Graf Family Secrets

Graf Family Secrets
Date of Scene:	29 February 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Cayde and Navi spy on Xera.
Cast of Characters:	159, Navi, Cayde Alexis

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Athena (159) has posed:
Twilight is falling over Canto Bight. And as daylight recedes, night and the clandestine activities normally associated with this hour begin to take over the city. The casino is no edge case - members of the bourgeoisie with shifty glances and superficial demeanors are being ushered through the front entrance to the gambling establishment.

Among the elite entering the casino is a visually stunning auburned haired woman with icy blue eyes, being escorted by two alien security guards clad entirely in black. When she approaches, the small crowd gathered in front of the casino parts to clear a path to the entrance of the casino for them...

Navi has posed:
Navi is one of that crowd. She doesn't blend in here any more than she did last time, in her long, hooded robe, with her satchel and retractable staff hanging at her right hip. Seeing the crowd making way, she does the same instinctively.

She can't help but smile as she sees the auburn-haired woman coming through the walkway created by so many thoughtful partygoers. "She must be a very popular and important lady... everyone makes way for her," she muses.

Athena (159) has posed:
The woman sweeps inside the casino. But when Navi approaches, the bouncers eye her, looking somewhat annoyed. "Back here again, eh? You don't look like the sort to like gambling."

Then with a grumble, they step aside. "Just don't get into any trouble."

Navi has posed:
Navi shrugs at the annoyed comments of the bouncers. "I won't. I am not the troublemaking sort," she replies politely, bowing from the shoulders to the grumpy thugs before entering the casino proper. "Thank you for your warm welcome." Deadpan sarcasm, thy name is Navi.

"Would that I could understand why the Force keeps calling me here. It seems like there are other things I should be doing that might be more important," she muses, wandering toward the slots, wondering if she'll see the nice lady with the auburn hair somewhere nearby. "At least I can spare a few credits to play this time."

Athena (159) has posed:
Indeed. The woman with the auburn hair is seated at a table near to the slot machine Navi is playing at.

The Sephi girl might overhear the conversation she's having with the two aliens seated across from her, as none of them are making any kind of attempt to keep their voices down. Navi might not be able to discern details, but the Graf woman seems visibly upset about the two aliens failing to keep their end of the bargain...

Navi has posed:
Navi scowls faintly as she drops a credit into the slot machine and watches it begin to cycle. Most of her attention is on the Graf woman, and the two aliens. Turning her head just a bit to get a good look at the table, she studies the three occupants in detail, listening as hard as she can.

Sure, it's none of her affair. But the auburn-haired lady was /nice/ to her, and that counts for a lot in the blonde Sephi's reckoning.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As Navi idly starts playing with one of the slot machines, she might notice a familiar individual standing in front of one of the other machines. However, he doesn't seem to be focused on it. Instead, there is a vacant expression on his face. She's seen that look before, too. Yep, there's no mistaking Cayde.

Athena (159) has posed:
"...you were supposed to make sure the scraps were smelted and recycled," the Graf woman says sharply. "But now I'm hearing that recently, the San Tekkas visited Bracca and somehow managed to recover one of the sublight's outer plating? This is unacceptable." She folds her arms. "Well, then. I suppose you'll have to make do with the deposit. You did not see the task to completion."

"What?!" one of the aliens protests, "We did everything -else-! Scoured every centimeter of the crash site, collected every bit of debris and had it taken to Bracca, stat. It's not our fault they didn't do what we asked and smelt all the parts!" The other alien sighs."Miss Graf, I hope you realize the margin of our error was relatively small. The vessel you asked us to dispose of was a cruise liner, composed of millions of individual parts. And this was -years- ago. No one will be able to open an investigation regarding this from a rusted piece of tattered plating."

Navi has posed:
Not knowing the subtleties of intersystem crime, Navi can't help but feel sorry for the two aliens. It sounds like they had done their best on a very tough job. Still, the woman was nice to her... maybe this really IS none of her affair, since she can't get a handle on the matter in her mind, and knows little about any of it.

Her attention is distracted by a sensation via the Force, and she looks up to see none other than a familiar Padawan Alexis standing before a slot machine as if in a trance. Leaving her own machine, she approaches him with some caution. No telling where his mind's at when he's like this.

"Cayde?" she calls softly. "Cayde? Are you all right?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Upon approaching him, Navi will see that Cayde doesn't look very well. He is paler than usual. But he does look over at her when she calls his name and asks if he's all right. The padawan nods, in spite of his appearance.

    Although the mention of the San Tekkas seems to catch his attention and he looks over toward the conversation being had with the Graf woman.

Athena (159) has posed:
The auburn woman's gaze flicks to Navi for a moment, then over to Cayde. They lock gazes for a moment. Then she looks away, and she stands, smiling, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Well, perhaps we can work something out. But this business conversation would be best held somewhere more private, don't you think?" she says, standing up.

She then starts to sweep past Navi, her two escorts in tow. The aliens she'd been conversing with moments earlier exchange looks and then follow the Graf woman towards the lift.

They clearly have something to hide, and neither of them will need the Force to discern that.

Navi has posed:
"You look thoroughly awful... are you sure you're all right?" Navi asks Cayde, just a bit more insistently. "And it looks like you have some history with the lady with the lovely hair, too. It's probably none of my business, but do you need help?"

She makes sure to curtsey gracefully to the passing woman, even if it means she may have to retie her sash/belt in a moment. "Good evening, Miss. I wanted to thank you for your generosity last time we met, and to wish you a good evening," she says gently, meaning it.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [I am fine] Cayde insists. When Navi questions his earlier answer to her question.

    But he frowns when the woman passes by, then shakes his head when Navi suggest he has history with her. [I do not know her]

Athena (159) has posed:
The Graf woman smiles when Navi greets her, but she'll be able to tell it isn't genuine. "It was nothing," she says, "however, if you'd really like to thank me, avoid eavesdropping on my conversations."

She then turns and continues heading for the elevator, the two aliens and her escorts in tow.

Navi has posed:
"My apologies, Miss. I hadn't meant to snoop. But you were upset, and I wondered if I could help you," Navi replies contritely, curtseying once more. She watches the Graf woman and her two business associates walk toward the lift before looking back to Cayde.

"She sure seemed to know /you/, the way she was looking at you," she observes softly. "What brings you here, by the way?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    She seemed to know him? Well then he'd better find out if she really did. And what this business regarding the San Tekkas was about. Cayde watches her go into the elevator, his frown deepening a bit as he reaches out with the Force and attempt to enter her mind. But to Navi, that vacant expression just seems to have returned...

Athena (159) has posed:
Again, the insincere smile. "I'll let you know later if I need favors," she calls back to the Sephi girl as she enters the lift. The doors then close, and the floor indicators above the lift doors move steadily across the holodisplay, landing on the 11th floor.

When Cayde enters the woman's mind, he'll discover that she is primarily concerned with covering up some kind of mistake the Grafs had made several years ago, one that had resulted in the deaths of thousands of people...

Navi has posed:
"I seem to be on her bad side. That smile had more plastoid in it than... well, something that has a lot of plastoid in it," Navi murmurs, studying the lift indicators as the criminal party entered and the lift began to move. "I'll think of something later, maybe..."

She glances back to Cayde, then blinks worriedly as she sees that vacant expression return. "Oh, Force help me... he's gone again," she murmurs, waving a hand in front of the Padawan's face worriedly. "Cayde?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    A cover-up, huh. If thousands of people had died, wouldn't everyone have heard of it? But he can't recall anything in the past several years that could fit.

    This time when Navi tries to get his attention, he doesn't respond right away.

Athena (159) has posed:
A coupe of the casino's patrons approach, and press the lift call button. They chat idly, but pause their conversation when they notice Cayde.

"What's a Jedi doing here..." one of them says, sounding suspicious.

Then the lift arrives with a ding, and they enter. "You getting in or what?" the other asks Navi, arching a brow at her, as she'd been standing in front of the lift ahead of them.

Navi has posed:
"Oh! My apologies," Navi says, apologetically, stepping to one side. "I shall take the next one, thanks," she adds, remaining beside Cayde for the moment.

After the lift doors close, she glances at Cayde, waving a hand in front of his eyes again. "Cayde!" She doesn't really expect a response.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde finally blinks and his eyes seem to focus on Navi. [Yes Navi] he signs, his gaze inquisitive. He doesn't appear to have noticed the other casino patrons questioning his presence earlier.

Athena (159) has posed:
The other patrons give Cayde and Navi suspicious looks, but don't comment. The doors close, and once again, the floor indicator moves along its horizontal axis.

However, if Navi presses the call button, it will quickly return to the floor that she's on.

Navi has posed:
"You had that 'nobody's home' look again. Were you trying to use telepathy or something like?" Navi asks, keeping her voice low. Almost idly, she presses the lift call button. "We should probably go to the same floor as the woman and those two sentients with her. Something seemed awfully wrong about them."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde nods. [She is hiding something] he tells Navi, but offers no further details. He watches her signal the elevator. [Okay] he signs vaguely. [We can go]

Athena (159) has posed:
The lift arrives, and the bell that indicates its arrival chimes mildly.

The doors then slide open, permitting Navi and Cayde to slip inside and head on up to the 11th floor.

Navi has posed:
"Wish I could remember how many floors are in this place," Navi murmurs as the lift doors slide shut behind herself and Cayde. "No telling what kind of security is up there with her, so we'll have to walk super softly."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde just nods at Navi's comments as the elevator moves up to the eleventh floor. Although when they arrive, he reaches out with the Force to try to find out where exactly she had gone and if there was any more security up here.

Athena (159) has posed:
Interestingly enough, there's no additional security up here. In fact, there doesn't seem to be anyone else up here save for the Graf woman, her security escorts, and the aliens she's talking to.

They're in a private conference room at the far end of the hallway opposite the elevator...

Navi has posed:
Navi peeks out of the elevator, blinking in mild surprise at the lack of security officers visible outside the lift car. Withdrawing back inside for the moment, she advises Cayde, in a very low voice, that there's, "Nobody home. Where to? Any ideas?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    [There is no one else here] Cayde tells Navi as looks back to him.

    He doesn't mention anything else, but instead just starts heading toward the far end of the hallway.

Athena (159) has posed:
When Cayde gets nearer to the room at the far end of the hallway, it will become clear to him that the door is too thick for him to be able to read the intent or emotion of those within it from simply standing outside it.

No, he'll have to find an alternative way to listen in on the conversation. However, if either he or Navi look around, they'll notice that the end of the hallway branches off to the left and right towards balconies that would allow one or two curious individuals a nice view of the outside of the building on that particular level of the casino.

Navi has posed:
Navi falls in behind Cayde, walking as softly as she can to avoid attracting the attention of suspicious ears. She stops when he stops, looking around both curiously and warily.

It takes her a few moments to realize what she's looking at, but she can't help smiling once she does. Instantly she taps Cayde on the shoulder. 'Balconies,' she mouths soundlessly to him, pointing both left and right.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    If the walls were too thick, then perhaps the glass windows weren't. There was a risk they might be spotted...but maybe she'd be too preoccupied to look their way.

    Cayde nods and heads up to the balconies, trying to find a way to peer into the conference room.

Athena (159) has posed:
The balconies are too far away from the glass paneling that lines one of the walls of the room the Graf woman is in, but perched on the edge of the slanted roof of the casino right above the paneling is a statue of two fathiers.

Now, just to get onto the backs of the bronze fathiers... the gutter pipe lining the roof tiles is precarious, but if one is careful...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde tries to use the Force to propel himself up there, except he misses the statue somehow and ends up sliding down the roof until he finally manages to grab onto the gutter pipe along the the edge. It groans under his weight, bending downward and he clings to it, clearly not designed hold up like this...

Navi has posed:
Navi watches from the balcony as Cayde makes his death-defying leap toward the twin statues... and misses! She watches in terror, very nearly fainting, as he slides down to the gutter, only the creaking metal chute, too flimsy to hold his weight for long, keeping him from a fatal fall...

She tugs the belt loose from her robe and tucks it into her satchel, out of her way, to fully free up her arms and legs. Shivering from a chill that isn't there, she takes a step back from the railing to give herself a little room to move, then leaps...

Her hands and legs close around the drainpipe, and an instant later she clambers onto the roof next to the two statues. Positioning herself almost astride the base of one of the statues, she reaches down and grabs Cayde's wrists, then slowly draws him up onto the roof beside the statues.

Lying on her back behind the statues, exhausted and sweating, she looks at Cayde. "You sure know how to give a girl a thrill..." is all she says.

Athena (159) has posed:
FWUMP!

When Cayde lands rather unceremoniously on the rooftop of the casino, the Graf woman hears the noise and looks up, frowning. She immediately moves over to the glass paneling and looks left, right, and up, but the fathier statues obscure her view of Navi and Cayde. Eventually, she cautiously she returns to her seat at the table.

Navi and Cayde will be able to hear what they're saying now, as some of the mortar securing the glass paneling has chipped and worn away with time, giving them a tiny optical and auditory portal into the room.

"...the Grafs cannot, and will not, be blamed for the incident. I don't care what you have to do to ensure it. We do not lack funds."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde actually....resists Navi's help, insisting on pulling himself up onto the roof alone. Which he succeeds at, but causes the gutter pipe to snap, one end of it falling down in front of the glass paneling and groaning loudly as it does so.

    He frowns upon overhearing the woman talking about covering up responsibility for some incident that he doesn't really know about. Maybe he should research it at the Archives later.

Navi has posed:
Navi lies still, all but holding her breath and listening to the auburn-haired woman speaking to her two alien companions. She winces as the pipe breaks loose and falls down in front of the glass panels, shooting a glare at Cayde, an insistent, shushing finger to her lips. Then she goes back to listening with every fiber of her being.

'What's she talking about?' she mouths silently at Cayde. She dares not speak. If she and Cayde can hear the woman speaking in the room below, then it's very likely she could hear them...

Athena (159) has posed:
"You're being paranoid," one of the aliens says. "That San Tekka boy finding a piece of plating guarantees nothing. I'm pretty certain anything that could be grounds for formal indictment is gone. Long gone. But if you're so worried, we can go back to Bracca and put out a bounty to the scrappers for every single part that belongs to any ship of that particular Graf make and model. There was only one, right?"

Just then, the gutter piece clatters down in front of the glass paneling, and the Graf woman frowns. "There's someone on the roof," she says. She glances over to her security escorts. "Investigate that, please." They nod, and exit the conference room...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde shrugs at Navi's question. He has no idea what incident she's talking about. But...Bracca, huh? Something about this made him want to go investigate this himself. See if any of those parts were really linked to anything significant.

    But they'd bet get out of here before her escorts arrived. He jumps off of the roof, using the Force to land smoothly back down on the balcony below.

Navi has posed:
Navi lets Cayde lead the way once more, doing a neat little somersault from the roof's edge to the balcony behind him. "Let's hope they went around the other way," she whispers, already starting back toward the door leading back inside.

Athena (159) has posed:
It would appear the Force is on their side today. The security guards have gone to investigate the other balcony first - giving Cayde and Navi a quick and clear path straight back to the lift...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Well even if they did come this way first, Navi could surely come up with some other reason why they were up here. Just enjoying the view, right?

    Anyway, Cayde just hurries back to the elevator.

Navi has posed:
Navi is glad they don't run into anyone on the way back inside, as she couldn't begin to come up with a passable story of what she and Cayde were doing out there. She follows Cayde back to the elevator, wondering if she's ever been so glad to reenter such a small room before now...

Athena (159) has posed:
Luckily, they don't run into anyone else who would question their whereabouts, or inquire about their excursion to the 11th floor.

They make it back to the first floor the casino, uneventfully.