Owner	Pose
Athena	It's been a few days since the events at the spaceport, perhaps less than. But much has happened in that time. The Mandalorians (yes, all of them), had been essentially ushered to the Jedi Temple in the Gorge and made to stay there, under a strongly worded recommendation from Rykard, the colony's Marshal. He'd made it known to them that since coordinates to the lab were situated somewhere within the Gorge, the Temple was the best place from which to operate out from (The Baron had distributed the coordinates of the lab to Thaarin, who had made this data available to anyone else who wanted access to it.) Since then, they'd been making decent progress, scouting the Gorge and trying to determine the safest and most efficient path to it, given the monsoon had done quite a number on the Gorge. Several Tenoo trees have fallen, there's detritus strewn in inconvenient places, and new ravines formed where cave ins had occurred. The work of hewing a path through the wilderness is tedious, and risky, but necessary. Navi, who had gone ahead before the Jedi, may have mapped and become familiar with a portion of the Gorge already. She might be several hundred meters down into the valley already -- Rykard, Cayde, Jorn, and Er'gi probably not too far behind her. Now, Jorn may have found the elder Ikkrukki Jedi's observations about the Gorge to be true, already. This place -- he'll be able to feel it in the air. It's not like anywhere he's been before. Everything here feels... more alive, somehow, and the sensation is difficult to describe with words. And the Saber... it is possibly the most alive, inanimate -thing- of all. Its presence is acute. Vibrating, but somehow still at the same time. It's disconcerting. Zetha will have her own troubles. The doctor has gone missing, and his staff seem clueless. Only Luli, with some trepidation, had said to her, "I don't think he's in Kublop. Maybe he went back to Aklyrr." But no one in Aklyrr seems to have seen him, and the only tip she'll receive from a disgruntled Ugnaught there is to check the only other place anyone on Tenoo might be - The Temple.
Navi	"I hope you brought your waterproof climbing boots, Master. This place is a /mess/. Rockfalls, flooding, and fallen trees. I'm sure you remember how big those trees are," Navi says into her comm earpiece, looking down further into the Gorge from a dozen feet above where the floor should be, perched in the branches of one of the trees that hasn't been blown down. "Better bring extra tools and hands to use them, if you can find them."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde hasn't been having the greatest time down here. But he's also been doing his best not to let anyone know that. He's supposed to have a handle on it...     But for now, he's focused on reaching out with the Force to help move any debris that might be in their way as they attempt to cut a path to the lab.
Zetha Rumir	So after getting through Kublop and then going to Aklyrr Bend Zetha finally makes her way to the Jedi Temple. Zetha's likely only been near the Jedi temple, but never really inside it. And since the storm it's likely going to be a very trying thing for her to actually get up into the temple. Let alone she's not entirely sure who she's going to run into now that she's here and trying to find a way inside. Safely. Ish.
Jorn	Jorn isn't sure what to make of -every- Mandalorian here. Honestly, he's torn because he wants to train here. However, time is not on their side either. Then he looks at blade. Vibrating yet not. Jorn will try to focus on the blade. Just do what the young padawan told him. Listen to the blade and how it talks. In that silence, in that weird harmonic, Jorn might be able to hear the blade. That's what he tries to focus on for the moment.
Athena	"We'll be careful," the Marshal tells Navi. "Thank you for the warning, though. We've come equipped," he says, "Keep pressing forward. And if you run into any environmental hazards you can't take care of yourself, please let us know." Then he looks over at his padawan, a pensive frown settling onto his expression. Cayde will know that look intimately, without needing the Force. He wants Cayde to Do Something. Now, what that thing is, Cayde will have to discern. It will become known to the padawan, though, that the his Master is thinking, how alike student and pupil were! But he'll also be able to discern that the Something he's supposed to do has everything to do with Jorn. Navi will find herself suddenly walking into a wooded grove with such dense foliage that nearly all light from above is obscured. She'll have to be careful here... Meanwhile, Er'gi creeps closer to Jorn, staring in befuddlement at the Green Mandalorian. The man introspects too much, the larger Mandalorian thinks to himself, but he doesn't say it aloud. Instead, he says, "What... what are you doing? Any idea why the Baron and Volken are late to the scouting party?" Zetha will find that her assumptions about going /up/ to the Temple are wrong. Nope, she's definitely going down. Very down. There's a hiking path cut out ahead of her, complete with mason stairs steep enough to murder someone like Wiis should she attempt to descend them. Good thing the old Zabrak isn't here, her complaining would have been the death of Zetha before she could even reach the first flight of steps.
Navi	"Yes, Master. Watch for the signs I left for you," Navi replies, and keeps moving. She's been using her lightsaber to score arrows into the trees and rocks to indicate where she's going, making for a trail that is very easy to follow. So she has her lightsaber in her hand when she enters the shadowy grove of trees, and instinctively ignites the bluish-white blade to provide a strong light to see by. Then she begins to make her way through the grove with extra care, watching all around her.
Zetha Rumir	Down. Right. And the path is...there. Yeah she certainly would not be cut out for the Jedi life that's for sure. But this is the only lead she has and so she's going to follow it as far as it takes her. Hoping that she's not on some dead end trail - in a sense.
Jorn	Pocketing the blade. "I don't know. It's concerning." Jorn doesn't like others seeing the blade. Too many people went after him already. The last thing he wants, or needs is another party to join the endless numbers. "I'll try to check in with others." Jorn will try to use short range communication. "Do we have eyes on Volken and the Baron?" he'll ask those that are there on the com signal. "Do we have a scrambler on or do I keep long range off?" he asks. Last thing he wants is to flash his signal to the horde of angry Mandalorians that want him.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde was just busying himself with moving a big dead tree branch, when he caught That Look from his master. And there was never any use trying to dig into the elder Ikkruki's mind to find it, either. He'd tried before.     He glances over at Jorn as Er'gi approaches. Well, maybe, he was supposed to check up on the Mandalorian's progress with the blade. He approaches them...and just stands there waiting for...something. Maybe for Jorn to look up at him.
Athena	"I will," Master Rykard tells Navi. "Thank you." Navi will find herself edging into almost pitch blackness. There's something about this wooded grove... Navi will be able to feel it in the Force. There's another barely obscured cave in directly to her left-- And then she'll disturb it slightly, and the sound of collapsing detritus will assault her sensitive ears. The young Sephi girl will manage to avoid falling, at least. But down below in the hole that has just opened up, she'll be able to espy the glint of something shiny mired in the mud. Zetha will reach the Temple, eventually. By the time she gets down there, it's dusk and she will barely be able to see a damn thing. The Temple will loom above her, old and hollow. The lights are all off - seems everyone is out. Or... are they? If she squints, she'll be able to see a very dim light coming from one of the windows on the west side of the Temple, where the dojo is. "The Baron said he was going to join us shortly," Rykard replies to Jorn. "But I'm not sure about Volken. I'm certain he'll be along shortly as well." Er'gi notices Cayde arriving, and looks from Cayde, to Jorn, then back to Cayde. He scratches his neck, bemused. "Vod, your, ah, teacher is here..." A pause. "Did you want something, boy?" he asks Cayde.
Navi	"Gah!" Navi manages to catch hold of a thick tree rootlet before she loses her balance completely, and hastily pulls herself free of the mouth of the nearly-hidden cave. "Geez... this place is worse than an obstacle course," she murmurs. Moving carefully to the edge of the hole, she studies the spot that seemed to want to try to bury her, and sees something odd shining in the gloom down there... "Master? I'm in a thick grove of trees. The foliage is so thick you can barely see daylight at all. I've found the mouth of a small cave, and part of the floor's collapsed. There's a lightsaber down inside the hole it made. Looks very, very old. Maybe Old Republic old," she says into her earpiece.
Cayde Alexis	[Why do you need scrambler] Cayde asks when Jorn seems to be...nervous still about being hunted. But by whom? They are far away from Mandalore. But has he seen others around? Do his fears need calmed? What was it...
Zetha Rumir	Unlit temples at the beginning of dusk are really creepy. However, there maybe might be a light somewhere within? So Zetha does the most logical and practical thing ever. She walks inside and sees if she can follow where the light is to see who or what's inside.
Jorn	A look goes to Cayde for a moment. "I'm trying to listen to the blade. Understand it better. I can't hear it yet. I feel lit, but can't hear it," Jorn admits, he doesn't sound defeated. Although, he is mildly annoyed by it. "If someone pings my Signal, Cayde. Lots of people would come. I spent what felt like months getting hsot at, caged, bombed at, and everything else," Jorn admits. "I don't want to bring that chaos to anyone else," and then he will look at Er'gi. "We got a bead on Baron, but not Volken."
Athena	"Don't touch it," Rykard warns Navi, "ancient battles have been fought on this land, dark against light. It might be a dangerous relic. I'm coming to look at it. Stay where you are." The elder Jedi then turns to Cayde with a strict nod. "Attend to your pupil, padawan. I'll be back shortly." And with that, he Force leaps his way down to where Navi is. Zetha might get a bit turned around in the Temple, at first. The lights are all off, and it's creepy as kriff in here when it's dark. She won't be able to see the light that she saw from outside from this vantage point, but as she advances down the long corridor, she'll be able to hear a bit of noise. Scuffling. In the dojo. And when she arrives in the dojo, she'll espy several temporary hab shelters set up around the perimeter of the dojo, just below the mezzanine. One of them is lit. And there's a familiar silhouette outlined inside of it. When Jorn says he feels lit, but can't hear it, he'll suddenly feel a palpable shift from within the blade itself. The sensation is hard to describe, but he'll suddenly feel less connected to the blade, like it had been annoyed by his words! But when Jorn says he doesn't want the chaos to come to anyone else, that indescribable feeling shifts. The blade will burn and tingle, but somehow, it doesn't hurt.
Navi	"Staying put, Master. I'll be here when you arrive," Navi replies softly into her comm earpiece. She looks for a safe place to sit down to wait. "Um... if it's safe and not an important relic, may I have it?" she asks over the earpiece, in a smaller voice.
Jorn	Jorn will touch the blade. "C'mon. You're fine. Don't do this," Jorn sighs loudly. Then he starts to speak firmly. "I need you to get through this. Do you want to help me?" the words are low as he knows the blade has some kind of sentience.
Zetha Rumir	Lucky for herself, Zetha is used to creepy places in the dark. She's lived with Wiis for years. None the less, when she finally makes her way to where the light is coming from and manages to enter the dojo - she's a bit amazed by what she's found. Survivors from the recent storm that had no where to go? Then she sees the silhouette in one of the habs and after peering for a moment longer determines that it's the person she's been looking for. She moves to approach the hab then, keeping an eye out for anyone else who might jump out at her or something but once she reaches the hab she...knocks? Taps? She makes it known that someone's outside his little shelter. "Ninety nine percent of the time when you run off I at -least- get a message following with apologies. You really do know how to give someone a spook, you know that doc?"
Cayde Alexis	[The danger is not here] Cayde signs, assuring Jorn that no one else is coming after him here on Tenoo, at least not for the time being. He watches as the Mandalorian speaks to the blade, and it seems he's having some trouble.     Then he draws his own blade, holding it in front of himself in a defensive position and nods toward Jorn. How far has he come by now?
Athena	"Of course," Rykard says, "But I must assess it." Soon, the elderly Ikkrukki man arrives in the wooded grove, his landing in the hole soft, swift and silent as a spring breeze against a lompop blossom. He leans down and picks it up, and studying it carefully, finds its switch for the blade. It flickers to life, and blazes ... a blood red. Navi will immediately be able to feel the lure of its darkness, and power in the Force. It's terrible and shocking. Rykard doesn't take very long to observe it. Within seconds, it's been shut off, and reburied. "It must be stored in the Bogan Collection," he huffs. "For now, we will leave it and on our way back to the Temple, I will retrieve it. At first light of dawn tomorrow we'll leave for Coruscant and I will bring it with us to be taken care of there." "Come," he says to Navi, "best we leave this grove immediately and call for the others to take an alternate route around it." When Jorn speaks to the blade, he'll feel its energy shifting, changing shape, sinuous, and dynamic. It will settle at some point, landing on a strange dissonant note in the Force. How to make it behave...! Er'gi stares at Jorn. "Vod...? Who are you talking to?" A pause. "You're not talking to the ... saber, are you?" But when Cayde nears and draws his own blade, Jorn will feel the energy transforming again. He'll feel compelled to do the same, to draw the blade and stand before the padawan. She'll see the silhouette freeze. "... Zetha?" The doctor says, "... Zetha you shouldn't be here. Go back to Kublop. Please." There's a strange desperation in his tone she'll have never heard before...
Jorn	Jorn will feel the change and he nods. Then focuses for a moment, there's a snap-crackle followed by a roar like sound as the black blade comes to life. It starts to crackle a bit. Then he will try to put himself into a defensives tands. Waiting for a moment, the Mandalorian waits for Cayde to take the first swing.
Navi	"Yikes..." Navi whispers as the lightsaber's deep blood red blade ignites, and instantly the pull of the Dark Side strikes her like a splash of dirty water, only a thousand times more corrupting. "Oh, gods... it felt like it was pulling at my very heart," she whispers, after the blade has been extinguished. "I'd no idea such evil was down here. Maybe I should have known better," she continues, moving to follow Master Rykard.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha raises a brow when the doctor seems to begin pleading that she shouldn't be here and should leave. "Soren. People are worried about you. You just up and ran off without a word no one knew where to find you...." But Zetha is as stubborn as she is impulsive. "Why do you let people trust you with their worst troubles but you won't do the same? What's wrong? Why shouldn't I be here? And do remember the longer it takes you to answer, the longer I will remain."
Cayde Alexis	But Cayde doesn't take the first swing. No, Jorn is supposed to take the first swing. The student always goes first, of course. So he just nods toward the Mandalorian man, and then just remains in the defensive posture, waiting.
Jorn	Jorn nods and gets into an offensive stance. Then he will go in acting like it'll be a slash, but instead he goes in for a stab. Then he'll move back expecting Cayde to maybe have a counter regardless.
Athena	Oh, that familiar heaviness will be palpably felt in Jorn's wrists! But the blade feels alive, and vibrant in his grasp. It's a frightening feeling. There's so much power, it could deal a sweeping blow, or it could miss and cause him to stumble...! But it would appear that Navi and whatever little bit Cayde had taught Jorn has paid off. "It's alright," Rykard says, heading back towards where Cayde and Jorn are sparring. He frowns when he sees Cayde and the Green Mandalorian sparring. "... he should have had him practice basic forms cutting the trees," he mutters, shaking his head. But he does not say this to Cayde. At least, not yet. And then, all of a sudden, in the middle of the mundane, there's a piercing, arrow like cry in the Force. <HELP> This SOS is booming, like a peal of thunder in the Force, impossible to ignore to those with mind powers in the Force. Rykard freezes, suddenly turning pale. "....dammit! The witch...!" There's more scuffling coming from inside the temporary hab shelter, and then the entry flap opens. "Look, I .. I can't answer any of those questions. I'm sorry." He then turns around and retreats into the hab shelter. But now that the flap is open, Zetha will be able to see whose personal hab shelter this must have belonged to. The ...Baron? His armor, and clothing have been spilled on the floor, and it looks like many of the storage compartments have been flung open. Sitting on the bed is what Zetha will immediately recognize as an older version of a slicing device, definitely illegal and often carried by smugglers.
Navi	"/Mal.../" Navi says, eyes wide with horror. "Master, that came from someplace roughly south of here. She's too far away to get a clean bearing on. Say the word and I'll be right behind you."
Cayde Alexis	Cayde goes to block the slash, then tries to compensate when Jorn quickly changes shifts strategies. Truthfully, he's distracted in this place. The darksaber thrusts forward, and he has to actually push it back slightly with the Force. Sloppy...     And then...there was that piercing cry. His knees buckle suddenly, and he collapses forward into the ground.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha's not taking that for an answer by a long shot and she suddenly walks into the hab after Soren. "What do you mean you can't answer any of those questions?" She's already taken short stock of what she sees inside, up to and including the very illegal slicing device. "...What is this? For goodness sakes I'm beginning to think I can't trust anyone I've met on this planet aside from Wiis and even then she's on thin ice thinking she can dictate my life since it's gone topsy turvy." Course this might be the part where Soren thinks she's seen to much and now she's really in trouble. At the same time, Soren might be in over his head with something and trying to stay afloat on his own. "Soren...please...talk to me."
Jorn	Jorn will move down and offer Cayde a hand. "How bad is it?" he asks Cayde looking to see the wound, the damage and what could possibly treat it. He is trying to undo what has been done.
Athena	"No, no," Rykard says, his normally composed demeanor starting to crack. "I have to get back to Cayde...! Oh, no, Cayde..." "Navi you must not go anywhere. I'm going to send for Reza and Thaarin. Whatever you do, do -not- attempt to find her alone. Please... this is too dangerous... we cannot repeat history..." And Navi will know exactly what he means. "Stay here, and fortify your mind in the Force...!" Then he Force leaps out of the grove, doing his best to get back to Cayde as quickly as possible. When he arrives, he'll find Jorn bent over Cayde. He gasps quietly and immediately bends over the young padawan. "It's terrible," he says softly, looking mildly distraught, answering Jorn's question for him. Er'gi casts a nervous glance at Jorn, "Vod... when the Jedi Master looks like that.. Har'chaak...!" Meanwhile, Cayde will be able to sense Malgabar grasping at him desperately through the Force, using her amplified powers of the mind to reach far and wide. She's being tormented, by otherworldly beings, and is in horrible agony. Yet, she remains far enough away that her desperate pleas don't immediately overwhelm him. Soren has this wild look in his eyes that Zetha will have never seen before. He seems to be trying to suppress some kind of horrible distress. He finally turns to her. "If I tell you what I'm doing, I need you promise me that you won't try to stop me, you won't ask anymore questions, and most importantly, you won't tell anyone that any of this happened."
Jorn	"I only stabbed you a little," Jorn says thinking he didn't outright try murdering Cayde. Soemone may need to tell the non-Jedi that Jedi dealings are afoot. He can hear the strain, but just simply thinks this is Cayde's first time getting cut by a blade.
Zetha Rumir	"If that were coming from anyone else, I might be forced to counter it. But this is where I'm going to prove to you that I trust you implicitly. Tell me. Then no more questions, I won't stop you, and I won't tell a soul. I'll even walk away and leave you to it. I just want to understand this and make sure you're okay. Cause I care about you, damnit, or have we not spent enough time together to make that clear?" Zetha answers, arms lifting to cross over her chest. This is about to get interesting. And maybe after Soren tells her she'll simply go home. She hasn't been back in a bit and Wiis might have some words waiting for her.
Navi	"I will, Master. May the Force be with you," Navi replies, her tone and eyes troubled. "I hope we didn't cause this by finding this lightsaber. If you need my help, just call for me on the comlink. Or through the Force." She reluctantly takes a seat on part of a fallen tree trunk and tries to draw upon the Force through meditation to calm her mind. But she can sense something of Mal's torment, and of the creatures that are hurting her. "Mal, sweet Mal... please be okay. We never meant to hurt you," she whispers, while trying not to look at the shallow cave entrance where the ancient Dark Side lightsaber rests.
Cayde Alexis	Malgabar? Well, he has mixed feelings toward her. But someone is tormenting her, and that isn't right regardless of anything.     He carefully reaches out toward her presence, attempting to seek out her location, and possibly further details about what exactly is happening. Who or what is causing her suffering?     As he is completely focused on trying to locate Mal, he doesn't respond to Jorn's questions. His eyes are open, but he has that vacant expression on his face as if hi mind is elsewhere.
Athena	Rykard does not tell Jorn or Er'gi a damn thing. But the Mandalorians might suspect. He immediately sits down and closes his eyes, legs folded, hovering above the ground several centimeters, one hand on Cayde. <Cayde...! Cayde can you hear me. I'm here. Don't be afraid> Er'gi looks to Jorn, rubbing his neck. "Any idea what's going on?" "I need access to the laboratory," The doctor tells Zetha, continuing his search frantically. "But... dammit! I can't find any kind of badge or keycode, and I'm running out of time." He says, running a hand through his hair. "There's too much to look through. He's got terabytes of data to search through and..." he exhales, deflating, looking visibly distraught now. Both Navi and Cayde will be able to feel that there are great many things that are tormenting Mal. She's locked up somewhere, alone, somewhere cold with very little light, and very little food. She doesn't know how long she's been there, and she fears for her life. But there is an otherworldly being tormenting her. In her desperation to get out of her cell, she'd used her magick to make contact with it -- its conscious stored on a dark side relic buried hundreds of meters below ground, in the Gorge. And now it turns its eye to Cayde. It's aware of Navi, too, but the young Sephi girl will sense that she's a close second on its to-do list...
Zetha Rumir	Zetha blinks, looking to the bed where the very illegal albeit ancient splicer is laying and then back to Soren. "Have you ever considered that...potentially...to avoid using something that could be swiped at any time..." She begins and then moves to pick up the splicer. "He'd just splice his way in each time? Or. And this is just a random thought...just...using...the splicer? Instead of trying to find a piece of plastic that might even still be on his person?"
Navi	"There is no emotion... there is peace," Navi whispers to herself, struggling to clear her mind in the face of poor Mal's torment. Her only relief, however faint, is the knowledge that Master Rykard insisted she stay here with the relic lightsaber, and that from here she can do nothing to help, at least for the moment. So she tries to prepare herself for a time when she needs to act, and prays she'll recognize her opportunity when it comes and will have the courage to act on it...
Jorn	"Jedi things. The eyes are open, but the mind is somewhere galaxies away," Jorn just respons flaltly. "I don't know if it's a conversation. Something serious. So, we're stuck here until they come back," Jorn doesn't know what exactly is happening right this second. "I could always stab him again." Jorn doesn't think the screaming is from the stabbing this time.
Cayde Alexis	Cayde focuses his efforts toward fortifying against the relic, and attempting to locate Malgabar. Somewhere dark and cold doesn't help much. He needs a -location-, and how to get there from here. He feels his Master's touch, and reaches out to the elder Jedi for help. Together, they could find her. No one should be tormented like that. It would have been better to become one with the Force. If that's what needs to happen, so be it. But they'd have to find her first.
Athena	The doctor suddenly stops, a distant look coming over his expression. His gaze then sweeps across the tent floor, observing, lingering on the multiple sets of armor near the entry flap. He looks pensive. Then all of a sudden, he starts heading out of the temporary hab shelter. "If you want to help, use the splicer to search through the rest of the data in his tent," he says, and then suddenly disappears into the darkness that is the dojo beyond. As Navi sits there, meditating, the knowledge that a wicked, powerful and terrible tool just lays beyond her grasp encroaches on the edge of the young Sephi's mind... The elder Jedi touches Cayde's mind in the Force, reassuring the young padawan that he's indeed present and lending his help to the young padawan. But the young padawan will be able to sense that he does not want Malgabar to become one with the Force... The problem is that Malgabar doesn't remember how she got to where she is. She doesn't know where she is. All she knows is her pain, and terror. And the malevolent spirit seems to know that Cayde can be a conduit. A conduit through which he can access many minds, all at once. It suddenly rushes Cayde's defenses, attempting to break free...
Navi	"There is no lightsaber... there is peace..." Navi murmurs, then scowls. "There /better/ be no lightsaber messing around in my head in about /three seconds/!" she snaps. "You really need a hobby. Like... counting worms or something..." She tries to go back to her meditation...
Cayde Alexis	Well of course if that outcome could be avoided, Cayde agrees that it should be. But given their previous experience with her, it was just a distinct possibility.     When the malevolent presence attempts to rush in, the padawan holds on tighter to his Master, pushing against it, forcing it back down and back where it came from.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha watches as Soren makes his way out of the temp hab but not before he's telling her that if she wants to help she can finish using the splicer in the room. That ancient thing? If it's Soren's, he either wasn't using it right or it's too old to actually get anything good. So she unzips one of the pockets on her cargo pants and pulls out her own splicer equipped with a few several splicer spikes. Then she'll get to work trying to find any relevant information that can be used to assist the doctor.
Athena	Somehow, Navi's able to resist the dark urges projected to her from that damned saber. But she'll start to feel the distant shockwaves in the Force coming from the battle Cayde and Rykard are waging on that terrible thing tormenting Mal. And this is where a fissure starts to form in the connection between Cayde and Rykard. His master is adamantly against Malgabar's unity with the Force. It is not a distinct possibility. It is not a choice. Rykard would rather sacrifice himself. The being seems to know, seems to be able to observe the threads unbinding. And it switches tactics. Instead of resisting Cayde, it allows itself to be pushed back towards its source - Mal. And it begins to torment her again, with renewed vigor, more fiercely than it had before. The young witch screams in agony, her pain, fear, and terror radiating out in the Force, reaching even Navi and multiplying how hard it is to meditate. <HELP HELP> the witch cries <Cayde... please...> she begs. One thing will become abundantly clear. It wants Cayde to defy his Master, to kill Malgabar. A great many things come up. None of them are what the doctor is looking for but Zetha might be surprised at what she does find. The Baron appears to be rather nostalgic and sentimental. There's several videos of him and his family when he was young. He seemed so happy then -- and indescribably adorable. Wide blue eyes, freckles, spring loaded curls. The videos depict a shy boy, crowds made him cry but a stack of books made him smile. Then she'll come across a recent journal entry. |I was meant to be a ghost. Invisible, unknown, unnamed - seeking solace in secluded study and research in order to find modern solutions to current problems. It's the only way I can exist without causing injury to myself or others. And that's what all of this is about. Disappearing. Though I've always been fascinated by genetics and intrigued by what the possibility of cloning could bring about, the main reason why I'd even had a continued interest in the project at all had always been about finding an escape. When the Arkanians sent me a message with word regarding the initial success of the whole endeavor, a plan began to form in my mind. A plan that for once, might bring about a kind of release from the prison I've been living in ever since that fated day the crash happened. Suddenly, the possibility of leaving Mandalore and living in anonymity somewhere on a remote colony world while pursuing my interests within the realm of scientific research, without opening a void, became real. The possibility that my godfather, my brother, my mother, my cousin and all his damned in-laws might retain my presence, without my essence. A stand in, who was familiar with my experiences but unfamiliar with my grief, my rage, my bitterness, my ego. It's cruel, I admit. He would inherit my reputation and all my public sins. But at least he'd have aliit. They might not accept him initially, but in the end, there wouldn't be much of a choice. It might not be what they think they want, but it's what they need, and it's what I need. I can't keep living like this. Everyone and everything is always a disappointment at best and a betrayal of trust at worst, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I am a monster, after all. Even that Twi'lek girl at the grav-ball club found me disgusting and beastly. I can't even think of her. She's yet another reminder that misfortune is a loyal mistress to the lonely and unlovable, plaguing her suitors over and over again until one of them eventually caves and agrees to take her hand in marriage.|
Cayde Alexis	Cayde clenches his jaw, trying to steel himself against the relic, whatever it was. But then it retreats--back toward Malgabar. Well, if that's what it wants--he can't kill her if he can't find her anyway so what did it matter? On that, he and his master align, they need to find her first.     <...where are you...> he tries to reach out into her mind again, attempting to pinpoint her location.
Navi	Navi continues to repeat the Jedi Code to herself, focusing her thoughts inward as much as possible. She catches herself rocking back and forth at the hips and stops for a moment, only to fall into this rhythm again after a few minutes. It's getting harder to block out the distant battle with the evil creature, but at least she's managed to mostly block it out, and resist the presence of the lightsaber.
Zetha Rumir	Zetha blinks as she reads that entry and then - well she shuts off whatever she read it from - and then she pauses. Best to not focus on the part about her, but the other bit. Even then it's not what she's looking for. So she continues splicing into files - anywhere she can think of - if she were someone like the Baron where would she hide the code to a secret labratory? She'll likely continue to splice until she's out of spikes or finds what she's looking for.
Athena	Cayde will be able to sense the same thing Navi had earlier -- somewhere south of here, but pretty far from their current location. Malgabar is trying to project to Cayde, but the being tormenting her is blurring most of what she's trying to communicate. The poor girl doesn't remember much anyway. And then Rykard is withdrawing, compelling Cayde to do the same. The young padawan will have a harder time than the elder Jedi, obviously. Malgabar's pain and agony is still radiating out in the Force, washing over Cayde in a dark sided cascade of negative energy. He might be able to tune it out to some degree, suppress it to an aching whine in the back of his mind, but the fact remains that she's still close enough to make Cayde feel what she's feeling. <Navi> Master Rykard contacts the young Sephi girl. <We must retreat to the Temple now. I'll fetch the Sith saber, and then once we've returned, we must ready ourselves to leave for Coruscant. I'll brief Reza on everything that's happened> Zetha will be in the middle of splicing more files when the entry flap to the temporary hab shelter suddenly opens and this time, it's not the doctor. It's the Baron. His brows furrow, and he says, "What are you doing here?" Zetha might not find words. He's half clothed, and Zetha will be able to see that most of the skin covering his back and part of his chest isn't his own. It's synthskin. But there's something unnatural looking about it. The synthskin seams are ragged, scarred, textured. It's even green and purple in a few spots. And there's a terrible wound on his back - the synthskin has torn away from his flesh, leaving an oozing gash.
Navi	< Yes, Master. I'll stay here until you arrive, and we'll go back together, > Navi replies telepathically. No way in frell she's leaving that lightsaber alone. It would be a huge oopsie to leave it alone, only for it to be missing when Master Rykard arrived. Tenoo has proven to her more than once that the Force has a sense of humor. And if the Force's sense of humor were a comedian, she has a feeling she wouldn't like him much.
Zetha Rumir	"Tailed someone here who I found ransacking this hab. Didn't get a good look at them as once they spotted me they bolted. This old splicer was on the bed so I was making sure nothing was compromised. Wasn't sure who's place this was to be honest." Zetha offers, palming her own splicer to put back into her pocket as she's talking. "You look like you've been on the bad side of someone's fist...or something's blade. Shouldn't you be at the hospital getting looked over?" She's not even wincing or looking away, but instead looks him dead in the eyes as if to prove she's telling the truth.
Cayde Alexis	'Somewhere south of here' wasn't good enough. This place was huge, and dangerous. What was he to do, just start moving south and wander around until the crushing pain became more intense, then keep moving toward it until it became unbearable?     Cayde struggles to withdraw, and even once he has done so, he still can't fully shut it out. Maybe, if he moved away from it, back toward the Temple....     He struggles back to his feet, and starts putting distance between himself and wherever that presence was...
Athena	<Yes. Thank you, Navi. I don't know what we would do without you> the elder Jedi tells the young Sephi girl. <I'll be there soon> Rykard then helps Cayde to his feet. <Come> he says to his padawan. <We're leaving this place at first light tomorrow> Somewhere, in the distance, south of them, Cayde will still be able to feel Malgabar trying to reach for him. She's being suffocated by that... being, but he can hear her faint and desperate cries for help still. <....please... help... I... I still love you> The Baron blushes furiously, averting his gaze, instinctively reaching for one of his capes and holding it to his chest, trying to cover himself in embarrassment. But Zetha will start to notice how right she is, as soon as she's made the observation that he doesn't look well. He looks terribly pale, and exhausted, and there's a strange, melancholic look in his eyes when she mentions the hospital. "Have you ever heard of a synthgraft failure," he says softly, "it can occur if the body develops an allergic reaction to the synthskin." He doesn't even look at her, it's almost like he barely recognizes she's there anymore, "Monstrous, isn't it..."
Navi	<You might want to hurry. This thing keeps trying to convince me to use it. It's surprisingly persuasive for a hunk of metal and crystal, > Navi adds, before settling down into her meditation again.