The Interrogation

The Interrogation
Date of Scene:	01 September 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Black invites Cayde, Navi, and Annelia to extract a confession from Vlaven.
Cast of Characters:	159, Navi, Annelia Belask, Cayde Alexis

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Athena (159) has posed:
Today might have seemed like any other day on Coruscant. The regulated weather control system is keeping the sky sunny and the temperature at exactly 75 degrees. Air traffic is clogging most of the intersections in the Federal district, while well dressed bureaucrats and shimmersilk clad politicians mill about the street casually.

Indeed, it might have seemed much like an ordinary day, but for three particular individuals, it's likely not.

Navi had been informed to tell Cayde (and by proxy, Anne, as well) that a mysterious figure from the CSF named Black, had requested his presence at the CSF headquarters. And then shortly after that, mysteriously, Anne would have been notified by the Temple staff about an encrypted direct transmission for her specifically, that would have notified her about Vlaven being in CSF custody, and something about needing Cayde to help verify some of the evidence they'd uncovered as proof that the 'Vice Treasurer' was indeed guilty, of a number of things.

Navi has posed:
"Best I go with you two. Mr. Black is one of those personalities that takes some getting used to. And be careful about prying into his head, Cayde; he seems to have some telepathic abilities of his own," Navi advises, tagging along with Annelia and Cayde at her own insistence. "Other than that, I'm not really sure what to expect from this visit."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Well that doesn't seem suspicious at all," might have been the sarcastic comment out of Ann's mouth when told Cayde's wanted just for verification... but it's the CSF. Not many other options here.

    "When did you get to know this one specific CSF offer?" she asks of Navi as the group prepares to take off, eyebrow raised. "Would be... strange, for a CSF operator to be versed in the Force. Higher-order agent, maybe?"

    She shrugs with that- no sense stressing over things that can't be helped as she leads the way across the plazato the CSF department in question.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde just tags along behind Ann and Navi as they make their way across the plaza to the CSF main office. He nods toward Navi's caution although it was always advisable to be cautious in these matters...however it was always easier said than done.

Athena (159) has posed:
When they arrive in the lobby, they'll find the office admin who had greeted them before ... isn't there. The chair behind the lobby desk is... empty. Well, that's not odd at all.

In fact, the entire lobby is void of anyone.

They might stand there for an awkward couple of minutes when suddenly a droid comes in from the hallway. "Annelia Belask, and her padawan, Alexis, I presume," the droid says neutrally. It glances briefly at Navi, but doesn't address her. "Come this way. We've been waiting for you." It unlocks a sidedoor in the hallway adjacent to the lobby, and then gestures for them to enter the dimly lit stairwell...

Navi has posed:
"I met him when Master Windu and I assisted in the arrest of Vlaven," Navi replies to the question from Anna. "I'm not really sure what he thinks of Jedi, but he knew when I attempted to look into his thoughts. He even called me out on it," she continues as they walk into the suspiciously empty lobby.

"Somehow I doubt she stepped out for a quick fad caf drink," Navi observes softly, looking around the empty lobby. When the droid emerges to 'greet' them, she shrugs at being left out, then falls in behind Annelia and Cayde once more. "Hope he doesn't insist I leave."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Well, seems like he likes insisting on that," comments Ann, frowning as she looks around the empty place. She's not looking for a fight- yet- but does open her outer robe further for easier reach to the items on her belt.

    "And why does this waiting require an empty government building?" she questions, looking intently at the droid but continuing to follow along.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns, looking around the room first and then reaching out into the Force in an attempt to see if there really was no one here. It was so oddly empty. Was there a reason this 'Black' individual wanted everyone else cleared out?

    He follows the others carefully...

Athena (159) has posed:
Indeed, there's... no one in the building. Very strange, given it's a normal work day, and during normal hours.

The droid gives Annelia a blank look. "Government regulation requires that all activity regarding work done by or for the CSF must be performed on Republic property." A pause. "As far as why no one is here... I cannot provide an answer. I only do as I am told. The order for evacuation was given a couple of hours ago."

The droid leads them down a winding staircase into a basement that looks more like an illegal research lab than the basement of the CSF headquarters. Again, there's no one here, but as they walk down a pristine white corridor with no windows, a voice over the intercom says. "Ah, you're here. Welcome, Annelia, Cayde. And Navi, it's ... nice to see you've tagged along. I hope you enjoy your visit - if you don't, you might want to ask your friends here if the Temple infirmary accommodates outsiders."

Navi has posed:
"Order for evacuation? Is there an emergency?" Navi asks, looking around more thoughtfully and attentatively. She has to resist the urge to whisper; the silence of the empty building is a little unnerving.

"It's good to see you again, Mr. Black. Though I'm not sure I understand the need for the question," she adds at the announcement. "Have you been harmed? Or has someone else?"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Well, Mister Black, I don't want to be rude, but I sure do hope you start getting to the point and dropping the pretense quite soon here," says Ann, her tones surprisingly mild given the not-so-veiled element of threat.

    Oh hey, that's her lightsaber in her hand now. Not ignited, mind, but still.

    Still, she's walking along the hallway all the same- more briskly now, if anything.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde follows them down the stairs, still looking apprehensive. And then when there is a mysterious voice on the intercom, he looks even more disconcerted. Why couldn't he sense a presence? Or was this person not in the building? And if not, why are they literally the only ones here save for the droid? Weren't they supposed to be questioning Vlaven? So why wasn't Vlaven here?

    When the voice mentions 'evacuation' and infirmary services, Cayde just flat out stops walking. Was someone trying to blow them up?

Athena (159) has posed:
"Oh, don't worry, there's nothing of the sort," the voice over the intercom says. "You're perfectly safe. I can assure you, the only people in this building are yourselves, and soon, Vlaven."

A pause, and then Annelia addresses him. "Certainly. The ask is simple: we need a confession from Vlaven, in order for him for him be properly prosecuted. As of right now, the only thing he's been found absolutely guilty of is violating the rules regarding use of Republic assets by giving an unauthorized device access to Republic records. Everything else, is well... pending."

They'll reach the end of the hallway, and find themselves standing in front of a pair of double doors, that have transparisteel windows on either side. Several seconds pass, and if any of them look into the room, they'll see a door in the back opening, and Vlaven being escorted into the room on a stretcher by another droid. He's... strapped down.

The room itself is... very curious. There's absolutely nothing in it (well, except for Vlaven and the droid now) - and both the walls and floors are the same, uncomfortably smooth, slick surface.

The doors slide open with a hiss, and the voice over the intercom continues. "You see... I /know/ types like Vlaven. He's a very crafty individual, and extremely difficult to catch in the act. I'm quite certain he's guilty of many things, and I'm certain you are all aware that he is, as well. However, the public will be harder to convince, and unfortunately, the Republic justice system says all are innocent until proven guilty. But as you might guess, giving Vlaven time is the last thing we want to do. Given time, he'll post a bail, hire the best lawyer, and get word out to his highly influential bureaucrat friends that he's in between a rock and a hard place. Then the rest is history. He gets away with a slap on the back of his hand, and is released back into the general public. However... I'm sure none of you want that."

Navi has posed:
"Well... that's not encouraging," Navi murmurs, watching Vlaven being guided in on a stretcher. The straps aren't comfortable things for her to look at. She's all to familiar with gurneys with straps, and her love for them is inversely proportional to her degree of familiarity.

"I'm not sure what you're hinting at is legal, or a good idea. He may be an evil sentient, but he is still a sentient," she says softly.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "And you're off in another building for... what? Extra avoidance of having your own mind read? Avoiding sharing some secrets, or just want to see if we'll actually go through with this extra-judicial nonsense?" questions Ann- and while she was mild before, now she's... deeply unimpressed. At least the saber went away.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde didn't even follow them to the end of the hallway. None of this seemed right at all. Why wasn't Black here? Or any CSF personnel for that matter? Why was it only them and Vlaven? Unfortunately since this mysterious man isn't in the room with them, he can't ask the burning questions...or find the answers for himself. However, Ann does it anyway. Still that doesn't ease his concerns, and he starts trying to go back the way they came.

Athena (159) has posed:
The voice over the intercom either is ignoring Navi, or didn't hear her. "Well, I'd hate to be a distraction to you all. After all, I'm no skilled savant. Which can't be said of you three."

"I have no secrets to hide, Annelia. You're allowed to know anything you want to know about why I've brought you here. I've been honest with my intentions thus far, and have stated the facts you already know to be true."

A chuckle, "Who said anything about extra-judicial nonsense? My dear, the ball is entirely in you and your padawan's court. You may employ whatever methods you feel are necessary to get a confession. You may be as light, or heavy handed as you like. I've just provided the space for the interrogation."

At least when When Cayde reaches the staircase, he'll find the door to it unlocked. "You know how this is going to go, Cayde. Either you help me today and extract a confession, or Vlaven escapes true justice. And unfortunately your poor stepfather is going to stay locked up ... forever. Besides, don't you at least want to /know/ why he did what he did? Vlaven already does, and I certainly would like to know. Wouldn't you?"

Navi has posed:
"Don't be so hard on yourself," Navi says toward the direction the voice is coming from. "I saw a great many things when last we met that impressed me. And surprised me. This surprises me, too."

She approaches the gurney. "Can you hear me clearly, Mr. Vlaven? We have some questions for you," she says civilly.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde is at least somewhat relieved to find the door isn't locked or anything. He freezes at the mention of the doctor...how did he know about their relationship? That was even more unnerving. Also the fact that he hadn't answered Ann's question about why no one else was here. Could someone else be trying to set him up? Frame him? Thrust him into a situation that would reproduce the incident with Chancellor Rie?

    He doesn't leave, but also doesn't turn back, either. Instead he just stands there, fearful and uncertain.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Aw, don't look so frightened and upset, Cayde. I know who the doctor -really- is. After all, it's my duty to know about all the good and bad citizens of the Republic."

"Look, if it really bothers you all so much that I'm not there, I /can/ come over. It'll just take about fifteen minutes. In the meantime, I'll dismiss the droids, and you can feel free to get started. I'm just trying to serve as a resource for you all, you know? Remember, we're all on the same side, in the pursuit of justice."

When Navi steps into the room, there will be a loud hissing sound, and the tiles at the far end of each corner of the room will depress, allowing lukewarm water to flood the chamber. She'll soon find her boots soaked, though the water stops flowing once it's about several centimeters deep. The doors will then hiss shut behind her, and she'll find that the atmosphere in the room is perfectly temperate, and perfectly silent, giving her a kind of sensation like the one she would receive while meditating. It's very easy to feel the Force in here, and be acutely aware of Vlaven's presence and emotions. Speaking of which, when she addresses him, he doesn't respond to Navi right away, as he's unconscious. But the droid who had escorted him into the room will inject him with a stim, and with a gasp, he'll try to sit up. "... n-no... no!" he cries, struggling helplessly.

The droid then exits the room, and both the droids will go up the staircase and disappear from view. Then the doors hiss shut again.

Navi has posed:
"Should I have left my robe in the other room?" Navi asks, flinching as the floor of the chamber is flooded, even if it's no more than a few centimeters deep. The hem of her robe, which is just touching the water, is soaked almost instantly, but everything an inch above the hem is perfectly dry, to her relief. "Don't worry, Cayde, Annelia... this room's almost like a meditation chamber. The Force seems to flow quite naturally here."

As Vlaven regains consciousness, she takes a step back, startled by the violence of his awakening. "Lie still, Mr. Vlaven. You've been restrained. If you try to break free, you'll only hurt yourself. As I was not the one who restrained you, and I'm uncertain as to the legalities of a restrained prisoner, I'm not even going to touch you or those restraints. I'm just going to talk to you."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde can't tell if he's really going to come here or if he's just saying that to get him to do what they want. He hesitates in the stairwell for a few moments, then finally turns around and makes his way back to the room with Ann and Navi and...warm water, apparently.

    He eyes Vlaven strapped to the gurney. Restraints weren't necessary, really. There was nothing in this room.

Athena (159) has posed:
"...Mm. Might want to leave your socks and shoes in the locker." An invisible panel on the wall appears, and slides out, revealing a small caddy for anything Navi or Cayde might want to store in there.

"You don't understand!!" he cries, "he's going .. he's going kill--"

And then he sees Cayde.

His eyes widen, and both Navi and Cayde will be able to very palpably feel his utter terror radiating out from him like a tidal wave in the Force. "NO!" he practically screams, as if Cayde is some kind of monster. "Get him -away- from me!!" He struggles even more violently, ignoring Navi's request.

Navi is right - Cayde will feel the Force very acutely in here, but in a very specific manner - his telepathic ability suddenly seems much easier to access...

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Surely you understand that this doesn't exactly radiate a sense of being on the up-and-up," says Ann, still in the hallway at this moment- she's quite pointedly refused to enter the room, her feelings on the situation quite clear...

    "And that screaming- Vlaven's an ass, but -that- is new. I don't like any part of this setup here- I see why you sent the workers away," she grouses... but, ultimately, she'll leave Cayde to make his own decisions. If he's going to get into espionage as a business, these are the difficult decisions he'll have to make, even if Ann's already made hers personally.

Navi has posed:
"I'll consider that, since my things are already wet, and I'd rather not be largely undressed in the same room as Mr. Vlaven. Thank you, Mr. Black," Navi replies softly to the unseen commentator. She winces at Vlaven's struggles. "That's probably unwise, Mr. Vlaven. You might tip the gurney over," she cautions him. Repulsorlift or wheeled, she's not eager to try to right a gurney with a screaming crooked politician attached to it.

"Just how did you craft a chamber like this in the CSF headquarters? I wasn't aware they had access to such technology as this," she asks the unseen speaker.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde seems even more uneasy that Ann has decided to stay outside. Did she... not agree with this?

    But, either way, keeping Vlaven in a frightened state wasn't ideal, anyway. He holds out a hand, and the restraints are peeled back, freeing him from the gurney. And then, he starts trying to create a mindscape based on the man's memories, one that would place him somewhere that he views as completely safe. Yes, like his office in the Treasury, before Seegil had broken in, replacing himself, Navi, and Ann with people he trusts instead...does he trust anyone?

    Either way, he tries to convince Vlaven that his arrest, this whole entire situation that he thought was happening had never actually happened...it had all just been a bad dream...

Athena (159) has posed:
"Is that so? Ill have you know, Annelia, that Vlaven's reaction has nothing to do with me. There are no accessible weapons in the vicinity, aside from the ones you all might carry. There's no one here, save you three, and perhaps myself once I arrive."

"No, unfortunately, what you're witnessing is simply a man who has a lot to hide. And given your Padawan's.... abilities, he's rather terrified. Naturally, I'd be, too."

When Cayde frees Vlaven from the gurney, he stumbles to the window, a crazed look in his eyes. "You!!" He screeches at Anne, "you sick woman!! You did this to me! You...you brought him here...how could you help him...!" But Anne won't be able to hear him - the room is soundproof. She'll only be able to see him banging on the glass, pointing emphatically at Cayde. When Navi and Cayde reach out to him in the Force, he slumps against the glass, twitching. ".... What.... Where am I....."

"Oh well, the Republic doesn't ask about where I put my funds," the voice says, "but I grew up on Jedha. Plus, the intersection of science and the supernatural always fascinated me..."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "No, there's just an unknown lab in an emptied facility holding a man who was strapped to a gurney having a full-blown panic attack in a -soundproofed room-, surely none of -that- is questionable at -all-," responds Ann with borderline venomous sarcasm. "Dance around it verbally all you want, this isn't the full story. If Cayde is content to do it- fine (And if Cayde's mentally checking in on her- she does mean that), but I reserve the right to be irritated having this thrown at my feet in lieu of some quick meeting."

Navi has posed:
"It /is/ rather odd that such a chamber exists outside of the Jedi Temple, I'll admit," Navi says, once more to the ceiling. "And I was expecting a short meeting, too. I'll admit, you certainly are full of surprises."

She tries to focus her telepathy on Vlaven, to calm his screaming and thrashing, but can't get her thoughts focused enough to achieve more than a small difference. As Cayde does his thing and the man calms and seems to forget where he is, she takes a step back and lets the Padawan take the lead. "Guess you'll be taking the lead, Cayde. You were always better than me at head games."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Oh, Cayde is checking...he definitely feels a bit insecure at Ann's not being present in the room. Her stance only somewhat relieves this; however he proceeds anyway...albeit carefully.

    Navi will be able to see the mindscape Cayde is creating if she wants, the barren room around them gradually melting away until it is completely replaced with a luxurious looking bedroom at the Graf compound on Thelj. Yes, the one he often shared with Velma, the Graf family accountant.

    He's lying on the generously-sized bed next to her. "Hey," She smiles at him and sits up, but it fades and she frowns. "...Honey is something troubling you?"

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well, aren't you all full of surprises, too?" The voice chuckles. "I had thought you would certainly at least try to speak in Cayde's defense. You're his master, after all. Tell me, then, do you think that Vlaven's panic attack is ... warranted, then? If I were in that room, I wouldn't mind a little mind probing from the boy. I don't have anything to hide from him, and perhaps his abilities would help me to reach a new level of self awareness." Another chuckle. "I'm insulted, actually. I built this facility just for you, and Cayde. It doesn't serve any other purpose, but to help the boy function at his best. A sensory deprivation chamber of sorts. No noise, no distractions, nothing - just him, whoever he brings inside, and ... his target. It's brand new - can't you tell?"

Sure enough, the floor, the walls, everything... does look pristine. Like it had been built yesterday.

"Anyway, like I was saying before - distractions, distractions, distractions. That's what people are to Cayde. So that's why there's no one in the building."

Vlaven blinks, his expression going completely blank. "...Velma...? I..." he stammers. "What.. what am I doing here..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Velma giggles. "You've been here since last night, silly. Must've just had one of those weirdly vivid dreams. But that just means something is on your mind..." She nestles closer to him. "You can tell me anything, you know that, right? Tell me what's bothering you."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Oh, I'm sure you'd find me very surprising if we were in person. But obviously neither one of us is making headway here, so let's just leave it off and I'll touch base with my padawan once he's done in there," says ann simply, shaking her head as she pulls out one of her comms devices and a small datapad.

Athena (159) has posed:
That blank look stays on Vlaven's face for a moment, but then eventually dissolves. He pulls the illusion of Velma in for a long kiss, and then gets up, walking over to an imaginary window with a view (It's really just the glass pane of the room, and he's now staring at Anne, his eyes glazed over). "It's... it's that boy. The damned padawan, and his Master, the redhead. He's going to find out, darling. He's going to find out we took millions of credits from the Republic."

He starts "If only there was some way to silence him ... permanently." He frowns, searching for a cigarra to smoke.

The voice doesn't reply this time, actually -- but a few minutes later, a tall figure cloaked entirely in black, wearing a helmet with a respirator and white gloves, strolls into the corridor. "Can't say I'm more or less surprised than I thought I'd be," he says, immediately walking over to the glass pane and watching everything unfold with acute fascination.

Navi has posed:
"He's worried about being found out for his massive embezzling of millions of credits' worth of public money? I'm not surprised, either. This is like a cliche'd holofilm plot," Navi murmurs, off of Black's comment. Her telepathy allows her to see what Cayde is showing Vlaven. "Cayde, can I help at all? This is not really my area of expertise."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The Velma hallucination takes it in easily, accepting the kiss willingly and returning it passionately. Then once he's finished and explains to her what's bothering him, she frowns pensively. "...the boy...oh," she says softly. "But...how? Do we have a snitch somewhere we need to get rid of?" Then something seems to occur to her. "Oh, is he the one who might be related to Gianka? Do you think she found out about--about us? Could it be her doing?"

    Cayde doesn't answer Navi's question directly, but as she peers into the mindscape the padawan has created, she'll see that it's possible for her to focus her own concentration on keeping Vlaven completely disconnected from his real surroundings, thus preventing him from escaping the mindscape.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Keep talking and give it a few minutes and we'll see," says Ann wryly, head shaking as she continues typing notes into that datapad as the pair watch through the glass- clearly one much more interested than the other.

Athena (159) has posed:
Luckily for him, Black doesn't seem interested in further engaging Anne in conversation. Instead, he checks a small datapad that appears to be running diagnostics of sorts on the room as well as keeping track of the audio recording in the chamber. "Incredible..." he murmurs.

Vlaven suddenly frowns, looking slightly suspicious. "I didn't say that," he replies, "Darling... that's not like you to suggest something so... sinister."

Navi might have to concentrate hard to help Cayde, and try to figure out a way to keep Vlaven in the illusion - he's starting to become more aware.

"Gianka doesn't know anything," Vlaven says. "I've kept her in the dark, and she's too naive know any better. Unfortunately, her uncle wisened quicker than I anticipated. I think he knows, but he confessed to tampering with Seegil's toxicology report, so now he's jailed and I won't be able to ask for anymore favors from him."

Navi has posed:
"I'd been thinking about something more like putting myself into this scene of yours, but I take your point. I'll do my best," Navi says to Cayde, even though he never said anything to her out loud. So she concentrates on insulating Vlaven from the real world, letting him think the scene Cayde has set up for him is very, very real.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Velma gasps softly. "Oh--I'm so sorry darling, I just...every time I see pictures of you with her on the HoloNet, I feel--" she shakes her head. "I mean, I know you don't really love her...at least, not like you love me...r-right?" She wanted to sound sure, but her voice falters somehow. "...maybe he was never on our side to begin with." she remarks after the comment about the doctor.

    Navi could in fact insert something of herself into the scene to make it seem even more believable. Someone else he trusted, who may have been at the Graf compound...

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Is that Ann taking notes on the diagnostics she sees over the agent's shoulder? Nope, no sir, why would she ever do that, she totally trusts this oily-tongued masked man with all her parts.

Athena (159) has posed:
Vlaven shrugs. His expression becomes distant, and he snuffs out his imaginary cigarra. "I'm not attached to her," he says non-chalantly. "Don't worry. I'll find a way to take care of the boy, and his trouble making master. You won't have to worry about getting put away." He frowns at Velma. "Of course he was never on our side. He's a selfish man, and suspicious of everyone who doesn't work for him."

Black notices Anne looking over his shoulder, but doesn't seem to mind, at all. He takes a step backwards and leans back a bit and holds up the datapad so she can see it better. He bumps her shoulder gently, perhaps playfully. "Hello there," he says. "Fascinating, isn't it?" he says. "The parts of his brains responsible for visual and auditory processing are being stimulated, even though the room is void of any kind of sensation." He gestures to an image which looks like a cross section of a human brain on the datapad, which is covered in glowing red patches.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Velma seems to relax a bit at Vlaven's reassurance that he doesn't care for Gianka. "So then, if it wasn't Gianka, then who snitched? What makes you so sure he's going to find out? Does he...what does he already know?"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann rolls her eyes at the fellow with his exuberance for this scientific review, shaking her head. "Might as well try measuring sensitivity with a blood test," she quips idly, continuing to take her notes for the time being.

Navi has posed:
Navi ponders who might have been at the Graf compound with Vlaven. However, she doubts many, if any, of them would have been allowed in this bedchamber Cayde has remembered. So she redoubles her efforts on making this place seem real, and filtering out distractions, to the point that she and Cayde could talk, if Cayde was able to speak normally, and Vlaven would never notice. "I could learn to /hate/ touching this man's mind. It feels so... oily," she murmurs.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I don't know," Vlaven says, "Perhaps it was Theos. But with the boy, well, he can get inside of people's minds. So maybe there never was one," he says. "And there's no way to know what he already knows. Unless..." He turns around and stares at Velma.

"A-are...you even real?" he asks, his tone suddenly becoming shaky. His gaze flicks over to Navi briefly. Could he feel her, here too? Cayde will suddenly feel Vlaven resisting the illusion.

"Oh? Hm, I'd always pegged the Jedi as both religious and scientific - you aren't interested in studying the Force as an unexplained natural phenomenon?" He doesn't wait for Anne to respond. Instead, he shrugs and says. "Your padawan is rather gifted. He could be very handy at data extraction, you know. And a lot of other things, I'd imagine. Does he ... enjoy this kind of work?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    "Wh-what do you mean get inside of people's minds, exactly? Like, he can control people?" The illusory Velma frowns, suddenly looking worried and even frightened. She puts her hand through Vlaven's hair.

    "Unless what?" She becomes even more disconcerted when he suddenly begins to question reality. Of course I'm real, I'm right here for you...honey, are you sure you're all right? Have you...been around him recently? Please, you can tell me anything, okay? Whatever's troubling you, let's talk about it and we can sort it out together."

    There is no verbal response to Navi's comment, just an urgency to make sure Vlaven does not 'wake up' from this vision or realize what's actually happening to him. They needed to get him to talk about what he's trying to hide, so if she has any ideas, he's open to them....

Navi has posed:
<<Cayde... what if I played the woman? Then he could speak to me directly... it wouldn't be just something in his mind," Navi suggests telepathically to Cayde, hastily unshouldering her medical satchel and reaching for the belt of her robe. "Granted, that also means I've got to let him /touch me/... do /not/ want that. But it's for the Republic, so..? Nothin'. I got nothin' to end that thought with. Okay, Republic, let's just say you SO OWE ME FOR THIS...>>

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann shakes her head a little, exhaling. "People have tried to quantify the Force for centuries- you'll notice there's still no 'unit' of force strength or similar. I just don't see anything here that shows any more promise than those past cases I've heard of."

    "He doesn't get a -choice- in this kind of work. He has trouble closing that bridge, so to speak. I think partially because he's come to rely on it so heavily, but that's a conversation for another time."

Athena (159) has posed:
For a moment, Vlaven seems on the edge of slipping out of the illusion, especially when he suddenly swats Velma's hand away. "Don't..! Touch me. I've avoided him! I've done everything possible..!" He suddenly exits the room, pressing his face into his hands. "I need... I think I need to be alone," he says with a groan.

Black seems amused. "Oh of course, I hardly think I'll fully understand it, nor am I trying to surpass anyone else's studies on those who exhibit gifting in the Force. But you might have misunderstood my intention. I'm not interested in observing your padawan as a test subject. Instead, I'm more keen on studying the psychological effects he has on particular archetypes - Vlaven being a case in point. What can he force the man to think about himself? Moreover, how will his influence over him affect him, long term?"

"Why do you say it like that? As if it's some kind of difficult burden to bear. I don't see anything wrong with him relying heavily upon it. He can't speak, so he's adapted. Natural selection, at its finest. And who are we to tamper with what the Force has granted your padawan, in lieu of a vocal cords?"

But he doesn't let Anne answer. Instead, he moves on. He steps closer to the glass, taking out a small intercom. "Hmm... if I try to speak to Cayde while he's like this, will he hear me? We need to dig deeper, and extract the truth about those Clawdites sent after Seegil."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Because a person's development is not the same thing as 'natural selection' and it causes him problems," says Ann, shaking her head and throwing her hands in the air a moment.

    "But of course, the blacksite supposedly-government agent doesn't see anything past a person's utility to their own purposes, right? -That- is where you fail to understand the Force, and the Jedi. That's where -so many- people do, because we get mythologized as these holy beings or some trite garbage like that. I couldn't give a damn if Cayde decided to never use his gifts pragmatically again or uses them every hour of his life- so long as he finds a way to be properly at peace with his situation."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Velma becomes even more visibly distressed. "W-wait!" she cries after Vlaven, her voice starting to break as if she is about to cry. She hurries after him, although she doesn't touch him again. "Please, I-I'm sorry...I'm just worried about you..." She exhales audibly, as if trying to calm herself down. "Okay, okay. Let's think about this. Getting rid of a Jedi, it won't be easy. But...what about Clawdites? They can easily get past everyone else, maybe you could find one who knows how to block him? Sneak into the Temple at night? Poison him, or...something."

    Again, there is not really a verbal response to Navi's suggestion but she would begin to feel an...opening of sorts, within the mindscape. He's letting her take hold of the Velma illusion, although she'll find that it isn't quite as easy as she may have thought. He'd created it based on Vlaven's memories of her, but actually isn't directly controlling it, only giving it general instructions as it has somewhat taken on a life of its own. Almost like an ethereal copy of the woman, who does not realize she doesn't exist in the physical world...

Navi has posed:
<<Just give me some ideas on questions to ask and how to ask them, Cayde. I'll try to do the rest.>> Navi sets her satchel inside the locker next to the one holding her shoes and socks, and unties the belt of her robe. Even as she's moving to shrug out of the garment, Vlaven turns to leave the 'room', his face in his hands. Talk about an early curtain call!

Hastily wadding up her wet-hemmed robe and cramming it into the locker (and inwardly praying it doesn't fall out into the flooded floor of the tank), she hurries after Vlaven, feel sloshing and splashing in the shallow water. Doing her best to mime what the image of Velma is doing, she lets it speak for the moment, slowly taking hold of the Velma image puppet, letting its 'consciousness' seep into her own.

"Darling, you know I'm the one person in the galaxy you can trust... and not just because I'd be implicated in everything if I ever let slip anything to the authorities. I love you... it hurts me so much when I see you like this. I've done a little snooping of my own, for your sake. I was trying to take some of the stress off of you," Velma says, beginning to weep softly. "It's so hard to keep all of this bottled up. I couldn't do it without you..."

Athena (159) has posed:
"Stop!" Vlaven says. "Killing him like that is out of the question!" he roars. The illusion suddenly warps for a brief moment, turning into a black void for a split second. Vlaven seems to be cognizant of this, but just barely. Either way, he makes no comment and seems to not think anything of it. "If anyone found out our intentions, we'd be buried in a hole deeper than the galaxy is wide. I don't trust the Clawdites. Neither of them were successful in--" he suddenly trails off. "Wait... I .. I never told you about them," he says, "...how did you know about that??"

His eyes suddenly narrow. "That's so unlike you," he snarls, "you're lying. You--" His expression wavers between pure hatred and pure fear. "What... what is this.." Then the environment changes, and suddenly, they're back on Coruscant, in Vlaven's private quarters. Outside, artificial night has fallen. Vlaven's expression then settles on rage, and he aims to slap Navi across the face. "How -dare- you!" he cries. "You went -behind- my back! I should burn you alive, witch," he growls. He reaches forward, aiming to strangle Navi.

Black seems non-plussed. "I'm not sure I'm convinced," he says, "since 95 percent of the time, if those affected by his particular gifting reacted sensibly and rationally, there wouldn't be a problem for him at all. Unfortunately, it's too much to hope that a majority of the general populace could react that way."

"My dear Anne," he says blandly, "your words are misguided. Utility is one thing, yes, but the interest here has to be mutual and can't be forced. I have no wish to place you, your padawan, or any of the Jedi for that matter, on any kind of sacred pedestal. If Cayde has no interest in using his gifting in this manner, then you may take him back to Temple after this and you have my word that you'll never see me again. However, the fact that he's here, and proving successful so far, in extracting the confession we need from Vlaven, speaks something to his interest. Perhaps this is one step closer towards that 'peace' you speak of."

"But again, if not," he says with a shrug. "Not a problem. I'm not about to force him to do anything against his will, or without your permission. As you observed prior, the doors are all unlocked, and any of you are free to leave, at anytime."

When Navi starts to undress, Black seems mildly surprised. He grunts and turns around, respecting the young Sephi's immodesty (again).

However, he turns around when Vlaven starts attacking Navi. He reaches for the button that will unseal the doors, but hesitates. He turns to Anne. "Will your padawan be able to assume control of the situation?"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "The better question is, Black- with Cayde's friend in danger, will Vlaven come out of this intact?" says Ann, shaking her head as she crosses her arms once more. "But sure- why don't you head in there with him for a while, see for yourself why you're playing with proverbial fire."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    "What do you mean you never told me about what? Oh..." Velma says softly. "Well, I didn't know you already had that idea, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You have always been so clever. But I never said we should kill him, but perhaps there is a drug or other compound we could use to incapacitate him."

    But then the mindscape starts to falter and Cayde focuses ever harder on trying to maintain as Vlaven starts to become angry. Cold sweat starts to come down from his brow, and there is even a bit of blood mixed in there. As the man begins to attack Navi, he quickly pulls her out of the illusion and again takes hold of it...

    Velma screams, and there is...fear. Palpable fear, coming from the apparition itself. "Emissarius, please! I-I don't know what you're talking about, what do you mean?! I would never do such a thing!" She struggles desperately against him as he grabs her by the throat, grasping a lamp sitting on the bedside table and smashing it against his head in self-defense.

Navi has posed:
"Uh-oh..." Navi murmurs, feeling as much as seeing the illusion shift and flicker. She barely sees Vlaven's slap coming and manages to partly duck the blow.

Partly, but not completely. His open hand connects with her temple and forehead, and she reels backward a pace, her head swimming for a moment. Before she can react, he's reaching for her neck and starting to squeeze!

She knows how to break the classic two-handed strangle, but that might disrupt the illusion. She lets the illusion talk for her once more, since Cayde has it under his control again. And she wishes she'd thought of the lamp to clock Vlaven with.

Athena (159) has posed:
Vlaven stumbles backwards, but then renews his attack on the apparition. "You lying piece of druk!" he screeches. "I'll kill you...!" He then picks up the remains of the smashed lamp and renews his attack on the Velma apparition...

"Hopefully," Black says, still seeming non-plussed. "Duly noted," he says, strangely calm despite the events unfolding inside the chamber. He drains the water, then presses the button that releases the airlock.

"This is enough," he says firmly to Navi, offering her a hand. "Withdraw, and tell Cayde he can pull out. I have enough to implicate Vlaven for the attempted murder of Heydan Seegil."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Suddenly, Velma illusion's face changes from fear to a...disturbing calm even as Vlaven renews his attack her. In spite of his efforts, she seems out of reach somehow as his hands seem to pass right through her this time. "You...you never cared about me did you? I was just another tool like Gianka, wasn't I?"

    The room suddenly darkens, the furniture, carpet, and decor melting away into a twisted mass. There are broken droid parts everywhere, and...the body of the Clawdite who had failed at the Temple is lying among them somewhere. Abruptly, dozens of copies of "Velma" appear around him, and start advancing toward him, that disturbingly calm expression locked into their faces...

Navi has posed:
Navi takes that hand Black offers, hurrying after him. <<Cayde, time to go! Mr. Black has his evidence, and I think we've /all/ seen enough of Mr. Vlaven's depravity,>> she tells Cayde telepathically. <<And if I never see this creepy politico again, it'll be way too soon!>>

It's only after she's outside of the chamber that she remembers her clothes and equipment. Which are still inside the chamber. With the crazy and violent politician that is presently trying to murder an apparition of his side piece between herself and the lockers. Le Sigh...

Annelia Belask has posed:
    A shake of the head from Ann, and a venomous look at the 'professional' 'agent' currently halfway to the head-up-ass version of panicking... as she walks right past him and -into- the room.

    But its not for Navi's gear, that's for sure.

    Instead, she's beelining for both the aggravated Vlaven and the unstable Cayde- and rather than shy away from the potential danger, just reaches out to grab -both- their upper arms and start dragging them out of the room- and hopefully snap them back to reality with the unexpected physical jolt.

Athena (159) has posed:
"N-No..." Vlaven says faintly. Then he screams, now acutely aware of the fact that someone is messing with his mind. "Get... get out of my head!!!" he cries, gripping his hair and trying to push Cayde out of his mind.

Black shrugs, and steps back, holding his white gloved hands up in a placating manner. He follows Anne calmly out of the chamber, reaching into his pocket and producing a hypodermic needle with a sedative in it.

"I shall defer to to your judgement," he says, "on who to use it on, if at all," he says to Anne.

Navi's clothes will go forgotten for now.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The "Velma" apparitions continue advancing toward him, their eyes dead looking almost like corpses. One of them charges at him...

    Cayde is unresponsive to Navi's urging...unfortunately it seems he has lost control of the apparition, and of the mindscape in general. Even Ann's dragging doesn't seem to shake him out of it...

Navi has posed:
Navi makes contact with Cayde's mind with a little sigh, watching Vlaven continue to lose his mind inside the chamber. Given he's surrounded by dead-eyed versions of his would-be girlfriend, small wonder...

... wait. Girlfriend..?

Navi inserts herself into Cayde's mindscape, walking over to him and putting her arms around him. "Come on, Cayde," she says softly, gently. "It's time to go."

While out in the real world, she does exactly the same thing. And then she pulls him in close and kisses him.

Like she /means it/.

And hopes like frell this works! She's not sure she wants to do this again...

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann waves off the syringe, shaking her head. "Just take your suspect away already," she answers, jaw shifting to the side. She focuses fully on Cayde- waiting just a moment to see if Navi's approach works...

    Until she starts kissing the lad, and then her face goes from 'patiently waiting' to 'young lady...'

Athena (159) has posed:
Vlaven simply shuts down, sitting down and putting his head between his knees, muttering to himself. "They're not real, it's not real..."

At Anne's request, he puts the syringe away, and cuffs Vlaven again and hauls him to his feet. Vlaven doesn't resist, he stares blankly into nothingness as Black puts him back in the white walled room and seals the doors shut behind him.

"..." Black watches with muted fascination as Navi grabs Cayde and starts kissing him!

He does not comment, though. Just watches to see if it's effective or not.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde finally seems to snap out of it when Navi inserts herself back into the deteriorating mindscape. He blinks suddenly in the middle of her smooch and his eyes widen before he quickly pushes her away. Hopefully not too hard...

    Thankfully, Black has put Vlaven away again. He stares at the mysterious figure before him. Was he the one talking on the comm earlier? Abruptly, he realizes how exhausted he is, and his knees buckle...

Navi has posed:
Navi, fortunately, is stronger than she looks, and suffers no harm from the push. Though it puts her out of position to catch Cayde when he starts to collapse, and she has to rush in close /again/ to keep him from kissing the floor! Getting her arms around him, she awkwardly but gently eases him to the floor.

"Does anyone have any smelling salts? My medical satches is back in the chamber," she cries, feeling for Cayde's pulse and making sure his breathing and airway are clear.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Rather than smelling salts, Ann simply grabs Cayde's upper arm again to haul him back to his feet, shaking her head. "Settle down, Navi. In multiple ways. Exhausting, exerting that much when he gets caught in it. Give him a moment to catch his breath and he'll be alright- might even sleep decently tonight, for once."

Athena (159) has posed:
"Well done," Black congratulates Navi flatly. Hopefully his compliment won't embarrass her.

He steps over to Cayde, coming to stand in front of him. Then he kneels slightly, so that he's on Cayde's level. "I understand that what you did today was extremely difficult," he says with a shocking amount of gentleness. "And perhaps could have gone better, for you. Regardless, I want to thank you for the service you rendered today. Thanks to you, we now have the confession we need in order to put Vlaven behind bars and bring justice to all those he wronged. At any moment, you could have chosen to walk away, but you didn't. Thank you, again, for that, and for what you did for light, and life. Additionally, I'll see to it that your stepfather is released, as soon as possible." He stands, then produces a small keycard. "You have a gift for espionage. So if you ever find yourself in need of resources or tools --" He hands the key card to Cayde. "This will let you into any room down here. All our intel, labs, and equipment -- you may freely access. I'm sure you'll find our intel library particularly useful. Any criminal with a name and a face can be found in it, along with the latest data we might have extracted on them."

He turns to Anne. "Thank you," he says, "for letting Cayde come here today. We might not see eye to eye, but I'm sure you'll at least agree that what was done here today was Cayde's choice, regardless of whether you liked the outcome, or what you or I might have said to him."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde manages to sit up while Black is talking to him, and he nods although a serious headache is coming on. His eyes widen a little when Black just... offers him access to all the classified intel. Well, provided his words actually ring true. They trust him that much already?

    Then Ann 'helps' (drags) him to his feet and he finally manages to stay standing on his own. And thankfully Navi had managed to catch him and prevent him from bruising himself on the floor. [Thank you sir] he signs, accepting the key and pocketing it. He'd best not lose it or let it get stolen...

Navi has posed:
"Fine... next time /you/ smooch him and snap him out of it," Navi retorts softly, blushing faintly as she stands. "Besides, Cayde may be a cutie, but he's just not my type." Whether any of this is true is anybody's guess.

"Thank you, Mr. Black," she adds, blushing slightly more, "but I didn't do much of anything. I'm just glad Vlaven will be off the streets for good. He seems like a very unstable person. Not the kind you should trust with power and responsibility."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    There's a pause, and Ann slooooooowly leans in to Navi- apparently not commenting on the offer of intel and such just yet- and simply saying; "Your robes, Navi."

Athena (159) has posed:
Black chuckles and pats Navi's head. "Bit harsh, don't you think?" he says. From the brief touch, the young Sephi girl might become acutely aware of how inhuman his shape in the Force is. For a brief moment, she'll be reminded of the abyss black eyes of that terrifyingly beautiful woman who had stolen her Master's lightsaber...

"Rather," he continues. "I'd always had my suspicions about his instability," he says. "Thankfully, because of Cayde, he'll be put where he belongs -- behind bars."

He turns back to the young padawan. "Oh, and one more thing -- if you lose the card, don't hesitate to let me know or the CSF know." He hands Cayde another small card with his personal comm frequency on it.

When Annelia comments about Navi's lack of clothing, Black sheds his trench coat and drapes it around the girl's shoulders. Then he turns to leave. "Hopefully I'll see you around, Cayde."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde flushes visibly when Navi makes that comment about him. Well, okay...it's not -that- intense, but with his usual pale complexion it's just very obvious.

    He nods again and accepts the second card containing the contact details, pocketing that as well. Then he rubs his forehead a bit, the headache now like a sledgehammer inside of his skull. However he tries his best to ignore it.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "... Have this funny feeling I'm gonna have to kill that man someday," Ann comments mildly once Black is gone. She shrugs, and pulls a flask of some sort from her belt, handing it over to Cayde. It's just water.

    "Anyways, let's get out of here. And maybe take the info off those cards then dispose of them just to make sure he's not bugged them somehow." With that she starts leading the way out- headache like this, probably best to get home quick and rest up proper.

Navi has posed:
"Still wet," Navi replies softly, mimicking Ann's tone without twitching. "And I don't have a spare. If you can get Cayde back to the Temple without any assistance from me, which shouldn't be a real problem, I'll wait here until me and my clothes are both dry enough to travel." She notes Cayde's blush, causing her own to return. "No offense, okay? If I had to kiss you again to save your life, I would. Or if I had to kiss your Master, I would. It's just not how I prefer to spend my time. Jedi have a thing about attachments anyway."

She is surprised as that coat is draped over her, however, but by the time she looks around for Black, the inhumanly human agent has disappeared. "Sure knows how to make an exit," she grumbles. "And after today, I trust him a little less. Something's not right about him. Beyond his too-cavalier attitude toward... /everything/, I guess."