everyday Jedi tactic,” he said, raising his eyebrows. As if she’d been listening in, Captain Jisela just then gave them the information they needed— the location of a spice cartel. He smiled back at Vayla.

“You know— Pad sounds so much better when you say it.” He wouldn’t elaborate any more on that as he followed her into the shadows.
***​
The cartel itself looked fairly normal at first glance. It was like any other cantina— a circular bar in the middle of the room, some tables around it, and a corner in the back with sofas and sabacc tables. Only difference was, in addition to alcohol, nearly everyone also had some form or another of spice with them. In the back was a Zabrak bouncer with sunglasses, standing in front of a door. I bet that’s where we’ll end up going.

He glanced at Vayla. “Your move, master. I’ll follow.”

@Die Shize
 

Vayla Mirana

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Ched’s Hold was found in the less savory elements of Gravenell City.
The corridors were scrawled with graffiti, the streets dangerous to walk day and night, or what little there was of either in a city on a moon like Sevenmoon.
The area was, quite aptly, a shady area, but now one shadow was added to the others.

In this place, the Jedi looked anything but.
Vayla wore blue jeans, a beige jacket, and made sure not to make eye contact as she walked between tables.

Eyes came her way, eyes that wanted to gaze into the electric spheres she called eyes.
Other looks, the kind a young Padawan did not need to dwell on, but the Knight moved along.

There was the back of the bar and then there was the bar. “I’ll take a gin.”

Quin was given room to make his own request.
Barkeep nodded and he moved along too.
The drinks came. Vayla sipped, licked her lips, opened them before barkeep could walk away.

“Is this top shelf?”
She smiled.

“Cute. Top shelf broke last week. That poison there’s as good as you can get.” He smiled back.

“Here’s to a broken bottle!”

Vayla took a longer sip, set the glass down, met the man’s eye.
“Now, if I want something else that’s top shelf, that’s not gin, how would I get it?”

“Room in the back by that Zabrak. You need a pass to get in. They'll charge you fifty C's if they don't like you but, hey, I don't think you'll have that problem.”

He didn't need to think too much right now so Vayla looked into his other eye, trusting Quin to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

“You want to give me a pass."

“Sure. I can send you the QR code. Here you go.”

Comlinks went back in pockets some moments later.
Vayla took a final sip, paid the tab, looked at Pad.

“Your move, apprentice.”


@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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The barkeeper turned to him, and Quin glanced at Vayla. There were so many options! Would she be mad if he took a little something? He knew his parents would, but what harm was a little sip? It wasn’t like they were here with him now…

“A beer for me, please,” he said cheerfully, and before long the drink was in his hand. He looked down at the fizzing bubbles at the top, wondering what it tasted like. However, when Vayla spoke to the man who’d given it to him, he was suddenly reminded of the fact that they weren’t here to have a good time but to investigate.

Within a minute they had a QR code, and Quin was trying not to scrunch up his face at the bitterness of the beer. Give me some Tarine tea any day. His cup mostly untouched, he nodded as it was time to move on.

“Yes, ma’am.” He gave her a grin and hopped off his stool, making his way for the Zabrak at the back with his datapad, the QR code that Vayla had sent him out and handy.

“Pass?” Quin showed him the QR code. The Zabrak scanned it and the door opened, though his gaze lingered on the Padawan for a little longer than he would have liked.

“You’re a little young for a VIP… but code checks out. Enjoy.” He waved the disguised Jedi in, and Quin grinned as he entered. But when he saw the other beings in there, he once again began to feel self-conscious.

“Master? I think we should have shopped somewhere else,” he whispered. This room was much quieter than the other, and everyone else was in suits and dresses. Master and apprentice looked thoroughly out of place with jeans and in Quin’s case, a casual t-shirt, and they did garner a couple looks from servers and patrons alike. However, the others returned to their own drinks and cigars soon enough, leaving the pair standing at the entrance.

Unsure what to do, Quin found an empty table and pulled out a chair for Vayla, giving an awkward smile as he invited her to sit down. He would take a seat across from her.

“How are we supposed to get anyone to talk in here?”

@Die Shize
 

Vayla Mirana

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Quin looked young as a young man should but, terrible though it was, a cantina like this cared little and less about the ages of its patrons—barring VIP.

Overall, Gravenell City was as pristine as it looked on the outside, save for those dark corners, those shadowed streets.
Careful, Vay. Keep thinking of shadows and you might just turn into one.

Drums rapped around the VIP room, carefree vocals keeping pace beside a twanging guitar—a peculiar choice for the kinds of characters sitting around that room.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, Pad,” Vayla smiled, then to any eyes that dared to look into her own.
The Force is a fortress. We are its keepers.

Taking a seat, Vayla appreciated how out of place the pair of Jedi’s outfits were, but that could be used to their advantage.

Cool eyes gaze into Quin, not Quin’s, ignorant of the cigar smoke twirling at her left, the lecherous look of a Devaronian on her right with his purple black pinstripe.

“I’m looking to get connected with this outfit.”
She spoke to Quin as though casting Jedi Mind Trick on her own Padawan, those eyes so unblinking, but in truth she was simply speaking.
Black curtains fall. But they cannot swallow the light.
“I’m a spice queenpin. These suits around me?”
She shrugged, brushed them off with a sip of gin.
“I don't do dress codes for a crew I don't own, but I do want to do business with them and they need me. After all…”
Vayla tilted her head, broke her visage with a smile.
“I got VIP access somehow and a foundling as my ward, the son of a Mandalorian clan I crushed.”

It was a lie, of course, but unlike most liars these two shadows had the Force to help them tell the lie.
Quin did not need to be as well versed in the art as his companion, his master, and playing a thrall meant he could keep quiet.

Besides, the boy had proven himself with so much already, so Force Persuade tactics were hardly unattainable.
Vayla thought, anyway, eyeing a glass of purple lemonade.

@Sicadorito
 

Quin Leonkri

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Quin blinked, wondering what son of a Mandalorian clan she was talking about when he realized that she was referring to him. Or who he would pretend to be, at least. He nodded to show that he understood just as a blue male Togruta with a cigar and a glass of some type of alcohol approached their table. Here we go. When he pulled over a chair and slid it right next to Vayla, Quin resisted the urge to knock him back.

“Hello there, miss.” He addressed Vayla with an air of superiority, leaning in a little too close for Quin’s liking. “I haven’t seen you around before. What brings you here?” He looked at the Padawan, who glared back. The man chuckled. “He’s a little young for a pleasure slave.” Listen here you—

“Anywho, it’s rare that we get beings of your species here. Care to stay a little longer? I could use some… company.” What a karking idiot. When he moved to sit down beside Vayla, Quin stuck his hand out underneath the table and pushed the Togruta’s chair back with the Force, leaving him to sit on empty air. By the time the man realized, it was already too late and he’d crashed to the floor, dropping both the cigar and his glass as the liquor spilled out of the latter. Quin could hardly resist laughing, and he had to bite himself hard on the inside of the cheek to stop it.

“Kriffing— ah, excuse my language.” The Togruta dusted himself off and got back to his feet as a server hurriedly came to clean up the mess. “You were saying?”

@Die Shize
 
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