The Jedi and the Gen'dai

The Jedi and the Gen'dai
Date of Scene:	03 November 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Anne, Navi, Cayde, and Pike tangle with Torkle Sunn a second time.
Cast of Characters:	159, Heydan Seegil, Pike Windu, Navi, Cayde Alexis, Annelia Belask

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Athena (159) has posed:
Dusk is quickly approaching on Coruscant, but in the Lower Levels, one can hardly tell the difference between night and day. It's pretty dim all the time, and with this little light, Navi, Pike, and Heydan will have to be quick on their feet to follow the young Nikto, Binny. He's young and spry, and clearly very familiar with the surrounding area.

Currently, he's jogging towards the bridge they'd crossed earlier - waving at a small figure quickly approaching. It's Tommy.

But once they reach the bridge, Tommy does not cross it... instead, he starts to carefully slide down the angled hillside that ends in the viscous sewage liquid at the bottom.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil keeps pace with the rest as they make there way through the lower levels. Once at the bridge he waits on Tommy to descend and then makes his own way down the hill as well making sure to keep his footing firm as he goes more than a little worried about the sludge at the bottom.

Pike Windu has posed:
The Force is his guide in this dim underworld. Surefooted, the Jedi Master follows Binny down and tries to get a sense of where they are going.

Navi has posed:
Navi keeps up with some difficulty, the bruises and other minor injuries from the bounty hunter sapping her spirits, if not her resolve. She pauses only when she spies Tommy sliding down the hillside toward the evil-smelling liquid flow at the bottom of the channel.

She crouches a few feet down the ditchbank, unwilling to get closer to the liquid until she knows where it's safe to cross. "Just how are we going to get across that?" she hisses toward Binny, still watching Tommy's approach.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde follows the behind the rest of the group, doing his best to walk down the slope instead of slide. No one wants to end up splashing around in sewage, after all...

Athena (159) has posed:
Binny leads them towards the edge of the sewage, then carefully steps into it and starts treading towards the underbelly of the bridge. "Just don't slip and fall," he tells Navi with a shrug. "We don't have to get across ... just under the bridge. There's a shortcut to the area I was talking about earlier. This way if there's any other Marksmen around, they won't see us snooping."

The young Nikto seems at ease, but the sewage liquid down here is... not only disgusting looking, but seems potentially toxic. Those with boots, like Binny and Tommy, will have an easier time, but anyone with robes or loose clothing will have to be careful not to let it fall into the muck as they move along.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil dressed more akin to those he is following makes his way behind Binny slipping under the bridge towards the shortcut thankful that he isn't wearing a robe like his partners are.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike is not eager to wade into the Force-knows-what flowing in the channel. Reaching out, he senses his skill is not enough to allow himself to walk on the sludge. Sighing, he hikes up his robes and takes the plunge, FIGURATIVELY.

Navi has posed:
Navi studies the sludge worriedly. "I don't think I can cross like that," she whispers worriedly. "I'm not nearly dressed for it; my shoes are too low and too soft for walking in drainage ditches that might have rusty junk on the bottom. Maybe I should go back and help take care of the mother."

She's right to be worried. Her soft rubber-soled moccasins would provide no protection against any sunken jagged or sharp objects, and the sludge would easily be over the tops of them.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As Navi hesitates at the edge, Cayde taps on her shoulder and points at the entry that seems to be set into the wall under the bridge. [Jump] he signs. It's likely too far for a normal jump by anyone with human or similar physiology, but with the aid of the Force...

Athena (159) has posed:
Binny smirks, amused by how unprepared Pike and Navi are for this excursion. "Okay," he says, "I have an idea. Tommy, why don't you give the girl your boots? Then you can ride on my back."

Tommy seems delighted by this idea - he kicks off his boots and leaps onto Binny's back.

Navi can either take Cayde's advice - or try Tommy's shoes. The boots may be way too small - but it does look like they might stay on her feet, at least.

"Hurry!" Tommy says. "the bad guys are coming to get us, the bad guys are coming to get us..." he says in a chanting, sing song, fashion.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil smirks at the lighthearted nature of the pair chiding the Jedi like that. It takes his mind away from the stress of the situation. 'How did I even end up here exactly? I never expect that one day I'd be a Republican secret agent. I mean was nervous just taking the gig on Coruscant because I never even paid that insurance fine and now I am ankle deep in poodoo with Jedi in tow.', he thinks to himself as he pushes himself up into the nook under the bridge and out of the muck.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike is wearing sturdy field boots. His protected legs slosh through the sludge as he makes his way under the bridge. Looking back, he offers, "I can carry you, if you like."

Navi has posed:
Navi reluctantly slips off her shoes, tucks them into her medical satchel, and slips on Tommy's boots, which are small enough that they pinch her feet. Kilting the lower half of her robe up around her hips, she takes a deep breath, then leaps...

It's not a high jump, but it carries her nearly twenty feet laterally. She almost stumbles on landing, but catches herself by planting her hands against the rim of the doorway under the bridge. "Too close..." she whispers. Hopefully she can return Tommy's boots once they're inside the tunnels...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well, Cayde meant to...somehow communicate that he intended to give her a boost. But it seems to have been lost in translation somehow. Still, as she jumps, he does reach out with the Force and push her forward enough to get her across.

    Then he makes the jump himself, barely making it on the edge of the entryway.

Athena (159) has posed:
Binny is standing just inside the hidden entryway beneath the bridge. It looks like a dark tunnel with no end...

"C'mon," Binny says. "It's going to be night soon. The Marksmen will see us if we don't hurry." He motions for Heydan to go ahead of them while he waits for the others. Once Navi returns Tommy's shoes, he goes about putting them back on.

When Cayde lands, his heel just barely slaps the sludge a little. Unfortunately, even this small splash is enough to get the lower half of Navi's robe dirty...

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil nods to Binny and says, "Good call, it will be easier for me to distract them alone. I'll try to write how many of them there are on the wall before I approach so you'll know their number. The sludge on the bottom of my boot should make good ink.", then takes one last look at the Jedi before he darts off ahead of them to mark the way.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike climbs up out of the sludge and joins the others. The Jedi inspects Cayde and Navi. "Environment suits, next time."

Navi has posed:
Navi steps inside, pausing long enough to remove her moccasins from her bag and return Tommy's boots, then gratefully re-don her footwear. "Thanks," she whispers to Tommy, lightly kissing the Nikto boy's cheek.

And then Cayde lands behind her just as she looks back. She'd had to un-kilt her robe to deal with her footwear situation, just in time for Cayde's landing to splash the lower half of the garment. The stains are one thing, but they'd be tolerable if the nasty liquid hadn't soaked all the way through. Is that stuff eating its way through the cloth?

"Cayde, is my robe burning or dissolving?" she asks the Padawan worriedly over her shoulder...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde looks down at her robe. It doesn't look like it, although it is fairly dark in here. He draws his lightsaber and holds it in front to see if there is any damage to her clothes.

Athena (159) has posed:
Binny rolls his eyes at Pike's comment. "Yeah, but then you'd barely fit in the tunnel. It's just a little dirt, anyway..." He nods at Heydan as the tech CSF agent runs off down the tunnel.

When Navi kisses Tommy on the cheek, he cringes away from her. "Ew, girl cooties," he grumbles, dusting himself off.

"Oh no," Binny says, "it's catching on fire!" Then he leaps forward and with two skillful swipes, he's cut the lower half of her robe off. However, he's cut too much. Now her robe is micro mini-skirt short. "Oops," he snickers, then hurries off after Heydan. Navi will notice that her robe isn't really damaged - just stained. The young Nikto boy had been in for a bit of mischief, it would seem...

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike steals a glance before checking out the tunnel. "I suppose you're right. But suit lamps would be useful. Are we waiting for the musician to return?"

Navi has posed:
Navi squeaks softly as Binny moves to assist her, or so it seems. Until he's sheared her robe off from her hips down, barely long enough to cover her undergarment if she stands still. She didn't miss the insincerity of his 'oops', especially with that snicker.

"That's the last time I go wading in toxic sludge for your sake, boots or no boots," she grumbles, tugging down the ragged edge of her robe. It only gains her a quarter of an inch of additional coverage, however. "Mean-mouthed little creep..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    While the others are talking, Cayde starts reaching out with his mind, trying to see if he can sense the girl they are looking for. If she is strong in the Force as they say, he should be able to feel it soon...

Athena (159) has posed:
"No!" Binny calls back to Pike as he hurries down the tunnel. He has his lighter, but that's about it, and they'll be able to see it bobbing and weaving as he goes deeper in.

At least Navi will find her legs freed up, and down here, it's strangely stuffy and hot. So at least she won't have to worry about overheating...

Cayde will be able to sense a frightened young mind, very, very faintly. He won't be able to discern where she is, or even communicate with her, but he'll able to ascertain she's here somewhere, albeit very far away.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike takes hold of his lightsaber. With a SNAP-hiss, the Jedi weapon ignites, casting a green glow. "It isn't much, but better than nothing. Who wants to take point?"

Navi has posed:
Navi unpacks a small and well-used military-style glowrod and secures it to the strap of her medical satchel, to keep her hands free. The device is probably older than the Sephi girl herself, but itt throws a fairly bright beam some distance down the tunnel when she switches it on. "I think Binny's already taken it. Along with my last few nerves," she observes softly, moving to follow the Nikto boys.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Yes, she's definitely here somewhere. Cayde tries to reach for her more, at least get a general idea which direction she's in. Although he is standing there staring ahead, he doesn't seem to notice the others hurrying down the tunnel.

Athena (159) has posed:
Between Pike's saber and Navi's glowrod, the group will find themselves in a tunnel that's no adequately lit. Above them, they'll see a massive array of industrial looking pipes -- what's flowing through them will be anybody's best guess, but they look... hot. There's condensation everywhere, and whatever's inside of them is probably the reason why it's weirdly humid and too warm down here.

Binny's ahead of them, jogging at a quick pace, Tommy at his heels. "I think that cop must have done a good job at distracting the guys," he says, "I'm not seeing anyone. Yet, anyway."

She's too far away for Cayde to discern where she is exactly, but one familiar presence will make itself apparent -- the bounty hunter they'd run into earlier...

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike trots after Navi. The Jedi's full attention is on his saber; he is very mindful of the pipes, maybe filled with the sludge in the channel. Anyway, the Jedi is glad for the distraction from other things.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    At last, after one distraction or another, Ann lightly jogs up behind to rejoin the group.

    Whatever had her held up, it seems her lightsaber is already active- held above and a little behind her head to avoid the direct view of it affecting her eyes' adjustment to the dark. She seems relatively confident in her stability and not hitting pipes.

    "You think the lit lightsabers might be warding people off?" she points out, having apparently heard a fair bit on her way to catch up.

Navi has posed:
"It's getting really hot in here," Navi observes softly, glancing up at the pipes running across the ceiling, all but glowing from the heat of what's inside them. "I don't even like to think about what's running through those pipes."

She glances back as Annelia returns, giving her a grateful smile. "Ann, thank the Force. We were starting to worry about you," she says, before looking at Cayde, noting that, half-here, half-out-to-lunch look he sometimes gets when he's using his telepathy. "Can you sense anything?" she asks softly.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Indeed, Ann will probably notice Cayde standing a few paces behind the group not moving while the others proceeded ahead...

    So, that bounty hunter was here, too. Not a surprise. They'd better be careful. He starts trying to get at least a vague sense of location for both of them.

Athena (159) has posed:
At some point, the tunnel ends, opening up in a large boiler room that is likely used for other illicit activities - there's packets of glitterstim littering the floor and manufacturing stations set up on rusting tables in the back corner of the room. Not only that, but it smells terrible in here. Not like sewage... like something else chemical that none of them will really be able to put a pin on.

Binny slows to a halt, looking around cautiously, and Tommy falls back, reaching for Pike's hand and hiding himself in his robes. When Anne asks if the lit sabers have warded people off, he shrugs. "I don't know. Probably not, but I hope so, anyway." Suddenly, there's a clattering noise on the catwalk above them, and Binny starts to back up. He peers under one of the tables nearby, then glances back at the group. "Your cop friend says there were four guards here," he says warily. "But it's crossed out..."

And then Cayde will be able to sense that both the nexu and his master are very, very near.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike takes the boy's hand. Quietly, he says, "be brave, fear is the Dark Side."

The Jedi sniffs the air and shakes his head. "Environment suits..."

Navi has posed:
Navi pauses, drawing her lightsaber from its clip on her satchel and looking around the chamber as if something had walked over her grave. "We've got company," she says, in a low voice, her eyes slightly unfocused, drawing on the Force. "That bounty hunter and his catty pet are close by, I'm guessing. I think Cayde senses them, too." She glances at Cayde, and his expression suggests something very much like what she had been thinking.

Her thumb brushes the recessed activation plate of the lightsaber, the bluish-white blade lighting with a sharp, shearing sound. "Watch out for him, Ann... he's almost impossible to hurt."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "Yeah, we'll see about that," says Ann fairly dismissively, head shaking a little.

    Indeed she seems about as concerned at the news as one might be hearing the milk is running low.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    They were coming closer...

    Cayde frowns, attempting to again push against the nexu's presence and cause it to turn on its master. At the very least, it might reveal their location, taking the bounty hunter by surprise, or better yet force him to eliminate his own pet.

Athena (159) has posed:
"What's the dark side," Tommy whispers to Pike, clutching his hand tighter.

When Navi announces that the bounty hunter is back, Binny takes out his knife.

Suddenly, the nexu comes flying down from the cat walk, flailing. Behind him is the crouching figure of Torkle Sunn, the massive Gen'dai bounty hunter from before. "You're a mind meddler, aren't you?" he growls at Cayde. "Making my own turn against me. Well let's see you mind meddle with this!" He reaches into the satchel on his back and pulling out a grenade, tosses it at the young Padawan!

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann is not one to hesitate when the situation goes sideways, typically. Which might be why she's already well on her way to leaping up to the catwalk before the bounty hunter even finishes talking.

    Often these sorts of leaping strikes from Jedi bear the dramatic flips and flourishes of Form IV... less so for Ann. She's always been a little more direct- which is maybe why her sturdily-built saber comes crashing down with the force one might associate with woodcutting more than delicate swordplay.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike squeezes the boy's hand in reply. And then the bounty hunter appears. The Jedi holds his saber en garde, ready for anything.

Navi has posed:
"Master! He wants Tommy!" Navi cries, watching Ann leap the thirty or so feet straight up to reach the catwalk. She points her lightsaber at an almost-hidden chute in the back of the chamber. "Take the boys and go /that way/! We'll follow as quick as we can!"

"Cayde, /watch out/! Go with Master Windu!" she cries in alarm as the grenade hurtles toward the Padawan.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde reaches out with the Force and knocks the grenade away before it can blow up near enough to cause any damage. Then as his master leaps up onto the walkway to engage the Gen'dai, he also follows suit and tries to come up behind him while Ann has him preoccupied. Anyway, the point is to keep him preoccupied, so that he'll never get the chance to even touch Tommy.

Athena (159) has posed:
Anne's hefty swing with her lightsaber does actually seem to shock the bounty hunter. He seems to not have anticipated her being... that strong.

Her lightsaber opens a deep cut on his left shoulder, running from there to his chest. "She fights... with blood," he mutters, stumbling backwards. His wound starts to heal over, but this time, the purple strands seem to regenerate much slower this time around. And then Cayde starts attacking him as well, and he roars in anger at the young padawan, swiping at him. "Nuisances...!!"

Tommy sees where Navi is pointing, and starts tugging Pike in that direction. "We have to hurry!" he says.

Binny doesn't seem to have any plan to run, though. Somehow he's managed to climb up into the rafters, and is using his knife to cut at the cords holding one of the massive light fixtures up.

Pike Windu has posed:
Pike glances at Tommy, nods, and starts backing in the indicated direction while keeping his eyes on Sunn.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    "You'd fight better if you shut it," counters Ann between exhanges- her eyes are laser focused, but her tone is rolling them.

    The fact that he turns instead to strike at her padawan seems to, if anything, incense her on multiple levels.

    Caution left somewhere on the floor so many feet below, she puts a free hand on a handhold of the hunter's armour, hoisting herself up to scale his sizable frame- seeking that upper angle to bring her humming blade down on the gen'dai's head.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde is knocked over as the bounty hunter swipes at him, but when the contact is made he again reaches out with the Force, attempting to grab Sunn's arm and hold it, impeding his movement while he turns to a different tactic--assaulting his mind with hallucinations of hundreds of enemies bearing down on him all at once.

Navi has posed:
Navi watches Ann and Cayde trading blows with the bounty hunter, sparing a glance for Master Windu and Tommy as they withdraw toward the chute.

But she doesn't see Binny with them! Looking around almost frantically, she finally spies him above the catwalk, already sawing at the tethers of a heavy light fixture, in the same time it had taken Ann to leap onto the catwalk and attack the Gen'dai.

"That kid has /got/ to teach me how he did that," she murmurs, rushing to back up Ann and Cayde against Torkle Sunn. She hasn't forgotten her last encounter with the bounty hunter; she still has the bruises and aches to remind her. And she doubts he's forgotten, either. All that's changed is almost two fifths of her robe is gone, from her hips down, making her running like this risky for her modesty. The thought is enough to bring a flush to her cheeks all over again.

Just let that big brute say /one word/ about her underwear showing... /just one/!

Athena (159) has posed:
Fortunately for Navi, Sunn has other problems to worry about that don't involve the fact that two fifths of her robe is missing. Including, but not limited to the fact that Anne is riding on his shoulders, and Cayde has assaulted him with an illusion of thousands of enemies coming at him.

"Arrgggh!" he cries, gripping his head, as three sinuous purple tendrils suddenly unfurl from his back and flail wildly. Navi and Cayde will have to be careful to either cut the tendrils or dodge them.

"Look out!" Binny cries as he manages to sever the cable holding the light fixture up.

It crashes down onto the catwalk, causing it to collapse inward. Sunn will drop like a rock, and Anne will too if she doesn't jump off of him quick enough.

Meanwhile, Tommy tugs Pike along towards the chute. But when they get to it, the old Master may realize that while Tommy will fit with ample room, its going to be a very, very tight squeeze for him...

Pike Windu has posed:
The Jedi Master continues to retreat, lightsaber ready, shielding the boy from the bounty hunter.

Navi has posed:
Suddenly confronted by purple tentacles where there had been none before, Navi squeaks and backpedals a step, ducking down to let one pass over her head and then straightening to hack it off with a swift sweep of her lightsaber.

"I think I had a nightmare a lot like this once," she observes, watching for more incoming tentacles. "Is it just me, or does this guy get more and more horrible the longer we're around him?"

A mighty groan from somewhere above and Binny's shout signal a sudden drop in both the light levels and the bounty hunter! "Ann, LOOK OUT!!!" she cries, looking for a faster way down herself. This catwalk is probably not long for this world!

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann leaps backward without much finesse, brushing past the falling light fixture as it nears landing on the bounty hunter... and landing herself on a part of the catwalk that's not dropping so quickly- and sliding down to ride it down and follow the gen'dai- certainly not about to let him get away if she can help it.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde jumps slices off the flailing tentacle quickly and deftly, then jumps away from the falling light fixture as it crashes down onto the walkway. He follows Ann down, landing near the the wreckage and starting to search for the bounty hunter to make sure he's either dead or not going to be getting up again for a long time yet...

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil having slipped ahead of the bounty hunter and deeper into the labyrinth continues to plug on forward marking the way to Sector C-16 with the grease pencil he found earlier. As he goes he tries to act like he belongs there and just in case he has already formed an excuse in his head, 'That bounty hunter just murdered a bunch of these thugs and he just came to warn them hoping they'd give him more glitterstim.', a perfect excuse.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Master, Master...!" Tommy disembodied voice echoes to Pike once the young Nikto is inside the chute. "Come on...! It's your turn now!" But can Pike fit inside the chute??

The severed tentacles Navi and Cayde thrash wildly as the smell of burned flesh fills the room. The Gen'dai then crashes to the floor below, just barely avoiding getting smashed by the light fixture.

Cayde won't have to search very hard to find the Gen'dai, as he gets up within several seconds, brushing debris off of himself, shards of metal and glass embedded in his flesh. Yet, he is definitely not down or out for the count. "You want a fight," he growls, taking out his electro-mace. "Then you shall have it!" And he lunges at Anne, seeming to either forget or not care that Cayde and Navi are still in the picture. However, they might find themselves distracted - the nexu has recovered. Its tail is bent in a strange fashion, but it's at least awake and alert now. It leaps at Cayde, swiping with one of its powerful claws.

As Pike is perhaps contemplating how to get into the chute, Binny runs up. "You won't fit!" he cries. "This way!" and he starts leading the elder Master Jedi towards that same door Heydan had gone through earlier.

Pike Windu has posed:
    The Jedi Master glances at the chute and nods. "What about him, will he be okay?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    The nexu manages to tear off a corner of Cayde's robes, jerking him back a bit. He turns and tries to do a similar thing to it as he'd done to its master earlier--grab hold of it with the Force and assault its mind. Except this time he again tries to turn it against its master, bombarding it with terrifying false memories of the Gen'dai attacking and abusing it mercilessly for no apparent reason.

    While the creature manages to struggle free from the physical grip, the hallucinations it cannot escape from...

Annelia Belask has posed:
    As the electro-mace comes swinging in, Ann weaves to the right, ducking in a way almost more akin to a boxer than a traditional jedi- but still flinches as her robes and skin singe at the crackling electricity arcing off the mace as it sails by.

    She spins back the other way after the evasion, swiping a light warning slash across that just catches a graze along an arm- but helps her open a little distance as she shifts her stance- back in an aggressive form, shifting to hold her saber in both hands, tilted towards the bounty hunter.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil continues to stroll forward deeper into the complex marking the way as he goes.

Navi has posed:
Navi watches the Nexu with one eye, the other firmly fixed on the dance between Ann and the bounty hunter. She creeps closer, trying not to make a sound as she focuses on his back, where the tentacles had come from earlier. Two were distant memories. One remained. One very good reason to be careful...

She has to keep sidestepping to keep in Torkle Sunn's blind spot as she closes in, which complicates the whole thing more than she wanted, but the towering gen'dai has already proven to be not only savagely skilled and resilient, but lucky. One misstep could blow the whole game.

Finally she has her opening, and takes it, her blue-white blade roaring as she ducks the tentacle's random flailings and swings almost over her head at the tentacle! "Like frell you're getting into /my/ nightmares, freak!"

Athena (159) has posed:
"The chute should go into the hall we're headed for!" Binny cries, not even stopping to wait for Pike. The elder Jedi will have to run to keep pace with the young Nikto boy as he disappears into a narrow doorway in the very back of the room that's hidden by several stacks of dusty crates.

Heydan will be able to hear footsteps in the hallway behind him - it's the kid, Binny. "Hey! Hey Mister!" he hollers at the CSF agent.

Terrified by the hallucinations that Cayde has summoned, the nexu cries pitifully and rushes off, disappearing into the shadows in the dimmer areas of the expansive boiler room.

The bounty hunter singes Anne, and then she singes him. Her warning cut leaves a tiny, black diagonal mark on his arm. He smirks. "Well met, Jedi. What is your name?"

Then Navi surprise attacks him from behind, shaving off half the third tentacle sprouting from his back. He growls angrily and whirls on Navi. "Try that again," he sneers, and lifting up one of the glitterstim manufacturing tables high into the air with his other hand, tosses it effortlessly in the young Sephi's direction.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    This time, Cayde won't let that animal get away this time so that it can return once again to assail him when he's least expecting it. He hurries after it, following its presence in the Force.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil casually turns around to greet Binny. "Hey there kiddo, I figured they would have left you by the door. This probably is not the best area for you to be in right now.", he says as he walks over towards Binny. As he gets closer he adds, "That Gen'dai is around, you know, and the thugs that run this place already kidnapped one kid.", as he takes a brief look back over his shoulder, "Might be best if we keep our voices down, yeah?", then looking at the kid once more he concludes, "So, where are the Jedi? Shouldn't they be with you?"

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike gives his Jedi comrades a look of concern bef ore escaping into the tunnel after Binny.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann barely pauses, just shaking her head a little in response to the question. Too much talking, these self-styled warrior sorts.

    Rather she holds in place- then as he turns to throw something at Navi, takes the opportunity to close the distance, lashing a two-handed swing upwards to rake through his battered armour.

Navi has posed:
Navi is too focused by now to even cry out as the table is hurled at her. She dives to her right, letting her 'saber switch itself off, and rolls to her feet, reigniting the blue-white blade and raising it into a defensive stance, startled, but unhurt.

Unless one counts her pride, anyway. The exertions of the last few moments have drawn her much-abbreviated robe up so far that it threatens to spill free over the top of her sash/belt, baring the lower half of her leotard-like undergarment. A fact she hasn't noticed yet...

"If that's what you want, Mr. Ugly!" she retorts, raising the point of her 'saber as if guarding, then sweeping it around into a low strike, arcing upward from his hip toward his opposite shoulder...

Athena (159) has posed:
Good thing Cayde has the Force, the nexu is difficult to track in the dim lighting and moves silently and swiftly. If he follows it, he'll eventually sense its presence climb up and over a fenced off area, then slither into a duct covered in black slime about ten to fifteen feet off the floor.

"Duh, I know all that already," Binny grumbles, "he killed all the other guards, I got your note. They're not going to hear us. They're fighting the Big Dumb. But we have to hurry. The Marksmen are gonna come soon - they'll know those guys didn't just go off on their smoke break and never come back." He glances back at Pike, who's coming up behind them, and just as Pike catches up, Tommy tumbles out of a shaft in the wall next to them. "Let's go!" Binny says. But Pike will be able to hear and sense in the Force that there's likely trouble ahead - the gangster kind!

Ann renews her attack against the bounty hunter, and this time, she slices the back of his shoulder plate. It clatters to the ground, and a blackened wound immediately starts to slowly close over. Then, before he can regain his composure, Navi slashes upward at him with her saber. The tip grazes his torso, and he stumbles backwards. His brows furrow, and he suddenly looks around, realizing his nexu has disappeared. "We waste time..." he grumbles, and suddenly, his arms transform into thick, sinuous purple trunks made of many, many strands. One of them races towards Navi, knocking her aside if she doesn't defend herself or dodge.

But before their eyes, the Gen'dai has completely melted into a pile of strands that are rapidly squirming into two nearby vents. And then, in seconds, he's gone. Disappeared completely...

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil says, "Well, then after you all. Pike, you got this?", and follows them.

Pike Windu has posed:
     Pike hesitates. "Let's be careful. It's dangerous up ahead." The Jedi nods to Hayden and follows Binny.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde follows the nexu, slashing through the fence with his lightsaber and making a Force-propelled leap up toward the slime-covered duct. He grabs onto the edge of it and hauls himself up, peering into it with his lightsaber held before him. He reaches out with the Force again searching for the nexu. It can't have gone far...

Navi has posed:
Navi brings up her 'saber to guard against the oncoming trunk that was once an arm, pivoting side-on to the bounty hunter as she changes the angle of her lightsaber, letting the tentacle rake down the entire length of the blade, spitting sparks. "That's us, the distraction squad!" she snaps back, assuming another guard stance...

...and staring as the gen'dai melts into practically nothing before her eyes! "Hey! We're not done with you!!!" she cries in protest, watching aghast as the creature slithers away, beyond their reach.

Sighing, she looks to Ann. "What do we do now? Did you see which way Master Windu and the boys went?" she asks worriedly.

And then on to the one inevitable question...

"And where's Cayde?"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann simply turns off her saber, straightening up and straightening her robes as she stows the thing away.

    "Going to start putting a tracking beacon on that boy. And why do the 'tough guy' types always feel the need to run their mouths instead of their offense?"

    She looks about, stepping towards the way she's fairly sure she recalls Cayde landing... and then falls silent, cupping a hand behind her ear to listen for the young padawan's eager footsteps.

Athena (159) has posed:
"What do you mean, 'dangerous'," Tommy says, clinging, to Pike's robe. Binny slows suddenly, frowning. "They're coming, aren't they..." he says quietly. And Pike will be able to see some shadows appearing around the bend. Moments later, four Marksmen appear, armed and ready to attack. "Jedi scum!" one of them howls, and opens fire.

The black slime smells awful and might make Cayde retch - it will at least make him want to. It will get all over his robes -- but at least he'll be able to sense the nexu. It's... far away, much farther than Cayde might have thought it would have gotten by now. Well, if he wants to follow it, he'll have to worm his way through the labyrinthine ducts to go after the nexu...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Crawling into a labyrinth doesn't seem like such a good idea, so he tries to keep tabs on the creature and determine where it's going and if there is another way to reach it.

    He clambers up on top of the duct, which is what Ann might hear, and plus the fence he'd chopped through is probably still smoldering.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike, distracted by the boy's distress, doesn't have a chance. The blaster bolts catch him center mass. With moments to spare, begins silently reciting his mantra.

Annelia Belask has posed:
    There's not much else for it at this point, and Ann notes to Navi; "See if you can find Windu, I think I hear more fighting. I've got to go wrangle this padawan... again."

    And with that she takes off into the dark, following the sounds of the duct.

Navi has posed:
"Be careful, Ann. No telling where he's gotten to by now. I remember he was fighting that nexu earlier... maybe if you find it, you'll find him?" Navi suggests, before turning her attention to the other half of their most recent problems.

She almost gasps at the sudden flurry of blaster shots echoing around the factory's guts. Sensing as much as hearing where they'd come from, which was no mean feat considering the echoes, she pelts off in the direction of the new battle, extinguished lightsaber in hand.

Athena (159) has posed:
The shots may catch Pike off guard, but the elder Jedi is able to heal himself, at least, while Binny uses his slingshot to bust a hole in one of the pipes, causing steam to billow out around them and hide their location in the tunnel.

Cayde may realize that the fastest way is to just follow it through the ducts. There are other ways, but they're longer and just as difficult to navigate. But he will likely be able to sense that the nexu is heading in the same direction Pike and the boys are -- towards cell block C16.

When Ann finds him, she'll discover he's gotten thoroughly dirty and stinks to high heaven -- the black slime has nearly covered the young padawan from head to foot.

Navi won't need much guidance to hurry towards the narrow door in the back of the room -- the sound of blaster shots and the smell of ozone is telltale. She'll run into the steam cloud soon enough, but at least be able to see shadowy figures prowling through the fog, their weapons raised...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde considers a moment, bringing out his commlink for a moment to check that map that Heydan had shown them. Then starts hurrying along the top of the duct. That cell block must be where they were keeping the girl. If he can get there before either the bounty hunter or the nexu do, then they could scurry her away and it won't matter. Or if he could find a way to intercept them...

Navi has posed:
Navi doesn't have to run too far to find the steam cloud blotting out the corridor. Seeing moving shapes inside the steam, she pauses and stretches out with her Force senses, gripping her lightsaber hilt with both hands. Slowly, at least in her mind, the sense of the thugs moving and attacking Master Windu and the boys inside the steam becomes clear.

She has her targets. Igniting her lightsaber, she steps into the cloud, intent on protecting the children and the man who, had things gone differently, might have been her Master.

Pike Windu has posed:
    The Jedi Master's chest smokes and he grunts in pain. But the Force is with him and a fatal wound is now only charred flesh. He stands and ignites his lightsaber. "GET BEHIND ME, TOMMY!"

Annelia Belask has posed:
    It's about then that the rather louder sound of Ann landing squarely atop the duct, looking over Cayde only briefly before looking past him.

    "Nex-hunting? More fighting breaking out back there, might have to put that thing on the backburner. Its master's run off anyways."

Athena (159) has posed:
The top of the duct runs along the back wall of the room, and eventually leads to a spot that over hangs a part of the catwalk that hadn't gotten destroyed. It looks a little shaky, but perhaps it will hold - it angles left into the wall right above the door Navi had gone through earlier, and will give them the High Ground (tm) should any enemies appear below.

The Marksmen fall into disarray when Navi starts attacking. "Dammit! More Jedi!" one of them cries, and they all try firing into the mist, hoping that at least one of their shots will strike one of the figures holding a saber.

Tommy cries out and immediately takes cover behind Pike. "Binny! Where's Binny..." he says softly and mournfully.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike's Jedi reflexes take over as a blaster bolt ricochets off his saber. Seeing Navi on the attack, he moves forwaed through the steam, careful to keep covering Tommy. "We'll find him, don't worry."

Navi has posed:
Navi uses her lightsaber to turn aside some of the blaster bolts that were sent her way, bouncing them back toward the shooters as she advances on them, the humming blue-white blade held high. If the Marksmen learn anything from the next few minutes, it just might be how wise it is to run away from half-naked Sephi girls with lightsabers!

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stops and looks behind him when Ann easily announces her presence. He nods. [Yes master] he signs quickly, and then continues to hurry toward the shaky but not yet completely demolished section of catwalk. However once he gets close, he hesitates, as it seems Pike and Navi might already have the situation well in hand.

    After a few seconds, then moves past the doorway, continuing to head toward the cell block where the girl must surely be held.

Athena (159) has posed:
Tommy nods, gripping Pike's hand tightly. "That was really cool, by the way," he whispers to the elder Jedi. "I wish I could do that..." As Pike continues through the steam, he'll see Binny jogging ahead of them.

A couple of the Marksmen give a cry before falling where they stand. The other two, seeing that they're outnumbered, scatter, disappearing into another adjoining tunnel.

Once Cayde has moved past the doorway, he'll find himself and Anne on a narrow ledge that likely only two Jedi skilled in the Force would be able to run along. Once upon a time, it might have had railing, but there's very little left of that railing now. The cell block where the girl is held is still quite a ways off -- Cayde will be able sense the girl, but just barely. They're still too far away for him to be able to communicate with her, but at least she'll feel slightly nearer than before.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde continues toward the girl's presence, carefully making his way along the ledge. Every once and a while, he tries to see if he can reach the young girl. Tell her that help was on the way, and that she would be freed from her captors soon...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike glances at Tommy. Looking back up, he leads the boy after Binny. When he sees Navi again, he salutes her with his lightsaber hilt.

Navi has posed:
Navi watches the Marksmen scatter, lowering her weapon and letting the blade shut down as they fade into the distance. As Pike approaches, she looks at him, saluting him in kind with her weapon. "Good to see you, Master. Watch your step. There may be a couple bodies around here. It was kind of hard to just cut barrels off blasters in all this steam. Ann went to find Cayde, wherever he went." She glances at Tommy and Binny. "I guess you two are safe, thank the Force."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann is not so cautious- places to be, things to do, gen'dai to kill. She ends up ahead of Cayde at one point somehow while he's focused elsewhere, starting to set a rather brisker pace.

Athena (159) has posed:
They're not close enough - yet. But as they progress, Cayde will be able to feel the girl's presence more and more palpably. However, as they go along, he'll be able to faintly sense that Torkle and his nexu are around here somewhere too - heading in the same direction. Unfortunately, they're too far away at the moment for Cayde to be able to tell which way might intersect them.

Binny has waited for no one - Pike will have to keep up a steady jog to keep the young Nikto in his sights.

Tommy glances over at Navi. "Are you okay?" he asks her, glancing back at the bodies on the ground they're leaving behind. "Thank you..."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde tries to keep tabs on the bounty hunter and his pet as well, in case they get close enough to anticipate an intersection of paths. He's vaguely aware of Ann jumping ahead of him...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike is up to the challenge. Looking around at Tommy and Navi, "let's keep up. There is more danger ahead, no doubt."

Annelia Belask has posed:
    Ann has no such concern for keeping track of specific people- play it loose and by ear, that's more her way- so she's just forging forth and more or less just expecting Cayde to keep up.

Navi has posed:
"I'm not hurt, at least. And you're welcome," Navi replies softly to Tommy, with a faint smile. "So's Binny, even if he'll probably just do something mean again." She grimaces briefly. "Doesn't matter. Master Windu would die before he'd let anyone harm you two. We all would."

She points after Binny and Pike. "We'd better hurry if we want to catch up. I'm hoping we'll be able to find that missing girl soon. I'm sure that crazy bounty hunter and those thugs are still hanging around somewhere. We don't want to get left behind."

She ushers Tommy after his brother and the Jedi Master, keeping an eye out over her shoulder at times for any trouble trying to sneak up on them. After everything they've been through, the blonde Sephi is well past sick of surprises.