The Shatterpoint Child

The Shatterpoint Child
Date of Scene:	29 September 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Annelia, Navi, Cayde, and Pike speak with Black about a young Force sensitive who leaves destruction in her wake.
Cast of Characters:	159, Pike Windu, Annelia Belask, Cayde Alexis, Navi, Heydan Seegil

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Athena (159) has posed:
Today will certainly be a different sort of day for a certain few Jedi and their allies.

An encrypted message had been sent to the Temple's comm's console, requesting that Anne, Cayde, and any other Jedi or Force sensitive individuals who had been in involved with the arrest of Vlaven Emissarius present themselves at the CSF precinct as soon as possible.

The reason for it is not explained - but the Council had agreed that it seemed urgent and important and given the specified individuals permission to go there immediately and investigate the matter...

Pike Windu has posed:
    "IT'S A TRAP!" Windu wheels around to face the others.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "... Let's not get too carried away, Master Windu," says Ann wryly, shaking her head a little and shrugging. "That said, if it's that Black fellow there's a fairly reasonable chance I'll just turn and leave again."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde follows Ann as the group makes their way over to the CSF once again. True, there was something unsettling about Agent Black...but...no one could deny that he'd gotten the job done. Perhaps that was why Chief Kurrnak chose to keep him around regardless.

Athena (159) has posed:
Once they arrive at the precinct, they'll be greeted by the same woman at the desk they'd seen the first time they'd come to the precinct.

She smiles cordially. "Ah, I figured the three of you would be along shortly. This way, please." She leads them to a small conference room and gestures for them to have a seat.

They may or may not be surprised to see that the next person who enters isn't Black, but Mondrian, the young forensic analyst who'd worked Vlaven's case. She seems mildly surprised to find them here. "So it's Jedi business, then," she says, to no one in particular.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu remains standing, not quite on his guard, but ready like a coiled spring. When the girl enters, he gives her a minimal nod.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann turns around, eyebrow raised a little. She shakes her head slightly and exhales. "Delightfully cryptic, as always. Is the CSF prone to this kind of tight-to-chest information policy lately? I don't remember it being the case in my apprenticeship," she says dryly, shrugging and taking a seat.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde follows Ann and Windu into the conference room, sitting down at the table next to his master and nodding in greeting toward Mondrian.

Athena (159) has posed:
Mondrian glances at Pike and nods, then turns to Anne. "I mean, normally, we aren't. But when we're dealing with undercover matters... well it is what it is," she shrugs and also takes a seat.

Once everyone has taken a seat, the comm unit on the table flickers on, and a familiar disembodied voice says. "You came," A chuckle. "You always surprise me..."

"But enough beating around the proverbial bush. I've come across some intel you maybe interested in, regarding a lost child who likely inherits a rather rare and supernatural ability."

Navi has posed:
Navi manages a smile for Mondrian, even if she can't help rolling her eyes at the sound of Black's voice. "We were directed to be here, Agent Black. That's not the same as an invitation," she points out, managing to be polite with some effort.

"But since we /are/ here, as was insisted upon, please do tell us about this lost child?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike's eyes narrow and he glances at Cayde as the comm unit speaks up.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann has... zero restraint in this moment. Her eyes roll and she heaves a rather deep sigh. "Alright, let's get this over with, get to the point," she notes.

    Glancing over at Cayde, she flicks her eyes over to the console with a more exaggerated eye roll, hand coming up in a circle with a back-and-forth motion.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde notices Pike glancing at him and he shifts uncomfortably.

    The reaction from Ann isn't unexpected, and he starts trying to search her intentions as she looks over to the console and waves a hand at him.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Oh, well, I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear that it was a request, not a directive," he says, "you could have chosen not to come. But the CSF is always in the business of saving lives, so if you hadn't, perhaps someone else would have had to pay the price."

He doesn't let anyone comment on that last line, though, and quickly complies with Navi's request.

"Not too much is known about her. She's quite young, can't be any older than four years of age. Her father is the head mobster of an illegal arms business run out of Level 2000 on Coruscant. Her mother? Unknown, but her father got around plenty. Now, it would appear that territorial gang rivalry down there is at an all time high, and in an attempt to ransom more real estate, a rival criminal org called the Marksmen, have taken her hostage."

"Normally, this wouldn't be of acute interest to me, or anyone else at the CSF. But it seems that taking her hostage was a rather unwise decision, as it would appear that the stress of being kidnapped has wakened some kind of powerful latent ability of hers."

"Wherever the child goes, there is destruction." A holodisplay flickers to life, and a reel of drone footage starts rolling. Videos showing permacrete structures suddenly crumbling, scaffoldings collapsing, and even a dam holding back a pool of black sewage water bursting.

"I've observed this footage and more, three fold now, and it would seem to be that she has a penchant for detecting structural weaknesses..."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu forgets his previous suspicions and listens intently at this news about the Latent. "She must be controlled. Or destroyed."

Navi has posed:
Navi rolls her eyes more dramatically at Black's reply. "Phrasing is not your strong suit," she observes softly, nodding at Annelia's nonverbal comment.

And then the footage comes up, and her irritation vanishes, replaced by concern. "Force help us all... I've heard of this power. My Master spoke of a precognitive ability to find certain 'weak points' in people and things. Weak points that cause chains of events leading to certain outcomes."

She looks around at her friends, wide-eyed. "A power like that without any training to control it, or any self-control to keep her emotions in check... the holo footage really does say it all."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "... Destroyed seems a bit hasty," says Ann, raising her brow as she looks over at Pike for a moment. Shrugging it off she looks back to the console.

    "Alright, where and when- forward this data over and we can review it en route if we're in a hurry about this," she suggests.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde frowns at the footage, remembering that he'd seen something similar in the databanks earlier.

    He also glances nervously over at Master Pike when he mentions potentially destroying the child. Although he wasn't wrong...if it wasn't possible to get her under control, that might be the only option. Still, no one liked to talk about that.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Mm, very good," Black points out when Navi points out that she's heard of this ability. "That's why I'm letting you have free reign with this case," he says, "Mondrian will lend her aid where needed, but I trust the Jedi would know how to properly deal with someone ... like her, whether that's to destroy or control her."

"Ah-h-h. Rushing in won't necessarily help, Belask. I know you're eager and I appreciate your ambition, but lives are at stake here. Her last known reported location was on Level 2211, not far from an abandoned industrial complex infested with squatters. They might be pesky, but they're people, and I'd imagine you'd all want to avoid a catastrophe of the sorts I'd just shown you to happen in that area -- the casualties would run high as the area is built on an overhanging that isn't exactly what I'd call sturdy."

"Regardless, you'll find everything you need in the data vault. I've aggregated the intel into a folder on the main console there, and your dear padawan has the keycard to vault, of course."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu nods and looks at the others. "Padawan, you will take point. The Latent is a child so we will need your...skills to communicate with her. And if that should fail, you must dull her mind long enough for...other measures. Comments?"

Navi has posed:
"Is there anything else we need to know before we start scanning data?" Navi asks the room in general, glancing at Mondrian, then the holo display. "Details about these Marksmen would be welcome. The name sounds familiar."

It's the sort of predicament Jedi and Jedi-like individuals detest... the choice of one life for the lives of many, in this case potentially thousands. Navi's expression makes it clear that she doesn't relish having to make such a decision. "Let's hope it doesn't come to a terrible choice, Master."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Yeah, well, based on what you said, this girl's a ticking time bomb and wasting time isn't doing us any favours either," Ann shoots back, eyes rolling again.

    But with that, she stands up, gesturing for Cayde to lead the way as Pike mentioned. "Archives first it is then, if we need."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods and gets up then, as it seems Ann is eager to get on this. He wonders if the Council knows about the particulars. Well, if they don't, Master Pike would handle it, right?

    He heads down to the lower floors to pull the data mentioned.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Oh, yes, actually," Black says. "I believe she's blind -- and rather skittish. You'll have to be careful."

"You'll find details on the Marksmen in the folder in the data vault downstairs," Black says. "But you will need to scope out the area attempting to make any kind of move. The squatters there likely won't respond very kindly to a show of brute force, so stowing your sabers unless absolutely necessary will be ideal -- however, her father has placed a massive bounty on her head to be returned to him safe and sound, so be warned that there will likely be many bounty hunters in the vicinity, all attempting to do the very thing you're trying to do - extract the girl."

Black chuckles, seeming amused. "Of course, but have you ever tried defusing one? Such a task should be approached carefully and deliberately, not slowly, but not too hastily, either. But I'm sure you'll find a way to walk the line, won't you?"

As they head out into the hallway to the lift that leads them down to the data vault in the basement, Mondrian follows quietly, her brows furrowed. "This is my first time working with Black so directly," she says quietly, "have any of you actually... seen him?"

Navi has posed:
"Thanks for saving the /easy/ job for us," Navi grumbles, rolling her eyes dramatically. "I've seen him, but only in a full bodysuit and helmet, and a long coat that hid most of that. Not sure that counts," she adds to Mondrian, more gently. "He does have a habit of walking on your nerves, so be warned. I think he might enjoy it."

"Can we stop back by the Temple for a moment before we look for the girl?" she asks her companions, blushing faintly. "Given her unusual gift, I feel the need to bring along a spare robe..."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "I notice none of the rest of us seem to share that habit," notes Ann with eyebrow raised over at Navi. "Perhaps you should invest in -sturdier- wear?"

    On that note she follows along, heading for the lift and the vault in turn. To Mondrian she simply adds; "He's no more pleasant in person. Also half convinced he 'wears' all that to mask using a droid proxy of some kind."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde simply nods at Mondrian's question, and glances over at Navi as she explains regarding Black's shadowy attire. Further, she'll feel a notion of sorts. She's felt it before, when around him. "Agent Black" has some kind of specialized training...he knows how to prevent telepaths from seeing into his mind, at least seeing more than what he wants them to see.

    Upon arriving in the databanks again, he uses the key however many times is necessary before taking the necessary data off of the central terminal.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Windu follows along as he mentally takes stock of the medical suppleis on his person. "If we return to the Temple, we should inform the Council of the Latent."

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil enters from the nearby lift and begins looking around the room for someone. Seeing Cayde and the rest of the Jedi he approaches them warmly, "Hey there folks, seen Mr. Black anywhere?"

Athena (159) has posed:
Mondrian's brows furrow, and she stops walking for a split second. "... Okay, I get it, you guys hate him, for some reason? Look, I understand that he's not exactly what you would call pleasant, but Kurrnak keeps him around for good reason. Talking to him might not be a walk in the park, but everyone at the CSF, including myself, owes our livelihood to him. Including Kurrnak. Without him, the CSF would have run aground funding wise and crime would have skyrocketed. I don't know that much about him, and you all can say what you want, but he is really, -really- good at his job. And I respect that about him, at the very least."

Upon arriving in the datavault, they'll find the file Black has left for them is very inclusive and incredibly detailed. There's maps, coordinates of every Marksmen stronghold in the sector, along with the profiles of known bounty hunters seen in that area. The only thing lacking is some of the profiles of the bounty hunters - a few have little to nothing on them. One that might draw their interest is the profile of a particularly bulky looking Gendai bounty hunter named Torkle Sunn. His profile only includes his name, but the holoimage of him alone is intimidating to look at - he's likely at least eight feet tall, or taller.

Upon arriving in basement of the CSF, Seegil's commlink will buzz. There's a text transmission for him there from Black.

|Come to my office, will you? I'm not on site, but we need to have a little talk about your introduction to the work we do around here, if you don't mind|

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "I keep hearing that 'owe our livelihoods to him' line and it genuinely distresses me that a -planetary sized- organization of -detectives- doesn't seem to think an organization of that absurd scale owing its entire existence to -one man- raises some red flags. Does that make more sense? Or do I need to bring up personnel counts to bring into relief the absurdity of the statement?" questions Annelia with... some sharpness in her tone, admittedly.

Navi has posed:
"I live on donations shared among the Brotherhood," Navi replies softly to Annelia, her tone sad and her faint blush lingering, "so I can't really go shopping for hard-use clothing. I'm probably lucky they keep issuing me new robes, given I seem to lose one to wear or misadventure at least once a month."

"No, sir, but he talked at us earlier via an intercom and a holovision sound system," she replies to Heydan as he enters. "So there's just no telling where he is right now." Beat "Or he could be in his office, like he said," she adds, stifling a giggle.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde briefly browses through the data as he copies it, giving the others plenty of opportunity to view it as well. He nods at Pike's suggestion to inform the Council about the child. That should be the first order of business...and then, after reviewing the intel in more detail, they should scout out the place first if possible.

    Once finished, he turns to find Seegil greeting him. Well, the last he'd heard, the man had planned to escape to the Outer Rim. But it seemed there had been a change of plans. [He does not show himself...usually] he signs in answer to the question about Black.

Pike Windu has posed:
    As the others discuss their mysterious principal, Windu closes his eyes and draws strength and wisdom from the Force.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil looks down at his datapad and then back up as Cayde's signing him, "Oh, well, there they go now. So, what are you up to now then?", he interjects dismissing the message on his datapad after a quick glance at it. "I'd assume it was another fraud scheme but from the sounds of it are you really hunting bounty hunters?", cranes his neck and bares his teeth as he expresses, "Yeesh, that'll be a nightmare. Those lot train to kill your lot specifically. Careful and mind the vibros."

Athena (159) has posed:
"Of course it raises red flags!" Mondrian argues. "The CSF wasn't in a good place then. I myself was thinking about quitting then because things had gotten so... awful. Kurrnak is capable, but his wife had just gotten diagnosed with some kind of weird infection the doctors had no idea how to treat at the time. Not only that, but his father had just passed away. He tried his best, but he couldn't lead the precinct while dealing his own personal issues at the same time. Around that time, we were dealing with a particularly difficult case that actually uncovered one of our lead detectives as a turncoat. Black was working as a contractor for us at the time, and he was the one to figure out who the mole was. Unfortunately, by the time we brought Black on, four officers had already lost their lives. So yeah. There were red flags everywhere. We were in a bad spot. Thankfully, things seem a lot better now."

"I'm not telling you to like him. You can make your own decision about what kind of person he is, but you can't deny his adeptness in his trade." She shrugs, then turns to Cayde. "Will you send me the intel? I'm gonna go grab dinner and then hole up in my apartment for a long night of studying -- you should all do the same." And she then turns to leave.

Navi has posed:
"No one's saying he's not good at what he does," Navi says gently to Mondrian. "But we've all worked with him at least once, and the only reason we do so is because of his competence. In all other respects he runs from mildly to thoroughly unlikeable. And I started out /liking/ the guy. Good night, Detective. And good luck with your studying."

She looks back to Heydan. "Less bounty hunters, more the blind four-year-old girl they're looking for. She has a particularly disaster-prone gift in the Force, and violence around her is likely to make things much, much worse. As in six-o'clock galactic news worse," she explains.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods when Mondrian requests he send her the data. Then he bows politely to Navi and Heydan, and follows Ann and Pike out as they head back to the Temple to inform the Council.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil rolls his eyes and shrugs at Navi as they explain the situation, "Why am I not surprised. So, I assume that is why Mr. Black paged me. Anything I should know before I head into my meeting?"

Navi has posed:
"That's one of the reasons Agent Black lacks popularity in my circle of friends; he always gives us the really dirty jobs," Navi observes. "Just a perk of working with him, I suppose. Won't stop us from doing the job, but there will be grumbling involved. You have been warned."