The Informant's Gambit: The Intrusion

The Informant's Gambit: The Intrusion
Date of Scene:	22 November 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	The Nihil are afoot in the Holy City.
Cast of Characters:	195, Navi

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Welona, 3rd Primeday, First Day of the Festival of Balance, 300BBY

Amarik (195) has posed:
Jedha, the Holy City.

Here the streets are alive and colorful, bustling with people from all over the galaxy. Yet, one thread seems to tie together many of the people milling about -- belief in something greater. For the Holy City is not called the Holy City for nothing -- many different sects and religions have gathered here and are out and about on the frigid moon at this time of year for the Festival of Balance, an event that would rally varying religious groups together for a flowery, celebratory event elevating piety.

Several transports have arrived from a faraway place, carrying precious relics and artifacts that thrum vibrantly with the Force, singing a song that can be felt by any and all Force sensitives in the spaceport. A number of members of the Priestesses of the Singing Mountain are helping to unload the cargo carefully...

Navi has posed:
Navi is among a party of faithful of the Shining Brotherhood, one of Jedha's many religious cults, who have come to view the unloading, and to take custody of a minor relic. With the thrumming of the artifacts being unloaded, she can't help but feel both alert and at peace, filled with joy at the song of the Force from the transport and the relics within.

Amarik (195) has posed:
The unloading takes... some time. And Navi, along with the other members of her religious sect, are kept waiting for a while.

But finally, one of the priestesses smiles kindly at Navi and beckons her over. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," she says, "but the relic you've come to collect is in the back of the cargo bay."

Navi has posed:
Navi bows respectfully to the priestess as she is called over. "Thank you, Sister, for keeping it safe for us. Please, lead me to it, and I'll be out of your way," she says gratefully. "It's such a wonderful day, today... even the air hums with peace and joy. Doesn't it just make you feel blessed to be here?"

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Indeed--" A shadow of doubt suddenly crosses her features, but then is replaced with a warm and dismissive smile. "Of course. Right this way." But she suddenly seems to be a bit more hurried, now. Navi will notice the hastening of her pace, as she leads Navi towards the back of the cargo bay. "The Shining Brotherhood has a secure vault near the Dome of Deliverance, yes...? Not far from here, I should think..."

Navi has posed:
Navi, slightly confused by the Sister's expression shift, there and gone, and the change of pace. Something feels wrong, somehow...

Nevertheless, she follows her, quickening her pace to keep up. But she can't help looking around as they move deeper into the cargo bay. She could /swear/ she felt eyes on her... if only she could see who it is. Or maybe it's all just her imagination...

Amarik (195) has posed:
When Navi doesn't reply to her question, the priestess pauses her rifling to retrieve the relic. "Ah.. is something wrong?" she asks the young Sephi cultist.

The feeling grows. There was someone else on this transport, or perhaps even multiple someones.

Navi will feel that familiar tingle in the Force, one that said she should beware...

Navi has posed:
"I don't know..." Navi murmurs, shaking her head slowly. "Something... or someone... I could swear there was someone else here. Maybe not now, but sometime..."

She looks back to the priestess. "I think ours is the last relic from this ship. Have you found it?" Her guard is up now, and she looks back the way she had come from. Almost as if to make sure the bay door was still open...

Amarik (195) has posed:
"That we have brought for the other religious sects, yes. The rest we will take to the Temple of the Kyber, to be stored in the secure vaults below ground there. It's... it's too dangerous to store them anywhere else," the priestess says with an uneasy smile. She takes a small parcel wrapped in canvas out from a bin next to her and hands it to Navi. "You should... you should go. The sooner you can get your relic to the vault, the better, right? Then you'll be able to spend the rest of the day enjoying the festival."

Navi will suddenly become aware that the other presences watching her are moving. Moving deeper into the vessel...

Navi has posed:
"Are you feeling all right? You almost seem like you're afraid," Navi asks, with some concern, as she accepts the parcel, her fingers caressing the wrapping gently, to sense the flow of the Force within the relic.

"You're right, of course. Will you walk with me to the hatch?" she asks cheerfully. "Perhaps you could tell me of the wonders of the vaults. I've never been there, but I've heard truly wondrous things."

It's true enough, but the blonde Sephi is a little more concerned about the behavior of her hostess. Something's bothering this woman, and she wishes she could pin down just what it is. And possibly how it might affect her. The Force wouldn't warn her for nothing... would it?

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Of course," the priestess says with a smile that betrays her anxiety. She starts to walk Navi to the hatch. "There are many sacred pieces of arts there. Priceless relics, rare artifacts...Only the most unique and valuable relics are sent there for safekeeping. You know Jedha. As beautiful as the landscape of the Holy City is, there are many... opportunists, as well."

They've reached the hatch, but the priestess still seems rather ill at ease. "You should go," she says with a cheerfulness that did not resonate with her aura in the Force, "and be safe, and well..."

Yet something will nag at Navi. Nag at her to not leave the priestess alone.

Navi has posed:
"Opportunists... are there some of them aboard right now?" Navi asks. "I could feel others aboard, moving deeper into the ship. Are you in some kind of trouble, Sister?" she asks, gently clasping the woman's shoulders. "I want to help you. Please, don't turn me away," she pleads softly.

Amarik (195) has posed:
"I..." she looks around furtively. "I sensed something, yes. But.. I'm not terribly adept in the ways of the Force. I couldn't tell if it was passing... or not."

"I don't want to endanger you," she says to Navi. "And I don't want to delay you."

Navi has posed:
"Then disembark with me. Unless something holds you here... in which case I shall stay with you," Navi replies firmly. "I do not fear opportunists... I am a warrior of my Brotherhood. I do not claim to be the strongest among us, not by any means. But I do have /one advantage/ over him."

Amarik (195) has posed:
"No, no," the priestess insists. "I must escort this transport to the Temple of the Kyber."

She sighs. "I suppose, if you insist. You may accompany us, but please. Know that we do not wish for you to put yourself at risk for our sake."

She eyes Navi curiously. "And what is that...?"

Navi has posed:
"I am here, right now... and he is not," Navi replies.

And beams.

Amarik (195) has posed:
the priestess does not seem terribly reassured, but Navi is not to be deterred, it would seem.

"Ah... well. I shall head to the passenger area and be seated. We'll be leaving at once. I ... suggest you do the same." And she exits the cargo bay. heading past the bulkhead and venturing deeper into the vessel.

But Navi will be able to sense that whoever is watching is still in the cargo bay...

Navi has posed:
Navi moves to follow the prestess dutifully. But she hesitates at the bulkhead, looking around the cargo bay slowly. "Someone /is/ in here... I feel them," she says softly. "Hidden, no doubt... but he cannot hide from the Force."

"/Come out/, intruder! We know you're here!" she cries, unshouldering a two-foot, tubelike metal instrument, holding it loosely in her right hand.

Amarik (195) has posed:
Navi will suddenly be able to sense the presences shifting again... though this time, it's hard to tell where, and how fast they're moving.

It's very dark in the cargo bay, so she'll only have a vague sense of where whoever is hiding is hidden.

Navi has posed:
Navi holds her breath for a moment or two, trying to use every sense she has to place the hidden intruder. Slowly she backpedals toward the open hatch at the forward end of the cargo bay. She wants the only exit from the bay behind her, the better to confine the intruder to the cargo bay.

Tapping a concealed thumb stud, she extends her collapsible staff to its full two-meter length, tapping its weighted tips sharply on the decking.

"Come out now and you can leave in peace, unharmed! But if you choose not to embrace our mercy and continue this charade, I cannot speak for what may happen to you!"

Amarik (195) has posed:
Still, nothing. Seems like they've stopped moving for now, which will allow her to pinpoint where exactly in the cargo hold the presences she'd felt earlier are.

There. Two of them. Near the hatch at the other end of the bay...

Navi has posed:
Navi pauses at the open hatchway. Standing in the way of the hatchway, she looks for a light switch for the cargo bay. Surely this bay must have more than emergency lights...

Apparently not, since she can't find one. Cursing her luck softly, she closes and seals the hatch, trapping the two stowaways in the cargo bay. And herself in the bay with them. Not her best plan, but it's not her fault nobody put a light switch in here! "Come on out, you two! No point in just waiting to be found!"

Amarik (195) has posed:
She'll hear a soft thunk near where she'd pinpointed the two presences in the Force earlier.

Now, it's rather clear where they're hiding. Near the bay doors, there's a tall stack of crates, and it would appear they're just behind it...

Navi has posed:
Retracting her staff to avoid striking anything in the dimly-lit cargo bay, Navi creeps across the decking on silent, soft-soled shoes. Her destination is that stack of crates, a perfect hiding place for an intruder of any size, or so it would seem.

She hardly dares to even breathe until she reaches the stack. Only then does she extend one end of her staff. "No more games! /Come out of there/!!!"

Amarik (195) has posed:
Except what she finds will not be at all what she expects.

She'll find two aliens lying on the floor, bleeding out in a puddle of their own blood. One of them, a Hoopaloo, stares at up at the ceiling and gives a soft moan, his expression glazed over.

The other alien is of unknown species, as he's wearing... a gas mask? It's terrifying, and ghastly, tubes sticking out from either side in a freakishly symmetrical manner, and the circular glass lenses over the eye sockets are unsettlingly insectoid. Yet Navi may not be able to tear her gaze away. The mask is macabre, but oh so familiar...

Navi has posed:
Navi gasps and sinks to her knees with a soft cry of pity at the sight of the two wounded aliens. Clearly whatever is wrong is much worse than she had thought! What crew that is on the level attempts to murder people and hide them in the cargo bay? And she can frame it only as /attempted/ murder because neither has expired yet. She only hopes she can save them...

At least she knows a little of medicine. It might be enough. Unshouldering her medical pouch, she goes to work...

Amarik (195) has posed:
She'll notice the wounds are pretty superficial, but on parts of their body that are prone to bleed profusely. So although there's a lot of blood and she must stop the bleeding quickly, the wounds themselves aren't serious.

Suddenly, while she's dressing the wound, the Hoopaloo will sit up with a gasp. "The..there's a healer. A Jedi. At the Temple of the Kyber. He knows... he knows us. Take us to him, he'll... he'll know what.. what to do..." he rasps.

Navi has posed:
Navi gasps softly as the Hoopaloo sits up so quickly. "Best lie down," she cautions gently. "You've lost a lot of blood. Who are you, anyway? And why's this guy with you wearing a Nihil gasmask?" she asks, still gently, but with a hint of urgency.

Amarik (195) has posed:
"I....I did?" The Hoopaloo trails off. His eyes glaze over again. Perhaps he'd suffered some head trauma? He's certainly acting like it...

He tries to sit up again. "The Jedi.. the healer... the Temple of Kyber..." he babbles, and then lies back down again. "... my... my navigator. Is... Is he..."

If she shifts her attention to the other alien, she might recognize that he's actually quite strong in the Force. But the extend of his ability remains unknown. He hasn't said a word since she'd come across them.

Navi has posed:
"He's alive... at least, he is if this guy with you is him," Navi replies. "Quite strong in the Force, too. But he hasn't said a word or moved. Probably still unconscious. Is it safe for me to remove that gas mask, or does he need it to breathe?" she asks, just a bit worriedly, knowing that some alien species need special breathing mixtures to survive.

Amarik (195) has posed:
The Hoopaloo only lets out a pained moan, and doesn't respond to Navi's question.

But upon mentioning taking off his gas mask, the other alien sits up and waves a hand at her in negative response. She'll suddenly get the feeling that he doesn't want her to remove his mask, although why remains unclear.

Navi has posed:
"Fiiine, I won't touch it, 'kay? Next time, speak up sooner," Navi says, a little irritably. "I couldn't even tell you were alive until I felt the Force coming off of you."

She finishes with the last of the field dressings and straightens. "So who are you two, and what are you doing on this boat, anyway? And if you're the real crew, who are the folks up front?"

Amarik (195) has posed:
The Hoopaloo seems unconscious. And the other alien man still doesn't reply. He's staring out a nearby transparisteel window.

Perhaps he's too injured and out of it to have heard her, or perhaps he and the Hoopaloo are up to something else...

Navi has posed:
Navi glances at the window, noting which way the masked man is looking. "What's out there?" she asks, wondering if she's talking more to herself than these two. One's unconscious and the other never seems to speak. "Also, it's kind of funny, the way you don't talk."

Amarik (195) has posed:
Again, he does not say anything.

But he turns around when she asks him what's out there. When she says it's funny that he doesn't talk, he just tilts his head to one side inquisitively.

Then he lies down, and she'll sense that he's weary.

The rest of the short ride to the Temple of the Kyber passes in silence, and when they arrive, the priestess comes back into the cargo bay to check on Navi. "Sister," she calls out, "are you--" But then she notices the two bloodied aliens and gasps. "--h-how!? Come, quickly. Let us get them to the infirmary..."

Navi has posed:
"Yeah... I've been back here bandaging them up. I was wondering if you knew anything about these two. The beaky fellow said something about a healer at the Kyber Temple who knew them and would know what to do," Navi replies, almost cheerfully. "They've lost quite a bit of blood, but they're not badly hurt at all. A little time to rest and a good meal and they could probably walk out under their own power. I was wondering just why they were back here."

Amarik (195) has posed:
"I... have no idea. The Hoopaloo looks familiar, he was around earlier this morning at the parade, I think he's a merchant. But... this man. I.. don't know him. He wasn't with the Hoopaloo earlier."

"But no matter. They are injured, and whether there is a healer at the Temple matters not. They'll be taken care of." She pulls out a couple hover stretchers from a storage bin in the cargo bay, and starts moving the Hoopaloo onto it. He moans unhappily.

"Will you help the other?" she asks Navi.

Navi has posed:
"I'll get right on 'im!" Navi replies, moving to see to the humanoid in the mask. "He's a funny one... I'd swear this is a Nihil gasmask he's wearing. Not sure just who would wear one of those casually. Usually when you see one of these, you see nineteen more, at least, with it."

She finishes loading the man onto the hover stretcher. "The Hoopaloo asked about his navigator. Dunno if the other guy is him or not, since he doesn't talk, and the Hoopaloo's too out of it to talk."

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Ni..hil?" the priestess says, looking confused as they move the hover stretchers toward the Temple. "What's that? I'm afraid I've never heard of the term before."

Navi may realize that here in the Mid Rim, and even in the Outer Rim, the Nihil aren't exactly well known. Her own experience had been rather personal...

"Likely," the priestess says. "He is strong in the Force, I can feel it. It is not an uncommon trade, I think, for Force sensitives who were never trained or brought up religiously."

They soon arrive at the infirmary at the Temple, and several Guardian of the Whills hurry out to greet them. "Oh dear," one of them says. "What happened here?"

Navi has posed:
"Space pirates is the best way to describe them. I had a bad encounter with them a few years ago. But you never encounter them alone, so I'm not sure what he's doing here.," Navi explains as best she can, as they transport the two repulsorlift stretchers to the infirmary.

As the Guardians meet them, Navi shrugs. "Not sure... we found 'em in the cargo bay, cut up and bleeding. Lost a lot of blood, but they're not badly hurt at all. Give 'em a good meal and a day and night's rest and they could probably leave under their own power."

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Right," the Whills' Guardian says, "They didn't give you names or anything like that?" He seems a bit suspicious as he assigns a couple droid to move the two aliens to separate rooms.

The priestess flicks a furtive look at Navi. "... space pirates? You don't think they..." she trails off uncertainly.

Navi has posed:
"No names, nothing... except that one of them, the masked one, might be a navigator. Right now, I think I have no idea how they got into the cargo bay, or who carved them up like that," Navi says. "But I'd say whoever did it knew what he was doing. In spite of all the bleeding, none of the wounds were more than superficial, and all of them were in places that would bleed a lot. I've got a hunch that you will want to keep them under guard, or at the very least keep a close eye on them. Just maybe they were meant to be found and brought here. How else might someone break into the Temple of the Kyber?" she suggests.

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Are you suggesting..." the Whill Guardian's brows furrows. "No. Not during the Festival of Balance. That's.. unforgivable, atrocious."

But the priestess shakes her head. "No, our sister is right. Perhaps this is some kind of ploy. But if it is, who is behind it all? Were they willing victims, or unwilling?" She sighs. "That being said... the artifacts on the transport should be taken to the vault immediately." She turns to Navi. "Will you accompany us? It seems prudent now, that the more willing to help with the unloading, the better.. and the safer..."

Navi has posed:
"I don't know how we would tell without questioning them. And they aren't in any shape to be questioned," Navi replies, shrugging. "And I don't know if nonbelievers would care about the sanctity of the Festival of Balance if they wanted treasures from the Temple. Not that I find it any less atrocious that anyone would think of stealing from the Temple on such a holy occasion."

She looks back to the priestess, nodding. "I would be honored to assist you. Let us make haste. I just hope I'm wrong."

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Perhaps later, then," the Whill Guardian says. "I shall accompany you two as well. And I will see if some of other Guardians will join us."

The priestess frowns, "I suppose you're right, but even the lowest of criminals have some respect for religion, right?" She starts heading back towards the transport. The cargo bay is still open...

Navi has posed:
"Some do." Navi follows the priestess, tying back the sleeves of her robe to keep them out of her way. "How much is left to unload?"

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Quite a bit, unfortunately," the priestess says, entering the cargo bay and starting to load up a hover cart. "But I've forgotten my manners in all of this. What is your name?"

Navi has posed:
"My name is Navi, and I am a Novice. That's the only part that matters, really," Navi replies softly, and a bit wryly, without losing her good cheer. "You already know I am of the Shining Brotherhood, so no point repeating it. What is your name?"

Amarik (195) has posed:
"My name is At'unai," the priestess replies, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Navi." She bows politely.

The Whill Guardian nods politely. "Likewise," he says to Navi, "The Guardian of the Whills thank you for your assistance at the Temple today. My name is Gethun." He also bows.

Not long after the three of them start unloading the ship, a few other Whill Guardians join them, and the work is soon finished. As they are escorting all of the hovercarts down to the vault, they'll pass by the infirmary again...

Navi has posed:
Navi pauses, blinking owlishly, as they pass the infirmary. "The two sentients we brought here... were their room doors left open when we left?" she asks. "You may want to alert the other Guardians, because I don't think they were."

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Oh dear.." At'unai says, stopping in her tracks.

Gethun frowns, and goes to investigate. Upon entering the infirmary, he heads over closer to where the room doors are wide open, and bends over, picking up two small items on the floor.

When he returns to Navi and At'unai's company, he shows them what he had found.

Empty stim cases.

"This can't bode well," he says, "I've alerted the rest of the Whill Guardians on patrol to be on guard," he says, "but we should hurry and get these artifacts to the vault."

Navi has posed:
"The vault... that's probably where they've gone!" Navi cries. "So hurrying might be a good idea, definitely! Either we're protecting these artifacts by getting them there, or we're cornering intruders when we get there. So let's get there!" She almost races off, but stops herself.

"Almost forgot... which way is the vault, anyway?"

Amarik (195) has posed:
Gethun laughs quietly and hastens his step to catch up to Navi. "I admire your enthusiasm, but if any of the other Whill Guardians see them, they'll report in."

"It's this way," he says, and leads Navi and At'unai to a lift that takes them directly to the vault.

Thankfully, when they get there, everything seems to be just fine. Gethun enters the code for the vault, and there's a slight pause just before the lock clicks open and the vault door retracts.

At'unai heaves a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank the light..."

Navi has posed:
"Does this door normally take this long to open?" Navi asks her two companions, watching the door worriedly. "I know it's a leap of logic that they're here to steal from the vault, but I can't think of any other reason they'd hide out on a ship coming to this Temple." She's already using her free hand to unshoulder her retractable staff.

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Well, it can be a bit sticky sometimes, but not usually," Gethun replies, "so I supposed it's a little odd, but it doesn't look like anything from the vault is missing," the Whill Guardian says, looking around briefly.

"I could be wrong, but from a first glance, it seems everything is in place."

At'unai begins to unload the hovercart, "Well, if nothing is missing, let's not look a gift lyuna in the mouth," she says with a nervous laugh. "We ought to hurry and get all the artifacts unloaded."

Navi has posed:
"I'll go back to the door once I've set this load down, just in case," Navi adds. "Could someone shelve it for me, please?" She moves deeper into the vault, but carefully. Having those two people moving around loose without being seen by anyone troubles her. "Not being lazy, promise!"

And she isn't. She's studying the interior of the vault as if she were an archaeologist seeking knowledge from these walls. Or looking for two potential criminals...

Amarik (195) has posed:
But Navi won't find anything out of place or missing in the vault. Turns out, Gethun seems to be right. Nothing appears to be wrong...

The two aliens from earlier aren't in here. But where are they...?

Once back at the ingress to the vault, she'll find herself peering down an empty hallway. However, she may faintly sense that Force sensitive navigator with the gas mask is somewhere not near, but not far, either.

Navi has posed:
"What's down that corridor?" Navi asks Gethun, looking down the corridor while remaining at the entrance of the vault.

"The one in the mask is somewhere... not too far away," she adds, bringing a hand to her temple. "I can feel him. But I'm not sure where he is."

Amarik (195) has posed:
Gethun shrugs. "Why, that just leads out of the Temple of Kyber," he says.

"You could go look for him. Shall I send some of the other Whill Guardians with you? I must stay here, and finish the inventory check to make sure everything is still where it should be."

Navi has posed:
"The Guardians will be needed here more, just in case they decide to try to raid the vault while the door is open," Navi replies. "But if I find anything, I shall contact you immediately. Either that or you'll find me bound hand and foot and stripped of my robes in some random corridor. I hope for the former, because I don't like being tied up and these floors look cold. May the Force be with you." And with that she jogs off down the corridor.

Amarik (195) has posed:
Gethun's brows go up slightly. "I should very much not like for any of us to find you naked and bound, either," the Whill Guardian says, "may the Force be with you. Remember, it's better to alert us sooner rather than later, rather than try to play hero alone..."

The corridor is quite long. Navi will find herself running along it for at least fifteen minutes, before she finally stumbles across the two aliens from earlier.

The Hoopaloo is lying facedown on the floor, arms limp and crest wilted. The other alien is seated on the floor watching him, although it's clear the Hoopaloo isn't going anywhere.

Navi has posed:
Navi touches the side of her little comm earpiece. "Navi to Gethun... I've found them. Had to run for about fifteen minutes down that corridor. The Hoopaloo is down and not moving. The other is sitting with him. Not sure of their intentions or what happened between or to them," she says.

Releasing the earbud side panel, she takes a knee beside the Hoopaloo, trying to keep one eye on the masked man. "I will assume for the moment you have no hostile intentions and see what I can do for your companion," she tells him, gently nudging the Hoopaloo, to see if he responds. "'What happened to him?' She asked, expecting no answer..."

Amarik (195) has posed:
The supposed navigator shrugs. He seems oddly unconcerned, but it's a bit hard to tell exactly how much.

The Hoopaloo moans softly when she leans over him. "Where.. where am I?"

Navi has posed:
"A long corridor in the Temple of the Kyber. When you /should/ be in the /infirmary/ in the Temple of the Kyber, where we left you! By the way, did you ever see your healer friend? Was he the one that gave you the stims?" Navi asks, unable to keep back some irritation at hurt people not staying in their hospital beds. "By the way, from here to the infirmary is a very long walk for someone who's lost as much blood as you. What are you even doing here?"

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Oh," the Hoopaloo says faintly, "... well, I was trying to find him. I don't know if I found him, or if he gave us stims if we did find him. I can't remember much about anything... recent."

He stands up shakily. "Thank you," he says to her, smiling weakly. "But I think we should both head out. I've got a few appointments with customers who want to buy some specialty items from me downtown.." He starts to limp away, and the other alien follows him.

Navi has posed:
"Hold it," Navi says, almost sharply. "Just what were you and your masked friend here doing bleeding on the cargo deck of a ship coming to this Temple? 'Cause you sure weren't passengers. Nobody knew you were there. And besides, you two are in no shape to be walking anywhere except back to the infirmary. You've lost too much blood for your own safety." She plants her hands on her hips. "Which may explain why you did something so brain-dead as walk out of your rooms. Come on. I'm sure the Guardians want a word with you, too."

Amarik (195) has posed:
The Hoopaloo frowns as if trying very hard to remember what had happened. "We... we were robbed, I think," He says. "Some teenage sleemos. We didn't think they could do any real harm, and they didn't think we would resist so much, I guess. It got out of hand, and they panicked when they saw they'd inflicted more injury than they had intended, so they must have decided hiding us would be in their best interest. I remember being dumped behind some crates on a transport nearby. Must have been yours."

"We'll be alright, really," the Hoopaloo insists, "you've done enough already, and I can't be late for my appointments."

Just then, At'unai calls out her name from down the corridor. "Navi? Are you alright? It's been a while..."

Navi has posed:
"Really, it would be better if you stayed. No one minds, and the Guardians would like to know more about people beating up other people and hiding them on Temple ships," Navi begins, only to hear that shout from down the corridor.

"I'm fine, At'unia! Found our two guests!" she calls back, looking in the direction the shout had come from.

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Oh, you did? Are they.. alright? Is everything..." At'unai trails off. She seems at a loss for words. If their two 'guests' had been found and could hear her, she doesn't want to make any assumptions that might scare them off, or worse, make them react aggressively...

But Navi will regret having looked away. Because in those few seconds that she had been distracted, the two aliens have disappeared.

Navi has posed:
"They probably should be back in the infirmary, but they don't seem too bad off!" Navi calls back. "I'll escort them back to the infirmary."

"Now let's go, you..." she begins, looking back to the two patients, only to find them gone! "They're gone!" she cries back down the corridor, also triggering her earpiece again, likely hurting the ears of anyone who can hear over the comlink. "Going after them!" With that, she runs off down the corridor, looking for the fugitives.

Amarik (195) has posed:
"Navi, wait...!" At'unai calls when she runs off down the corridor. "Be careful..."

Navi will reach the end of the corridor, and find herself looking out at the thronging crowds of the Holy City's main street.

They were gone. Vanished.

Navi has posed:
Navi pulls up sharply at the end of the corridor, looking around at the throngs outside. "I've lost them," she says into her earbud. "They tricked me and took off. I'm sorry... one of them mentioned having meetings with clients to sell specialized items, if that helps any at all. I'm coming back."

She turns to trudge back into the Temple. "Force save me, I'm /so stupid/ sometimes..." she murmurs wearily.