The Preliminary Seminar

The Preliminary Seminar
Date of Scene:	22 December 2024
Location:
Synopsis:	Navi and the Jedi attend the Tenoo Intiative's prelim seminar, and Pike is recruited
Cast of Characters:	159, Heydan Seegil, Navi, Pike Windu, Cayde Alexis

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Athena (159) has posed:
The preliminary seminar will be, if anything at all, boring as hell and crowded as the bleachers at an illegal pod race on Tatooine. Whoever had booked this room, hadn't considered the fact that two hundred colonists were all required to come. Several protocol droids will have to bring extra chairs and set them up in the back just so everyone can be seated...

The gist of it is informative, but hardly interesting. The speaker is a crusty Gran who, if no one had looked, might have been mistaken for a droid. His monotone lecture about the three different goals for the initiative could have put a rancor to sleep...

The first and primary goal of the initiative of course, was to found the colony successfully, and to actively work towards making it self sufficient and completely non-reliant on interplanetary trade. The second was to build a Jedi Temple there, and continue to nourish the good relationship between the natives of Tenoo, the Jedi, and the Republic. The third was to found a research facility, that would work on cutting edge medical technology and look into making scientific breakthroughs within genetics.

Pike would have found himself formally invited to this seminar, and may find himself dilatory but not missing much, as the lecture doesn't seem to contribute anything that wasn't already publicly known.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil thinking back upon his mission briefing decided during the lecture that he would support option three but fork it to create an underground designer drug operation. Smirking to himself he looks around the bleachers at those gathered to witness an underground pod race. Each is a potential mark as an investor. 'Think of it. This colony could be the first communally owned drug cartel in existence!', he thinks to himself and stifles a cackle with a grin and a sip of beer he brown bagged in to the event.

Navi has posed:
Navi takes a seat beside Master Windu. The Sephi struggles to stay awake through the seminar. She tries pinching herself every few minutes after ten drowsy minutes, which helps a little, but it's clear to her that it's going to take more than pinches to keep her heavy eyelids from doing what they seem to most want to do. Lightly kicking her opposite ankle is similarly of only limited use.

"If I doze, could you wake me, Master?" she asks Pike, in a whisper. "I just can't seem to stay awake. Or figure out just how a colony with a medical research facility attached is going to make itself totally self-sufficient. Not in a civilization as tech-dependent as ours."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Master Windu arrives early, sits in the back, and listens carefully. Patience and concentration were drilled into him from Day 1.

    The Jedi smiles. "Open yourself to the Force. It is a wellspring.

Navi has posed:
"I have, Master. But I'm not sure I should act upon its guidance right now," Navi replies softly to Pike, blushing faintly and scowling a bit less faintly. "Especially since all it keeps telling me is that I should unbelt and open my robe in a crowded auditorium. How do you tell the Force to grow up, Master?"

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde is...in everyone's and no one's head at the same time. The trouble is, he just can't seem to get away from it. There are too many people jam-packed into one room. But it's just a cacophony of emotion, impression, sensation...and everything else. Nothing he can actually make any sense of.

    He at least tries to appear as if he is paying attention, but anyone who knows him would immediately recognize that vacant stare....

Athena (159) has posed:
Just as Navi may feel that she cannot keep herself awake for one minute longer and Cayde perhaps on the brink of being overwhelmed by two hundred bored and wandering minds, the Gran starts to give his closing statements. The seminar is over!

But the young padawan and Sephi's troubles might not be entirely over just yet. The doctor who had been a crying hot mess just a few hours earlier is now approaching Navi and Pike, accompanied by the two Arkanians that had been seen talking to him earlier in the lobby. Tailing them are Xera, and the San Tekka young man, Taryn.

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil feels the tingle of Cayde trying to enter his mind and repels it by thinking of a particularly complex song sending back the sounds and him counting over them, 'One-and-e-a-ah-two-e-a-ah-three-e-a-ah-four-e-a-ah-five-e-a-ah....", he then looks over at Cayde winks at him and leans in to offer him a sip from his beer. "Hey, want to know what I'm thinking?", he whispers directly into Cayde's ear so close that he can feel the moister from his breath. "We go with option three to turn this town into a science facility but really we use it as a front for a drug cartel.", he continues as he shoves the beer into Cayde's hand and adds, "If we dig the pond then there will be fish to catch and eventually currents to monitor - including were what we sell floats off too. Do you understand?", before he pulls away to gauge Cayde's reaction.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike looks at Navi, starts to say something, but nothing comes out. At a loss for words, the Jedi is glad when they are approached.

Navi has posed:
Navi is less relieved (if still relieved) when she sees who's coming to chat. "Here comes trouble..." she observes, keeping her voice low enough that it won't carry more than a few feet.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde stares at Heydan as he starts whispering in his ear about a drug cartel. At first, he wondered if it was meant to be a joke but then quickly realizes he's actually serious and actually thinks it's a good thing to do.

    At the question of whether he understands, he nods slowly, his expression unreadable. Oh, yes. Of course he understands. But other than that, there is not much of a reaction.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Master Windu," the doctor says demurely, all traces of his emotional outburst earlier completely gone. He glances briefly at Navi and nods imperceptibly but does not say anything to her.

"It's ... good to see you again. I know we might not have parted on the best of terms, but I'm sure by now you're aware the Chancellor has personally asked you to join the medical research board." He gestures at the two Arkanians, motioning for them to introduce themselves.

They incline their heads slightly. "Masters Jedi," they say. "We are Vaneya and Terrin, medical researchers contracted by the brilliant and well networked Lady Xera Graf."

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil takes his beer back from Cayde, "Alright then nevermind. Just figured it was a good way to catch whomever hired that gang to hold that kid. You know. Like a trap. One we could use over and over.", he explains. After taking a swig from the beer in the brown bag he says, "Look I am new to all this. You know that.", and releases a sigh.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "If the High Council agrees, then I am at the Chancellor's service.

    Pike bows humbly when the others are introduced.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Oh, well...Cayde supposes that's fair. But surely, there had to be better ways that didn't endanger anyone's health.

    However, he seems to sympathize with Seegil's lack of self-confidence. The padawan pats him on the shoulder reassuringly, attempting to send some encouraging warmth through him along with it.

Navi has posed:
"Technically, I'm not a Jedi. But it's good to meet you both. I have a feeling we'll be working together," Navi replies softly, bowing to the group respectfully.

Athena (159) has posed:
Less than five seconds after Heydan tells Cayde he's new to all of this, Black's other two goons, Veena and the blond cop, Mondrian roll up. They don't look happy. "Hey -rookie-!" Mondrian growls, reaching over to grab Seegil by the collar roughly. "We didn't get assigned babysitting duty and if you haven't noticed, we're -on- the clock." His brows furrow. "There's someone you need to meet," he says, finally stepping back. "C'mon. Don't make him wait." Veena smirks, and beckons for him to follow.

The doctor frowns slightly when Pike says if the High Council agrees."Shouldn't that be your decision?" he asks the elder Jedi.

Terrin and Vaneya bow politely back at Pike, only sparing Navi a brief look.

"It's a pleasure, Master." Terrin says, "The Chancellor has a lot of good things to say about you, Master Windu. Your reputation as a healer precedes you, but I was wondering if you've broken into the realm of medical research at all."

Heydan Seegil has posed:
Heydan Seegil shrugs at Cayde as his name is called and then looks back over his shoulder to find his teammates. "Sure thing, I may actually have an idea...", he looks back and winks at Cayde this time making it obvious he is just joking. Or is he? Too late by the time he could be mentally scanned he had already lept from the bleachers down to where the other agents were and walked off with them to his own meeting.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike frowns slightly. "There are masters who do as the Force wills. I prefer to follow the Council's orders. But if the Chancellor himself has asked for me, I will make an exception."

Navi has posed:
Navi scowls faintly as she spots the two agents making off with Heydan. At least it looks like he wants to go with them, but the pair's lack of manners isn't lost on her. She'd swear Heydan was being bullied.

This may be why she doesn't seem annoyed when the two Arkanians barely glance at her, keeping all their attention on Pike (who really is the noteworthy one here, to be fair). "I think the Council already knows about all this, Master. But I could be mistaken. There's been a lot of confusing talk about this whole colonization effort," she advises softly.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde waves politely as Heydan takes his leave since it seems he has other matters to attend to. But either way he is eager to get away from this crowded place so he starts navigating through the crowd toward the exit.

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor frowns slightly but he doesn't comment when Pike says he'll make an exception for the Chancellor. He doesn't really get the chance to, anyway, the two Arkanians take control of the conversation. "Say, Master Windu," Vaneya says, "Walk with us to the cafeteria, will you? We'd like to pick your brain on the research regarding bacta. Quite a breakthrough, wouldn't you say? Who knew a plant had such healing potential.."

The doctor then falls in step alongside Pike and the two Arkanians, his gaze straying to Cayde for a brief moment before following the others.

Pike Windu has posed:
    In jest, "bacta may put me out of a job." More seriously, "and I certainly hope so. The studies I've seen are very promising."

Navi has posed:
Navi keeps her eyes on Xera Graf and Taryn San Tekka, who couldn't possibly have been following Dr. Cassias and the two Arkanians for no reason at all. Not the way she sees things. If they follow the four medical professionals, she will go with them. If they don't... she's not sure what she'll do. Maybe follow the larger group anyway.

And then she notices Cayde making for the exit, and her decision gets even more complicated. Worse, Ann is nowhere in sight. Pushing a thought about buying a leash to the back of her mind, she reaches out with the Force...

<<Cayde? You might not want to leave yet. I don't think the medical types are done with Master Windu.>>

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    As he is starting to leave the room, Cayde notices Soren's presence and the doctor's attention briefly turning toward him. Why did Dr. Cassias suddenly seem so much more concerned about him? Had he seen something in the lab results?

    And then there's Navi. She tried to push that thought about the leash down, but it wasn't quite fast enough. The padawan sighs. <And so...?> he replies.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Indeed..." Terrin chuckles at Pike's joke about bacta putting him out of a job. "You know, I've heard about Jedi research facilities. Have you ever visited one? Do you think you'd ever branch out, and focus more on research rather than field medicine?"

Vaneya smiles. "You might have not heard of us previously, but we're both geneticists from Arkania. Recently, we've been looking into cloning as a means for organ replacement for patients with acute organ failure."

The doctor suddenly seems to zone back into the conversation. "Cloning? It's illegal in Republic Space," he says, his brow furrowing.

Vaneya shakes her head, looking slightly annoyed. "We aren't cloning people, Dr. Cassias. Plus, all our research is hypothetical for now. We're mainly concerned with growing the organ and only the organ, not a full body. Funny that you should be concerned about ethics, given your... history." She turns to Pike. "What do you think, Master? You must agree, the research going into something like this could be... life saving."

Meamwhile, Navi will notice that Xera meets her gaze and immediately peels off, ushering Taryn with her. Coincidence...or...?

Athena (159) has posed:
It would seem that the doctor had found that Cayde had a latent infection of some kind. And then there's a lot of other data inside his mind concerning Cayde's psyche in general, that the young padawan likely won't make much sense of...

Navi has posed:
<<'Cause when you wander off by yourself, you get into trouble, and we may have to come get you out,>> Navi replies, blushing faintly. <<Or you get into trouble and get us into trouble, too. There's just nothing good that ever seems to happen when you wander off by yourself. I really hate having to tell you so, but it's the truth. I'm sorry.>> She's being completely sincere, too, right down to the apology.

And then she notices Xera peeling off, with Taryn in tow. <<You know what? I have another good reason for you to stay. Xera Graf suddenly started acting more suspicious than usual, and I'm going to follow her. So I may be the one getting us in trouble this time.>> And she starts to slip off after the taller woman and her potentially unwilling companion...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Now Pike is on his guard. These strangers seem to know all about him, even though he is only a humble master and healer.

    "I am a Jedi. My first duty is to uphold peace and justice."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Oh, so it was the lab results. To some degree, anyway...well that infection he knew about. It had been there a while, but it didn't really bother him much so he hadn't told anyone about it.

    Navi doesn't get a verbal response from Cayde but she might feel his spirits drop when she mentions he is somewhat of a troublemaker. It is fleeting, though as he remembers that access card Black gave him and it occurs to him maybe he should check what intel they might have regarding Tenoo and who all is signed on to the initiative.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I'll take that as a yes, then," Vaneya says a little too quickly after Pike says his first duty is to peace and justice. "See, Dr. Cassias. Even the Jedi understand the miracles that this kind of research can have on the field of medicine." She smiles, but this time it's significantly less pleasant than the first time she'd smiled.

Dr. Cassias doesn't reply, but his brows furrow slightly before he replies with, "... a fair point."

"Thank you, Master Windu," Terrin adds, "for your support. We'll definitely need people on our side - especially once we're out of Republic space and in the Outer Rim."

Taryn looks distressed, but it's clear he's going with Xera willingly, and Xera is talking to him in a hushed tone as they head for the lift. She might be surprised to see a familiar face also trying to follow them clandestinely ... Vons!

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike's reluctance and doubts melt away. Something is going on here. The Jedi Master smiles and nods. "I will do what I can."

Navi has posed:
Navi trails after the two hyperspace magnates, careful to avoid bumping into anyone and betraying her presence on their backtrail. Now why would Xera be in such a hurry to leave the party? Especially with an agent of her family's biggest rival in tow? It doesn't immediately make sense.

She stays on their trail, even as she notices a familiar face, to the tune of a familiar P.I. who also seems to be trailing the pair. She gives Vons a quick fingertip wave, but doesn't slow down.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde glances over at Navi and sees that she's busy trailing Xera Graf, so he quickly turns and hurries toward the exit. He checks one of the pockets in his robe, verifying that the key is there.

Athena (159) has posed:
"Excellent," Terrin says with a slight smile. "certainly pays to have a Jedi Master say such a thing," he says with a chuckle. "We'll definitely be asking for your help with our research every once in a while...."

When Navi sees Vons and waves at him, he seems shocked and concerned. He makes his way over to her, frowning. "Navi... what are you doing?" he whispers urgently. "You should leave," he adds.

Unfortunately him stopping her has given Xera and Taryn time to slip into the lift and disappear.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "I am eager to see this new colony succeed."

    Pike lowers his voice. "So, the research facility will be geared towards organ replacement?"

Navi has posed:
Navi watches aghast as her quarries slip away into the turbolifts. "I was required to be here," she says to Vons. "Which doesn't exactly sit well with me, considering how badly planned this whole thing looks. I was trying to find out just where Xera Graf and Taryn San Tekka were off to in such a hurry, since they very suspiciously took off when some medical people steered Master Windu off somewhere. Weren't you following them, too?" she asks, since she'd clearly seen him on their trail.

Unfortunately, this also means that she's lost track of Cayde...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde starts making his way down into the building where the CSF databanks were. It has been a while, but he'll just see if Black had kept his word...

Athena (159) has posed:
"Ah, well, we certainly hope to focus a large portion of our research on--" Terrin says, but then the doctor appears to have caught up with them. "We'll just have to see," the doctor suddenly interrupts calmly. "I'd also like for all of you to meet the fifth member of our medical research board, Hedge Niklas, board director and former co-founder of Cassias Enterprises," he then gestures at an older human gentleman with a portly waist and twinkling brown eyes making his way towards them. "Hullo!" he greets them enthusiastically.

"Required to follow two of our primary sponsors into a lift while they're having a private conversation?" he asks, glancing briefly over at the lift as it chimes and the lights indicating that it's going up light up. He seems agitated. "N--I mean, fine. Yes. I was. They were acting odd earlier and I had to scratch the itch to investigate. Look, you're well meaning but this is my field of expertise, not yours. And it could be dangerous, so let me do the work this time, alright?"

Indeed, the young padawan will find that he's able to just... waltz in and let himself into any door he pleases. Black had kept his word, at least...

Navi has posed:
"Well I didn't know /you were already following them/," Navi replies, beginning to get frustrated. "And I was required to be here because everyone going on this trip was. Which is really bad planning when you consider the auditorium was practically standing room only, and that Gran expert could put a Dinko to sleep. Besides, I just got back from an investigation into the Undercity, where I almost got killed by a runaway magna-rail train, so it's not like I'm a stranger to being in danger. It's not my favorite place to be, but I can usually handle it."

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike bows to Hedge Niklas. "An honor. We were just discussing the miracle of bacta."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    It doesn't surprise Cayde too much. Black seemed to take a special liking to him. He heads into the main archive room where he and Ann and Navi had previously perused the data, logs into a terminal and starts looking for information about the Tenoo initiative. Maybe a list of colonists and their records?

Athena (159) has posed:
Vons sighs, his expression becoming pained. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! That all sounds terrible, and I didn't mean to imply that you can't handle yourself. I know you can. It's just..." he massages his temples. "You're in over your head. You don't know undercover. And if Xera and Taryn get a clue, we might as well bid all our hopes of actually figuring out what's going on goodbye." He starts heading for the lift. "Just... don't get involved. Please?" He calls back to her.

"Ah, of course!" Hedge says, although the Arkanians do not greet him as warmly, or... at all, actually. They seem annoyed that the doctor had interrupted their conversation with Pike. "May I have the honor of knowing your name, Master Jedi?"

It's there, but Cayde will need to do some digging to find it...

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    So dig he does. Cayde remembers that time Ann told him to figure out how slice a datapad, so he puts that knowledge to use and starts rooting through the database in search of information about the colonists as well as anyone else who was registered to the Legacy II's manifest.

Pike Windu has posed:
    "Your pardon. I am Master Pike Windu. Are you acquainted with our Arkanian colleagues?"

Navi has posed:
"You have /no idea/ how much I'd love to do that. Really. But nothing about this venture smells right. Most of the non-Jedi I know on Jedha are going on this trip, for no reason I can figure out, and they also want Master Windu, a /Jedi healer/, to be part of some kind of medical research foundation once we get where we're going," Navi replies. "That, and I have a feeling you haven't told me the whole truth. It's hard to fib to someone who is skilled in the Force, since the Force is like a big ol' tattletale," Navi replies, aping an Agamaran accent at the last.

Athena (159) has posed:
The list is indeed at least twenty five hundred colonists long. There's all sorts of data attached to the log of colonists, medical records, criminal records, addresses, contact information, etc. Most of them seem just fine -- at first, anyway. But as Cayde digs, he'll start to see that some of the records seem ... strangely vague. As in, some of the criminal records just list a single sentence like "A few pardoned misdemeanors." Which doesn't make any sense. There's no listing of what the misdemeanors actually are, or the exact number of misdemeanors that the individual had actually committed.

Hedge looks around. "Ah, no I don't believe --" But it would appear the Arkanians have completely just exited the scene. How rude... and odd. Hedge looks back to Pike. "Hmm.. well, either way, it's very nice to meet you, Master Windu. You're going to be a part of the board, I hear?"

"We'll talk -- but later!" Vons shouts back at her, slipping into the lift.

Indeed, the Zeltron PI hadn't been telling the whole truth. But she'll sense that he's a little bit off his game because of her -- he really, really likes her and she is a distraction for him...

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike smiles at the Arkanians' discreet exit. "I am. And I think I was meant to be. I am eager to learn all about this new research facility."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    That did seem odd. Cayde is no expert on government records but aren't they usually more specific than that? Who tampered with these? And why replace the details with vague summaries instead of just redacting? He copies some of the suspect files.

Navi has posed:
"Fine, later," Navi retorts softly, realizing she's just too late to follow him into the lift. The closing doors were an inch from taking off her nose. Scowling faintly, she has enough presence of mind to step out of the way of the turbolift bank and ruminate on the matter out of the lanes of traffic.

Slowly it dawns on her (with the aid of the tattletale Force) that she's a severe distraction to the sleuth, probably because he's smitten with her.

And somewhere, some shipper(s?) are raging at their screens at this knowledge.

Oblivious to those heated emotions elsewhere, she wanders in the general direction of where Pike had gone. Slowly it dawns on her that she's lost track of Cayde.

"Frell," she murmurs. "I could either wander all over creation looking for him. Or I could wait for alarms or shouting to start up and follow the noise. One's easily as much trouble as the other, but the second involves a lot less uncertainty. So Door Number Two. For now"

Athena (159) has posed:
The doctor also seems to have wandered off, leaving Pike alone with Hedge, who doesn't seem to mind at all. "And I am just as eager to learn more about you, and the Jedi. Have you been to the Outer Rim much?" the elderly man says affably.

The copying won't take very long -- perhaps Cayde should show it to his Master, or someone else who might have answers about why the records seem so ... vague.

Just as Navi begins murmuring to herself about where Cayde could have possibly gotten up to, a firm hand suddenly rests on her shoulder. It's the doctor. His hazel gaze is steely. "Where's Cayde? I don't see Ann around, either."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    While the files are copying, Cayde starts searching the databases more for anything else of note regarding the initiative. Apparently, the Grafs and San Tekkas were actually working together, which seemed a rarity.

Pike Windu has posed:
    Pike nods soberly. "Aye, I've spent much of my life as a Jedi on the Rim. Fighting the Republic's enemies. Bringing peace to warring systems."

Navi has posed:
"It's been a few minutes since I last saw him," Navi replies, struggling not to roll her eyes. "But if you want to wait with me for an alarm to go off or someone to start shouting, we can follow the noise together. Or we can wait until he comes back, which might also happen."

She glances toward the direction Master Windu had gone mere minutes before. "I know Cayde's dear to you, since he's related to you or something like. That's no reason to guilt me over not knowing where he is every second of every day. I've already explained to you just how difficult it is to keep track of him for more than a few minutes at a time, even for his Master."

Athena (159) has posed:
There's actually not that much on the Grafs and San Tekkas. Just public records, and lots of lots of hologossip articles on the rivalry between the two hyperspace prospecting families...

"Oh, that's certainly welcome news," Hedge says. "We will definitely need someone who's braved the Rim and returned to Coruscant safely. I'm glad to have met you," he says kindly. "But... I fear that this initiative will bring about troubles of the sort none of us may be used to." He glances around briefly. "I've spoken to Dr. Cassias about the medical board and it seems that there's already ... conflict of interest over priorities for the research facility. Ah well! May the Force be with us..." He smiles. "Well, I'm afraid I must be going. But we'll see each other again soon, yes? Farewell, Master Jedi. Until we meet again." And with that he turns to leave.

The doctor just shakes his head as if rather disappointed in Navi and disappears into the crowd. Perhaps he'd gone to look for the boy himself...

Pike Windu has posed:
    "Count on it," Pike replies quietly to himself. And now it's time to find Navi and Cayle. The Jedi Master pulls up the hood of his great coat and slips into the crowd.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Ugh, Cayde shakes his head. None of these were useful. After a few minutes, once he's collected everything, he leaves the databank room and starts wandering around the offices, wondering if anyone regularly worked down here.

Navi has posed:
<<Cayde? I think Doctor Uncle-Dad is looking for you, so you might want to put in an appearance up here,>> Navi sends to Cayde telepathically, watching Dr. Cassias move away into the crowd, the beginnings of a headache growing behind her eyes.

"Preferably before he finds you," she murmurs. "Let /him/ get an idea of what it's really like, before he starts playing the Blame Game on us again."

Athena (159) has posed:
Cayde will find the hallways strangely empty -- it would seem the UCSF is most uninhabited for the time being... He'd probably best get back to the Republic Executive Building and find his Master and the others.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Yes, he probably should...and speaking of which, it seems Navi is asking him back as well. Because Soren is looking for him. Ugh, but he doesn't want to go back to that crowded room. Crowds gave him headaches.

    He sits down at a random workstation in the office and boots it up.

Navi has posed:
Navi hunts up a quiet corner close to the turbolifts and settles down to wait for Master Windu, Cayde, or both to return. Preferably Cayde. Master Windu has more than once proven he can take care of himself. <<Let me know if you see the Doctor, huh?>> she adds to Cayde.

Athena (159) has posed:
Cayde will find that he won't be able to interact with the workstation in the office cube, though. It's stuck on a login screen he won't have credentials for. What's more, it looks like someone has found him snooping around.

"Hey! What are you doing poking around in my office cube?!" someone nearby calls out rather loudly at the young padawan.

While Navi is sitting at the turbolifts waiting for Cayde, a couple of disgruntled looking Ugnaughts come over, and one of them presses the button for the lift repeatedly, looking annoyed.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    So the offices weren't actually empty after all. Cayde shrugs and gets up from the workstation. [Sorry] he signs. Then he starts heading back, hoping maybe the other building is less crowded now.

Navi has posed:
Navi scowls faintly, standing and moving over to see what might be wrong. "Trouble with the lifts?" she asks the annoyed-looking Ugnaught, managing to lose the scowl before speaking up.

Athena (159) has posed:
The Ugnaught not standing in front of the lift startles when Navi approaches. "Oh! Well.. I wouldn't know. Maybe. It didn't give us trouble earlier. We're um... just a bit lost." He peers at Navi curiously. "Hey...! you look familiar. I think you were in a Holonews article about some magnarail in the lower levels almost crashing. Was that you?"

Thankfully Cayde won't be further chastised, and will make it back to the Republic Building uneventfully.

Navi has posed:
"Um, yeah... I was there. Very long story," Navi replies, blushing slightly. She'd no idea there had been any news coverage of that situation. "In the end, there was only one fatality, thank the Force."

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde goes looking for Soren then, since it seems the doctor had been searching for him.

Athena (159) has posed:
The Ugnaught regards Navi with incredulity. "That was /you/?" He pauses for effect. "That was really very brave of you, Miss..." He trails off, hoping she'll tell him her name.

But when Cayde finds the doctor, he's sitting on stage in a conference room, acting as a member of a panel of sorts while an audience looks on. The young padawan will disrupt, and heads will turn to stare at him. Oops.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde flushes when the room turns to stare at him. Oh...oops.

    [Sorry] he signs, and quickly turns to leave.

Navi has posed:
That pause was odd, but the Force, tattletale that it is, reassures her that she has nothing to worry about here. "Navi," she replies, with a faint smile. "And I didn't really do anything important. The Jedi handled the important stuff, and saved a lot of lives by doing it. I don't know what we'd do without them."

"Anyway, it's good to meet you both. Are you part of the colony initiative, too?" she asks, making conversation.

Athena (159) has posed:
A few people arch brows at Cayde and whisper quietly as he leaves. The doctor avoids eye contact with him. The young padawan should probably find Navi or his other friends, now...

"It's very nice to meet you. And yes, we are. I'll be the Legacy II's navigator, and my brother here is the pilot." the Ugnaught says. "I'm Yvon, he's Jahni. Jahni, be nice and say hello! This Sephi was on the news earlier." He pokes the other Ugnaught who's still staring angrily at the lift button.

He turns a bit grumpily to face the young Sephi girl, and she'll notice that somehow, he'd managed to sneak a cigarra in here. It's hanging out of his mouth as he stares Navi down, eyes narrowed. "Hi." Then he goes back to staring at the lift doors unhappily.

Navi has posed:
Well, now she knows where the grumpy Ugnaught stereotype comes from. "Nice to meet you both, Yvon, Jahni. With any luck this trip will go very smoothly for everyone involved. Likewise the establishment of the colony, if the Force is with us," Navi says warmly, in spite of Jahni's grumpiness.

"Is he always like that?" she asks Yvon, keeping her voice low.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde eventually finds Navi standing by the elevator and talking to a couple of Ughnaughts. She seems preoccupied with the conversation, though, so he just stands there a bit awkwardly.

Athena (159) has posed:
"I hope so. And yeah... unfortunately, he's not very talkative. Sorry about that," Yvon says, his porcine features turning beet red. His gaze flicks around uncomfortably. "I've never been to the Outer Rim, have you?"

And then Cayde just appears, just as Jahni starts to back away from the lift, since it's opening to let a group of people out. He accidentally bumps the young padawan. "...!"

Navi has posed:
"It's okay. I was more worried that he seemed to be really angry about something, is all," Navi replies softly. "I've been to the Rim once, but it wasn't fun. I'm hoping this trip will be better."

And then Cayde reappears, just in time for Jahni to back into him. "Welcome back, Cayde. Meet Yvon and Jahni. Yvon will be our navigator for this trip, and Jahni will be our pilot. I have a feeling they'll guarantee as smooth as trip as can be had. Gentlebeings, this is Cayde, and he's with the Jedi," she says, by way of introduction.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Cayde quickly steps backward as Jahni unintentionally bumps into him, to avoid losing his balance. [Sorry] he signs quickly.

    [It is a pleasure] he replies when Navi introduces them.

Athena (159) has posed:
"It-It wasn't?" Navi might sense his anxiety levels spike, and Cayde might too. "Oh... nooo..." He places his hands on his head, looking frightened for a moment. Then he turns to face Cayde. "Oh, uh, hi. Nice to meet you, Cayde," he says. "Sorry about my twin brother. He's not very social." He hangs his head for a moment, as if ashamed of his relative.

Jahni surveys Cayde a bit skeptically, giving him the same treatment he'd given Navi. "Aye," he says to the young padawan. Then he turns to Yvon. "Let's go," he says gruffly, "lift's here and empty now." He then enters, dragging Yvon with him.

"Oh, gotta run, I guess," Yvon says, "It was nice meeting you two. We'll see you two on the Legacy II soon, right? Alright! See you!" And then the lift doors close.

Navi has posed:
"Take care, you two. See you on the ship!" Navi says by way of farewell, waving to the pair of Ugnaughts before the doors to the turbolift close. Then she looks back to Cayde. "Get up to anything interesting while Doctor Uncle-Dad was trying to guilt me?" she asks, arcing an eyebrow.

Cayde Alexis has posed:
    Doctor Uncle-dad? Cayde arches a brow at her as well at that. Then he nods, and shows her some of the files he'd copied from the CSF databases, with those suspiciously vague looking criminal records.

Navi has posed:
Navi tilts her head to one side at his arched brow. But she takes her ancient datapad from her medical satchel and plugs in the data chip containing the files.

She has to look at them for a few moments before she realizes just what is wrong. "We'd better find Master Windu. He will definitely want to know about these," she says, all thoughts of Doctor Uncle-Dad pushed out of her mind. "Maybe this is why I've had such a bad feeling about this colony initiative."